Kids’ Club and her new BFF. This French
lad spoke no English and she spoke no
French, yet they understood each other
perfectly and were inseparable for the
remainder of our stay. Mom and I took
advantage of the downtime by reading
books and indulging in a spa treatment at
Le Banyan Spar, which is whittled into the
boughs of an ancient banyan tree.
Later that night, after we’d drunk virgin
cocktails while swinging in hammocks, we
were treated to a Mauritian duo playing
acoustic music. They called on volunteers
to sing and, before I’d realised she was
not at my side, my daughter was on stage
singing “You Are My Sunshine” to the
crowd, who all joined in.
Mom and I took advantage of
the downtime by reading books
and indulging in a spa
treatment at Le Banyan
Spar, whittled into the boughs
of an ancient banyan tree
on Mauritius’ north-west coast. We were
greeted with “Ah, two mothers and two
daughters, but only three of you” – a
riddle my daughter spent the next few
days trying to figure out. We soon found
that the warm greeting was emblematic of
Cannoniers: laid-back, fun and charming.
While a popular choice among South
Africans, this resort is not your typical
postcard-perfect Mauritian resort. No
long stretches of sandy-white beaches
here; it’s fronted by rocky outcrops and
inlets. While this may be a disappointment
to some, for Noa and I, Cannoniers’ jagged
coastline, with all its nooks, crannies and
rock pools, and history etched into the
old cannons dotted around the property
made for an intriguing adventure.
Our adventures came to an end, though,
as soon as Noa was introduced to the
DISAPPOINTING DOLPHINS
We left at the crack of dawn the next
morning, on a mission to fulfil Noa’s
only non-resort wish: to swim with
the dolphins.
Mauritius is famous for the giant pods of
MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE // 51