The dipping sun bounces off the shimmying blue of the swimming pool and loses itself in the sparkling run of the turquoise Indian Ocean beyond. I’m lounging at the al fresco bar at Radisson Blu Poste Lafayette in Mauritius, having sunned myself on the beach all day. Ready to savour the languorous sips in a signature Rhum Arrange experience – that turns out to be as seductive as the laid-back island itself.
SIP ON
Dancing rainbows and unending, whiskered sugarcane nodding along the length and breadth of the islands set the mood for a lazy, sensorial rum tasting experience in Mauritius. Best savoured at luxury stays, or at rambling estates including Rhumerie de Chamarel, and Château de Labourdonnais. With the golden pours in Dodo bottles. This isn’t a usual bar experience with mixologists at play, the rum carries main character energy, unfurling on my tongue as Sega tunes play in the background. I expel a quick breath on taking the first sip – there is a rhythm to savouring the rum I’m told by my Rhum Arrange curator. Expel a quick breath the moment the first sip unfurls, and allow the liquid curriculum to glide across the palate till the rear, forming its own song as it slides down your gullet. Call it a sheer symphony. It is a palate tingling journey And the rum doesn’t disappoint.
The Rhumerie de Chamarel distillery takes me on a field-to-glass journey with a tour of the copper stills, barrel cellars and signature tastings with Mauritian nibbles. At the lush Château de Labourdonnais sprawling across acres, it is an immersive experience sipping on rum under the tree in the sun-kissed courtyard. House-crafted infusions at Radisson Blu Poste Lafayette bring in the white rum macerated for over six months with citrus fruits, warm spices, and fresh botanicals. The thick corded vanilla beans brood mysteriously in the glass bottle; spicy pineapple chunks in some; passionfruit slices; mango with caramel; coffee beans in others. But it is the chilli infused rum that makes my lips hum in sheer joy.
SAVOUR AT LEISURE
Café Gioia is a serendipity powered find at Radisson Blu Azuri Resort and Spa. Chef Asvi Tatiah serves up the best French fare on the islands. Breakfast is a sunny delight with passion fruit bon homie, French toast cushioned with fresh cream, cherubic pancakes and more. The café transitions into a sexily lit Italian restaurant by evening.
With immigrants composing the heart of the population, Creole cuisine in Mauritius arrives as a smashing mix of Indian spices, French flavours, Chinese umami and South African accents. Venison recheado, palm heart salads, octopus touched with locally grown mustard, seafood broths with the fresh catch of the day and more, fill my heart with warmth and delight. A special mention of oceanfront dining on the islands – a must at La Labourdonnais in Port Louis – with juicy lobsters and calamari baskets.
Gourmet gospels with a rummy spin are a slow travel choice you need to make in Mauritius. Plan to laze and graze as you sip and savour at leisure, with the fifty shades of blue. Caramba!
