Lakaz Chamarel is a charming hotel with secluded apartments and luxurious facilities set in a picturesque hidden valley near the village of Chamarel. It is about an hour from the airport and, although up in the hills, is only a 10 minutes’ drive to the public beach at Le Morne. It is the most brilliant peaceful location set in immaculately maintained and colourful gardens overlooking a small lake. Tropical birds chirp everywhere. Spectacular fruit bats overfly at dusk. Most of the lodges overlook the lake, but there are four hilltop suites which have fabulous views of the southwestern coastline. It is worth doing a bit of homework when selecting which size (and aspect) of accommodation you choose, as they do vary. The resort is more spread out than we had envisaged, but chauffeur-driven buggies are provided to move around if needed. Most people tended to spend a shorter time there, but we stayed for 10 days, half-board, venturing out on excursions on most days. There is plenty of interest within walking or cycle distance. A hotel shuttlebus runs to the beach and back four times daily. Facilities include a fitness suite, yoga lessons, sauna and massage. The View Bar (open in the evening) has spectacular sunset views. We booked through Kuoni, who had an excellent local agent (Sheela) who arranged several trips at reasonable expense. We had reserved a garden view lodge, but were upgraded (at no extra cost) to a brand new villa (Bulbul, not yet on the website), which was tastefully furnished and positively palatial in size. Bulbul was spotlessly clean and comfortable, had air-conditioning in the bedroom and fans in the bedroom, sitting room and terrace. Like almost all of the accommodation, it has a completely private pool. We had no problems with mosquitoes: the garden is sprayed several times a week, nets are provided around beds and repellent devices are provided in every room and on the private terraces. The chef Eddy is absolutely brilliant: dinner was beautifully presented, exceptional in range and there were no repetitions in the menu during our stay. However, the wine and cocktails were quite expensive. There was a good range for breakfast, although it would have been nice to have a slightly wider variety of fresh fruit (e.g. mango), which is plentiful on the island. The owner and his family live on site and the place has a real family atmosphere. Peggy and her team at Reception could not have been more helpful. In fact, without exception, every staff member that we encountered, the waiters and waitresses, bar staff, buggy drivers and gardeners were attentive, kind and friendly, with a welcoming smile on their faces. From the owner downwards, everyone seemed to take genuine pleasure in ensuring that we had a wonderful holiday. We were meticulously well looked after throughout our stay and would definitely recommend Lakaz Chamarel to anyone who wants a peaceful, enchanting and relaxing holiday away from the crowded resorts on the island. It is a real gem and thoroughly deserves a 5-star review.…
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