Fodor's Expert Review Heritage Le Telfair Resort & Spa

A stay at Heritage Le Telfair Resort & Spa provides an instant glimpse of Mauritian history. This gleaming white resort is one of a handful of hotels on the former 25,600-acre grand sugar estate, Bel Ombre, stretching along the island's south coast. Le Telfair and the adjacent Heritage Awali Gold and Spa resort share a fantastic championship golf course as well as some 11 restaurants and bars, including Le Chateau, the jewel in the crown. Set in the former sugar estate's early 19th-century manor house, Le Chateau has been restored to its colonial grandeur and serves lunch, a classic afternoon tea, and dinner featuring French specialties. Named after Charles Telfair, secretary to the first British Governor of Mauritius, the resort—grouped into 20 two-story villages—is a modern take on a colonial village. It fronts a coral-fringed lagoon, and the Citronniers River cuts through the property, giving guests a choice of sea- or river-view accommodation. Annabella's, the resort's main restaurant, is a chic brasserie with a fun exhibition kitchen. Set in tropical gardens, the Seven Colours Spa has nine treatment rooms. The kids club caters to kids ages 2–11, and there are plenty of organized teen activities.