Resting like a freckle on the Indian Ocean, the inconspicuous island of Mauritius may have evaded your notice. If that’s the case, celebrate its discovery. The magical island just might be a last escape from the real world.

Mauritius rhymes with delicious, and it is—delighting all the senses. Beauty is everywhere.

Color, in all its true vibrancy, seems to radiate here. Can the intense red of the flame tree really be that bright? Iridescent, almost other-worldly hues of blue from the water to the sky merge and mingle turquoise and sapphire like the jewels they mimic. Yellow and ivory frangipani and the apricot and fuchsia bougainvillea color the island. One place is even named for its color--Chamarel and the Seven-colored Earths. This natural curiosity of volcanic origin results from erosion, disclosing ancient volcanic deposits of seven predominant colors, including ochre, violet and mauve.

Fragrances on a whiff of the wind often precede color, so that the nose literally compels the body to follow. Sugar-cane cuttings give pungency to the air during harvest. Tea grows on the plateau where almost daily rains fill the plantations with odors of fresh greenness. The sun gives the roasted white sand along the beaches a toastiness, and breezes from over the ocean seem to inhale the salt to blow a bit of spiciness into the air.

Shapes also merit notice, inviting the curious to touch trees that grow hollow trunks used for drums. Other trees hide gourds high among their upper branches, challenging future musicians to reach and stretch to make music with them. Some trees bear spices that are typical in Mauritian foods—like cinnamon from the bark of laurels.

More than 1000 indigenous and imported plants are exhibited at the Pamplemousses Botanical Gardens and able guides point out contributions from the colonizing inhabitants over the centuries. The Dutch, French and British all took turns owning Mauritius and brought plants and various peoples to the island. The consequence of this populous infusion is a unique blend of races, cultures and religions. Mauritians have come from Europe, Africa, India and China and they have created a harmonious multiracial society where cultures and traditions flourish. Their peaceful imprints blend creatively and are apparent in the arts, foods, clothing and buildings. The examples are stunningly apparent at a newly opened resort and spa, The Oberoi Mauritius.

The Oberoi has especially incorporated the rich heritage of these cultures in its enchanting design. There are 76 luxurious units on 8 hectares of lush gardens, including 600 meters of beachfront. According to General Manager Wilhelm Luxem, each facet of the property is integrated.

"Our wonderful collage of environments and cultures have been essential to our architecture, landscape and interior design.  They're boundless," he says. "Meandering lush landscapes lead to individual quarters, infinity pools, or the beach."

Meandering and lush are understatements for the abundant gardens. Alternanthera, known popularly as purple button bush, and Alternanthera Sicoidea, also called Joseph coat, embroider the ample areas adjacent to walkways, exciting the eyes with pink, lilac, violet and purple. And beyond, as far as one can see, flowers, trees and greenery are profuse everywhere. Oberoi’s Seema Lodi managed the plantings.

"Gardens dramatically contrast the earthy terra-cotta buildings," she says. "A wide range of trees pepper the gardens--creamy frangipani, coconut, palms, and African red-tulip trees—with flowers interspersed among them. All are mixed in a harmonious bouquet."

When the site was excavated, huge boulders were unearthed and some 25,000 cubic meters of boulders form private terraces for guest quarters, walls around pools, and a 12-meter high aqueduct-waterfall that spills fresh-water into a pond. Volcanic boulders and Mauritian sugar-cane thatch roofs complete the indigenous, natural look.

The unrestricted, open-air buildings make sheltered space seem unlimited. There are three bars, a tea pavilion, a health spa, conference facility, boutiques, and my favorite area of interest, two restaurants.

Executive Chef Andrew Skinner joined The Oberoi Mauritius from the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, D.C., awarded "Best New Hotel in North America" for 2000. He also spent several years in Australia and in Bali where he gained knowledge of Indonesian foods.

"We use what is fresh of the best quality," he says. "Our menu offers a little bit of everything for our broad audience. Generally our guests come for a week and they want to try new items each day so we change the menu daily, concentrating on different sauces and garnishes because meats, of course, are more limited. The food is based around chillies, garlic and salsa with French and Indian influence."

An abundant breakfast in the room includes fresh papaya, watermelon, pineapple, honeydew melon and kiwi; fresh fruit juices; cereals; breads and pastries; various styles of eggs with bacon, ham and sausages; pancakes or waffles.

Luncheon beside a fountain-fed infinity swimming pool is as pleasurable as it is delicious. The Mauritian specialty served most often as a beginning course is smoked marlin. The luncheon menu offered Smoked Marlin on Palm Heart and Papaya Tartar with Fresh Herbs. Another local favorite is Creole-style Octopus Salad with Coriander and Red Chilli. Mauritians love hot chillies and some of these dishes can generate a lot of heat. For vegetarians, there was a Grilled Vegetable Pizza with Mushrooms, Fresh Basil, Eggplant, Squash, Carrot, Zucchini and Peppers. Chicken and shrimp dishes, cooked in the tandoor (clay oven), are served with crisp vegetables and various Indian flat breads, also prepared in the tandoor.

Dining in the open-air pavilion restaurant is a unique experience. The comparatively narrow, long, colonnaded room with its high-pitched thatch roof has formal table settings with white linens and candles. The atmosphere is enhanced by the sound of waves rolling to shore and the soft caress of the cool ocean breeze, in all, a stellar dining experience. One evening's first course  was Lightly Spiced Wood Mushroom Soup with Glass Noodles and Sesame Wafer. The soup, actually a nicely seasoned beef broth, had sautéed mushrooms placed for the guest to incorporate. Tataki of Yellow Fin Tuna on Mache and Mizuna with Soy Dressing; Roast Rack of Australian Lamb, Pancetta and Roast Garlic Ragout; Oregano and Olive Free-Range Chicken Breast on Roast Peppers, Eggplant and Polenta; Chive and Goat Cheese Soufflé; Mixed Seafood in Saffron Sauce with Glazed Pearl Onions, and Australian Beef Fillet with Proscuitto Waistcoat on Mushroom Ragout were other well-presented selections. The coconut desserts were outstanding.

Chef Skinner and his sous chefs Jean-Philippe and Venu Madhav presented a cooking class one afternoon. Like other elements of the island, Mauritius cuisine is a melting pot and has been adopted and interpreted by the local population over the centuries. The multicultural influences are marked, especially those of India. Chef Madhav explained Indian contributions to Mauritius cooking.

"Sixty percent of the spices used here are adopted from India," Chef Madhav says. "The mix and match of them, however, depends on individual variations. I’m demonstrating Dholl Purri, a thin, soft, lentil stuffed bread that is considered a great delicacy. Every Mauritian meal has some form of this bread."

One basic ingredient is the curry powder made for the curry sauce. For it, Chef Madhav combined equal portions of cardamom, cumin powder, dried chilli, coriander seeds, turmeric, cinnamon powder, clove, mustard seeds, methi, bay leaves, black pepper, fennel seeds. He grilled the spices and then ground them.

Making Dholl Purri is an involved and long process that calls for a number of operations. Once the curry powder is concocted, it is used with other ingredients to make the curry sauce. After the dholl, or lentils, are cooked, the broth is reserved for later use as moist seasoning. Small mounds of the dough are worked with the curry and mashed dholl and the mixture is rolled into flat circles like tortillas or pizza dough to be quickly roasted on an iron disk. The bread is served warm and folded. Diners fill the dholl purri with chicken, rice, condiments and vegetables. It is delicious.

Other popular dishes are Seafood Vindaye, Chicken Curry, and Mazavaroo.

According to Assistant Food and Beverage Director Lindley Thomen, my companion for a day’s culinary tour, the favorite island condiment is rougaille, a tomato-based sauce with chopped onions, spices, herbs, garlic and red chilli. The word is supposed to derive from roux-d’ail—a browned garlic sauce. Mauritians’ home cooking starts with rice and rougaille and other foods are then combined with them--fowl, fish or eggs and served with flat bread.

We dined at La Flore Mauricienne for a typical Mauritian meal. It is touted as the oldest restaurant in the Indian Ocean, established in 1848, and located in Port Louis.

Our first course was a favorite Mauritian snack called samoosa—light sheet pastry filled with vegetables and deep fried, served with smoked marlin and fresh, uncooked thinly sliced marlin served with a condiment that resembled guacamole. I dipped a piece of apalan, a crisp flat bread resembling potato chips, into the bowl for a good amount of the green dip and was about to consume it when Lindley suggested I might prefer to sample a smaller portion. I was so grateful! It was not guacamole but a hefty, extremely hot chilli pepper mixture. My more modest, tiny sample caused my eyes to water and mouth to burn.

"This green chilli paste is a typical Mauritian condiment," Lindley smiles. "If we don’t have hot chilli pastes with every meal, it just doesn’t seem right."

I left the chilli paste for him and he finished the bowl without even a moist glow.

Another Mauritian favorite is salt fish with rougaille. Ours was served with cabbage—called chou chou and unlike any cabbage I’ve eaten--looking more like cooked collards. It was garnished with coconut chutney and a small pickled lemon. The fish is very salty indeed, so be prepared.

Our next course was giant prawns with a lemon-butter sauce whipped with fresh cream. It was excellent. This was followed by chicken and shrimp curry, rougaille, a carrot and cucumber and onion relish and rice. As is the tradition, we mixed items with the rice. It was quite delicious. Dessert was a baked crystallized papaya served with vanilla ice cream. I expected it to be overly sweet, but it was not and I enjoyed it immensely.

La Bonne Marmite is another Port Louis restaurant that concentrates on Mauritian cuisine and has an Indian focus. Tandoori Bonne Marmite is the chef’s selection from the tandoori grill and it featured Sheek kebab and Chicken tikka. Seasoned with the chef’s special blend of spices, the dishes were lovely and made distinctively delicious by his special seasoning. The crisp flat bread made a nice accompaniment. Also enjoyed were the Chicken Supreme with Pistachio Nuts Served with an Almond Flavoured Curry Sauce—smooth and well-integrated flavors. The chicken was moist and the nuts added a good textural dimension. Chef Varen has a creative touch that translates well.

Le Chamarel Restaurant is near the site for Chamarel and Seven-colored Earth. It is one of the most popular restaurants in Mauritius. Try the fresh crab au gratin—it’s superb. The Mauritian Curry Chicken with Rice is just as tempting and very-well flavored. The view from the terrace of mountains, islands and the ocean is outstanding. The restaurant does not advertise and it is always full.

If traveling to Mauritius for business, the place to stay is the well-appointed and attractive 109-room Labourdonnais Hotel in the capital city of Port Louis. Located in the waterfront development called Le Caudan, the handsome hotel has every facility a businessperson expects as well as a swimming pool and health club. It’s outstanding feature, however, is the best Mauritian chef on the island—or any island, I imagine, as his food is that good.

For total relaxation and pure holiday delight, you need never leave The Oberoi. Spa treatments are the most diverse imaginable. For silky skin, sign up for the Paillasson, a 90-minute indulgence that includes being rubbed with grated coconut. If sunburned, request the soothing yogurt splash—a refreshing creamy lather that cools the sunburn deliciously. The Spice Body Mask uses warming oils and a medley of spices to rejuvenate every pore. And there are many other choices among the spa’s more than 25 treatment selections. There also are spa activities like Hatha Yoga, T’ai Chi, Meditation and a gymnasium. For consultation or suggestions, visit with Spa Manager Alkistis Loukides. She has master degrees in therapy and a gracious manner that is sufficiently soothing in itself.

Located on the northwest, leeward side of Mauritius, the luxurious Oberoi’s relaxing design covets privacy for guests who enjoy spending time in the spacious, well-appointed rooms. One seldom meets others along the various paths around the property until cocktail hour when they gather at the bar pavilion.

There are two infinity swimming pools and a 600-meter beach area that invite all possibilities: swimming, snorkeling, sailing, scuba diving, water skiing, parasailing, fishing, and walking under water. This last water phenomenon is the only such operation in the world. One is transported to a reef and onto the supply boat where the instructor informs and outfits the guest. Fitted with a weighted belt and solar-powered, waterproof headgear, the guest descends a ladder from the back of the boat accompanied by two divers and a guide. Together, we walked along the reef and among the fishes on the floor of the lagoon—a perfect choice for those who do not want to scuba dive.

This floating island garden of 1,865 square kilometres justifies all the praise ever lavished on the most romantic of tropical paradises. Whether enjoying the ultimate holiday at the Oberoi or conducting business from the Labourdonnais Hotel in Port Louis, Mauritius is a haven of courtesy and comfort. Indeed, perhaps its nonpareil feature is the service. The staffs are the most agreeable and courteous I have ever encountered.