Health and Spa Holidays

Ms Jane Ward who is interested in holistic therapies had 2 weeks holiday leave in February. Her brief to Debra was "I'm stressed and tired and need a total 'chill out break' somewhere warm!" Debra arranged an Ayvedic treatment holiday at the Barberyn Reef Hotel in Sri Lanka using Medway Travel's specially negotiated hotel and flight rates.

Jane says: "I was totally exhausted and needed complete rest and relaxation. I have never considered Ayvedic treatments although I had heard of them. The total package was designed just for me with private transfers to and from the airport full board and all the treatments that the Doctors at the centre recommended to totally detox me. 2 weeks later I felt like a new woman!! What a pleasant change to have your holiday arranged by someone who has as much interest and enthusiam for it as you have. Thanks!"

There is only one way to describe this hotel - Superb!

We have just come back from two glorious weeks on the beautiful island of Mauritius. We were lucky that Stephen of Medway Travel had helped us to choose to go there for our honeymoon and to stay at The Residence.

From the moment we arrived, to the time of our reluctant departure, nothing was too much trouble for the staff at The Residence. You are greeted on the front steps with hot flannels to refresh you after the journey and in reception, iced tea is served before you are escorted to your room where check-in is completed.

You are then introduced to your personal butler! The butler will do your unpacking and sets everything out beautifully, shows you how everything works in the room and will answer any questions you have about the hotel. Our butler also prepared the most spectacular and delicious hot baths imaginable, topped with a foot of bubbles and strewn with rose petals. He will also do all the packing when you leave! Now that's what you call service, especially when it is all delivered with a genuine friendly smile.

You can take your breakfast on your balcony (at no extra charge); just leave your order hanging outside your door the previous evening, or in the dining room where an excellent breakfast buffet awaits you. There are either snacks by the pool or on the beach during the day, or a more formal lunch on the terrace.

There are two wonderful restaurants to go to in the evening - one in the hotel and one five minutes walk away called 'The Plantation', which is open on three sides to the beach and the ocean, and is simply a perfect location. Both restaurants offer an excellent 'menu de jour' and full 'a la carte' dining. In the dining room, which overlooks the pool, where the cuisine is a tantalising mix of Asian, Oriental and European, the food is expertly cooked, wonderfully presented. The flavours are superb, incorporating subtle levels of spicing with more European style cooking. Dinner at The Plantation is also a superb dining experience, where the cuisine is a little more locally inspired with plenty of fresh seafood and many of the dishes have an Indian style. Your challenge is choice and they are not always easy. However, the staff in both the hotel dining room and The Plantation, as everywhere at The Residence, are very friendly, very attentive and very helpful. They are keen to help you with your journey through the menu and the wine list, to make your evening as enjoyable and relaxing as possible. In our experience, they succeeded!

As a break from the rigours of lazing in the sun and going for a swim in the pool or the crystal clear waters of the Indian Ocean, you may want to take the opportunity to be thoroughly pampered in The Residence's own spa, The Sanctuary. Of course, on the other hand, if you want something more energetic they also have their own sailing club, gym and floodlit tennis courts.

Mauritius is thoroughly recommended and The Residence is THE hotel. Thank you Stephen - we certainly cannot wait to have the opportunity to return there!

Christine Alderson