“My husband and I stayed at the Belle Mare Plage for our honeymoon. It was absolutely fantastic. I did research on Mauritius prior to booking and everything about the island was great–big enough to have space on the beaches, small enough to travel around the whole island if you wanted to and a diverse population that is so incredibly friendly to visitors made a big impression prior to our trip.
The hotel itself is perfect. The layout is spread out so there is no feeling like the guests are piled on top of each other. There are at least three pools and a huge stretch of beach. No matter where you want to lay out and catch some sun, there are always chairs available and you do not have to “stake out” chairs early in the morning to guarantee a good spot. The rooms are spacious and have lovely character. One of the first photos I took was the view from our room onto the beach and it was my screen saver for a year.
The food is delicious, delicious, delicious. The morning buffet is extremely thorough–so much to choose from from loads of fresh fruit, omelettes to order, fresh bread, pastries, crepes, hot meat dishes, fresh juices, etc. The evening buffet is outstanding. There were different food stations: meat, Asian, Mauritian, Italian, fresh salads, pasta salads, the most amazing freshly cooked fish along with the other usual side dishes and a dessert station to die for. One night there was an award winning French chef creating his signature chocolate masterpieces. Every single night had different food (we stayed ten days)…nothing repeated and there was so much to choose from. There are other restaurants to eat at during the day, but we never did as breakfast and dinner was plenty (except for our honeymoon dinner which was great as well). There was never a rush to get a seat for dinner–always plenty of seats at whatever time we wanted to eat.
The water sports offered are great–this side of the island has more waves, but it is worth it for the adventure. If you want to snorkel or ride in the glass bottom boat (almost every water sport was free) make sure you sign up in advance. There was only one time the boat house had already booked up a snorkeling trip we wanted to join. There are always fresh beach towels waiting for you at little huts along the beach–no need to bring something from home. The chairs are super comfy and covered with umbrellas.
The staff at the hotel is beyond friendly. Everyone always greeted us with “bonjour” or “bonsoir” where ever we went. It never felt pretentious–just another example of the very friendly and genuine demeanor of the Mauritian people. When we needed assistance in our room, they were quick to respond. We tried to play tennis but ran out of time. My husband and I played a couple rounds of golf and thoroughly enjoyed it. One course is on a former nature reserve and while I was teeing off, there was a small herd of deer, laying in the grass about 50 meters away, watching us play.
The spa is great–I had two massages and they were fantastic. The gym is top-notch and the fitness classes offered are diverse and well taught. We did not discover the whirlpool/sauna area of the spa until the last few days…it was so relaxing and always nearly deserted. One of the best things about the BMP is that there is so much to do, nothing is ever overcrowded. We did take a trip to the Ile auf Cerfs by catamaran and while I was a little disappointed that we had such little time on the island itself, the boat ride ended up being our favorite part. They also had a very nice children’s club and saw the children there were very well tended to.
Simply put, this trip was worth every penny and then some. It was such a great experience in Mauritius and I can only hope that we return sooner rather than later.”
Kristin P.
“Just received the booking confirmation for our Jewel of the Seas cruise. I cant thank you enough for all your help it is much appreciated myself and my wife are over the moon with what you have put together for us we could not have done it without you hope you have a nice day take care .”
Michael M.
“Just returned from cruise on Splendour of the Seas booked through your company. Just to let you know that my mother and myself had a wonderful time on the ship and would recommend this trip to anyone. Also many thanks for efficient service provided by yourself..”
Deborah G.
“I have just come back from my cruise on Voyager of the Seas in the Med. In short, it was the best holiday I have EVER had! (And I have had many, eg. China, Egypt etc). Thanks to Glen Travel. Now my husband says he will go with me next year. So can you please give me a price for the following: Same cruise round the med. on Voyager of the Seas. Dates either 12th Sept or 19th. Sept. Same cabin quality, in fact I would like the same cabin if that is possible.”
Sue B.
“The cruise on Navigator of the Seas was excellent. Ryanair leave a little to be desired – the hotel in Rome we used was super would recommend it The Hotel Albergo Santa Charia is ideally situated about 100yards from the Pantheon. Thank you for your patience.”
Janet F.
“Thank you for organising our recent cruise on Voyager of the Seas. Everything went well; I was particularly impressed with the Hotel Front Maritim; it was well situated near the beach and the reception staff were helpful and spoke English well and the breakfast selection was exceptional. I would have no hesitation in recommending this hotel to your clients. Thanks again for your efforts. I would be grateful if you could inform us of any deals in 2009 for cruises featuring the Greek Islands and also Australia/New Zealand (not necessarily a cruise for this option).”
Charlie H.
“Just to let you know we enjoyed our cruise on Navigator of the Seas. Flight out was on time and room at Front Maritim Barcelona good. Bit of delay getting on ship due to large numbers arriving at same time but once on board everything was up to usual RCI standard with the evening entertainment very good. Globespan flight back was delayed four hours and according to quite a few people a few of their flights had been delayed over that weekend. That however was the only negative and we had a great time otherwise.”
Donald L.
“Just a note to say how much we enjoyed our cruise for our 50th Wedding Anniversary. Everything was first class, flight was very good and the ship was aptly named “Brilliant”. Thank you very much for your help and any special offers for another cruise would be welcomed.”
Shirley & George N.
“Just a quick note of thanks for the holiday we have all just had. The Icaria hotel in Barcelona was in the right location and first class rooms and food. The cruise was well organised, plenty of food ,great staff to help and serve us. The flights were great, plenty of help both at Stansted and Barcelona going out and coming back. So many thanks to you. ” Val B.
“My wife & I ( 60+ ) have just returned from a back-to-back 2 week cruise with Royal Caribbean ‘Liberty of The Seas’ to South & East Caribbean.Last year, we cruised for the first time – 1 week on RCI’s ‘Serenade of The Seas’. Despite my initial reluctance, I got ‘hooked’ on cruising. Both liners are beautiful, Staff & service are excellent, as is the food and quality of all facilities. There’s nothing ‘stuffy’ about these cruises ;dress up for ‘formal’ nights’, go ‘smart casual, or just relax and do your own thing. We booked our first cruise through a large nationwide High Street agent, and felt at the time that we got good value for money. However, we were very pleasantly surprised to find that the cost of our 2 week cruise, booked through Glen Travel, cost little more than our 1 week cruise last year. This, combined with the helpfulness of your staff and the seamless organisation of the holiday, will bring us back to you for future holiday arrangements.
Well done you guys, and thank you.. ”
John & Angie M.
“Good afternoon, Just want to say that we booked with you for our trip to London and that we really had a great time. The Hotel (President) was really nice and central and the Jersey Boys show was fantastic. The train was really good as well. Hope to book again with you in the future. Regards, ”
Jeanette M.
” I am just back from the Mar Hall trip and I would like to say that it was very, very good. My pal and I really enjoyed the golf course, and the hotel room, facilities and food were excellent. The package was superb value for money. We were also very lucky with the weather. I would be grateful if you could advise me of any other similar offers in future. Thanks, ”
.Allan F.
“Dear Graham, Thought I’d send you a postcard from “The Windy City” and say a big thank you for all your help arranging this holiday. Fantastic doesn’t even come close!! Hotel here (Radisson Blu Aqua) really superb. Will definitely be back to this wonderful city. Will not hesitate to book with you again. Kind Regards, ”
Linda & Tony H.
“Hi Michelle, We just wanted to say thank you for all your help and advice given when we booked our cruise holiday on the Explorer of the Seas. Not only was this the best price we had been quoted but the quality of customer service was the best we have received from a travel company. It was very obvious from the information received from Michele at Glen Travel that the staff are very experienced and themselves well travelled. Thanks to all.”
The M Family.
“Hi Michele, thanks very much for arranging a fantastic trip. Now at JFK waiting to fly home. All three bits of our holiday – Boston, Cape Cod and NYC – were fab, and no hitches. Hotels all very good. Here’s the family in Cape Cod, on the veranda at the Lighthouse Inn. Many thanks, I have passed on details of Glentravel to some friends.”
Steve, Karen, Tom and Hannah E.