Adventure and Thrills in Paradise

Kite surfing in Mauritius by Louise Prieto and Planet Travel Holidays

Waking up on the morning of my flightto Mauritius with Planet Travel Holidaysfilled me with not only joy and excitement, but a real sense of adventure. I have longed to kite surf for years and this was going to be a huge cross on my bucket list, but it would be much more than that. To kite surf in these beautiful surroundings with the Specialised Kite Boarding team and staying at the wonderful Preskil Island Resort…you know me by now with my adventures….

So this is what I knew about Kite surfing: you need a lot of gear, wind and no fear of drowning. My only fear was being flung against a coconut tree and embarrass myself, while having my bathing suit hang from my ankles. Yes, that does sound funny but always for the onlookers! It is incredible how just one good first experience can instantly make you fall in love with a new sport. Having landed in paradise, after a 12 hour flight (yes long but bear in mind that you will not suffer from jet lag) and be whisked to the stunning and newly renovated hotel Preskil Island Resort, it became apparent that wind is the main key to being able to properly kite surf.

My trip, from home to my breath-taking sea view hotel room, was easy and seamless. From bag drop-off where the ground hostesses were sweet and funny, right through to my seat, with HD quality screens, yes we were in economy, but not a problem really for the new A330-900 and as I had 4 middle seats, yes I was very lucky, I fell asleep for most of the trip.

Small in flight travel tip: try opting for gluten free or vegetarian meals, they usually come with fresh fruits and no lumpy sauces and keep hydrated as much as you can, 1 litre for every 3 hours of your trip, you might go to the toilet more but you will beat jet lag and heavy legs syndrome.

And here I was in paradise, with very little time change and full of excitement. You have to know that this small Indian Ocean island has a huge history but also beautiful lagoons, reefs and mountains, and very well known for Kite Surfing, what a shame I was not staying longer to fully discover its entire beauty. Preskil Island resort was not what I expected it to be, it is luxurious but with a down-to-earth feeling, where families, couples and friends all interwind with each other without disturbance. Organised group activities are fun but discreet, like learning how to master a Mauritian curry or trying out your cocktail making skills next to the outdoors fire pit. It caters for the adventure type, with small catamarans, paddle boards or setting off into town for a guided bike tour, to the more relaxed and lazier bunch with a beautiful central pool and sea front loungers, sunset cruises but most importantly the spa!

After such a long flight I have to say that the first thing I did was slip into my beautiful new bathing suit and heading to the closest sun lounger for a snooze while dreaming of the adventures ahead and thinking of home all those miles away.

This, however, was an adventure holiday and I was here to Kite Surf.This has been a long-held ambition and I was keen for the day to start and to meet the team at Specialised Kite Boarding. Paddle boarding was including too, I have done this several times around the world, but to do this in such beautiful scenery was something to really relish. Paddle boarding was of course my first activity of choice. Paddling over coral and being able to see all the fish in the clear blue sea, was magical and humbling, even though I did get caught up in the reef a couple times and had to be rescued by me fellow journalist, this did not stop me of course, call me a girl on a mission if you will.

Luckily after 2 days exploring the resort and surrounding attractions the conditions were finally perfect to start the kite surfing training. The Specialised Kite Boardingteam are extremely professional and attentive, which meant I immediately felt at ease. As I bobbed around in the water trying to apply what Jeremy taught me, my heart was racing with excitement! In one instant I pulled the bar left and then right and I was off and out of the water on my first try…. Yep. First try I was out of the water, sorry guys this apparently is very rare but I just put it down to the fact that wakeboarding, snowboarding, Pilates and common sense, plays a big role in this, no my ankles are not swelling up at all…..

There and then I vowed to keep this sport up when back home and already planning my next kite surfing adventure.

This trip was probably the most intense and interesting trip I have been on in a while, and in order to conclude it the right way, I took myself to the beautiful spa for a pre-flight massage, as I knew I could not get so lucky on the way back with 4 free seats, and I was not disappointed, the massage hit all the right spots and booking it on the sea front was an absolute luxury.