Riambel: Villa Antema, pool, right on the beach

Our family stayed at Villa Antema for a month and absolutely loved our time there. It was on the beach, with beautiful ocean views, a safe and comfortable setup, and all the amenities we could need.The layout was ideal —3 bedrooms, each with its own en-suite and ocean view. We especially loved the indoor-outdoor living space with the large covered deck where we spent most of our time.The property is gated from both the road and the beach, so we always felt secure. We stayed in the main villa, with two smaller rentals off to the side. Even with the shared property, the villas are well-separated and private.One of the reasons we chose this area of Mauritius was for easy access to day trips for hiking and beach-hopping. The beach right in front of the villa is shallow but lovely for wading and snorkeling, and if you walk the beach a bit, you’ll find deeper spots for swimming.. And if you’re into kitesurfing, the conditions directly in front of Villa Antema are ideal.The housekeepers and a maintenance person were there a few hours each day, which made it feel like a real vacation. They were warm, friendly, and never intrusive.We especially loved hiring one of the housekeepers to cook for us. It was delicious authentic Mauritian cuisine.Finally, Davina, our host, was incredible. She was quick to respond and addressed any issue urgently. Plus she had great recommendations for local spots to visit.In summary, we would highly recommend Villa Antema!

We had a wonderful stay, the villa was excellent and served as a great base to explore from. The beach was fabulous unspoilt and never anyone on it! We didn't want the resort style holiday we wanted to see the real country and got to see so much! The team led by Sapna looked after us so well and introduced us to lobster! Delicious and now annoyed I have never had it before! Thank you for a wonderful stay

We stayed for a week in Mid August and from the very beginning the villa exceeded our hopes and expectations. The facilities were outstanding and view of the sea and the reef from the property to die for. Our 3 housemaids Reena, Sapna and Jessica were attentive and informative and cooked us 2 excellent (and varied) Mauritian meals during our stay. They also provided much good local information and advice. The car we hired allowed us to explore widely and we took advantage to see as many sights as possible. Highlights include: the crocodile farm, Bois Cheri tea plantation, St Aubin and Chameral rum distilleries, 7 coloured Earths and waterfall also at Chamerel, Grand Bassin Hindi Temple, a visit to Blue Bay see the coral reef on the glass bottomed boat, a boat trip to Ile aux Aigrettes Nature Reserve and a shopping trip to Port Louis (including the market - do haggle before paying, it is expected) all of which we would would thoroughly recommended. We even had a go on the zipwires at La Vallee des couleurs although we felt this was a little overpriced but a great experience. The Winners supermarket at Chemin Grenier just 10 minutes away was excellent for shopping (be sure to arrive early to buy freshly made rotis and pastries etc). I don't think they get too many tourists as lots of people often wanted to stop and chat with us, a charming characteristic and one which we found so amenable. We would love to return for another visit in the future and this villa is ideally sited to explore the beautiful southern wilder half of the island of Mauritius. One suggestion for perfection: Some brochures of local attactions in the villa would have been useful as well as suggestions for evening dining in the area which we found to be a bit hit and miss. All in all an amazing week in the sun (and rain).