THE FACTS ABOUT VILLA D'EDEN

Mauritius

A few hundred yards along the same beach as Villa Azur is Villa d'Eden, a thatched house built of black volcanic rock. Impressive double doors open directly onto a timber terrace overlooking the tropical back garden and swimming pool/barbecue area. Inside, there are two living rooms, a big kitchen and a smart dining room leading to a covered terrace. Two of the three bedrooms are on the ground floor, each opening onto the front garden which has access to the beach. An enormous master bedroom, en-suite bathroom and dressing room (plus a small alcove with a single bed) are upstairs in a thatched 'tower' with a sea-facing balcony. With its dark wood furniture and Buddha statues, the décor has a distinctly Indonesian flavour. The mood is compact, calm and colonial with polished dark wood and a number of handcrafted elements. The resident maid works Monday to Friday and the house sleeps six in three doubles. CONTACT Villas de Maitre (01296 334 138; www.villasdemaitre.com), Elegant Resorts (01244 897 444; www.elegantresorts.co.uk) or The Owners' Syndicate (020 7801 9809; www.ownerssyndicate.com), where it is known as Feng Shui. COST From £310 per night