Former Dynasty actress and Celebrity Big Brother finalist STEPHANIE BEACHAM heads to the mountainous tropical island of Mauritius where she encounters amazing scenery and warm hospitality

WELCOME to Paradise, said the sign as I arrived at Mauritius international airport. At that stage I knew nothing about the country, save that it was a mountainous island in the Indian Ocean renowned for its top-class hotels and great service, the perfect place to celebrate my boyfriend Bernie's landmark birthday.

Keen on some sun, sea, sand and a little pampering, I picked a hotel with a spa at Bel Ombre, a settlement on the less-developed south-west coast. Here, set in acres of tropical gardens overlooking a perfect, white sand beach and backed by mountains, is the African-themed Heritage Awali Golf & Spa Resort, the base for our break. We were greeted by the sound of djembes (African drums) and our eyes were immediately drawn to an inviting curvaceous pool surrounded by palm trees.

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Our two-bedroom thatched villa, which came with its own 24-hour butler, was just as attractive, with direct access to the beach from the terrace adjacent to our own pool.

The décor was a contemporary take on the African theme, with muted animal prints and walls adorned with intricately woven baskets and carved shields. Wood floors, sliding doors leading to the terrace and a sleek, modern bathroom with black stone tiles and a Jacuzzi, completed the look.

We loved breakfasting on the terrace, where we fed titbits to the cheeky exotic birds and watched little frogs hop around.

While English is the official language in Mauritius, French and Creole are also commonly used, along with Hindi and Bhojpuri. It's a truly multicultural country, all reflected in the cuisine: masses of fresh seafood and spicy curries, all elegantly served by wide-eyed boys and beautiful girls who speak English with a French accent.

Our favourite of the resort's five restaurants was the open-air Infinity Blue, where we feasted on a six-course lobster dinner with champagne, surrounded by palm trees and with our toes literally in the sand.

We also ventured a short walk along the beach to the Awali's colonial-style sister hotel, Heritage Le Telfair. Here we ate seared tuna with tamarind banana curry sauce, and fish fillet grilled in banana leaf with green banana stew, at the elegant Asian fusion restaurant Gin'ja. I felt very indulgent eating the Desserts Symphony, which includes Tequila mousse and ginger crème brûlée among the five dishes.

Yes, I did say five.

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After all that overindulgence, the next day I was ready to burn off some calories with some snorkelling. We set off with our two-man crew, Jo and Arnau, in a speed boat to the uninhabited island of L'île aux Bénitiers. En route, we dropped anchor next to a coral reef where we jumped in and found ourselves completely surrounded by shoals of colourful little fish. There was so much fluorescence, even the glorious forests of coral below us had glowing blue tips.

After arriving at the island, we couldn't resist another dip in the enticing, vibrant-green waters while the crew prepared an amazing barbecue. Lobster, steak, chicken, curried vegetables, salad and fruit were all presented on a linen-covered table. It was delicious. "In Mauritius you don't need to die to find out what paradise is like, " said Arnau. We agreed.

It had been a "mari jolie zournee", patois for a really beautiful day.

Back at the hotel I felt as fat as the puppy-faced puffer fish I had come face-to-face with in the water. Maybe a massage would help. I phoned the Seven Colours Spa, set in a large and luxurious complex of thatched huts.

I had to fill in a questionnaire to find out what colour represented my state so my chakra could be reinvigorated by the appropriate massage and food.

I knew what I wanted so I lied and got the most brilliant full-body massage surrounded by twinkling candles in a little hut opening out to lush, tropical gardens.

The next day at the stylish Seven Colours Energy Cuisine restaurant, with its wraparound windows surrounded by the resort's pools, I chose (against advice) from the yellow menu because I really fancied the scallops with goat's cheese. The spa and restaurant are excellent, despite chakra-reading formalities before you indulge.

After chilling out at the resort we were ready to head up into the mountains and explore the southern part of the island which is home to some spectacular gorges, dramatic waterfalls and lush tea plantations.

Our first stop was the Hindu temple at Grand Bassin, next to the sacred emerald-hued lake in an extinct volcano, where a sign reads "many peoples, one country: Mauritius", another reflection of its harmonious multicultural population.

We posed underneath the statue of Shiva and I was blessed with a red dot by a charismatic, brown-eyed monk.

I think he made Bernie a bit jealous.

Then we headed to the impressive Chamarel Waterfall where the waters tumble some 300ft from the St Denis River in the Black River Mountains.

We loved watching the giant tortoises munching greenery.

Then it was up to Black River Gorges Viewpoint to gape in awe at the lush mountain scenery spreading into the distance and bargain for a fabulous string of creamy pearls. We zipped up the motorway to Port Louis, the island's delightful capital with its colourful markets and colonial buildings, before returning to the green and peaceful south for a cup of tea on our poolside veranda.

It's funny how a really comfy hotel feels like home after a few days, partly down to the friendly and helpful staff.

In fact, all the Mauritian people we met were great. They love their island and, after just six days, so did I.

GETTING THERE:
Key 2 Holidays (0207 963 6697/www.key2holidays.com) offers seven nights at Heritage Awali Golf & Spa Resort from £1,549pp (two sharing), all inclusive. Price includes return flights from Heathrow with Air Mauritius.

Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (0207 367 0923/ www.tourism-mauritius.mu)