Sands resort and spa lives upto the reputation that it has on tripadvisor . Its definitely the best resort that i have ever stayed. I and my wife were on our honeymoon trip.The resort is setup in the beautifull town of Flic en flac along with many other 5 star properties sharing the same stretch of the lovely beach. Hotels like Maradiva , Hilton , Sofitelet etc etc are lined up but i m sure Sands beats them all. A couple did share their experience at Sofitel and we were glad we were at Sands. The time from checkin to checkout was truly amazing. Not one thing to complain. The checkin was the smoothest ever. Hot towels as soon ad we stepped out of our car. Was greeted by Robi the friendliest guy i have met. Also the GM of Sands met us and greeted us which is a nice gesture and also he was always around monitoring things.

The room was gorgeous. Very neat and clean and well decorated. Lovely setup for honeymoon. We took room number 329 which is on the top floor or Tamarind bay and very close to beach as well. Honeymoon freebies like fruit platter, free sands branded flip flops and lovely bottle ot South African white wine.

We were on half board basis and food was good majority of times. Good choice of menu every dinner. Breakfast is a set menu but the omlette chefs make sure to create something new for you. Dinner theme is always different and never repeated.

Stephan at the Tamarin bay resto was the best. He was always there without even calling him out. He s the best guy at the resto.

Room , pool and beach were always clean . Loungers and towels always available. Do try the free free watersports its nice. The infinity pool is gorgeous and definitely worth a try. The view is stunning.

Everyone here are awesome. Friendliness redefined. Always stick to the halfboard. Anything outside menu is expensive. A burger with fries and a pasta will cost 1200 MUR. Any groceries can be bought from Pic n pay nearby at the Casavella Shopping village. You can take a bus from near Hilton resort to pick n pay for about 22MUR . You also have money exchange there with a good rate or when you go to caudan waterfront mal a guy near the casino can give you the best rate hut dont forget to bargain.

Thats all about it. SANDS is a a solid 4 star with 5 star service.

This is the best place I've ever stayed at to date. staff are extremely friendly and accommodating. Made our honeymoon stay an absolute breeze. food was good on most days. the half board option was good enough for us. keep in mind that meals and drinks that you buy are rather expensive. activities offered are good. i highly recommend people to do the "swimming with dolphins" & dinner on the beach- its really something. great infinity pool, restaurants, views, to name but a few.

A family reunion at Sands to celebrate an 80th birthday was a great success. 15 of us came from Australia, The Isle of Man and South Africa and we had the most wonderful 2weeks. The staff were very friendly, efficient, helpful and went out of their way to make our stay most enjoyable. The layout of the hotel is superb and the rooms spacious and comfortable. The food was of a high standard and the chefs outstanding. We would all like to return as soon as possible!!

My wife and I returned recently from our 6th stay at Sands Resort & Spa on the west coast of Mauritius and it was as usual a wonderful stay. Last year we wrote a review (A Mauritian Perl) which focused mainly on the beautiful setting of the Sands with the view across Tamarine Bay and over the Ocean, the coral beach and the excellent snorkeling options. Here we tell more about this lovely place. We can really not think of anything negative to say; services and the friendliness and attentiveness of the staffs are in top.

During the day we enjoy reading in the shade under a tree at the beach and we have lunch there served on a little portable table while our feet touch the edge of the water. It is of course also possible to get lunch served on solid ground at the nearby restaurant Pink Peppercorn. During the day guests at the beach and the pool are offered small free snags and glasses of frozen juice by a smiling beach attendant. Snorkeling equipment, pedal driven boats, canoes, windsurfing boards and small sail ships are at free disposal for use in the lagoon. Some jog along the beach others go to the little fitness center or have a game of tennis (free of course).

Dinner-time is in our view the prime time of the day. It starts after sunset while there is still a faint glow on the sky over the Ocean. If the weather permits (and it usually does) tables are placed on the big terrace in the open near the pool, all with Ocean view. One is welcomed by smiling sari clad hostesses who guide you to your table. The buffet is based on different themes each day (international, Mediterranean, creole, Indian Ocean, chefs, etc.), but there are always choices for everyone. The atmosphere is fabulous and a little band is playing on the nearby stage; after dinner one can have a little dance under the stars and/or a drink at the bar. Also, it is nice to retreat to one’s private balcony or terrace with a drink and enjoy the view over the bay. Don’t forget to spot the iconic Southern Cross (Crux) which rises on the sky over Tamarin. In January-February you can see it after dinner.

We recommend a walk on the beach up the coast to the little town Flic en Flac (4 km) or down the coast through the adjacent little forest to Tamarina Beach (1 km). The walk through the forest is nice and shadowy and most of the time one gets a glimpse of the Ocean through the trees. We will also recommend the hilly Black River Gorge National Park where the Visitor Center at the low-end entrance can be reached in about 25 min by taxi. There are many excellent walks (short and long) in the park (about 80 km of well-marked trails). Or one can spend hours in Casela Bird and Deer Park (15 min from the Sands by taxi). There are lots of exotic birds and animals to see. One can for example take the safari buss through the hilly landscape past typical African savanna species such as ostriches, zebras, impalas etc., or one can pat a lion or a cheetah (under strict surveillance by staffs), or one can simply walk around and enjoy the beautiful area.

We have previously told that fares requested by taxies waiting outside in the street have become very high (for shorter trips they are now similar to levels found in North European cities). For longer trips it is a good idea to call one of the bigger Mauritian taxi companies. For example we made a 5½ hours excursion along the south coast to Vanilla Crocodile Farm and back via the central plateau with several stops en route, and we paid the taxi from “Taxis Mauritius” 2,200 rupees for this trip; the local taxi outside the hotel requested 3,000 rupees for the same trip. Local taxis request 250 rupees for the short trip from the hotel to Flic en Flac (3-4 km), while we paid a taxi based in Flic en Flac 200 rupees for the return trip.