Mauritian style in under 5 hours

The Canary Islands are rarely if ever referred to as your typical luxury holiday destination.  However, it seems that you really don’t need to get on a plane for 9 hours to experience top class service, gourmet cuisine and the most attractive of resort surroundings as I discovered when visiting Abama in the district of Guia de Isora in Tenerife. Accessed in around 35 minutes from Reina Sofia Airport (the old Tenerife Sud) you’ll drive along winding coastal roads before being greeted by the distinctive salmon pink facade of this quite beautiful five star deluxe hotel with adjoining golf links. Representing a kind of pink Citadel, you can’t help but be impressed when you reach your guest room and take in the ocean views from your spacious lavishly furnished balcony across to Gomera Island amidst the tropical banana plantations that line the grounds. I stayed in the Ocean View Deluxe Room for 3 nights earlier this year and I’m already eager to go back. Whilst it might not be that difficult to create a luxury concept hotel like this, there is always the challenge of maintaining standards and going the extra mile in terms of attention to detail. That’s what seemed to set Abama apart. The fact it is an immaculate, beautiful and all-encompassing wasn’t what stood out, we expected that when we booked it. Kooky nature perks like their manicured private botanical garden and open invite to watch the coy carp feeding sessions sit in support of their larger ‘facilities’ like the exceptional tennis academy, challenging sloped golf course and all encompassing kids club. There’s even a semi private beach accessed by an old style funicular reminiscent of the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway back in the UK. Lovely little additions like this really enhanced our experience and made it feel unique. Returning to our room on a daily basis from visiting one of the eight swimming pools to find gorgeous little slices of cake, French frangipans and strawberries as well as a beautiful tray of amenities to make our stay all the more comfortable helped with this as well. The offer to use the hydrotherapy circuit that forms part of the spa for a very small fee also felt like a significant extra. There’s nothing better than those saunas, steam rooms, snow cabin, kneipp walk, jet pool, heated relaxation chairs and ice cold plunge pool to relax your muscles at any time of the day. I just wish I was there now. We chose to upgrade our stay to Half Board which I’d recommend to anyone visiting. The prices mirror the quality of the resort but the Half Board option represents the best way to get as much out of your stay as possible. We dined at the intimately styled Kabuki Japanese restaurant and were helped with our menu selections by friendly and courteous staff, and the food was delightful. We also dined at El Mirador restaurant located close to the beach and enjoyed several exceptional al fresco meals that scored nothing less than top marks each time. So, its time to banish those pre-conceptions of the Canary islands, and visit a resort that feels every bit like it could be in Mauritius, or indeed anywhere else in the world. Carole Booth is Commercial Director at Destinology. If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.