ECO location

LIZZIE MCALLISTER finds a determination to make tourism greener in the idyllic paradise of Mauritius

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approach, with the chain set to open a new resort in Zanzibar later this year.

ALL smiles and dressed in a chef’s hat and branded apron reading: “Dinner chez Con’”, our host handed each of us a glass of vanilla rum, infused at home and garnished with sugar cane.

Con is one of a handful of residents who volunteer to take part in “Dinner with a local”, put on by Mauritian hotel group, Attitude. Hosts receive 100% of the money from guests’ tickets and Con welcomes a new batch of tourists every week. She even keeps a photo album featuring beaming photos of every group.

She and her family speak Mauritian Creole - a French-based language - and not a lot of English, but with enough gesticulating and a smattering of high school French, we muddle through. The menu showcases the best local cuisine, much of it vegetarian, and all of it featuring a generous helping of curry leaves, an ingredient we learned was non-optional in Mauritian cooking.

Once plates were cleared - and after enough rum - the kitchen became a dance floor, with Con’s son blasting chart toppers like Black Eyed Peas’ I Gotta Feeling from his rather impressive sound system as we twirled around countertops and chairs.

This is just one of the initiatives Attitude has created to integrate itself into the wider community.