An island with an Attitude

Mauritius can offer a mix of culture and luxury

- Lizzie McAllister

Pulling up to an unassuming family home in the beach town of Belle Mare, we were greeted by the ever motherly Conchita.

All smiles and dressed in a chef's hat and branded apron reading: "Dinner chez Con", we were each handed a glass of vanilla rum, infused at home and garnished with sugar cane. Con and her family speak Mauritian Creole - a French-based language - and not a lot of English.

But with enough gesticulating, liquid courage and racking our brains to remember our schoollevel French, we were able to muddle through. The menu showcased the best local cuisine, much of it vegetarian, and all of which had 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.

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.

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

The company boasts nine all-inclusive luxury resorts - and this is where Attitude stands out from the crowd - it doesn't seek to cut itself off from its surroundings.

The company is "committed to responsible tourism through concrete actions," a pledge that recently earned it B Corp certification.