Indulge with a sweet treat and try our recipe for Honey Madeleines from Constance Le Prince Maurice.
This step-by-step video shows you how to make these delicate sponge cake delights.
Author Archives: constancehotelseditor
Top 5 golf championships for 2013
For all golf fans and those just curious to learn more, here are the dates for the top 5 golfing events in the second half of 2013.
Legend golf course, Mauritius
1. The US Open – June 13-16
The second big major of 2013, the US Open will be held at The Merion Course, Pennsylvania in June. Watch Webb Simpson defend his title after his dramatic victory last year.
2. The Open Championship – July 18-21
Played this year at Muirfield, Scotland, this will be the sixteenth time the 142-year-old tournament will be played at the East Lothian club. Ernie Els will defend his title on the Muirfield course, the same course on which he won the Open back in 2002.
3. Women’s British Open – August 1-4
One of only two tournaments classified as majors by both the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour, the Ricoh Women’s British Open will be played at the historic Old Course, St Andrews, Scotland.
4. PGA Championship – August 8-11
One of golf’s four major championships the PGA Championship, hosted by the PGA of America, will be played at Oak Hill Country Club, Rochester, NY. This year Rory McIlroy will be defending his runaway victory from 2012.
Championship golf course
5. The Evian Championship – September 12-15
Elevated to major championship status by the LPGA this year, the Evian Championship is one of the highest paying tournaments in women’s golf. The event is played on the shores of Lake Geneva at the stunning Evian Resort Golf Club, Evian-les-Bains, France.
Golf at Constance Hotels & Resorts
In December, we’ll be hosting the annual MCB Tour Championship in Mauritius at the Constance Legend and Links golf courses.
Read more about luxury golf holidays in the Indian Ocean:
Top French and South African winemakers visit Constance in Mauritius
Wine lovers are in for a treat in May at Constance Le Prince Maurice and Constance Belle Mare Plage.
Constance Le Prince Maurice, Mauritius
Throughout the month specially selected winemakers from the new and old world will be visiting Constance to host wine dinners which compliment the very best wines they produce.
10 May – Marianne Estates visit Constance Le Prince Maurice
Described as ‘South African wine with a French soul’. The Estate’s wines are grown on the foothills of the stunning Simonsberg region in South Africa under the guidance of Bordeaux expert and Frenchman Christian Dauriac. Alex Brodbeck of the Estate will introduce his wines to our guests at a special wine dinner.
17 & 18 May – Domaine Marcel Lapierre visit Constance Le Prince Maurice and Constance Belle Mare Plage
Marie Lapierre of Domaine Marcel Lapierre will host wine dinners at both resorts to introduce guests to its robust, organic Beaujolais wines. Grown in the heart of the Beaujolais region, the Domaine returned to traditional, fully-natural vine-growing techniques in 2005.
The wine producers have kindly agreed to take time during their stay with us to offer training and guidance to our team of expert sommeliers at both resorts.
Find out more
Visit the website Marianne Estates and read about Marianne Estates on the Schiller Wine blog.
Visit the website Domaine Marcel Lapierre
And read more about Constance Le Prince Maurice and Constance Belle Mare Plage, and check booking availability.
Summer getaway exclusive at Constance Unique Resorts
This summer we’re making it even more tempting for you to discover our Unique Resorts in Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives and Madagascar.
Constance Ephelia, Seychelles
Book your holiday to Belle Mare Plage, Ephélia, Moofushi or Tsarabanjina and we’ll treat you to a signature massage, and either one à la carte dinner or one complimentary dive per person per stay.
To take advantage of the offer, all you need to do is book directly through our Constance Hotels & Resorts website, for a stay of a minimum of 3 nights, maximum 6 nights. The offer applies for bookings made from 1 May 2013 to 15 September 2013.
Bookings for Belle Mare Plage and Ephelia:
Bed and Breakfast Rate
- Offer includes 1 a la carte dinner (drinks not included) and one signature 50 minute massage per person per stay.
Bookings for Moofushi and Tsarabanjina:
Beach villa at Constance Tsarabanjina, Madagascar
All Inclusive Rate
- Offer includes a credit of $100 at Moofushi or €100 at Tsarabanjina per room per stay for any diving activity, and one signature 50 minute massage per person per stay.
All offers apply for bookings made from 1 May 2013 to 15 September 2013 directly through our Constance Hotels & Resorts website: book now.
Find out more
Read more about each of our Unique Resorts by following the links below, or go straight to book the offer online through our website.
Luxury family holiday at Constance Moofushi and Halaveli
Last year Maria Carlsen and her fiancé Jens Valeur, from Copenhagen, took their young family to Constance Moofushi. Here Maria tells us about their holiday experience.
Relaxing in the hammock at Moofushi beach villa
Dear Constance
In January 2012 my fiancé and I went to the Maldives with our two boys aged 3 and 7 months.
It had been a dream for our family for a long time to go to the Maldives so my fiancé did a lot of searching on the internet for the perfect resort. When he finally found Moofushi, it really looked like paradise on earth.
Arriving in paradise
Our fantastic journey began when we arrived in Malé where we were overwhelmed by the sight of all the air taxis.
The flight to Moofushi was absolutely stunning – we couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw all the beautiful atolls underneath us in the water. This was also the first time we flew with a barefooted pilot.
When we came to Moofushi the excitement just grew bigger. This was the first time we ever went to a place that was more beautiful in real life than in pictures. When we arrived at Moofushi we were met by the most smiling and obliging staff, and were quickly shown the way to our villa.
Constance Moofushi from the air
Idyllic beaches
Immediately we went to the beach, which was actually in our backyard since we were staying in a beach villa. It was by far the most beautiful beach we have ever seen.
The first thing our 3-and-a-half-year-old son said was that he wanted to stay here forever. And this was really the feeling we all got when we put our feet in the warm sand for the first time.
Fine dining
The food at the restaurants was really amazing with a wide choice. Normally we never go to all-inclusive resorts and never where they have buffets, but this buffet was on a different scale.
The chefs were so friendly and smiling, everything was clean and the food both looked and smelled fantastic. There was delicious food for all of us which was especially important for us because of our two little boys. We were also surprised at the selection of very good wines and the expert advice we were given on what to choose.
At lunch we enjoyed eating at the beach bar and were very happy to discover that if there was something we wanted that was not on the menu, the Constance staff made sure we could have it anyway.
Kayaking
Water sports
Before we left home I was wondering if it would be possible to stay at such a small island for 12 days without getting bored, but how wrong I was!
Just the fantastic water was enough. The snorkeling around the island was so beautiful we never got tired of watching the fantastic underwater world at Moofushi.
We saw a lot of small sharks and different kinds of rays. We snorkeled with turtles and big manta rays, dolphins and a lot of beautiful fish. We also enjoyed the canoe and the water-cycle.
Family friendly
The staff were amazing with our kids, a lot of them remembered our boys’ names which made our oldest son feel very special. He always ran around with a big baby scarf around his neck and the staff called him superman. When people are this attentive to kids it makes them feel very special and happy, which was exactly the feeling my son got.
A lovely surprise
Beach paradise in the Maldives
After five days enjoying Moofushi the receptionist called and asked if we would like to be transferred to Constance’s other Maldivian island hotel, Halaveli.
We had read about Halaveli when we were searching for Maldivian resorts and we remembered it looked amazing. After only a few hours we sat in a big yacht by ourselves with two members of staff on our way to Halaveli.
Constance Halaveli
When we could see Halaveli we saw maybe 8 people in white clothes waving at us from the bridge. It felt very surreal to get such an impressive reception. After the arrival we were shown around the island and taken to our new home for the next 6 days.
Luxury accommodation
The beach villa was quite spectacular. It was huge and had a big beautiful private garden with our own plunge pool and outdoor bathroom. Our son was amazed by having his own pool and was swimming in it several times each day.
Inside the villa was also fantastic, and we took special notice of the pillow menu and its many pages.
On the beach
Relaxing in paradise
For the next few days we enjoyed the extremely beautiful pool by the restaurant and all the breathtakingly good food.
The restaurant at Halaveli was really quite amazing. Our 7-month-old son and he was served the most amazing homemade babyfood I have ever seen – delicious fish with shrimps, different kinds of mashed vegetables, all kinds of fruits.
The food in general was fantastic. Every night there was a different theme at the buffet – Japanese, Indian, Italian… The sushi was so fantastic we had it almost every day for lunch. The breakfast was also a fantastic way to start the day with all the different kinds of bread, cereals, eggs and fruits.
Friendly expert service
Everyday we had a long conversation with the sommelier at the restaurant who was so friendly and who offered us the most fantastic wines. He always remembered which kind of wines we each liked and had a lot of good suggestions as to what we should try next. He even offered to show us the wine cellar at Halaveli.
All the staff in the restaurant were extremely happy, friendly and accommodating. They always took time to talk with us and our children. Every night we were at the restaurant for at least an hour and a half (which all people with kids know can be difficult).
There was also a great ‘kindergarden’ for the kids where we could take the kids to play if they needed a break from the sun. One time we had a babysitter to look after the boys while we went to the fantastic spa. The babysitter was amazing with the kids and we felt very safe with her watching our little ones.
Constance Moofushi, Maldives
We had an amazing massage from two smiling masseurs while we were looking down at all the beautiful fish swimming underneath us.
Family adventure at Halaveli
As we did at Moofushi, we also made use of all the different activities at Halaveli. My fiance went wakeboarding with a great instructor, and we all went in the boat.
Everyday we went for walks around the island and we never got tired of watching the beautiful beach and the breathtaking clear blue water.
It was amazing to watch the rays lying at the waters edge in the sunset. A few times we participated in the feeding of the fish by staff from the jetty. It gave us the chance to experience sharks, rays and tunas up close. This was incredible, especially for our 3 year old.
Both at Moofushi and Halaveli my fiancé went diving and this was a fantastic and unforgettable experience for him. He saw huge manta rays and a lot of dolphins. He also had fun with drift-diving.
Barefoot in the sand
Holiday of a lifetime
Our vacation in the Maldives at Constance resorts, Moofushi and Halaveli was honestly the most fantastic and memorable vacation for all of us.
The Maldives is the most beautiful place we have ever seen in the world and we have travelled a lot in Asia, America and Europe.
We are planning to go back to the Maldives in January or February 2014 and are seriously considering going back to Constance Paradise at Moofushi or Halaveli and experiencing our paradise once again….
Maria and Jens.
Read more
Find out why we think at Constance luxury and family go together.
How yoga can improve your health
Yoga teacher Steve Bracken has spent the last three weeks teaching at Constance Halaveli,Maldives. Here, he writes how yoga can improve our health and wellbeing.
Constance Halaveli, Maldives
Finding ways to deal with life’s challenges
If we wish to keep moving forward in our lives, we need to embrace the challenges that life brings our way.
This often entails seeking new solutions to our problems that may involve a radical shift of perspective, stepping into a totally new life situation, or more often than not, just a minor tweak to get us back into the flow of our lives.
A minor tweak though still takes awareness and demonstrates a willingness not to stagnate. We know when we are on the right track as we are rewarded by a sense of aliveness.
Expanding our awareness through yoga
This same attitude applies to our yoga practice. If we challenge ourselves by opening up to new teachers and new ways of approaching a posture we will enrich our practice. We may discover things that previously we may not have ever considered. Equally, the principles we can learn through a yoga practice can enrich other areas of our lives.
Steve Bracken at Constance Halaveli, Maldives
Some examples of this would be:
- Acceptance - Acceptance of our body with its limitations and from this place encouraging positive change. If we try to force our body it will create injury and discomfort. If we do nothing then there will be no improvement. If we regularly nurture it with love and compassion it will respond. Through acceptance we learn to listen to the messages of the body and respond accordingly and in doing so we can become present and enjoy the journey. We learn to work with the body and not against it.
- Breath - If we can breathe fully we can relax, even if we are still working hard. If we are straining for breath then there is tension in the body and mind. We need to become aware of what is causing the tension and adjust ourselves accordingly and in doing so release it. Only then can a sense of spaciousness occur that allows the breath to flow without restriction. When this occurs the body and mind are working optimally.
- Foundation - the stronger and more rooted our foundation the less effort is required in a posture. If our foundation is unstable then the resulting strain will permeate throughout the whole structure of the body. We must always come back to our foundation to check whether it is secure and connected to the ground beneath us.
Sunset at Halaveli
As we work with the principles of movement and explore that which creates health and wellbeing, we find that the underlying concepts apply to all areas of our lives. In fact what is truly good for us is good for everyone and everything. We also come to know that when we work with these principles on a regular basis we feel both happier and more energised.
These are all good reasons to experience new yoga classes and new teachers wherever you find yourself in the world. To learn, to be revitalised, and to reconnect to important principles for both health and life.
Read more
- Find out more on our website - Constance Halaveli, Maldives
- Time to play – escape to the Indian Ocean
- Visit Steve Bracken’s website to find out about yoga courses, wellbeing tips and more