Experience the Domaine des Aubineaux!

Are you searching for an undisturbed spot to spend a great time at, with your family, significant other or simply on your own? Do you wish for your children (younger or older) to try a new and special experience? Are you looking for a place with a unique charm for your family gatherings?

Let me recommend a very nice, quick, gastronomic stop on the outskirts of Curepipe, more precisely in Forest-Side. It is a cool location, with hundred-year-old trees kindly welcoming you.

This lovely tranquility spot will surprise you. At the further end of a long green path, a magnificent Creole House dating from 1872, surrounded by a sumptuous garden, awaits its day visitors. Some tables found under the veranda offer a beautiful view of the garden. Take a seat, put yourself at ease. Take a look at the menu which allows you to pick between typical local dishes and international food such as pizzas and mixed salads. The menu includes a variety of vegetarian meals so vegetable lovers also get their fill. In the summer, homemade drinks, an iced Bois-Chéri tea or a local beer will quench your thirst, while in winter, a herbal brew or hot tea will keep you warm before ordering your dish.

While the cooks are busy preparing your delectable dishes in the kitchen, a visit of the rooms of Domaine des Aubineaux is called for. You then immediately take a step back in time. Let your imagination wander as you’ll discover vintage furniture made of precious wood (teak, mahogany, ebony), paintings, the bay windows of the beautiful winter terrace of this alluringly maintained family home. Large tables placed across the glazed veranda can easily accommodate your family meals, a christening, or other events. As you walk across the house through a central corridor (which was quite unusual for the time), you can admire pictures and project yourself into the history of the Guimbeau family. Some relics of the past can be found here and there.

By the time the visit is over, a titillating smell coming from the kitchen arises, and you promptly scamper to your table where your delicious and lavish meal is served. The prices are reasonable and you leave the table delighted and satiated. Before heading off, remember to take a tour of the estate and visit the old stables, the nursery and the essential oils distillery. Stroll in the shade of the garden’s camphor trees, explore the ancient and endemic trees including the rosin, among others.

Before taking your leave of this magical spot, do not forget to immortalize this colonial house with pretty turrets so you can always have a memory of this distant past. It is our duty to pass on our legacy to the future generation, so do yours and spread the word!!

NadElle