However, beneath the surface, away from the lush palms, loungers and parasols, there is a new, more fulfilling pearl waiting to be discovered.Maybe one day, I’ll come back on my own honeymoon – but I’ll still be packing my wetsuit and climbing boots.The factsSportsactive travelled to Mauritius as guests of Beachcomber Hotels and Air Mauritius. They flew with Air Mauritius from London Heathrow and stayed at two Beachcomber properties: Shandrani and Le Mauricia.In January 2002, a 12-night stay at Shandrani costs from £1,780 per person (inc flights, excluding Sport and Nature programme) based on two sharing a deluxe room on a half-board basis. The Sport and Nature programme is available at the Shandrani only.In January 2002 a 12-night stay at Le Mauricia costs from £1,405 per person (inc flights) based on two sharing a sea-facing room on a half-board basis.For further information, call Beachcomber Tours, 01483 533 008.. Indiana Jones’s quest for the lost Ark of the Covenant could have been so much less stressful if he’d have bought an admission ticket.

I simply handed over 60 birr (£5) and entered the compound of St Mary of Zion church in the Ethiopian town of Axum where, legend has it, Christianity’s most enigmatic symbol resides. The churches you enter offer vaudeville sanctity; tableaux of colour, fragrant with frankincense, are unaltered over time. Adorning the interiors, the Bible is depicted in childlike, cartoon murals, often centuries-old, and there’s always a jack-in-the-box priest on hand to open a treasure-chest of past emperors’ crowns. The legend of the Ark is the cornerstone of the Ethiopian church. Known locally as the Tabot, Ethiopian Christians believe it was brought there several millennia ago by the Queen of Sheba’s son, Menelik.

He stole it from Jerusalem from under the nose of his father, King Solomon. Now, every Ethiopian church has a replica Tabot secreted within its “holy of holies”.But aren’t those who set eyes upon the Ark said to go blind or to combust?Nobody ever sees it, except, that is, the guardian of the Ark and his faithful hermit. You pass beyond the modern St Mary of Zion church to an unremarkable chapel. I approached its enclosure with my guide Haileselassie who beckoned over the leathery old priest who has guarded the Ark of the Covenant for decades. I prompted Haileselassie to ask the monk what the Ark looked like. “It’s not good for me to tell you,” was the cryptic response.Bit of a wasted journey then?Not at all. The trail to Axum from Addis Ababa takes you via northern Ethiopia’s “historical route”.