Next stop Shanti Mauritius, up until recently known as The Shanti Ananda with a sister property in the Indian Himalayas, the Shanti was originally designed as a lifestyle resort with the sole aim of restoring health and happiness. When I first looked at this destination I really was full of good intentions; here was a real, full-on Ayurvedic resort, all chanting and tofu! However it was not to be: by the time I booked the resort it had changed its tack a little. It is now a wonderful international resort and the minds and bodies of those seeking enlightenment can also enjoy all the classic offerings of a luxury resort including two top class restaurants, bars that offer a lot more than carrot juice and a fish and rum shack where local sega dancers perform to the sounds of waves crashing on the nearby reef.
The spa however still steals the show, even if it is no longer the unique selling point, according to the management, it is probably the best spa on the island (I haven’t tried them all yet but it’s a thought).
You get the picture by the Indian pyjamas supplied in each room and you can tell the serious spa addicts at breakfast as the wander along the beach wearing their pyjamas straight from the morning yoga class.
Hoping to be counted amongst them I changed straight into said pyjamas and off for a medical assessment by the Ayurvedic Doctor. Aside from the usual health enquires the objective of this is to determine your Dosha (Pitta-Vatta for me if you’re interested). He then designs a programme of menus, treatments and exercise just for you. I’d signed up for the Ayuervedic package so it was yoga at dawn, wonderful ‘wellness’ menus, Ayuervedic massages always performed by 2 therapists (after having chanted a prayer for me) and afternoon breathing and meditation classes.
The therapists are extraordinary; from Kervala in India, the origin of Ayurvedic medicine, they are mostly trained Ayuervedic nurses from the hospital there. They are passionate about their work and happy to explain the details of each treatment. This may sound a little daunting but there is nothing cold and clinical about this spa, it’s all beautiful fish pools, running water, and exotic plants around the tea pavilions.
The yoga teachers not only teach daily dawn (well 8am feels like dawn when you’re on holiday right?) Hatha yoga classes, but will coach you privately on everything from yoga, breathing, meditation and much more.
It is a much a spiritual as a physical experience in an exceptional place with the usual wonderful Mauritian hospitality. So how did I fare? Well the days started well, yoga, the wellness breakfast but as the evening draws in it became increasingly difficult to keep to the programme. The pool side bar just begs out for a house cocktail (cocktail classes using the local rum don’t help the resistance levels) and when they bring your wellness menu (which was delicious, dosha specific and changed everyday) it’s so hard not to ask for a quick look at the other menus as you peer at the dishes of the less well intentioned that waft past. No coercion here to stick to the programme it’s up to you, you are a the guest after-all, not a patient. I will not even mention nipping down to the party at the Fish and Rum shack on the beach! So I didn’t perhaps benefit as much as I should or could have but I learnt many new skills and the best recommendation is probably that I’m already looking at returning when the Wine tours come to an end this year so I can try harder next time.