Lost in Translation, but Paradise Found

Certainly on my first day, everything had surpassed my expectations - glorious weather, friendly staff, a lovely room with ocean views and a tiny garden with a heavenly frangipani tree and I d just enjoyed a delicious lunch beside a turquoise pool in which I planned to swim at the earliest opportunity.

iles from anywhere with white sand beaches, warm seas and a generous sprinkling of superlative resorts, Mauritius is the ultimate island paradise. Situated in the Indian Ocean, some 1,200 miles from the coast of mainland Africa, it offers a safe and welcoming environment, dramatic landscapes and a vibrant mix of cultures and nationalities.

I was staying at the new M venpick Resort & Spa on the quieter south side of the island. The 22-acre resort is built on the former Bel Ombre sugar estate, now transformed into beautifully landscaped tropical gardens. Much of the surrounding area is still covered in fields of swaying sugar cane, complementing the resort s Mauritian-styled architecture designed to reflect the island s history. The seamless integration of the two gives the resort the unique ambience of a 17th century sugar estate mansion. The property, which became part of the portfolio of the Swiss hotel group M venpick in 2005, offers a beachside location, 181 spacious rooms and suites and a vast array of sporting, leisure and excursion opportunities including an excellent spa. With four

swimming pools, three quality restaurants and a Marine Center with water sports, there is much to enjoy... You can play tennis, test your golfing skills on an adjacent golf complex, ride a mountain bike or simply chill out in the spa.

Certainly on my first day, everything had surpassed my expectations - glorious weather, friendly staff, a lovely room with ocean views and a tiny garden with a heavenly frangipani tree and I d just enjoyed a delicious lunch beside a turquoise pool in which I planned to swim at the earliest opportunity. But first, I wanted to ease my jet lag with a reiki treatment in the spa. Reiki is one of the oldest healing therapies, and uses the energy all around us to restore balance and support the body s ability to heal itself. During a session, healing energy (reiki) is channelled to the recipient by the therapist placing his/her hands non-intrusively over the recipient s body, so the reiki flows to areas of need. My treatment was scheduled after lunch and I was anticipating an afternoon of total relaxation.

The Aldana spa (named after the finest pearl ever found in the Arabian Sea) is a gem in its own right. A Zen-inspired oasis, it is built from the stones of an old sugar factory and nestles in a tropical garden and outdoor aquarium. Colourful fish glide through shallow streams and flowing water splashes and tumbles into pools of exotic aquatic plants. The spa menu offer a delicious concoction of wellbeing packages, individual body treatments and massages using fragrant products from Madagascar. The humid pavilion an attractive open air courtyard area has Turkish baths, saunas and a Jacuzzi as well as treatment rooms for body scrubs, wraps and Vichy showers. Other therapies and massages are performed in individual wooden pavilions, surrounded by water and accessed by stepping stones.

After a treatment you can flop down in a large relaxing armchair in the spa garden or catch some rays in the solarium on top of a tower with a lovely secluded pool and 365 views from the ocean to the distant hills. Open air treatments and massages are also available on the beach in a straw cabin.

After being welcomed to the spa, where the therapists spoke mainly French with a smattering of English, it seemed that reiki was not available but that I could have shiatsu instead. Slightly disappointed, I agreed to the change, and was duly shown to a spa pavilion by Jeeten, my smiling Mauritian therapist.

Shiatsu (from the Japanese shi - meaning finger and atsu, meaning pressure) is an ancient Japanese therapy used to promote balance and healing. It s always given on the floor and you wear loose comfortable clothing. Once the treatment started, I could feel Jeeten using his fingers and thumbs, palms, hands, elbows, knees and feet to massage and stimulate my body s pressure points and correct any faulty positions of my joints and muscles. Not that I could tell whether I was being massaged by his finger or foot I was far too relaxed to figure it out! Once or twice I felt a twinge of discomfort as a deep-rooted ache or stiffness was exorcized, but overall it was a most enjoyable experience.

Sipping water afterwards, I mentioned about not having the reiki. Jeeten explained that you should never have reiki after a meal because food creates a blockage in the chakras (the body s energy centers) reducing energy flow and the effectiveness of the laying on of hands. As my appointment had been scheduled shortly after lunch, the spa had cancelled it and offered me shiatsu instead. Their explanations and my understanding had been lost in translation!

During my week on Mauritius, I used White Sand Tours, a friendly local tour company, to explore the island. They were superb guides knowledgeable and friendly and we shared many a laugh. They drove me the length and breadth of the island so I could experience as many of its diverse attractions as possible. From the Pamplemousses Botanical Garden in the north with its rare plants, and giant water lilies to the wonders of Chamarel in the south, where there is a spectacular waterfall and a unique landscape of coloured earth created by volcanic rocks. From the vibrant capital Port Louis with its shops and colourful market, where sellers peddle everything from fake designer T-shirts to boxes of spices and tea, to cruising along the island s west coast and marvelling at the antics of wild dolphins. So much to see and so little time I will definitely have to return.

Back in the spa later in the week, I treated myself to a soothing facial massage but didn t feel the need for any reiki. I also used the Turkish baths and sauna, but my absolute favorite spot was on a sunlounger beside the pool at the top of the tower. And best of all, I always had the place entirely to myself.

M venpick Resort & Spa

Bel Ombre, Mauritius

Tel: +230 623 5000

www.movenpick-mauritius.com
Email: resort.mauritius@movenpick.com
www.whitesandtours.com

Check the M venpick website for special offers throughout the year.
Spa entry is 29 euros for half day, 48 euros for full day.
Free spa entry when having a treatment. Guests staying in Club rooms and suites have free spa access (treatments extra).
1-hour Shiatsu Massage 44 euros
90 min-Reiki 77 euros
3-day spa packages from 250 euros

Overall impression: A laid back, friendly resort offering great cuisine and facilities. The only disappointment is the beach lovely sand but too much rock and coral for carefree bathing.

Catherine Beattie is a UK-based health and travel writer/publisher with a lifelong interest in spas. Her credentials include writing and publishing several consumer guides including Healthy Breaks in Britain & Ireland (the UK's first spa guide) and The Really Useful Guides. Catherine was founding editor of Spa Health & Beauty magazine and contributes to many UK national newspapers and magazines including The Sunday Times, The Express, Here's Health and Harpers & Queen. She is a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers, Guild of Health Writers and Spa Business Association.