Shanti Maurice Resort & Spa
Saint Felix, Mauritius
Features
- Destination spa
- Detox
- Retreat
- Wellness
Spa
- Hammam
- Pool
- Thermal facilities
To Do
- Golf
- Gymnasium
- Meditation
- Personal training
- Pilates
- Pool -outdoor
- Scuba diving
- Snorkelling
- Tennis
- Watersports
- Yoga
If you’re looking for a wellness retreat coupled with sunshine, powdery white beaches and crystal clear waters you could do worse than head for the Mauritian paradise that is Shanti Maurice Resort and Spa. Sitting on the southern coast of the island, Shanti Maurice looks out across the Indian Ocean, with the ruggedly beautiful Chamarel Mountains rising up behind. Only 45 minutes from the airport, Shanti Maurice is located in a beautiful cove surrounded by white sandy beaches and tropical gardens with groves of frangipani trees and blooming bougainvillea.
Shanti means peace in Sanskrit and the ethos of the whole resort is rooted in the wisdom of Vastu Shastra, an ancient Indian system of architecture and design, to create an atmosphere of balance, energy and tranquillity. There is a wonderful sense of spiritual alignment, which is complimented by the truly exceptional service. In Hindi, the word Seva means to serve selflessly, and selfless service sits at the heart and soul of the resort.
Shanti Maurice is wonderfully wellness centric; the Shanti Spa is one of the largest in the Indian Ocean and offers way more than a pampering massage.
The Shanti Spa
At 7,500sqm, Shanti Spa is uniquely large for the Indian Ocean. Shrouded in palms, it offers a vast array of Ayurvedic treatments, yoga sessions (including aerial and hot yoga), acupuncture, reflexology and hydrotherapy. For personalised wellness programmes, there is also an in-house Ayurvedic doctor. Dr Avinash Ramapati Tiwari has more than 27 years’ experience in Ayurveda, naturopathy, herbal medicine, acupressure and reiki. He works with each guest to determine their unique ‘doshic thumbprint’ and discover the exact nature of their imbalances before recommending an individual programme to help restore balance. The wellness team are all either of Indian heritage or have undergone extensive training in India, so the Ayurveda is utterly authentic.
With 25 treatment rooms, meditation spaces, yoga pavilions, Hammams and saunas, plus specialised pools including a fitness pool and a Watsu pool, the facilities are everything you’d expect. The exquisite tea pavilion is the perfect place for relaxing with a steaming Ayurvedic tea.
There is an extensive menu of treatments and programmes. The spa specialises in inner body treatments including holistic therapies, sensory revitalisation therapy and spiritual awakening. Look out for the numerous Africology Skin Adoration wraps, which use indigenous healing plants from South Africa to condition, detox or soothe.
Spa programmes include a detox retreat, stress management, Shanti sleep and recovery, the Suyogam yoga package and the body purification (Panchakarm) package. There are also more Ayurvedic focussed programmes including the rejuvenation and immunity booster and the Swasthyam Ayurvedic journey. Yoga is central to the spa’s offering and eight types are offered – hatha, power, vinyasa, ashtanga, aerial, iyengar, bikram and yin yoga. Guests can take part in three complimentary yoga sessions daily.
Spa Facilities
- Treatment Rooms
- Hammam
- Sauna
- Fitness Pool
- Watsu Pool
- Meditation Spaces
- Yoga Pavilions
- Relaxation Areas
- Tea Pavilion
To Stay
With only 61 suites and villas set over a huge area, Shanti Maurice never feels overcrowded. Tucked between the foliage, it’s easy to feel like yours is the only villa on the resort. Every room is spacious and has a sea view through panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows, some also have private poos and terraces, or garden pavilions. The resort’s designers here have worked hard to balance Mauritian aesthetics with functionality, so you’ll find traditional Mauritian thatched roofs alongside contemporary furnishings and modern facilities.
To Eat
With three exceptional restaurants serving seven international cuisines, including Arabic, Thai, Asian, Indian and Mauritian, the food at Shanti Maurice is both nourishing and plentiful. The resort grows its own vegetables, celebrates local ingredients and follows a farm-to-fork ethos where possible. There is an emphasis on wellness cuisine, with Ayurvedic-inspired dishes made from natural ingredients. If you’re in the mood for a treat, book in a visit to the Rum Shed, an old-school décor venue offering more than 250 types of rum.
Facilities and Activities
- Paddle-boarding
- Kayaking
- Gym
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Mini-golf
- Tennis
- Golf
Location
Shanti Maurice Resort & Spa is 40 minutes by car from Mauritius Airport (MRU)
By Leo BearBenefitting from a glorious natural surf break 500m offshore producing waves like something from an eau de cologne campaign, Shanti Maurice has one of the best views on Mauritius. The surf break has the added advantage of warding off cruise ships and megayachts – which for you and me, spells a blissfully quiet stay.
Beyond the beach, the vibe is old-fashioned Asian luxe. Lily ponds team with carp, stepping stones pave the way across bounteous lawns and unfussy cinnamon-coloured villas speak to the old guard. Traditionalists will also appreciate the à la carte breakfasts (nothing as heathen as a heaving buffet table here), while younger travellers will lap up the boho-chic vibe at Rum Shack, a Rasta-style bar near the gates of the hotel, and Fish Shack, a feet-in-the-sand restaurant with upturned boats piled high with catch of the day.
The collision of old meets new makes Shanti Maurice the ideal choice for anyone travelling with a parent, like I did. Just make sure you take it in turns to choose what you do each day.
The Spa
This is where Shanti Maurice excels. The hotel was formerly Shanti Ananda, sister resort of Ananda in the Himalayas, one of the world’s best-loved spiritual encampments – and the spa remains to this day a magnet for die-hard Ayurvedies. With 24 airy treatment rooms scattered around a central lily pond caressed by tropical foliage, it’s the biggest spa in the Indian Ocean.
The Treatment
Shanti Dhara (90 minutes) – This is one of the most popular choices from the Indian treatment list. Designed to relax the nervous system, it starts with a full-body synchronised four-hands massage carried out by two skilful therapists. After the massage, a steady stream of lukewarm herbal oil is released from an urn held aloft and moved slowly up and down the body in line with your chakras or energy channels.
This results in a pleasant tingling sensation that heightens one’s awareness of each part of the body the oil makes contact with, and has the added benefit of being deeply relaxing. The only downside is that you are lying on a solid wooden slab for the duration, which is totally authentic but not very comfortable. Ask for some towels to cushion contact points – and to protect your modesty.
Other Treatments
Shanti Natural Body Scrub – A rich body scrub made from the natural ingredients of the island – you can choose from a selection of flavours including Coconut Soothing, Anti-oxidant Tea or Revitalising Coffee.Shanti Fusion – Whether your back and neck need more attention than your legs, or you prefer a deep tissue massage with a touch of reflexology, or you fancy some holistic energy work, therapists will tailor a massage to your needs.
To Stay
Rooms function well and are smart and airy with plain cream tiles, Japanese screens and hardwood details.
We had a tremendous view of the ocean, a well-stocked mini-bar and plenty of space in the bathroom.
To Eat
The cuisine at Shanti Maurice is hard to fault. Stars – sits in an insanely romantic setting offering views over a starlit Indian Ocean, and is headed by chef Willi Reinbacher. Try the delicately fragrant Mauritian smoked blue Marlin or the Maldivian style Lamb Mashroshi.It’s also easy to eat healthily at Shanti Maurice. There are plenty of steamed, lean options available and rotis work brilliantly as side orders. Ask for spinach instead of chips one day and you can sure the kitchen will remember for next time.
Head to the Fish Shack where the freshest fish, meat and game is grilled on request and served with a selection of salads and herbs picked from the resorts’ garden a few hours earlier.
Don’t Miss
Dinner in ‘Grandma’s Kitchen’. Okay it’s a bit of a gimmick and grandma doesn’t really cook supper, but she does appear in an apron and roll out beautiful rotis (flatbread) on a hot grill, plus the atmosphere is lovely and relaxed in the hotel’s lantern-strewn vegetable garden.
After rum cocktails are served and you’ve tried your hand at making some roti yourself, a feast of Mauritian fare is wheeled out in silver tureens. Heart-melting curries of every colour, flavour and heat level you can manage, plus and array of exciting relishes will have you smiling from ear to ear – just like Grandma does.