Relaxing in Mauritius

Sep 26 2008 By John Von Radowitz

You can even get a massage for your eyebrows

It wasn't my idea of relaxing at first. "Is the pressure good?" Pandep kept saying.

"Yes, it's fine," I'd reply through gritted teeth as another knot of muscle surrendered to the rolling barrage of his small but powerful fingers and thumbs.

I was on the beautiful island of Mauritius experiencing my first taste of ayurvedic massage, a treatment said to reach beyond the purely physical. Such journeys on the path to enlightenment are seldom undertaken without sacrifice and pain, however, as any self-respecting guru will tell you.

As soon as I arrived and was asked to don a pair of almost non-existent paper briefs, I knew it wasn't going to be easy. For a moment I wondered if the dangling object being offered to me was a surgeon's mask, to be worn over the face for hygiene reasons.

Thankfully, I realised my mistake before committing an embarrassing gaffe worthy of Mr Bean.

Ayurveda is an ancient lifestyle practice from India, incorporating diet, yoga, meditation and massage therapies to bring harmony to both body and spirit.

At the exclusive Shanti Ananda Maurice spa on the southern coast of Mauritius, experts in all these disciplines help wellheeled guests escape the trappings of the material world - and in style.

My 'abhyanga' massage involved chanted mantras, lashings of hot herb-infused oil, and not one pair of hands but two, the second belonging to Pandep's trusty assistant, Arun.

It went on for a long time, my two masseurs working tirelessly and rhythmically as I lay prostrate and glistening on a wooden table.

Almost no part of my body, from my scalp to the tips of my toes, was left untouched and I never imagined it was possible to massage your eyebrows.

At the end, I was ushered into a steam room where, for some minutes, I sat and boiled. But when I had showered and finally escaped my tormentors, an easy calmness began to rise up through me. One's first impression of Shanti Ananda Maurice spa is of a super-luxurious monastery for rather worldly monks.

Dark wood, cool stone and pools of flat, clear water are its main features. Beds of colourful flowers delight the eye, and perfumes pervade the air.

There's no intrusive noise; the only musical sounds are those of the songbirds in the gardens and water tumbling and spouting into sculpted pools.

Beautiful women glide around in saris. As I entered the reception hall, one of them placed a necklace of rudraksha beads over my head.

An electric buggy whisked me to my suite in one of the thatch-roofed accommodation buildings whose surreal design brought back childhood memories of Dr Seuss. Walking out, I was greeted by a perfect crescent of bright icing sugar sand contrasting sharply with a sparkling azure sea.

If, on the other hand, you fancy a less esoteric route to health and fitness, Le Telfair Golf and Spa resort might be more to your taste.

As the name implies, it has a first class golf course and much more besides: a fully equipped gym, a magnificent 600 square metre swimming pool, four restaurants and naturally, a full range of spa treatments.

We travelled in a three-cabin Lagoon 380 operated by Magic Sails, which bore us swiftly to a group of small islands a mile or so north of Mauritius.

We were quite alone, bobbing gently on the waves, as the night wrapped us lovingly in a warm blanket of darkness.

Travel facts...

John von Radowitz was a guest of Ultimate Retreats which offers seven nights' B&B at Shanti Ananda Maurice spa from £1,999 per person, on departures until October 8, 2008. Price includes return scheduled BA flights, transfers, insurance and cancellation cover.

Seven nights' half-board at Le Telfair Golf & Spa Resort starts at £1,749. Regional departures, including Glasgow and Manchester, start at £90.

For reservations: 0800 559 3961 and www.ultimateretreats.co.uk.