Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita

May 6, 2009 by Fractional & Shared Ownership Property News & Reviews · 1 Comment

The Destination
Mauritius is a tropical island of volcanic origin in the Indian Ocean, approximately 1,200 miles (1,900 km) off the southeast coast of Africa, east of Madagascar. The island has 200 miles (320 km) of coastline, bordered by broad lagoons and protected by one of the largest coral barrier reefs in the world.

Beyond the palm-lined coast, the island opens to reveal a 720 square mile (1,865 sq km) interior of vast and rugged nature. Here, sugar plantations, rainforests, waterfalls and dramatic mountain peaks house a rich biodiversity that includes many endangered species, such as the Mauritian Kestrel, Pink Pigeon and Echo Parakeet. The island’s strong conservation ethos aims to ensure these, as well as other indigenous flora and fauna, do not follow in the footsteps of the island’s native Dodo, hunted to extinction in the 17th century.

Mauritius’ diverse colonial history defines its modern culture, with strong British and French influences complemented by a rich African heritage and largely Indian population. Although the island has a reputation as a beach destination, its wild and unspoilt land and seascapes divulge a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts. Activities include mountaineering, rock climbing, mountain biking and hiking as well as big game fishing, reef and wreck diving, zip-line and kayaking.

Sugar production was the island’s main export from the 18th century until very recently, with textiles and tourism further contributing to its economic success. Mauritius has now begun to emerge as a strong contender in the field of international financial services, aided by its favourable tax status, strategic Indian Ocean location and reputation for political stability and cross-cultural social harmony.

Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita is the most southern resort in the eastern coastal belt, in an area untouched by tourism. Some of the local staff previously worked in the sugar plantations and have fascinating stories to share. The surrounding villages showcase traditional Mauritian culture and present numerous opportunities to interact with the local community of fishermen and their families.

Some other highlights and attractions within easy reach of the Resort include:
L’Etoile Nature Reserve – literally ‘the star’ of the island; 6,000 hectares (14,800 acres) of tropical, mountainous landscape, home to many indigenous animals and plants including large herds of deer and the island’s oldest Ebony trees. Visitors can enjoy mountain and quad biking, horse riding and archery as well as panoramic views of more than half the island – just 15 minutes from the Resort.

Le Café des Arts – set within a 19th century Victorian sugar factory, this inspiring restaurant / contemporary art museum serves Mauritian and traditional French fare to a maximum of 16 diners, entirely surrounded by the works of the late Yvette Maniglier, the last private student of Henri Matisse. Also on site is the Maniglier Foundation and Workshop.

Ile aux Aigrettes – managed by the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, this small island off the southeast coast sets international standards for the protection of endangered species. In addition to showcasing the work of the MWF, it is also a sanctuary for plants, animals, reptiles and birds including Mauritian Kestrels, Green Gecko Phelsumas and giant Aldabra tortoises.

Port Louis – the island’s capital and main port. Take a stroll and enjoy a fresh seafood meal along the Caudan Waterfront; trace the history of Mauritius at the Blue Penny Museum, which includes two of the world’s rarest stamps – the 1847 Blue Penny and Red Penny – as well as Prosper d’Epinay’s original statue of Paul and Virginia, created in the early 19th century; admire the French colonial style of the 18th century Municipal Theatre or sip a refreshing glass of Alouda and interact with the island’s multi-cultural community in the vibrant Port Louis Market. Other places worth a visit are Chinatown, the Mauritius Natural
History Museum and the World Heritage Site of Aapravasi Ghat.

Pamplemousses Botanical Garden – created by French botanist, Pierre Poivre, in the 18th century, the 60-acre garden features over 500 species of indigenous and exotic plants. Highlights include the giant Victoria Amazonica water lilies, the Talipot Palm – which lives for up to 75 years before producing its sole flush of flowers and fruit and subsequently dying – and Château Mont Plaisir, which lies at the heart of the estate.

L’Aventure du Sucre – housed in the former Beau Plan sugar factory, this interactive museum (also known as Sugar World) charts the important role of sugar in the development of Mauritius, slavery and the rum trade. Visitors wander along a path of sugarcane and through imposing factory machinery; they can also sample sugar and buy local products in the Village-Boutik and enjoy gourmet cuisine at Le Fangourin restaurant.

Accommodation and Design
The Resort has 90 Pool Villas, 32 two and three-bedroom Residence Villas and a Presidential Suite. All the Residence Villas, 14 Garden Pool Villas and 16 of the Mangrove Pool Villas are on the mainland, with a further 8 Mangrove Pool Villas, 52 Lagoon Pool Villas and Presidential Suite on the Resort’s island, Ile aux Chats.

All of the accommodations are single-storey, arranged around the existing landscape, which results in appealing features like waterfront gardens behind the mangroves. Local Mauritian architects, Macbeth, utilised traditional materials to contemporary effect, with straight edges of wood, stone and marble softened by the rough hewn rocks of local volcanic basalt.

Soft colour schemes of green, terracotta, cream and brown further reflect the natural environment and complement the peaceful ambience of the site. Large windows and doors maximise the views and sense of outdoor living.

All accommodations have extensive outdoor living and dining space, plunge pool, daybed, covered verandah and private garden. The bathrooms open onto al fresco showers set within walled gardens, planted with palms,ferns, hibiscus and frangipani. The two-bedroom Presidential Suite has 620 sq m (6,671 sq ft) of indoor and outdoor living space and offers 180-degree views of the Indian Ocean and lagoon. Additional features include a private swimming pool with jets, a lounging pavilion and an impressive indoor/
outdoor master bathroom containing circular freestanding rock bathtub, mosaic steam room and an outdoor hot tub with wide-reaching sea views.

Private Residences
Nestled amid the lush tropical vegetation, in this exceptional and secluded sanctuary are 46 exclusive, private properties. One of these beautiful jewels could fulfil your romantic dreams.

As an owner, you always enjoy access to the amenities and services offered at Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita.

Each time you return to your Four Seasons home, you will experience a welcome like that of a returning friend – your tastes and preferences remembered, respected and anticipated.

Being at home is a sensation that rests with you all day, wherever you may spend it: in the comfort of your splendid villa, or your tropical garden…

Savouring every second of each magic moment.

Architecture in the new Mauritian style
The architectural design of each villa harmoniously blends traditional Mauritian and modern minimalist styles by using daring combinations of modern materials with those used since time began and by creating spacious interiors that are both intimate and at one with the spectacular surrounding vistas. Architects and landscape artists work in concert to create subtle harmonics between the flora, the topography and decorative arts. Interiors are serene, sophisticated and sensual.

The interior design is best defined as a delicate blend of the traditional and the modern, creating an atmosphere of absolute serenity.

Natural hues adorn the walls, windows and furnishings. Here and there, monochromatic motifs call out in lively tones with a refreshing effect. A simple symphony for the eye, sophisticated in its most minute detail.

“We worked obsessively to form a closer, more organic bond between architecture nd nature, breaking down barriers between ‘outside’ and ‘inside’.” Fiona Thompson, Interior Designer, Richmond International Design

Dining
Beau Champ – Main Restaurant
The Resort’s main restaurant, Beau Champ, embraces the essence of the island and offers a modern take on southern French cuisine. It is situated on the mainland, overlooking the lagoon and Ile aux Chats. The contemporary, tropical design incorporates a wine cellar, highroofs, open kitchen, bakery window, indoor and outdoor terrace seating and three outdoor pavilions (which also function as private dining areas) set within a dramatic water garden.

Beau Champ serves international and continental breakfast selections supplemented by live cooking stations and exotic fruits and juices. For dinner, local and imported seafood combines with the finest French products, complemented by a glass-walled cellar of over 200 French and international wines, including organic selections. The cellar can be used for exclusive wine tasting and private wine dinners.

Acquapazza – Italian Restaurant
The open-air Acquapazza restaurant (‘crazy water’ in Italian) serves contemporary Italian cuisine with an emphasis on seafood and regional specialities. It sits on the northern shore of Ile aux Chats and is dominated by spectacular views of the lagoon, bridge and Bambou Mountain. The restaurant has a wood fired pizza oven and combines shaded and open air seating areas, water’s edge bar plus a private dining room for 14. A spectacular ‘cyclone’ water feature, ‘rock tunnel’ entrance, gas flame lamps and coloured stone floor create a striking ambience.

Acquapazza offers an à la carte menu for lunch and dinner, ranging from a casual lunchtime selection of antipasti, pizza, pasta and grilled seafood to a more ample evening menu showcasing the various regional cuisines of Italy. The wine list includes over 100 predominantly Italian wines.

Bambou – Pool Bar and Grill
Bambou serves Pan-Asian cuisine including Mauritian, Indian, Thai, Indonesian and Japanese specialities. It offers covered and outdoor multi-level dining, overlooking the two main beaches and pools on Ile aux Chats. The multi-palate experience is open for elongated lunch and comprises Wok Kitchen, Tandoor,
outdoor Teppanyaki counter and sushi counter as well as an ocean front bar.

The Big Easy – Golf Clubhouse
The Big Easy overlooks the 18th hole with views across the golf course and out to the lagoon and Indian Ocean. The restaurant offers a choice of covered and outdoor seating areas as well as its own bar. Breakfast is served à la carte and casual fare is available throughout the day, including special 30-minute lunches for those eager to maximise their time on the course.

The bar has a selection of over 60 wines, including labels from Ernie Els’s vineyard as well as top vintages from South Africa and France.

O bar
O bar is located just off the main lobby, adjacent to Beau Champ. It overlooks the barachois and Ile aux Chats and is a central meeting spot for pre-dinner cocktails and after-dinner digestifs. The Bar’s signature drink, Sweet Lava, is named after the island’s sugar plantations and volcanic mountains and features a combination of local ingredients – rum, sugar and sweet mango purée – laced with a feisty undertone of fresh chilli. A menu of light bites is served throughout the day.

Banqueting and Functions
The Resort’s function room, Salon Vacoas, can accommodate receptions of up to 140 people or 110 for dining. Set within the beautiful surrounds of the Resort’s tropical sanctuary, Salon Vacoas opens onto a terrace and a private garden and is an inspiring venue for weddings, cocktail receptions, small conferences and incentive groups.

In-room dining
Dine 24 hours in the privacy of your villa, on the shaded terrace or in the garden. Special options include champagne breakfasts, candlelit dinners, picnic baskets and flight boxes.

The Spa
In keeping with the spirit of the Resort, the Spa at Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita is designed as a contemporary, natural retreat with the emphasis on the traditions of Mauritian culture. Located on the secluded, southern edge of Ile aux Chats, the over-water spa offers regionally inspired rituals and therapies that reflect the island’s multicultural heritage.

The Spa features twelve over-water treatment rooms, including eight for couples, named after the islets visible from the Resort. The stilted treatment rooms back onto mature, wild mangroves with wide sliding doors that open to immerse guests in the sights and sounds of the surrounding nature. Each couples’ treatment room has its own private steam room and semi-outdoor shower. In addition, two of the couples’ suites also have private saunas and wet areas for Vichy treatments.

Treatments on offer are holistic – addressing the body, mind and spirit – and aim to introduce guests to all different levels of Mauritian culture. Therapies and rituals combine the island’s strong healing traditions with treatments inspired by its African, Indian, Chinese and European roots. Many of the ingredients used come from the local environment, including vanilla, ylang ylang, volcanic basalt rock, sugar, molasses and
coconut. The Spa’s signature treatment, the Sugar Cane Therapy Massage, incorporates sugarcane sticks for a deep and relaxing massage – a first for the island of Mauritius. Traditional Mauritian music heightens the sensory experience of some of the rituals – with the birds in the tropical canopy above providing their own accompaniment.

In keeping with the spa’s holistic intent, yoga is offered every morning and a juice bar features endless combinations for cleansing, energising and refreshment. The adjacent Salon offers manicures, pedicures, facials and hairstyling. There is also a boutique stocked with the beauty and wellness products used in the Spa, for guests who want to continue their pampering and healing experience back home.

Golf
Designed by Ernie Els, Four Seasons Golf Course Mauritius at Anahita is a 6,828 m(7580 yard), 18-hole, par-72 championship course; it has five teeing areas, large fairways and six oceanfront holes and is the first on the island to be built to USGA (United States Golf Association) standards.

The course weaves through the rocky outcrops and trees of the tropical landscape. It is framed by the Bambou mountains and the Indian Ocean and punctuated by the red and orange foliage of native Flame Trees. A 320 m (350 yard) grass practice range with putting and chipping green benefits from an equally impressive setting, with the Mauritian-styled Clubhouse, bar and 90-seat restaurant offering panoramic 18th-green and lagoon views.

The Four Seasons Golf Academy covers all physical and mental aspects of the game with
a studio providing the ultimate in video and computerised swing analysis.

The Club also has its own Fitness Centre and Pro Shop.

The course is served by GPS-equipped golf carts and is a five minute cart ride from the centre of Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita. Guests residing on Ile aux Chats, the Resort’s private island, can access the course via a boat shuttle.

Recreation Facilities

Swimming pools
The Resort has four swimming pools. The infinity-edge pool is located on the northern edge of Ile aux Chats. It is lined with majestic Royal Palms and features sweeping views across the lagoon, ocean and nearby islands.

The free-form California-edge pool overflows into the infinity-edge pool. The pool’s design offers a gradual descent into the water that allows bathers to relax in the shallow water whilst soaking up the sun and the view across the infinity-edge pool and lagoon beyond. Large basalt rocks from the lagoon edge the pool, which is surrounded by a sandstone deck and lit by twinkling fibre optic lights at night.

There is also a 25 m lap pool, located adjacent to the Fitness Centre on the mainland and a children’s pool located at the Kids’ Club.

Diving
Mauritius’ abundant live reefs sustain a thriving underworld of bright corals and tropical fish. The Resort operates its own PADI licensed dive centre, Quayside, run by a team of experts who know every nook and cranny of Mauritius’ aquatic paradise and can accommodate any group or individual wishing to explore the lagoons. The centre offers courses and programs for beginners, aged 8 and above, through to professional level, with daily dive excursions available for all certified divers. Underwater photography and videography
services can also be arranged.

In the south-east of the island, where the Resort is situated, the following sites can be explored:

Roche Zozo (18-40 m): an interesting dive for the beauty of the site and the diversity of marine life it supports. Turtles or small sharks are often encountered swimming in, out and around the series of rocky peaks, canyons, tunnels and caves, which are all covered in pink coral and gorgonians.

Sirius: sunk in 1810 during the naval battle of Grand Port between the British and the French, the remnants of this historical wreckage lie 18-24 m below the mouth of a river. The main part of the wreck consists of an oak frame, nineteen cannons, rivets and cannonballs, all of which can be explored during the dive.

The Crayfish Cave (18-25 m): this site offers diverse and brightly coloured fauna and is strewn with large rocks coated with sponges and hard and soft corals.

Water sports
The Dive Centre offers a wide range of equipment and activities that can be enjoyedin the Resort’s turquoise lagoon: kayaking, waterskiing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, Hobie Cats, paddle boating, snorkelling, sailing,
small-game fishing and glass-bottomed boat excursions.

Big Game Fishing
Mauritius is one of the world’s top game fishing centres with record-breaking marlin, sailfish and sharks regularly caught off its coast. The Resort’s Concierge can arrange big game fishing trips for guests wishing to test their skills against the deep waters of the Indian Ocean.

Beaches
There are three beaches on Ile aux Chats. The two bays of white sand to the north of the island flank the main swimming pools, with views across to Ile aux Cerfs and the Indian Ocean. The white sand cove to the south of Ile aux Chats faces the wild mangroves and offers a quieter retreat, away from the main public facilities.

Fitness Centre
The Resort’s Fitness Centre is set within lush tropical gardens on the mainland. It contains state-of-the-art Technogym equipment plus Axios Spinning bikes and WaterRower. Other facilities include a 25 m lap pool, aerobics studio and steam room.

Tennis
The Resort has two floodlit synthetic grass tennis courts, managed by world-renowned Peter Burwash International (PBI). Equipment is available and lessons can also be arranged with the resident PBI tennis professional. PBI offers a complete range of instructional programmes, including private and semi-private lessons, weekly clinics and vigorous drill sessions.

Boutiques
The Resort has four stylish boutiques: Madison jewellery; Chopard jewellery; Hublot watches and a Four Seasons boutique, offering unique and branded items.

Library and Mauritian Cultural Centre
The Resort’s Library and Cultural Centre features a collection of DVDs, CDs, books, magazines, newspapers, board games and wireless laptops, as well as information charting the fascinating history, culture and traditions of Mauritius.

Business Centre
The Resort’s Business Centre is accessible to all guests and offers printers, scanners and faxservice as well as multilingual administrative assistance. Advanced G-PON technology provides wireless access all round the Resort.

Meeting Facilities
The conference and function area features a function room – Salon Vacoas – for up to 110 guests, a pre-function room and an outdoor terrace. Banqueting facilities and audiovisual equipment are available along with the assistance of the Resort’s meticulous and professional team – on hand 24 hours a day to offer advanced event expertise and respond promptly to every need.

Families
Mauritius benefits from direct flights from most international destinations, year-round, mild sub tropical weather, English and Frenchspeaking locals and a variety of sights and excursions for all age groups. In addition to its wide-range of family-friendly activities, Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita offers two dedicated children’s clubs plus direct access to the island’s tropical wilderness, with its endless opportunities for exploration and outdoor pursuits.

The Kids’ Club
A colourful haven of fun and adventure for children aged 4-12, the Kids’ Club Village has its own swimming/paddling pool, amphitheatre, bakery, quiet room, film-viewing area, playground and playroom, all supervised by friendly and dedicated kids’ club staff. The complimentary Kids for All Seasons Programme takes its inspiration from the Resort’s tropical environment, expansive grounds and traditional Mauritian elements; fun and educational experiences include line-fishing, crab-hunting, mini-tennis and golf, local crafts and tropical treasure hunts. Children can also make their own Dodo cookies in their ‘private’ bakery.

The Young Adults Centre: Karokan
For teenagers aged 13 and above, Karokan offers a relaxing hangout away from the rest of the family. In addition to computers, X-box, Wii, pool table, table tennis and table football, the Centre has its own disco with a DJ balcony.

Out and About
Because family holidays aren’t just about getting away from one another, the Resort facilitates a range of activities to bring the family closer together through interactiOn with the natural environment. Swim in the clear pools below the cascading waterfalls of Grande Rivière Sud Est; snorkel or kayak around the Ile aux Chats; visit the island’s many nature reserves or sugar plantations or simply practice ornithology in the Resort’s gardens. The Concierge can also arrange for guests to watch a performance of Sega – the
traditional Mauritian dance that dates back to the 18th century.

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