It’s my favourite time of day – those precious moments around sunrise before the world has started demanding anything of me. But today, this time feels particularly special because I am sitting in the thatched dining pavilion of my beachfront villa, gazing out at the calm lagoon, listening to the waves breaking on the reef. It is peaceful and inspiring in equal measure. Shanti Maurice is certainly living up to its name – shanti is the Sanskrit word for peace.

With just 44 suites and 17 villas set on 36 acres of lush tropical grounds, this is a resort where peace is easy to find. In fact, it seems to be woven into the very fabric of the place.

Wellness is at its heart, too, with one of the Indian Ocean’s largest spas and an impressive holistic offering designed to nourish both body and mind.

With all this talk of peace and wellness, you may imagine this is an adults-only resort. But no, what makes Shanti Maurice even more special is that it manages to maintain this sense of tranquillity while welcoming families and children. The well-equipped kids’ club accepts children from 4 months to 12 years.

As I look across the bay, it strikes me that there are no other hotels visible, and barely any houses. This is the island’s wild south, its largely untouched coastline. Shanti Maurice sits comfortably in this unspoilt landscape; its grounds are not overly manicured but instead seem to embrace the nature and tranquillity that surround them.  The beachfront pool villas are a standout. They are perfect for couples, yet spacious enough for a family. The beach, complete with your own pair of sun loungers, lies just beyond your private pool. The villas come with butler service, and meals can be taken in your dining pavilion overlooking the ocean.

The Shanti Spa offers Ayurveda, yoga, meditation, nutritional guidance, and bespoke wellness programmes. I enjoyed a consultation with resident yogi, Deepak Hariramani. Originally from India, Deepak is everything you would want a yoga master to be – knowledgeable, kind, with an infectious smile and a calming presence.  He suggested I would benefit from practising yoga nidra to improve my sleep, and he was spot on. It was just what I needed, and I plan to incorporate it into my life. With three complimentary yoga sessions offered each day, there are plenty of opportunities to prioritise your wellbeing.

Lanscaper Ragoo gave me a tour of the resort’s herb garden and vanilla plot, which supply not only the restaurants but also the spa. Spa supervisor, Vedita, uses them to create essential oils for use in treatments. Vedita told me, “Using herbs from our own garden allows us to share the freshness, purity and healing power of nature with every guest”.

Her personal favourite is tulsi, or holy basil, because of its healing properties. The main restaurant, Stars, offers an extraordinarily extensive menu, including Thai, Indian, Sushi and Arabic dishes. Once a week, guests can sample Mauritian cuisine at La Kaze Mama, a laid-back, outdoor restaurant within the herb garden. The Rum Shed Bar & Grill deserves special mention. Colourful, rustic and relaxed, it houses one of the Indian Ocean’s largest collections of premium rums and showcases local specialities.

The décor is brilliant and evokes the kind of casual shack where you might find locals gathering to play dominoes and enjoy homemade rhum arrangé, rum infused with fruit and spices. The really clever part is that children can enjoy the adjacent outdoor cinema while their parents dine at The Rum Shed. Our little boys were thrilled to discover they could eat their steak frites while watching the film, while we could relax knowing they were just a few steps away.

Rather than dazzling guests with excess and extravagance, Shanti Maurice is an intimate retreat that creates a sense of luxury through space, serenity, polished service, and a commitment to holistic wellbeing.

Perhaps what stays with me most is how effortlessly Shanti Maurice brings all these elements together. The peaceful setting, thoughtful wellness experiences, generous accommodation, and warm, personal service all contribute to a feeling that is increasingly rare: the luxury of having space to slow down. Here, wellbeing doesn’t feel like something you have to schedule into your stay; it is simply part of the experience.

W: Shanti Maurice
E: Reservation
T: +230 5423 1111

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Written by Alexandra Richards for Luxuria Lifestyle International