Anantara Iko ups the luxe with new pool villas

There are many good reasons to love Mauritius. It’s an island that always over-delivers on tropical holiday happiness. But most South Africans tend to leave the tongue-twisting Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport behind, and drive an hour or more up to the north of the island. Here, amid the crowded resorts of Grande Baie, or on the west coast at Trou aux Biches, crowds of other holidaymakers can happily surround them. I don’t get it.

Anantara Iko, on the other hand, is set in the more serene southeast of the island.

It’s just 10 minutes from the airport, making it a good choice for short breaks, and is close to the island’s original capital, the historic city of Mahebourg. Once a key port for the French navy, and home to the island’s slave market, this layered history can be discovered in the city’s fascinating National Historical Naval Museum.

Prefer a little nature? The Blue Bay Marine Park is just around the corner for snorkelling and sailing excursions that draw holidaymakers from across Mauritius. Except here, it’s right on the doorstep.

Downsides? This corner of the island is more exposed to the south-easterly trade winds that blow, which means it’s often a little cooler than the north and west of Mauritius. But it’s a drawcard for the kitesurfers that flock to the region, and in the summer that breeze can be something of a blessing.

And you’ll certainly feel anointed when checking into the brand-new Anantara Iko Pool Villas.

Easily the most exclusive of the resort’s 160-plus rooms and suites, the new Pool Villas — two with two bedrooms and six with four bedrooms — are aimed squarely at multigenerational travellers looking to spend time together in perfect privacy. That said, they’d also be ideal for a few couples reconnecting and wanting the facilities of a large resort, without the crowds.

The villas are substantial — the four-bed option stretches to more than 300m2 — and come packed with all the mod-cons you’d expect of a five-star resort. Bedrooms are decorated in soothing tropical tones to create private havens of calm, while the communal living areas stretch out to include a spacious lounge, dining area, terrace and — of course — your own swimming pool with a shaded day-bed for post-lunch lazing. That it all comes set amid lush tropical gardens of indigenous plants is just a bonus.

These highly personalised packages are available as five- or seven-night stays, and include healing treatments, wellbeing classes, organic nutritional fine dining and nature-based adventures.

Instead of patching together your own wellness-focused escape, these dedicated packages are customised to create a seamless schedule of treatments, activities and culinary options. Take your pick from Ayurvedic healing techniques and traditional Hamman rituals to Reiki sessions that promise to restore balance and energy. Desperate for a great massage? Here you can choose between Thai, Balinese and Hawaiian-inspired styles. There are also inclusive group sessions of yoga, meditation and Tai Chi.

And you won’t go hungry either. While there’s no shortage of culinary indulgence at the resort, in the vegan Bon Manzer restaurant the focus is on natural, organic, unprocessed and nutritionally complete foods. It’s about indulgence, on your terms. Whether it’s a respite from the crowds, or a holistic reboot you’re after, you’d do well to stick with the south on that next island break.