Writer Donna Richardson headed to Mauritius for a yoga retreat led by London instructor Tara Lee and supported by sustainable brand Wellicious…
This year, I’m committing to my wellness journey. So, when I was invited to spend a week at the five-star Heritage Le Telfair Golf & Wellness Resort in Mauritius, to attend a yoga retreat in partnership with Wellicious and yogi Tara Lee, I leapt at the chance.
Mauritius is a great place for fitness enthusiasts. It has lush green mountains, beautiful golf courses, golden beaches and a clear lagoon for snorkelling along the coral reef. This destination offers a wonderful mix for active adventurers.
Heritage Le Telfair is a luxurious all-suite hotel located on the beach with a central pool area for families, a wellness spa and a new adult wing clustered around a U-shaped pool nestled in lush tropical gardens.
The luxury hotel’s charming plantation-style architecture and original gas lamps nod to the days of botanist Charles Le Telfair, who lived in the Bel Ombre region in South Mauritius where the hotel is located. The hotel is dedicated to sustainability – ethics it shares with Wellicious.
Perfect partners
In February, the hotel hosted a unique yoga retreat featuring four complimentary yoga sessions led by Tara Lee. This was exclusively for residents of the adults-only wing. The hotel teamed with Wellicious, a luxury sustainable yoga brand founded by Heike Petersen Cunza. Its circular apparel biodegrades at the end of the clothing’s life cycle, making it eco-friendly. Practically, it was ideal for the retreat, being made from organic materials that don’t shed microplastics and feel good against the skin in hot environments.
The yoga sessions were split between the Heritage Le Telfair’s beachfront and the exquisite golf course at Le Château de Bel Ombre. In addition to traditional yoga, guests could engage in tai chi, body balance, breathwork, aqua stretching and various workout sessions.
Settling in
Stepping off the plane, the heat and scent of the lush tropical landscape embraced me. A taxi ride through local villages brought me to Heritage Le Telfair and I quickly realised I had stepped into paradise. Sitting by the open-air terrace, I gazed out over the resort, which featured a beach bar, a grand pool and ornamental gardens full of tropical plants and pink bougainvillea amid colonial buildings.
I wandered along the leafy path to a ground-floor room in a grand colonial building, part of the new adults-only wing. It had a private terrace that opened onto a communal heated adult pool. Inside was a beautiful room with a coffee station, a desk, a TV, a bathtub and a shower.
The surroundings are energising, from the greenery of the plants to the colourful breakfast fruits, and flowers around the resort. For lunch, I opted for tuna salad from the Tiki Bar to energise me ahead of my active holiday. However, I wanted to ease myself in. I opted for beach time, swims and walks. As evening fell, I met the resort’s general manager, Dominique Grel, and our yoga teacher, Tara Lee. We sipped refreshing cocktails and nibbles, mesmerised by the performance of sega dancers, and then walked to the Gin’ja restaurant to feast on fresh fish wrapped in banana leaves.
Mindful movement
I awoke rejuvenated, and divided the morning between the main pool and a daybed with billowing curtains. I paused for a light lunch at Le Palmier and sunbathed on the beach, keeping hydrated with fresh coconut water from the Coco Shack ahead of my first yoga session.
I changed into my Wellicious activewear, which felt delicious against my skin. The Easy Pocket Leggings in Shoreline Blue were so flattering that I also decided to wear the Control Bra crop top (both pictured, above), which made me feel fabulous and confident in my plus-size clothing.
As we stretched and took deep breaths, the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm golden glow over the lush landscape. Tara’s calm, soothing voice enveloped us, inviting us to tune into the tranquil surroundings. She led us into a meditative state and encouraged us to flow gracefully through a series of poses and stretches. The class rhythm was gentle and invigorating, tailored to everyone’s abilities. A profound wave of peace and relaxation washed over me.
After the session, we enjoyed canapés and drinks with Tara. Wendy, the resort’s regular yoga teacher, also shared how yoga can help promote relaxation and fitness. Back at the Heritage Le Telfair, Indian food was on the menu at the charming Annabella’s restaurant, which was superb as Mauritius’ heritage leans heavily on Indian origins. A sudden torrential tropical downpour changed the hot and humid atmosphere, leaving a fresh scent dancing in the air.
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Outward bound
The following day, fuelled by a healthy breakfast, I was ready for the safari tour of Bel Ombre Nature Reserve – a UNESCO heritage site. Here you can engage in active pursuits such as quad biking, but we were in a 4×4. We spotted indigenous birds and deer among the now-protected black ebony tree, which once risked extinction due to historical logging for piano keys.
We enjoyed a gentle hike towards a stunning waterfall in the Mauritius jungle, made easier by my new Salomon hiking footwear. Some of us dived in for a refreshing swim beneath it, before touring a section of the vast 2,500-hectare national park – one of two actively preserved in the region. We passed an abandoned French sugar mill, built by the Federica family, and then stopped to gaze out over the Indian Ocean toward Madagascar and mainland East Africa.
Returning to the hotel, my first stop was the wellness centre, where I slipped into my Bravissimo swimsuit for an aqua stretching course. This was designed to loosen me up before my yoga session. The enjoyable, water-based practice is ideal for all ages and fitness levels. My instructor, Shahid, a skilled reiki master, sensed some energetic blockages within me and taught me essential breathing techniques to help release tension.
After a sundown drink on the beach, I dined at Heritage Awali Golf & Spa resort, an African-themed hotel in the same group, situated next door. I enjoyed steak and red wine, then headed to the Zenzi Deck bar. Thanks to the earlier session, I slept peacefully when I returned to my room and woke ready for my yoga class. The stiffness that had previously plagued me vanished and was replaced with new-found suppleness.
Feeling energised
The next morning my yoga was smooth and invigorating. The class was energetic, and we saluted the sun while embracing the tranquil surroundings. I had fitness on my mind, so I next visited the watersports centre to try kayaking down the river but I was captivated by the Azure Ocean and soon progressed to paddleboarding. I popped in for a pizza at C-Beach ahead of my snorkelling session where I lost myself in an underwater world, then drifted along the reef entranced by the coral and its inhabitants. I spotted butterfly fish, surgeon fish, snapper, trevally, clown fish and the graceful green turtle.
Wonderfully relaxed, I floated back to my room to get ready for an exquisite dinner at Château de Bel Ombre. This fine-dining experience within a 19th-century plantation house features a resident Green Star Michelin chef during its annual Sustainable Gastronomy Week. I savoured every bite of my quail eggs, lobster and lemon parfait dishes. I channelled the previous night’s yoga session to put me at ease.
Getting active
The day after, I headed to Cavendish Bar to interview Tara. We discussed her yoga brand, the week-long residency, and working with the hotel and Wellicious. She began teaching yoga 25 years ago in Brighton and is a leading expert in pre-and post-natal yoga in London.
Lunch was at La Reserve Golf Links Clubhouse, where golf enthusiasts can combine ‘tee time’ with an indulgent afternoon tea or a gourmet fine dining experience, just as I did. Although I’m not a golfer, many pros and their families flock to Mauritius for the sport.
I enjoyed healthy green salad and seafood and then returned to Heritage Le Telfair, where I spent the afternoon leisurely. I then got ready for another sunset yoga class. A pregnant lady joined us, demonstrating Tara’s expertise in this field. We did a lot of floorwork, which opened up our hips and worked on my heavy legs.
That evening, I booked a table at the elegant Le Palmier restaurant, dined on exquisite French cuisine and then listened to live jazz music at Cavendish Bar.
Final moves
Getting into a rhythm, we began the next day with our final yoga session, stretching our backs and lower bodies, and standing tall in warrior poses, which I loved. It was wonderful to feel the power of the women around me, and we made some firm friendships.
Then it was time for the Bay 2 Bay Tour which started at Jacotet Bay, a historic spot for pirates and naval commanders. We explored the Bel Ombre Sugar Factory and the village of Bel Ombre. We learned that Le Batelage de Bel Ombre was the embarkation point for raw sugar shipped to Port Louis for nearly 200 years.
At the Trevessa Memorial, we learned about shipwreck survivors from June 29, 1923. We then went on to Maconde (where slaves from East Africa sought refuge), Matthew Flinders Memorial, and La Prairie Bay, a beach with a beautiful blue lagoon. Feeling peaceful, I returned to the Seven Colours Spa for a full-body massage and felt tension melt away.
That evening, I enjoyed aperitifs at Zenzi Deck at Heritage Awali Golf Club & Spa before heading to Boma restaurant. A unique African experience awaited. We were greeted by chanting tribesmen and women who performed before we tucked into freshly cooked meat from the braai (barbecue), delicious salads and jollof rice. After, they invited us to dance and chant around the fire. The evening ended in Heritage Le Telfair, listening to a Rastafarian band – it was a real immersion into Mauritius and African culture.
On my final day, Swadish, the activities co-ordinator designed a high-intensity morning beach workout. I cooled down with a tai chi session with Shahid. Lunch was tagine on the beach at Tiki Bar, after which I visited the conservation centre to meet marine biologists Anouska and Pourani and learn about the reef’s health. Later, I practised yoga poses on the beach at sunset and ate a meal looking out to sea – the perfect end to my Mauritius holiday.
