Enjoy the true spirit of an energy vortex in Mauritius

There are three women beside me and we are lying in a perfectly formed circle within a rock border. Filaos trees form a canopy which keeps most, but not all, of the rain off us.

One of the women is giggling. Another is madly spraying insect repellent. And the third is constantly moving as she struggles to find a comfortable position. They are sceptics, well at this stage at least.

For them the concept of this Energical Vortex in Riambel, a small village in an isolated part of southern Mauritius, is hard to fathom, let alone accept.

We were told about this place by a senior executive from Air Mauritius when we met her at Perth Airport five days earlier.

Exploring the spiritual world

I confess that the “spiritual world” is a part of my life. My in-laws are constantly putting me in white light so I am protected on my travels. I’m not saying I am a believer, but, from what I have seen, there is certainly no harm in it and I’m happy to accept all the help I can get in life.

A vortex is a place with an elevated level of energy. In other words, it is a place that spiritualists believe will heal the body and souls of people who take in its energies.

There is nothing fancy about it and there are no Disneyland-style rides. There’s no hard sell. In fact, it is free. You can make a donation if you wish, but there is no pressure to do so.

It is not for everyone. The guest relations officer from Sofitel So Mauritius who acted as our translator, referred to it as Fairy-land. A lot of locals know about it, but I’m not sure many believe. They smile, and nod at you, when you ask them about it, but you get the impression that they think you are bordering on madness.

Time to choose a chakra colour

Anyway, after 20 minutes of meditation I open my eyes to discover that one woman has abandoned the circle and is now sitting on the porch of a tiny house about 25m away. The remaining women tell me they had both seen the colour orange. My colour was green. Although it started as red. Perhaps it was a message that 2011 would bring glory, glory to South Sydney, my football team. OK, before you laugh, even I know that is a miracle too great for even an energy vortex.

Around the outside of the vortex there are seven small huts, with a massage table in each. Each is a colour, and each represents a chakra a centre of spiritual power in the body.

My green colour means my heart needs healing, and if I can open this chakra fully I will attain a deeper understanding of myself and others. After another 20 minutes of deep breathing inside the hut, I am totally relaxed. I’m not sure if I opened my chakra. No one tells you what to do. My head is hot. I’m not sure why, but I feel good.

So what of the sceptics?

The blue hut made her feel horny

Well, converted would be too strong a word. But something did happen for each of these women.

The medical writer from Western Australia, the most sceptical, spoke of feeling tingles on her scalp and down her arm. Later that evening she spoke passionately about the vortex to an Englishman she had just met. He looked at her the same way she looked at the person who told us about it. In disbelief.

Natalie, from Melbourne, said she opened her eyes from inside the orange hut and saw an orange butterfly hovering above. There were no butterflies anywhere else in the garden.

And our guide, the one who left the circle early, returned to spend a little time in each hut before telling us how each colour affected her differently. The blue hut made her feel horny, she said. Perhaps that’s why she gave a healthy donation and asked if we wanted to return tomorrow for some more healing.

Walking with the lions

If the Riambel vortex shows the power of Mauritius, an island off the southeast coast of Africa, then take a walk with Graeme Bristow from Safari Adventures Mauritius and you will discover a man who is not only passionate about his life’s work but also his adopted country.

Bristow is a third-generation animal handler from Zimbabwe.

About four years ago he started Safari Adventures Mauritius. It operates as part of the Casela Nature & Leisure Park, near Tamarin.

Bristow has about 20 young lions, tigers and cheetahs. They have all been abandoned by their mothers and raised by Bristow.

You can watch them behind the safety of two wire fences, or you can join Bristow as he takes them on a 1.5km bush walk.

We stand with Bristow under a tree while handlers about 100m away select the two lions that will join us on our walk. When they leave the compound, Bristow whistles and they come bounding toward him like a puppy does when its owner comes home.

The lions lead the way

He grabs each of them around the jowls and kisses them on the forehead. It is breathtaking to watch. These 80kg lions beautiful, healthy creatures potential man-eaters, are playful and excited to be heading out for their afternoon walk. It is one of the most mesmerising things I have watched.

Our group of 12 people all have sticks, about the size of broom handles to hold. The lions respect whoever is holding the stick and the lions lead the way. We walk a few steps behind. Never in front. Every now and then Bristow will stop them for a photo shoot.

We will either pat them while they sit down or watch them climb a tree.

Stay calm. Stay quiet.

Bristow’s ground rules are simple. Stay calm, don’t make a lot of noise, and never run. “If you run, they will think it is a game,” he says. “And they will chase the fastest person, not the slowest.” The odds suddenly became much better for my survival.

Bristow has worked as an animal handler on many big-budget movies. His confidence gives you confidence.

We all pat the lions as they walk and they don’t seem to mind. They don’t seem that interested in us really and they are more interested in the chunks of meat the other handlers give them to keep them on the straight and narrow. At the start of the walk I was nervous. About 30 minutes into the walk I had forgotten all my fears. Without doubt, this is the best captive animal experience I have had and something I will never forget.

MAURITIUS – THREE WAYS
Sofitel So Mauritius

This luxury hotel at Bel Ombre in the southern part of Mauritius officially opened just a few months ago. I am its first Australian guest.

Fashion designer Kenzo Takada worked with architect Lek Bunnag on the project which explains why the staff uniforms look so fantastic. There are splashes of Kenzo magic everywhere. But as a guest you would have to say that this hotel is a triumph of design over practicality. The bed is the perfect example of what I mean. It is surrounded by lime-green, soft storage capsules that make it difficult for even a fit, able-bodied person to climb on to the bed. If you need more proof, try swimming in the 100m lap pool. About 50m of the pool is 15cm deep. What were they thinking?

On the plus side the hotel fronts a beautiful isolated beach and the main restaurant area is the perfect mix of indoor-outdoor entertaining.

I checked the hotel’s website for a standard room for tonight. Rates started from €376 ($A500) a night.

Visit www.sofitel.com

Club Med Plantation D’Albion

Even in a torrential downpour this hotel has something of a wow factor. On the day we arrived the rain had knocked out the power and internet. Club Med staff always run around frantically, but today they were operating at hyper-speed as they tried to clean up the mess. We went straight to the open-air dining room which overlooks the beach and pool area. Club Med resorts are all-inclusive so our group ordered a bottle each of the locally produced red, white and rose. A great way to start the visit.

My beach suite was less than 10 paces from the water. It was huge, with three separate areas a lounge area, the bedroom and a bathroom like no other I have seen before.

The hotel zen pool is stunning at sunset. The infinity pool sits on a clifftop so you can soak in the pool and watch the sun disappear into the Indian Ocean.

Plantation D’Albion is a good option for more mature couples. Of course there will always be children at a Club Med resort, but they don’t seem to be as obvious here.

Visit www.clubmed.com.au

Club Med la Pointe aux Cannoniers

Anyone who has been to a Club Med either loves, or hates, the communal activities. At la Pointe they don’t seem to do that as much. There was no singing welcome. No crazy dancing at night. In reality, it was everything Club Med is famous for, but without the non-stop cabaret performance.

If you stay I suggest you ask for Room 2112 in the Mon Dessert building. I am as close to the beach as you can get. I could almost dive off the balcony into the ocean. My balcony has a big day bed that allows me uninterrupted views over the beach. La Pointe is older than Plantation D’Albion. While that is obvious in the common areas, it is not an issue in your room.

The resort has an excellent sailing and diving program and the Kids Club is legendary.

Visit www.clubmed.com.au