Thanda Island - Tanzania's Newest ECO-Luxe Jewel

Situated within southern Tanzania’s newly proclaimed Shungimbili Island Marine Reserve, one of Thanda’s initiatives to further the restoration of the local marine life, Thanda Island is one of the few truly private tropical islands in the world.

Providing absolute exclusivity for families and friends to enjoy on a sole-use basis, it features just one expansive five-bedroom villa comprising an impressive glass rim-flow swimming pool, a boat house full of water activities equipment, a tennis court and an outdoor cocktail bar, a yoga sala and a fully equipped gym. It is surrounded by its own private coral reef which can be explored in total seclusion with a snorkel and mask straight from the beach.

 

 

Off-grid and solar-powered, Thanda Island offers guests an environmentally sensitive, fun and restorative Indian Ocean, East African experience infused with the Arabian influence of passing Arab Dhows on the horizon and a spectacular “Arabian Night” experience. Deeply committed to the conservation of the region’s marine life, as well as the preservation and rehabilitation of the Shungimbili coral reef, Thanda Island invites guests to learn about the endangered Green and Hawksbill turtles as they nest and their eggs hatch on the island or catch sight of whale sharks that congregate nearby from October to March.

Providing the further insight into the local way of life, they also introduce guests to the Swahili sea-faring culture on nearby Mafia Island and offer the opportunity to explore its ruins, coconut plantations, lakes as well as the underwater sights of Chole Bay in the Mafia Island Marine Park.

Officially opened on Friday 28 October 2016 with marine life and its ecology of upmost importance, working with Sea Sense, the local Tanzanian marine conservation NGO which Thanda Island closely supports.

 

Managing Director, Pierre Delvaux chronicled Thanda Island’s story that began in early 2006 cumulating in its environmental authorization in late 2013, the signing of the lease agreement in March 2014 and the beginning of the villa’s construction in early 2015. He went on to explain the vision and objectives for the development to provide a world-class, 5-star, exclusive private island and villa experience for discerning vacationers, whilst also aligning with the objectives of Marine Parks.

Delvaux went on to say: “Our mission is also to become involved in the education of neighbouring rural communities on Mafia in terms of biodiversity protection and particularly sustainable natural resource utilization. Our vision to create a unique and authentic guest experience within a protected marine reserve, whilst observing and directly participating in the protection and preservation of its natural resources in harmony with the Marine Parks Authority and neighbouring Mafia Island communities, has been very important to us right from the start.” 

Acknowledging this, Dr M.E Machunu, Manager of Marine Parks said: “The luxury villa and island development falls squarely within the Tanzanian agenda of attracting foreign investors to the country. This opening is both momentous and historical, as it is the first time that such an exclusive villa development has been permitted within the boundaries of a Marine Protected Reserve in Tanzania, and possibly within East Africa.”

He thanked Thanda sincerely for their commitment and initiative of investing in such a worthwhile development, explaining that the Government’s agenda to promote tourism was in harmony with conservation through sustainable development that not only assisted them to manage their natural resources, but also created employment and other benefits for neighbouring communities. He went on to explain that the Government was supporting tourism more than ever before, that Marine Parks and the Government were committed to supporting Thanda Tanzania Limited with this venture as it had followed all investment procedures and guidelines, including environmental authorization, and that they saw Thanda as an agent for growth in the region.

Pierre Delvaux wrapped up the day by thanking Dan and Christin Olofsson, who unfortunately were unable to attend the function, for their vision, enthusiasm, investment and commitment to developing such a world-class luxury villa hotel that had the opportunity to make such an enormous difference in the region in so many ways.

 

 

Visit
thandaisland.com

Source: Theprteam.com

Camelot Aqua Spa

Enjoy unlimited views of the Indian Ocean while you unwind at Camelot Aqua Spa with a variety of packages lasting just a few hours to half or full day. Situated at the Three Cities Square Boutique Hotel & Spa in Umhlanga, Durban and accessible to both the public and guests.

Indulge in a Cleopatra milk bath, purifying detox, mineral salt and sensorial scrubs or Rasul mud treatments just some of the body therapies to leave you completely relaxed and restored. Facial therapies include Thalgo facials, Dermalogica facial therapy specialised Lamelle facials or peels all lasting between 60 to 75 minutes.

A selection of body massages include Reflexology, Indian head massage, mums to be massages, hot stone massages, deep tissue sports massage, Swedish and Aromatherapy massages and Lomi Lomi massages. Complete the new you with your choice of grooming session be it nails, waxing, threading, tinting or hand and feet treatment.

Different spa packages, lasting between two and four hours, as well as half day and full day packages, are available with specials for men, women and couples which include a spa lunch. Treatments promise to unwind, purify, groom and treat; exfoliate, nourish and brighten the skin; and rebalance the body and soul.

The Camelot Aqua Spa allows access to the compact fitness centre, sauna, steam room and pool area with the ultimate relaxing experience of enjoying sundowners on the rooftop’s pool/bar area with striking views of the Indian Ocean.

A magnificent, tranquil village setting offers the ideal Spa destination for corporate and leisure travellers, in an international urban lifestyle with a cosmopolitan buzz.

About Camelot Aqua Spa

The award-winning Aqua Spa in partnership with the Camelot Health Spa Group’ world of wellness brings you a spa of international standards. Welcoming Aqua Spa at the Three Cities Square Boutique Hotel & Spa, but also Aqua Spa at the soon to be opened Three Cities Urban Park Hotel & Spa with therapists from the world class Camelot International Education Group.

“Purity and balance constitute the essence of the Camelot Spa Group experience, with our products and therapies inspired by the harmony of the earth. This is exactly what Aqua Spa’s offering is and the reason why we felt our group would benefit with having Aqua Spa as our Durban based spa.” Says, Michelle Dickerson, Camelot Health Spa Group representative for KwaZulu.

Jenny Pillay owner of both Spas said, “The Camelot Aqua Spa is the perfect locale for ultimate leisure and pampering with professional therapists, personal attention, quality products and the ultimate in rejuvenation therapy.” Pillay goes on to say that, “Camelot Aqua Spa will offer every invigorating treatment and uplifting therapy you can ever think of at both hotels.”

Visit the Camelot Aqua Spa at The Three Cities Square Boutique Hotel at 250 Umhlanga Rocks Drive, La Lucia or contact them on +27 (0)31 566 4562 or e-mail aquaspa@thesquare.co.za

Valentines 2013 choices set to thrill …

Valentines will have delectable choices from country elegance at Valley Lodge & Spa in the Magaliesberg to a 5-star safari and spa at Tau Game Lodge in Madikwe and chic romance at Clico Boutique Hotel & fine dining in Rosebank for February 2013, from dining only to spa, safari and overnight packages…

Valley Lodge & Spa in Magaliesburg will be offering a delectable Valentines package at this award-winning luxury country hotel and world-class Spa, only a 45 minute drive from Joburg or Pretoria, comprising:.

Valentines Package, effective 1-28 February 2013, per couple, includes:
1 night’s accommodation in a lavishly furnished room on a delectable buffet dinner, bed & breakfast basis and a romantic turndown with rose petals and a candle-lit dinner in the privacy of your room, plus a superb bottle of sparkling wine; PLUS a 30 minute back, neck and shoulder massage for two followed by a Deluxe Spa Hydrotherapy bath experience in our world-class spa at:

• Standard Rooms R2,790 per couple
• Luxury Rooms R2,990 per couple
• Superior Rooms R3,290 per couple – and enticing discounts on all rooms for a 2nd night’s stay!

Call Valley Lodge at (27-14) 014-577 1301/5; res@valleylodge.co.za; www.valleylodge.co.za

 

 

Valentines will cherish their special dinner – and may even opt for a romantic overnight stay – at Clico Boutique Hotel in Rosebank, where the chic 5-star boutique hotel will live up to its reputation for delectable cuisine, wine pairing, intimate events and conferencing, as well as lavish accommodation, complete with scrumptious breakfasts.

Local diners will again have the option of romantic dining by candlelight only or dine, stay over and savour an intimate breakfast for two before returning to “ business as usual”!

Valentines Dinner valid for 14 February 2013:
The dining menu comes at R500 per person, excluding beverages, offering the following menu choices:

• Selection of handmade artisan breads and salted butter
• Starter: Freshly shucked oysters and smoked salmon from our oyster and champagne bar with traditional garnishes
• Mains: Pan seared bass on a French shellfish broth with saffron pomme puree and steamed asparagus
• Or Roasted duck breast with a black olive jus, fondant potato and baby leaf spinach and carrot puree

Pre dessert: Strawberry two ways

• Desserts: Hot Raspberry soufflé to share with chocolate indulgent
• Petite fours

The Clico Valentines month overnight package for the entire month of February is valid on Saturday nights, subject to reservations made 3 days prior to overnight stay @ R2600 per couple including full breakfast and Valentines menu dinner!

Adjustments can be made by prior arrangement for diners with special dietary requirements.
Book early to avoid disappointment!

Phone Clico at +27 (0)11 252 3300 email info@clicoguesthouse.com www.clicoguesthouse.com; 27 Sturdee Avenue – Rosebank - Johannesburg

Tau Game Lodge in the Madikwe Reserve is a mere 4-hour drive from Johannesburg and is offering true value for money for Valentines month, February 2013 at R2850 (highly reduced) per person sharing per night! This package includes:

• 3 meals, 2 game drives, refreshments served on game drives plus tea/coffee served during meals;
• Book a 3rd night’s stay and get the following couples’ spa treatment free, valued at R520 per person:

Soul of Africa Body Conditioning Massage – 90 minutes: a ceremonial process, using Africa’s ‘miracle’ marula oil, blended with neroli to soften signs of ageing through its anti-stress action. Benzoin further acts as an anti-inflammatory and aids chapped, inflamed and irritated skin. Traditionally the marula was used in anointment ceremonies to bless and bring abundance. Relax in the Steam Room to complete this heavenly treatment.

The facilities and accommodation at Tau have been refurbished and re-decorated to meet the demands of regular as well as new local and international visitors, with 20 standard chalets, 6 deluxe chalets, 1 family unit as well as 1 family suite, complete with a decadent dinosaur egg bath overlooking the waterhole from the main-en-suite.

Contact Tau Game Lodge at: Phone +27-(0)11-314 4350/49 email taugame@mweb.co.za or emergency call +27(0)83 262 2013 and view at www.taugamelodge.co.za

Suntra Spa

The essence of an exceptional luxury spa requires a great location, excellent therapists and top of range product. This philosophy is taken from a woman who clearly knows her business making Suntra Spa every bit as remarkable as its owner Keren Trabelsi.

The spa draws both its name and inspiration from the legendary star named Suntra responsible for bringing the water element to planet earth. A slick, spacious, state-of-the-art spa offering six treatment suites and the best in holistic, therapeutic and aesthetic care.

This luxury spa with a technispa outlook ensures patrons experience the ultimate in functional indulgence in beautifully designed treatment rooms. Offerings include a wide range of beauty treatments and massages, laser hair removal, detox programmes, day packages and group packages, all designed to help you look and feel your best.

Using the latest technology to provide you with the most advanced care available. The extensive spa-therapy menu has been tailor-made to respect the body's complex physiology and work in synergy with the skin, body, mind and soul.

Home to the BellaBaci Body and Facial Massage Systems  a modern and contemporary innovation based on the ancient traditional alternative/natural healing treatment methods of Chinese Cupping Therapy and Hajima. A highly recommended treatment created by the owner herself.

From non surgical anti-ageing facials to hands-on body therapies; from male grooming and detox programmes to teens and mothers-to-be, Suntra Spa ensures personalised treatments that most effectively address the specific needs of each guest. Indulge yourself and a loved one to a Suntra Sparty with a Luxury Spoil day or enjoy couples therapy of an aesthetic nature and keep the spark alive with Moonlight and Roses.

I had the Ultimate Pedicure at the expert hands of Candice Isaacs based on the Medi-Heel treatment for added indulgence. Starting with the Medi-Heel Tonic followed by AHA Exfoliator, a superb foot massage with Medi-Heel Foot Perfector, shaped and finished with the gorgeous in house nail colour of my choice.

If all the holiday season prepping had you rushing on your feet get some much need rest and relaxation. With convenient valet parking you one less thing to worry about, as you leave the hustle and bustle of the world behind and float up to 7th heaven on the last floor of the spectacular 15 on Orange Hotel.

QMS Medicosmetics - Regenerating Inner Beauty

The 3 Core Products of the QMS System

Formulated by Dr. med. Erich Schulte, an aesthetic surgeon, lecturer and international authority on skin aging and regeneration, based on research led, collagen enhancing technology to create a bespoke regenerative system of skincare.

Skin reflects the accumulated damage of the environmental conditions and neglect it has been exposed to. The damage, like damage that occurs in skin that has been burnt or wounded, persists in the form of scarring seen as marks on the skin and changes in texture. Aging appearance of the skin is also due to a lack of collagen. With chronological aging skin slows production of collagen. Thus the effective treatment for wounded, exposed and aging skin is absorption of collagen.

In the 1970s Dr med. Erich Schulte worked at the Maxillo Facial Department for reconstructive plastic surgery at the Göttingen University Clinic in Germany. His patients were mainly severe accident and burn wound victims. At the time surgery could lead to the reconstruction of the shape of the face but skin remained scarred and damaged. He researched wound healing and found collagen to be highly significant. He knew that if he could find a way to reintroduce collagen into the skin, scar formation would be reduced and skin could be regenerated.

Later, working in the field of aesthetic and cosmetic surgery. He continued to scientifically investigate skin regeneration. This led him to develop a unique method to condition natural soluble collagens so that they can penetrate into the epidermis and be applied topically to skin thereby allowing skin to regenerate. Due to visible improvements in skin texture as well as skin healing when used in post-operative treatment he used the products for pre-operative treatment as well and found exceptional results could be achieved.

In 1987 he developed QMS Medicosmetics as a complete skincare and rejuvenation system of products available for use by other surgeons, in beauty salons, spas and at home. QMS Medicosmetics products can be used individually, however by using a combination of products better results will be achieved as they work together to transform skin. The original three products of Exfoliant Fluid, Day Collagen and Night Collagen are still the foundation of the collection.

His research is focused on delivery techniques to enhance the metabolism of the ingredients in addition to searching for unique ingredients and high-tech delivery systems. The original formulation of Night Collagen was developed in a surgical context and was so effective at improving skin tone and appearance that it led to the development of the !QMS Medicosmetics range for use at home. The Classic Set of Exfoliant Fluid, Day Collagen and Night Collagen is the foundation of daily treatment for facial skin and targeted treatment. Consumers can add specific products to customise their skincare to treat areas of concern and suit their needs.

Complementing the effective treatment of facial skin is the !QMS Medicosmetics body care range which delivers the same high level of performance to body treatment, transforming the appearance of skin as well as moisturising. Body Shape firms contours and Refirming Neck & More nourishes the delicate skin of the décolletage. Further enhancement of skin condition is provided by Intravital the nutritional supplement designed by !QMS Medicosmetics to recondition, regenerate and protect skin by enhancing the collagen production cycle and providing an advanced combination of anti-oxidants. 

With Dr. Schulte’s passion for the skin and his revolutionary research, the QMS Medicosmetics collection continues to be at the forefront of skincare. For products, therapists and stockists in Southern Africa visit Futurethis. International Skincare Spa's and Global Locations. To get some insight into the treatment step by step here's a review by Alexandra van Tonder at CTG.

Urban Luxury - The Westcliff

 
Think Africa is all safari, grime and danger? A stay at The Westcliff Hotel in Johannesburg will have you reassessing your opinion.

What makes a hotel luxurious? Could it be their billowy thousand-thread-count sheets or their legendary Sunday brunch? Their highly intuitive staff or their dramatic, million-dollar views? Perched high above the endless forested canopy of Jo’burg, The Westcliff Hotel has all of this and more.
   
To let the guests know that they’ve truly arrived, three magical words from the receptionist put things into perspective: “You’ve been upgraded.” Fantastic. The porter and I make our way up the steep winding lane, past lovely gardens and pretty pink villas, to my sanctuary for the next two nights. “There’s where you’ll be staying, right there.”

Can ballrooms get any grander?

We come to a halt in front of a cluster of villas huddled around a courtyard. Since no two rooms in The Westcliff are the same, I shuffle to my junior suite and fling the door open expectantly. I am immediately impressed. My extravagantly-sized bedroom may be Victorian in design but there are little touches of modern-day luxury everywhere. From the free wi-fi to the satellite television that pops up upon command to the soundproofed windows and heavy drapes to the cosy sitting nook in the corner, the management has thought of everything.


However, the pièce de résistance is undoubtedly the palatial marble bathroom. Big enough to live in, it boasts an enormous sliding wardrobe, dual sinks, shower stall, heated towel racks, a tub (with bath salts) and toiletries from Africology, South Africa’s numero uno skincare line. Something tells me I shall be spending an awful lot of time in here.

 

The Westcliff’s restaurants and its infinity pool overlook some of the finest vistas in the city. The hotel’s cascading garden is also stunning. It is said that horticultural enthusiasts may, on a stroll from one villa to another, spot a number of unique floral species within the property. That evening, I head to La Belle Terrasse, the hotel’s restaurant, where the service is impeccable and the setting fabulous.
 
Sipping my rooibos tea, I spot someone who looks vaguely familiar across from me. Could it be a makeup-less Felicity Huffman, fresh off season eight of Desperate Housewives? And is that handsome young man her son?  “Yes, we do get a lot of celebrities but a lot of them usually want to be treated like normal people,” says general manager, Andrew Cook, who has joined me for a quick chat.

In a sense, there is no better place in South Africa to go unrecognised or be yourself. The hotel is blissfully quiet, and even the businessmen (and women) possess the graciousness to discuss money and mergers in hushed tones. Sooner or later, every visitor to this hotel will be buoyed by this sensation of calm and restfulness, making the place a terrific respite from downtown Johannesburg.

As the sun sinks below the horizon, the stately homes below me light up like a million shimmering oil lamps, outsparkling the star-filled heavens. Now this, to me, is luxury.

Follow Louisa Lim at www.twitter.com/lolibites 


Full article at The Star Online

THE WESTCLIFF
67, Jan Smuts Avenue
Westcliff, Johannesburg
2193, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0)11 481 6074/6045