The Maia Luxury Resort and Spa is straightforward in its intentions as "a hedonist's hideaway that transcends all levels of luxury". The resort is a collection of villas overlooking Anse Louis beach on the southwest coast of Mahe in the Seychelles. Under thatched cottage roofs and amidst lush Indian Ocean greenery, guests stretch out and undergo the finest relaxation treatments known to man, not least of which are the sun, sea and sand.

The resort's staff hold themselves to the same high levels of bliss and relaxation that they subject their guests to, and are required to do yoga every morning and pass an Emotional Quotient test before joining. Subsequently, the service is of an incredible standard; discrete and friendly. Each villa is assigned its own butler to help out in your quest for pleasure.

The facilities

Highly trained staff guide guests through yoga, Qi-Gong and "self-shiatsu" (as well as presumably doing a bit of normal shiatsu massage) in three separate, private, lushly forested pavilions. The gardens which surround the spa and villas were voted the best in Africa in 2008 by the South African Landscapers Institution. Resembling a tamed jungle, the twelve acres resonate with the scents of hundreds of species of carefully cultivated plants.

The rooms

The spacious, thatched-roof villas offer astounding views across the Indian Ocean, and the jungles of Mahe, and each is decorated like an island paradise should be, with a private sun deck and lounging/dining area plus a private pool and access to a long secret beach. The villas are spread far apart to ensure privacy, and are reached by a chauffeured buggy.