Salt of t i


At eco-hotel Salt of Palmar, guests are encouraged to spend time with locals to learn about Mauritian culture, as Clare Vooght discovers


’m sitting near the pool at eco-hotel Salt of Palmar in Mauritius with a paintbrush in


my hand – trying to replicate the cool Camille Walala-designed colour-block courtyard, with its coral and pastel walls. Its black-and-white striped columns frame the view out to a pale turquoise sea, but the waves are proving tricky. Luckily, local painter Dani, who specialises in sea scenes punctuated by bobbing fishing boats, is on hand to help our small group capture the gentle movement of the waves. He wanders around the large communal table, surveying our work, effortlessly helping to blend the paints. “You can use the white here, over the turquoise to blend for the sea,” he says, recreating the frothy swell of the water.


Our painting lesson is part of Salt’s Skill Swap programme, where guests can bring a skill to teach others, or learn a new skill from a local. Sessions are constantly being updated, but on our visit they include pottery, bread making in the on-site bakery, barista coffee sessions and painting lessons. Collectively, they bring to life the hotel’s ethos: to connect guests with local people and places. With tourism a key part of Mauritius’s post-pandemic recovery – around 14% of jobs are in the travel industry – Salt’s community-focused mission is even more fitting. And getting to Mauritius is now much easier too, since the government lifted a test-on-arrival rule and the need to provide proof of vaccination earlier this month, in a bid to strengthen that recovery.


² 46 21 JULY 2022


Aerial view of Salt of Palmar PICTURE: SAR Production


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