The highly anticipated Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island – the only resort on the entire island – has opened, complete with a sensory spa designed to offer guests a connection to place and to themselves.

The resort’s Circle of Connection Spa includes five treatment suites, including one couples’ suite, all with views of the surrounding flora and fauna.

The spa menu – designed for Four Seasons by Terres D'Afrique – is designed to evoke the five senses, and include Sensory Connection Rituals that incorporate the island’s African heritage. The Rhythms of Desroches, for instance, is a 2.5 hour ritual that combines music and massage with a sea-inspired sand, salt and aloe scrub and body mask, and uses chimes, rain sticks and singing bowls, and incorporates a massage that uses eggs filled with heated baobab seeds.

The Flavours of Desroches treatment draws on the island’s edible, skin-beneficial ingredients, including lemongrass, pineapple and cardamom, while the Textures of Desroches is a four-handed massage that uses feathers, crystals, African combs, coconut beads and an exfoliating sand and coconut bead body mask.

The spa also offers daily Connection Ceremonies, which are complimentary to guests. A Morning Awakening includes simple mantras to open the body and mind, while the Evening Reflection is a meditative journey from sound to silence, designed to unwind the body and mind and invite reflection.

Sandie Johannessen is senior spa director at the resort, and also oversees nine spas in the region.

The spa includes Gharieni's MLW series spa tables along with other Gharieni furniture and equipment. Yoga programs with in-house yogi Ganga Sadhuka include Hatha, Nidra, meditation, Pranayama and Ashtanga in a dedicated pavilion or on the beach, and there is also a fully-equipped fitness studio for weight and cardio training as well as an open-air floodlit tennis court.

“At Four Seasons, our entire mission is to create the perfect holiday for our guests, to realise all of their island fantasies and ensure that they’ll remember their stay with us for a lifetime,” said Edward Linsley, the resort’s general manager.

Located on the southwestern portion of the 402-hectare (933-acre) island, the resort is a 35-minute flight from the international airport on Mahé island.

It also includes a Castaway Centre for water sports including scuba diving, stand-up paddleboarding and ocean fishing; cycling treks through 15 kilometres (9 miles) of trails; or nature walks led by a member of the Island Conservation Society. Underwater explorers can join WiseOceans Marine Educator Hannah Harries for guided snorkelling.

At the nearby Discovery Centre, the naturally curious can learn about the unique Seychelles flora, fauna and sea life, as well as the history of Desroches Island, before heading out to the Tortoise Sanctuary to meet the locals or visiting a tiny Creole Village, where local craftspeople operate a furniture workshop.

Johannessen named senior spa director at Four Seasons Seychelles as Lasvigne-Fox moves to Philadelphia