Tranquility is a simple word, which carries behind it more meaning than we realise or care to admit.
In its purest form, one could describe the feeling of tranquility as a total detachment from that which dictates how we live - a crack in the network of cogs that systematically shifts the timeline of one's life, or a break from the routine that governs how we spend our days.
For many of us, we experience it through fleeting moments, be it an early morning cup of coffee alone in the kitchen before the children wake up for school, a glass of wine after a stressful day at the office or an afternoon jog to close the week that was.
We can find these moments behind the wheel on a long road trip when our favourite song comes on the radio, in the pages of a riveting novel, or the embrace of a loved one.
For an instant, time is not ticking away, bills are not piling up, and the chores that eat away at our vivacity become non-existent.
These moments are evanescent. But what if they didn't have to be?
I recently experienced a prolonged and unmitigated sense of tranquility, quite possibly for the very first time.
It came during a seven-day jaunt at a little spot of paradise, Club Med's La Pointe Aux Canonniers resort, on the sunny island of Mauritius.
Nestled between the vast sugarcane plantations that encompass large parts of the island and the strikingly blue waters of the Indian Ocean, the resort appears to be not unlike many others in the north of the island, to which tourists from across the globe flock year round.
But it is that which lies within its walls that truly sets it apart.
I could easily rave about the range of activities offered - the waterskiing, sailing, kayaking, snorkelling, theatre shows, or the archery (to name a few).
I could dive into a delirious blather about the yoga sessions overlooking the sunrise on the ocean, sunset Zumba classes as the weather starts to cool, or the evening beach parties under the stars.
Yet for me, the real pleasure was derived from a holistic endeavour by the resort and its hundreds of staff to provide an experience that can only be described as a retreat from the mundane.
Within the first two days, I came to realise that, in this little corner of the world, time does not exist through the hands on a watch. Although there is a programme of activities for adults throughout the day - and a separate one for kids - one does not feel bound to it.
Not having to be woken by a wailing alarm to catch a tour bus or slump to a breakfast buffet that closes by 9am is surprisingly refreshing. And once you decide to leave your room, your day is determined how only you see fit.
FUN FROM DAY TO NIGHT
Ambling around the resort, you will find a couple enjoying their favourite books while lounging under a palm tree, a few heads peeping out of the calm waters near the shoreline, or a group of children splashing about in one of the three pools.
As you near the centre, where most of the recreational activities are hosted, you may spot a group of friends scurrying about the sand in a spirited game of beach volleyball or perhaps the slow docking of sailboats and canoes after an hour out at sea.
There is certainly plenty to do, but there is also the enticing option to do nothing at all.
And if you think you may be restricted when taking the kids along, you'd be joyfully wrong. The Club Med experience ensures that the little ones are kept content - through a host of group activities, under the watchful eyes of dedicated resort staff - while parents go about their day.
The activities are age specific and you'll often encounter a train of youngsters waddling among costumed staff members towards a designated play area.
When night falls, there is a renewed energy that blankets the resort.
The fairly docile atmosphere erupts into a splendid frenzy of music, dance and laughter where swimsuits are swopped out for high heels and collar shirts. It is a heady mix of thumping speakers and bottomless liquor that translates into a whirl of merriment that lasts well into the early hours.
But again, everyone is spoilt for choice.
If, like me, you prefer to spend your evening in less animated circumstances, there is the option of pulling up a chair under the dimmed lighting of the resort's quaint beachside restaurant, where a glass of chilled wine blends well with the soft strumming of a stringed instrument in the background.
MONEY: THE GOOD NEWS
The final element contributing to the overall feeling of tranquility at the La Pointe Aux Canonniers surprisingly ties in with something that we all need to make the most of our holiday - money. Because Club Med offers only all-inclusive packages, it means there is little or no need to spend a cent - unless you want to purchase an item of memorabilia from the boutique - while inside the resort.
Knowing your every whim is catered for without having to constantly count the coins in your pocket or bind yourself to a daily budget is truly liberating.
It not only allows for an uncanny peace of mind during your stay, but also promotes a sense of oneness among visiting guests from different backgrounds.
The entire experience showed me that there are, notwithstanding the stresses most of us endure daily, opportunities to experience a total state of prolonged tranquility.
There is one major setback though.
Returning to life as I know it has proved very, very difficult.
• Umraw was a guest of Club Med La Pointe Aux Canonniers.
PLAN YOUR TRIP
THE RESORT
Club Med's La Pointe Aux Canonniers underwent a renovation last year. All-inclusive packages start at about R19,300 for a seven-night stay. This does not include flights.
The price includes access to all the children's clubs for ages 4-17; full-board gourmet cuisine; bar and snacking; sports and activities; and all-day entertainment.
Sport activities include a gym, a range of fitness activities such as zumba and pilates, tennis, archery, water polo, beach volleyball and golf.
Water activities include kayaking, paddle boarding, snorkelling, waterskiing and wakeboarding, sailing and scuba diving (at an additional price).
There are three bars and two restaurants at the resort and rooms are available in either superior, deluxe or a suite. See clubmed.co.za.
GETTING THERE
Flights to Mauritius from Johannesburg take about four hours and cost from around R8,500 for a return on both SAA and Air Mauritius...