I was still in awe of the fern courtyard and the lush jasmine and passionfruit hanging garden I fell in love with when I first visited The Mandrake back in July this year, so I was stunned to find out this would be my view for the stay from the aptly named Terrace Room. I also learned that each room was designed to reflect dawn and dusk, so according to its location relative to the sun position it will be light or dark - ours embraced the light.
Arrival at the hotel on Friday evening - Instagram Stories
The quirky Waeska Bar, the exotic Yopo Restaurant, the magical Jurema Winter Garden - every single corner of it is delightfully decadent and creatively inspiring, I for sure couldn’t put my camera down.
What became clear to me about this place is the intentional pursuit of balance between what can be considered light and dark or good and bad - the eternal inner human dialogue, which is also felt within the very design of the building, where the moody indoors contrast with the airy and bright outdoor areas.
That dichotomy also translates in the pursuit of balance between indulgence versus healing, and The Mandrake does that very well with its Spiritual Wellbeing experiences, one of which being the Infrared Light Therapy with Chakra Sound Healing we got to enjoy during our stay, that was then followed by the Seven Chakra Afternoon Tea - a culinary journey with a tea for each energy centre and a thoughtfully paired canapé. I was even blessed with a vegan twist to those delicious bites. A truly amazing multi-sensory journey to nourish both body and soul.
Spiritual Wellbeing & Afternoon Tea experience on Saturday - Instagram Stories
If you know me, you know I am very much into wellness and I like to explore all the modalities that can help one achieve mind-body connection and alignment. I was doing yoga and meditating right from my twenties (mind you, back then that was not a thing in Italy!), I discovered biohacking before it became a buzz word and I got certified in Reiki level I and Il a couple of years ago, just to name a few.
Ah, love me some lush nature, spiritual healing practices, curated ambiance and tasty plant-based food. I was overjoyed, to say the least.
To top it off, on Sunday we were booked in for the Tribal Brunch: another multi-sensory experience at the South American inspired Yopo restaurant, featuring flavours from around the world enjoyed with live rhythmic beats (best aubergine dish I have ever had!).
By this point the fact that during brunch we even had tarot and oracle readings was not a surprise to us - it’s a proper body-mind-soul affair at The Mandrake.
For more content of the stay check my Instagram highlight.
Tribal Brunch on Sunday - Instagram Stories
