Anahita Beau Champ is a new sustainable residential development in the unspoilt East of the island. It embraces rural living with community wellbeing at heart.
ADVERTORIAL
WORDS: DEBBIE HATHWAY
“Sea, mountains, golf. Beautiful.” I couldn’t have said it better than Alexandre Gelle, Commercial Property Executive for Alteo Property/ Anahita Estates, when he introduced the Anahita Mauritius precinct to journalists eager to learn more about what the East can offer residential property investors.
Invited to walk the site of a new residential development, Anahita Beau Champ, within the long-established precinct developed by Alteo, the largest private landowner on the island, we quickly realised the unmistakable advantages of living here. It starts with healthy sea air, leisurely swimming in the warm Indian Ocean, walks along silky white beaches if you’re not on the golf course, boat rides in the island’s largest lagoon and sights and sounds full of joy.
Anahita Beau Champ extends across 118ha of the former Deep River Beau Champ sugar factory site, to be part of the government-approved Smart City Scheme (SCS) incorporating residential property available for purchase by foreigners. The adjacent Integrated Resort Scheme (IRS), Anahita Golf Resort, spans a further 213ha, offering a resort lifestyle with five-star hotels, restaurants, golf and spa, all of which Anahita Beau Champ residents can access with commensurate homeowners’ discounts.
“We try to pamper and cater for our homeowners’ community – they remain our best ambassadors for Anahita, referring friends and relatives who have purchased property here. If someone wants to buy property off-plan from the developer today, it’s only at Anahita Beau Champ. Anahita Golf Resort is sold out,” says Gelle.
The Anahita Beau Champ concept offers something more laidback and serene to clients who want to live closer to nature in high-quality accommodation at a more affordable price. Residential zones occupy the central area on both sides of the Anahita entrance road. Nonresidential areas are devoted primarily to the old sugar factory precinct and village with a beach club and boat park on the sea. The Alteo sales office is in a renovated building near the sports facilities, including a 2,000-square-metre gym and tennis and padel courts.
“Anahita Beau Champ is very different in design and philosophy. As a Smart City Scheme, we can sell property to international buyers, but we need to bring different facilities, services and amenities to the destination to create more jobs and contribute to the community,” explains David Martial, CEO of Alteo Property/ Anahita Estates.
Mauritius is a small island, and land use is crucial. It is, in fact, regulated by the government, Martial explains. Historically, most of the land is privately owned. However, the government proposes different schemes like the SCS that enable landowners and developers to work on urban planning. “The idea is to work on a specific region to bring all the components we normally require in a certain environment to make it a nice place to live. It’s totally different from an IRS, which focuses on a touristy lifestyle with a hotel, golf and spa and appeals to people who buy property to use at a specific time of year. The SCS is designed more for full-time residential and mixed-use, providing residents on the estate and in the southeastern villages of Beau Champ, Deux Freres, Quatre Soeurs and Bel Air with quality infrastructure developed around one idea: rural wellness. It is very much linked to our roots.”
Alteo wanted to create something authentic for the region. Architect Bérengère Croidieu was briefed to refer to the typical Mauritius style, using locally sourced volcanic stones and as little concrete as possible, favouring ground floor structures, and incorporating lots of common areas, ample gardens and fruit trees. “The landscaping concept is based on productive landscaping. There will be a working farm in the middle, in the valley, and all the common areas will be developed as productive landscaping areas with orchards, some vegetables, flowers, herbs, etc. It will be produced here and sold to Anahita residents, hotels, and operators in the area,” says Martial.
“Although we are working on a very rural type of development, what’s interesting and beautiful about this place is that it has a lot of character, old trees, historical buildings, a water canal, a lot of space, and access to the mountains. The character is very strong. We’re not really touching the environment, just using the available space to create the different developments. We respect the site DNA and whatever we bring will be aligned with its history.”
On the nonresidential side, Anahita Beau Champ’s location appeals to companies that don’t need to be centrally situated in busier, more congested areas like Port Louis, Ebene, the West, or the North. The development will include restaurants, a convenience store and a deli in the former molasses building, a common pool, a beach and boat club operation and a long-awaited school. “We are finalising the discussions and are about to sign an agreement with a top private school in Mauritius. We will start offering tuition in an existing building, and as the students grow into the secondary phase, we will move to a permanent location,” says Martial.
Anahita residents undoubtedly appreciate having access to the largest lagoon in Mauritius, which runs from Ile Aux Cerfs, the island off Trou d’eau Douce in the Flacq region, to the airport. “It’s fantastic if you have a boat, even a small one. It’s safe in the lagoon and you can enjoy a full day out on the water. Anahita Beau Champ residents will also have access to a new exclusive beach at Ile Aux Cerfs in addition to all existing facilities in the precinct,” says Martial.
A picturesque coconut alley marks the main pedestrian corridor from Grand Riviere Sud Est (the longest river in Mauritius with a waterfall at its mouth, accessible by boat) to the factory. Roads are kept to the extremity of the project, limiting noise and making it safe for residents and children to enjoy walking, cycling or running here. Anahita Beau Champ is precertified as a WELL Community, endorsing its focus on the health and comfort of residents. “There is much emphasis on future residents’ wellness because of the development’s sustainability and the way it has been designed. The ground floor villas are around the valley so when you walk in the common area you don’t see them, while the G+2 apartments are closer to the factory, where existing buildings are already that height. We asked the architect to structure the visual aspect so that no apartment touches another. There are corridors and green areas in between. Only the penthouse on the second floor occupies the entire area of the block,” says Martial.
A four-lane motorway is in the pipeline, connecting the East to the North and shaving off valuable minutes for commuters. This will create much value for the region and property investors will reap the benefits. For buyers, it opens the opportunity to attract long-term tenants from abroad. “With this infrastructure, and school, we can foresee more and more permanent residents living at Anahita Beau Champ. Families will come to settle in the East, an everlasting place to grow,” adds Gelle.
* The first residential phase, L’Écho des Champs, comprises seven villas, 12 apartments, and three penthouses now selling off plan to Mauritian residents and noncitizen real estate investors. Two-bedroom apartments start at MUR 22.8m. Villas range from MUR 49.7m for Model 3 (271sqm) to MUR 56.2m for Model 2 (329sqm).
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For more information, visit anahitamauritius.com or call +230 402 2246.
