Shea Butter, Spice and All Things Nice: The Spa at Cape Grace Hotel

Cape Town's heritage as halfway-point between east and west on the historic spice route provides the ideal inspiration for The Spa at Cape Grace Hotel

A brightly coloured mosaic greets you at the entrance of The Spa at Cape Grace Hotel (located at Cape Town's V&A Waterfront).

The walls are painted in warm, spicy tones and each therapy room represents a different spice. Flowers float in clay bowls and African masks adorn the walls.

Enter a colourfully themed therapy room (Saffron, Angelica, Paprika or Calendula) and submit your stressed-out limbs to an African Cape massage with Shea butter, Rooibos extract, Marula and essential Cape Snowbush oils*.

While spinning a tale - about a Khoi San tribe and their medicine man - your therapist will draw a circle around your face, to pull you deeper into relaxation.

Concentrate on her soothing voice as she gently kneads your stomach while explaining that the Khoi believed the stomach to be the centre of their being; when a member of the tribe fell sick, they would proceed to rub his or her stomach to heal them.

Clear your mind as she massages your entire body in circular movements to emulate a Khoi San rain dance. Finish off your treatment with a rejuvenating rain shower.

Or why not try the Thaba treatment? This unique massage is administered with the help of a Xhosa knopkierie (a traditional wooden sparring weapon). Two therapists administer an unsynchronised but revitalising treatment to relieve tension and stimulate muscle tone.

Other African inspired treatments include a facial followed by a neck and shoulder massage with African Xhosa beads.

The spa is situated on the hotel's top floor and all the rooms have sweeping views of Table Mountain, the yacht marina and the cityscape. Hotel guests can lounge on the balcony on a comfy deck chair and take in the arresting scenery; or soak in a rejuvenating mineral bath. Other facilities include a sauna, a steam room and the Vanilla hair salon.

To ensure an intimate experience, the spa is exclusive to hotel guests. The therapists are warm and attentive; small touches, like the complimentary refreshments, the Charlotte Rhys products in the bathroom and the bathrobes and slippers (delivered to your hotel door before an appointment) completes the feeling of personalised luxury.

So soothe body and soul by embarking on a journey infused with the Cape's rich and exotic history: Close your eyes; relax and imagine dancing in the rain with a Khoi San Medicine man or envelop your senses with the sights and aromas of the legendary spice route.

Molo Says: "The Cape Grace Hotel's onewaterfront restaurant is also a tantalising discovery: It is the only restaurant I've been to, where I've witnessed one of my best friends ordering two main courses! Why not pay a visit to Cape Grace Hotel's Bascule Bar afterwards? It's the perfect spot for sundowners and after-dinner drinks".

"Traverse the globe from the comfort of your computer by downloading our Google Earth map of Cape Town".