8 days in heaven: our Mauritius itinerary

Day 1: Blue Bay, Mahebourg and Ile aux cerfs

We arrived the day prior, at around 8pm, by an Air Mauritius flight from Perth (8h), allowing us a good night’s sleep before starting our journey.

We stayed at the lovely Gîte des acacias bed and breakfast run by Dimitry and his wife Isabelle. The B&B is located in the quiet little village of Carreau Acacia, just 10min drive from the airport (note: it was a little challenging to get to at night, drive slowly as road lighting is limited!). They offer a creole buffet dinner as an option, that you share with them and other guests; we had a lovely time talking about a whole range of topics!

• 

• 

• 

Blue Bay

After a delicious breakfast (that included a delicious homemade banana jam), we checked out and jumped back into our rental car to Blue Bay.

We parked at the free public beach car park and walked along the beach…We can say it lives up to its name = blue everywhere!

Be ready to walk through an alley of locals/businesses, seating at fortune tables with signs and brochures hanging, hailing you to come for a chat to sell you boat tours. Indeed, Blue Bay is famous for day tours at sea.

A typical Blue Bay boat tour will go for the full day and take you snorkeling (or see through a glass-bottom boat) at the marine park and exploring some islands (Ile Deux Cocos, Ile aux Aigrettes, Ile de la Passe and Ile au Phare).
These trips always include some sort of beach BBQ and a typical Punch drink!

We did go on a Blue Bay full day boat trip on our last day in Mauritius.

Mahebourg

Next, we simply drove around the streets of Mahebourg.
We did not stop to ensure we had enough time to explore île aux Cerfs.

Driving around is a discovery in itself as you’ll learn quickly that driving in Mauritius is part of the experience!

Ile aux Cerfs

Last and main sight of the day: Ile aux Cerfs. By far, the most popular Mauritius island trip, simply because it is easy to get to and has stunning beaches.

We chose to take the public boat from Trou d’Eau Douce. It leaves every now and then, and everybody comes back at 4pm.

On the island, there isn’t much to do except relax, take a swim, and enjoy a few (expensive) drinks.

To wrap up the day, we drove North West to Trou aux Biches, our base for the next few days.

• 

• 

Day 2: L’aventure du sucre and Domaine de Labourdonnais

For the next couple of days, we based ourselves in a little private residence (Le Serin via Airbnb) in Trou aux Biches.
We stayed in a large self-contained studio with a balcony overlooking the shared pool.
We didn’t get to use the pool though; we judged it to be too cold for us, Australians – it would probably have been OK for British or German holidayers!

• 

• 

L’aventure du sucre (the sugar adventure)

L’aventure du sucre is a must-do in Mauritius. It is linked to the main industry of the island: sugarcane and…rum!

The well-designed interactive museum takes you through the steps to grow, produce, and transform sugar; the visit ends with sugar and rum tasting!

As a side note, you’ll quickly realize that rum tasting is a leitmotiv while visiting Mauritius.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Le Domaine de Labourdonnais

After a morning spent learning all about sugar, we headed to Le Domaine de Labourdonnais, a typical colonial house of the 19th century. The Château has been completely refurbished a couple of years ago and with the help of an expert, it was transformed into a beautiful museum.

Labourdonnais is a large estate that produces a range of products such as juices, jams, or rums (obviously!).
Your visit includes a wander around the park where you’ll see fruit trees, spices, and giant tortoises grazing on the grass (that’s a bit random!).

On the day of our visit, we were lucky to witness a beautiful traditional Hindu wedding! Indeed, the venue and its onsite restaurant can be rented for private functions.

We concluded our visit with rum tasting!

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

On our way back to Trou aux Biches we just enjoyed a nice walk on the beach and watched the sunset from the jetty.

Day 3: Pamplemousses Botanical Garden, Cap Malheureux, Mont Choisy Beach and Sega Show

We took off a little earlier to allow enough time to explore, the botanical gardens, Mauritius North coast, and have some rest before we head for a traditional Sega dance show and buffet dinner.

Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden (Pamplemousses)

Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden, [breathe], is more commonly known as the Pamplemousses Botanical Gardens, no wonder why!

Along with the Sugar Adventure, Pamplemousses Botanical Garden is undoubtedly one of the most popular places to visit during your holiday in Mauritius. So, we made sure to tick this must-do in Mauritius.

The garden features big alleys of beautiful palm trees, ranges of indigenous plants, a giant lily pond, and animals (birds, fruit bats, deers, and tortoises).

The gardens were designed by Pierre Poivre a French botanist, over 300 years ago, and are the oldest in the southern hemisphere. It has the particularity of boasting trees planted by renowned people including Mandela or Gandhi.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Cap Malheureux

We spent the afternoon driving along the North coast, from Cap Malheureux (Misfortunate Cape named after the number of ships that foundered over its rocks) to Mont Choisy Beach, stopping to take some pictures on the way.

Cap Malheureux is famed for its little red-roofed catholic church, Notre Dame Auxiliatrice.
This beautiful building offers amazing photo opportunities contrasting its red-roof with the green grass and clear water of the beach in the background.

We had a quick lunch at a small snack place where we tried “boulettes” (chayote dumplings), a popular Mauritian street food.

Mont Choisy Beach

Our drive took us to the touristy Grand Baie town with its long public beach, but we continued to stop at Mont Choisy beach instead to take a dip.
We were told it’s arguably the most beautiful beach in Mauritius.

We might be a bit fussy being Australian, but we didn’t think it was more special or beautiful than Trou aux Biches beach for example. (we don’t even have a single photo of that beach!)

Sega Dance Show at Le Palmiste

Sega is a traditional dance style that originated from Madagascar and mainland Africa. It was brought to Mauritius by African slaves as part of their cultural heritage. It was a mean for enslaved people to express and protest against the injustice in the Mauritian society amongst other purposes.

Sega is traditionally sung in Creole and Sega Dance shows are a must-see in Mauritius.

Most resorts put on a Sega show, once a week, to entertain their guests. We were not staying at a resort, so we found it challenging to find reliable information on when and where we could experience one.
Eventually, we found that Le Palmiste Resort & Spa has a show on Saturdays. The Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa have theirs on the beach on Tuesdays (which you can watch for free from the public beach).

Unfortunately, the latter didn’t match our schedule. We headed to Le Palmiste, where we had to book and pay for a buffet dinner to see the show.
The show only lasted 20min and started at 10pm, we had to attend dinner at 7.30pm so it was a loooong wait! To be fair, after such a long day, we didn’t mind, but if you can see one from the beach we recommend doing so instead!

• 

• 

• 

Snap of Day 3

Sights: Pamplemousse Botanical Garden (200Rs/pers – 2h), Cap Malheureux, Mont Choisy Beach and Le Palmiste Sega Show (2,000Rs/pers – 20min)
Eateries: Le Palmiste Resort & Spa (Buffet dinner), Boulettes stall on the side of the road at Cap Malheureux
Stay: Le Serin – Trou aux Biches (signup to Airbnb to get up to $49 off)
Transportation: Ola rental car
Travel Distance: 45 km of driving (about 1h)

Day 4: Diving Coral Garden

How could a trip to an island surrounded by lagoons, tropical fishes, and beautiful corals, be complete without an underwater adventure?

Our Mauritian friend recommended we go and see Subir at No Limit Divers (located within the Hibiscus Beach Resort and Spa). So, on our drive along the North coast the previous day, we stopped at Peyrebere and booked a dive for Guilly for the following day.

It’s island time here! Departure time for the dive was an easy 10am (not something Guillaume is used to!) after ample time to have coffee and suit up before heading for a single dive at a site called Coral Garden.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Snap of Day 4

Sights: Coral Bay Diving
Eateries: some snacks at Le Fournil (French bakery)
Stay: Le Serin – Trou aux Biches (Signup to Airbnb to get up to $49 off)
Transportation: Ola Rental Car
Travel Distance: 20 km of driving (about 35min)

Day 5: Port Louis, Trou aux Cerfs, The Tea Trail and Grand Bassin

Port Louis

We headed to Port Louis to wander at the Central Market and taste some Mauritian specialties.
We had aimed to visit the Caudan Waterfront, however, parking became a struggle, so we skipped this one. Definitely come on a Sunday, free parking!

At the market, we went on a mission to taste all items our friends had advised us to.
Aluda (Pillay), gâteau piment, gâteau patate, dholl puri, farata, and roti chaud.

We initially had intended to visit Port Louis Market for lunch Sunday after Guillaume’s dive. However, it was an epic fail as the market closes at 11.30am on Sundays!

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Trou aux Cerfs

Trou aux Cerfs is a dormant volcano that rises at 600m above sea level and has a diameter of about 350m. A pedestrian track allows you to walk along the rim of the crater and is a popular joggers’ spot.

We stopped briefly for about 15min. The inside of the crater has a small lake which is very green and lush.

A nice quick stop of the way to the Tea Trail.

The Tea, Rum & Vanilla Trail

The Tea Trail (La Route du Thé) is a popular day trip which includes 3 estates and a stop at the sacred lake of Ganga Talao (Grand Bassin).

We only managed to visit 2 out of the 3 properties that form the trail due to the time lost in finding parking in Port Louis.

Domaine des Aubineaux

Our first stop was Domaine des Aubineaux, an old sugarcane plantation, no longer operating. The property boasts a beautiful colonial house from the 19th century, a beautiful garden, old stables, a perfume workshop, ancient pieces of furniture, and the visit ends (once again to our pleasure) with rum tasting!

Domaine de Bois Chéri

Second stop, Domaine de Bois Chéri, an active tea plantation. The entrance ticket includes entry to a tea museum that showcases ancient machinery and other artifacts dating from the colonial era.
A tour of the active tea production factory is included, however, these tours don’t run every day and you must check on their Facebook page beforehand. The price of the tickets remains the same though which we found a bit steep without the visit!

You end your tour of the property with a tea tasting at their cafe overlooking a lake.

• 

• 

• 

Domaine de Saint-Aubin

We then headed to Grand Bassin on our way to Flic en Flac, our base for the next few days, skipping Domaine de Saint-Aubin, another beautiful colonial house. Your entrance ticket there includes a tour of their sugar factory with rum tasting, a tour of the vanilla house, and their fruit and spice gardens.

Ganga Talao (Grand Bassin)

Ganga Talao, more commonly known as Grand Bassin, is a crater lake. Primarily a Hindu pilgrimage site, it is also popular as a walking trail along the lake.

We were told it always rains at Grand Bassin, and it did rain for our visit to the site! It actually added to the mystical feel of the place.

• 

• 

• 

We wrapped the day up with some relaxing time at our accommodation in Flic en Flac, watching a beautiful sunset while sipping our homemade Ti Punch.

• 

• 

• 

Snap of Day 5

Sights: Port Louis Central Market (1h-2h), Trou aux cerfs, Domaine des Aubineaux (300Rs/pers – 1h), Domaine du Bois Chéri (150Rs/pers -1h), Grand Bassin
Eateries: Port Louis Central Market
Stay: Le Reve – Flic en Flac (signup to Airbnb to get up to $49 off)
Transportation: Ola Rental Car
Travel Distance: 96km (about 2h45)

Day 6: Tamarind Falls, Black River Gorges National Park, 7 colored earth and Chamarel Distillery

Our Day 6 was the type of days where you’ve got an idea of your plans, but you haven’t really looked at enough information to know if it’s achievable. So you just decide to give it a go and see where it lands!

Tamarind Falls Lookout

We started the day with a tentative hike of the 7 cascades – Tamarind Waterfalls trail, a 5.5km hike.

We struggled to find a map of the trail and read many times we needed a guide.
Stubborn, we wanted to give it a go using maps.me & Google Maps. We failed to find the trail start…We decided it wasn’t such a great idea in the end!

Truth is, we weren’t prepared! We didn’t take snacks with us, nor packed lunch, we didn’t leave the house early enough, we didn’t have a clear map of the trail nor did we know how long it would take… In conclusion, the stars were not aligned for us to complete the challenge!

A wiser decision was to simply drive to an unofficial viewpoint mapped on maps.me.

We must say, the view didn’t disappoint! From there we got breathtaking views of the valley up to the coast and the impressive Tamarind falls (officially made of 7 falls but actually 10).

Be aware that we were being followed by locals who kept insisting on selling their guide services to get to the waterfalls within 45min for 40 euros. Steep price! They actually only take you to the first of the 7 falls.

Black River Gorges National Park

After a failed attempt at hiking the Tamarind falls, we headed to Black River Gorges National Park. The most beautiful national park of Mauritius that features impressive gorges, amazing viewpoints, numerous hikes, and fauna and flora observation opportunities.

We didn’t do any hikes as the day we (badly) planned was already quite full!

If we had our time again we probably would organize ourselves differently to do a hike here over half a day (4-5h hike) – see our alternative Mauritius itineraries.

Instead, we stopped at the Alexandra Falls lookout then the Black River Gorges viewpoint. The latter offers breathtaking views of the gorges!

Be aware, cheeky monkeys on site! They will steal your belongings and open your bags if they believe you have food. This behavior is unfortunately the result of tourists and locals feeding them.

Please don’t ever feed wild animals!

• 

• 

• 

Chamarel Falls & Seven Colored Earth

Our next two stops were the Chamarel Falls and Seven Colored Earth (Terre des 7 Couleurs). Both are located in the Seven Coloured Earth Geopark, a privately owned park for which an entrance fee applies.

The Chamarel falls are located about 1.5km drive from the entrance and require a short 200m walk up the stairs to get to the viewing platform. What an amazing view!

Our enjoyment lasted for all of about 3min before the rain started pouring down! We only had the time to take a few shots, before rushing back to the car. After waiting a little bit for the rain to stop and for a ray of sun to finally shine, we headed to the seven colored earth which is another couple of km away.

The seven colored earth is a touristy attraction. A short walking trail allows visitors to admire the geological phenomenon from different angles. We must say, when the sun shines, it does show an array of beautiful colors.

Once again there were some tortoises on site…a theme in Mauritius!

Chamarel Distillery

Before heading to the Chamarel Distillery, we stopped for a delicious lunch at Le Palais Barbison (another of our friends’ recommendations).
This little family restaurant, owned by Marie-Ange and Rico, serves traditional creole & cajun cuisine.

The restaurant offers a set menu that includes a variety of traditional dishes, a punch, and dessert, all for just 450Rs/pers. There is an option to add extra meat/fish/seafood for an extra 200Rs/pers. Very good value but most importantly very delicious!

• 

• 

After that feast, it was time to get to the Chamarel Rum Distillery for some digestives!

La Rhumerie de Chamarel (Chamarel Rum Distillery) is an active sugarcane plantation and rum distillery.

The well-run guided visit is very educative and covers all the steps from the sugarcane plantation to the rum distillation and rum aging. Chamarel is one of the rare distilleries that cultivates its own sugarcane, and rum flavoring plantations like vanilla or coffee.

The visit, as you may have guessed, ends with a comprehensive rum tasting. You’ll be served 9 rums…and who’s the driver now?

• 

• 

• 

Snap of Day 6

Sights: Tamarind Falls Lookout, Alexandra Falls Lookout, Black River Gorge Lookout, 7 colored earth geopark & Chamarel waterfalls (250Rs/pers 1h), Chamarel Distillery (400Rs/pers – 1h)
Eateries: Le Palais Barbison (Lunch)
Stay: Le Reve – Flic en Flac (signup to Airbnb to get up to $49 off)
Transportation: Ola Rental Car
Travel Distance: 80km (about 2h15)

Day 7: Le Morne Hike and South Coastal Drive

Le Morne Brabant Summit Hike

Le Morne Brabant, a UNESCO Heritage site, is a must-do hike in Mauritius! After our failed hiking attempts, this was going to be it!

There are two parts to this hike, the small summit, and the actual summit.

The first part is relatively easy and will take you to a 180° viewpoint over the southwest lagoon, inland mountains, and île aux bénitiers on the other side.

The second part, recommended to be completed with a guide although doable on your own, is more challenging. Getting to the summit involves a little bit of rock climbing. At the top you get a breathtaking 360° view over Mauritius and the Indian ocean. (note: we did not complete this part)

The mount is linked to a significant piece of history of Mauritius. Indeed, to escape their condition, slaves would escape and flee to the summit of Le Morne Brabant where they established settlements, living in caves formed by the mountain rocks. In 1839, when slavery was abolished, the Army climbed to the summit to advise they were now free. Unfortunately, by fear that the Army was coming to enslave them again, they decided to jump to their death, choosing death over slavery, never knowing they had just gained their freedom. Ever since, Le Morne Brabant has been a symbol of peace and a reminder of Mauritius’ history.

• 

• 

• 

South Coast Drive

After our morning hike, we took an easy drive along the sheer cliffs of the Southwest coast. We simply enjoyed the views from the pleasant drive and made two short stops.

Our first stop was at the Macondé Rock located in a dangerous hairpin bend! There is no parking, you have to park on the tiny side of the road and carefully walk to the stairs to get to the lookout.
It’s worth a quick stop, but the location is quite dangerous.

We had read online about a small joint in Macondé that served the best bol renversé (upside down bowl) of the island. We found a small fast food place there, not sure it was the one, but they didn’t have any bols renversés left, so that was another fail!

Snap of Day 7

Sights: Le Morne Brabant Hike (3h), Southwest Coast Drive, Macondé Rock
Eateries: Macondé random fast food
Stay: Le Reve – Flic en Flac (signup to Airbnb to get up to $49 off)
Transportation: Ola Rental Car
Travel Distance: 75km (about 2h)

Day 8: Blue Bay Marine Park & the Three Islands Boat Day Trip

On our last day, we headed back to the Blue Bay Area for a full day boat trip.

Our tour stopped at several points of interest:

• Dalblair wreck – a steel ship coming from the UK that foundered in the bay in 1902 from a cyclone.
• Ile aux Aigrettes – a short stop in a small cove for a Punch drink…at 10am…yes a bit early for us!
• Ile de la Passe – an ancient military site where British and French fought during the British campaign to claim Mauritius.
• Ile aux Fouquets Lighthouse (Ile au Phare) – a small island with a lighthouse and remains of fortifications where we had lunch.
• Two snorkeling stops at the Blue Bay Marine Park – we saw plenty of anemones and sunken statues.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Useful info
3 islands boat tour
Duration: Full Day 9am-4pm | Price range: 1,800-2,200Rs/pers (includes lunch+punch+snorkeling gears)

There are many companies to choose, you can check online for Blue Bay boat tours or just enquire directly at the Blue Bay public beach on your first day.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

After our full day on the water, we returned to Gîte des acacias for our last night as it was convenient to catch our early morning flight the next day. We also finally had a bol renversé at Saveurs de Shin on Dimitri’s recommendation.

Snap of Day 8

Sights: Dalbair Wreck, Ile aux Aigrettes, Ile au Phare (Fouquets island), Ile de la Passe, Blue Bay Marine Park (2,000Rs/pers – full day)
Eateries: Saveurs de Shin – Mahebourg
Stay: Gite des Acacias B&B – Carreau Acacia
Transportation: Ola Rental Car, Blue Bay Boat trip
Travel Distance: 95km (about 2h)

Good to know before you go

Best time to visit Mauritius: May to December

We visited in August and we would recommend November as the best month for good weather and warmth in the water! Mauritius is in the Southern hemisphere which means it’s the middle of winter in August, although we still really could not complain about the weather or temperatures.

How long do you need to spend in Mauritius: About 10 days (excluding Rodrigues Islands)

Currency: Mauritius Rupia (ATMs are available just about everywhere)

Language: no official language, you’ll find English, French, French-based Creole and other languages from Chinese & Indian ethnicities.

SIM card: you can easily get an Emtel SIM card at the service station close to the airport (750Rs/5Gb)

Travel insurance: never travel without insurance as medical costs can be very high. Purchase your travel insurance as soon as you have your flights to Mauritius, this could cover some cancellation scenarios.

Driving: being last occupied by the British, Mauritians drive on the left side of the road

If you have 10, 12, 15 or more days in Mauritius

If you are lucky to have more than 8 days in Mauritius, here are some suggestions to add to your itinerary to help you design your perfect holiday in Mauritius.

If you have 10 days in Mauritius

• Add a day of hiking at Black River Gorges National Park, and
• Add a full-day boat trip to Ile Plate or Ilot Gabriel from the Grand Baie area, or
• Chillax at your resort or the beach for a full day!

If you have 11 days in Mauritius

• Add a half-day boat trip to Ile aux bénitiers from La Gaulette or Tamarin, to see dolphins, and enjoy some time at Le morne beach, or
• Spend more time hiking at Le Pouce or The Lion Mountain

If you have 12 days in Mauritius

• Add a day to explore further the South coast from Le Morne to Blue Bay, stopping at a Vanilla plantation.

If you have 15 days in Mauritius

• Add a minimum of 5 days for the Rodrigues Islands! (and review the above to only pick and choose activities to allow enough time for these islands, that are said to be even prettier!). Domestic flights to Rodrigues islands take about 1h30min from Mauritius island. Or,
• You could always just use your extra time to relax on the beach or at an all-inclusive resort!

If you have a 1 month or more in Mauritius:

• We would recommend you to split your holiday to discover Mauritius over 1.5 weeks and Reunion Island over 2.5 weeks.
  Reunion Island is a French island, located just 30min by air from Mauritius and is a real paradise for hikers (find flights to Reunion Island).

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Budget for an 8-day vacation in Mauritius

Our Mauritius trip was part of our round the world adventure, as a result, we visited on a tighter budget than you would allow for a simple holiday.

To save on cost, we rented self-catered studios/apartments on Airbnb as opposed to staying in more luxurious Mauritius beach resorts and cooked parts of our meals instead of eating out every day.

Below is a summary of our expenses to help you plan your perfect Mauritius vacation.

Bon voyage!

• 

• 

•