Exotic South: Journey into the Nature (Full-Day Tour incl Lunch & Ebony Forest)

The best part of this full-day trip is how much of southern Mauritius you can see in one sweep. You move from a dormant volcanic crater and a sacred Hindu lake to waterfalls, colored earth, rainforest, ocean viewpoints, and the rare plants of Ebony Forest. It is a big day, but it gives you a useful first look at the island beyond the resort strip.

I especially like the private vehicle and flexible guide service, since guides such as Kevin, Manu, Irshaad, Hans, Belinda, and Salim have been praised for being friendly and willing to adjust the pace. I also like that lunch, bottled water, entrance fees, and the Ebony Forest Jeep ride are covered. The catch is simple: this is a packed route, and the quality depends heavily on your individual driver. A few poor experiences involved missed stops, weak explanations, or confusion about the forest safari.

Key points before you book

• Nine major stops in about eight hours: You cover a large section of the southwest, but most visits are short.
• Ebony Forest is the special experience: The 4×4 ride, short forest walk, tortoises, birds, and views add more than a standard sightseeing drive.
• Chamarel gets plenty of time: The viewpoint, Seven Colored Earth, and Chamarel Waterfall form the visual center of the day.
• Lunch is included: You receive a three-course halal meal with non-alcoholic drinks, and vegetarian food is available if requested.
• The tour is private, but the forest Jeep is shared: Arrive on time for the scheduled forest ride so you do not lose that part of the visit.
• Weather matters: Rain and mist can hide the viewpoints, especially around the waterfalls and Black River Gorges.

A long but rewarding route through southwest Mauritius

This tour begins with hotel pickup anywhere in Mauritius at about 8:30 a.m. You ride in a fully air-conditioned vehicle with your own driver-guide, rather than joining a large coach. That matters on an island where roads, viewpoints, and weather can make the day feel quite different from the printed schedule.

The route is ambitious. You visit Trou aux Cerfs, Mare aux Vacoas, Grand Bassin, Alexandra Falls, Black River Gorges, Chamarel, Seven Colored Earth, Chamarel Waterfall, Ebony Forest, and the Baie du Cap area. Some stops are scenic pauses of 20 to 40 minutes. Chamarel receives about two hours, giving you enough time to see several sights without racing through every one.

The private format is one of the strongest reasons to consider the tour. A good guide can explain local life during the longer drives, answer questions, and adjust the order when weather or your interests call for it. Hans, Kevin, Manu, Irshaad, Belinda, and Salim are among the guides associated with especially warm service, though the driver assigned to you will vary.

Trou aux Cerfs and Mare aux Vacoas: a quiet start

Your first stop is Trou aux Cerfs, a dormant volcanic crater near Curepipe. At about 605 meters above sea level, the crater measures roughly 350 meters across and about 100 meters deep. It is surrounded by forest, including native plants and tall green pine trees.

This is not a hike-heavy stop. You mainly look into the crater, take photographs, and get your first sense of Mauritius as a volcanic island. The greenery around the crater gives the site more character than a bare geological depression, though cloudy weather can soften the view.

Mare aux Vacoas follows. It is the island’s largest reservoir, with a capacity of nearly 26 million cubic meters, and sits among thick forest. The stop lasts about 30 minutes and works best as a peaceful pause rather than a headline attraction.

I would not book this tour solely for the reservoir. Its value is in the change of pace. After the road time from your hotel, you get a quiet wooded setting before the more important religious and natural sights farther south.

Grand Bassin: a sacred lake in an old crater

Grand Bassin, also called Ganga Talao, is one of the most meaningful stops on the route. The lake sits inside an extinct volcanic crater at around 550 meters above sea level. Along the shore are a Hindu temple and shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva and other deities.

The huge Lord Shiva statue is hard to miss. At 33 meters tall, it gives the site a strong visual focus, but the lake and surrounding hills are just as important. Keep your voice and behavior respectful around the temple area. This is a place of worship, not simply a photo stop.

You have about 40 minutes here. That is enough to see the principal shrine area, take in the lake, and absorb the setting. It is not enough for a slow religious visit, but this tour is designed as a broad introduction to the island rather than a specialist cultural excursion.

Alexandra Falls and Black River Gorges viewpoints

Alexandra Falls is one of Mauritius’ most familiar natural sights. The waterfall sits at roughly 700 meters above sea level, with a viewing area that also opens toward the southeast coast. A wooden platform helps you take in the broader view.

The waterfall itself can look very different depending on rain. In wet conditions, the water has force and the surrounding forest feels dramatic. In mist or poor weather, the distant coastal view may disappear. Bring a camera, but do not measure this stop only by whether you get a clear postcard view.

The Black River Gorges stop gives you another broad look at the island’s interior. The national park covers about 17,000 acres of hills, valleys, waterfalls, and native plants and animals. The viewpoint is only a three to five minute walk from the road, so you do not need to commit to a long trek.

This is a good place to watch for monkeys and birds, though wildlife is not guaranteed. You can also see a waterfall from the viewpoint. The stop lasts around 30 minutes, which suits the tour’s fast-moving format but will feel brief if you are keen on hiking.

Chamarel: the visual center of the day

Chamarel is where the itinerary slows down. You pass through the village, then stop at a viewpoint looking across the village and toward the southwest coast. Le Morne Brabant appears to the left and La Tourelle du Tamarin to the right when visibility is good.

This is one of the places where weather makes a real difference. Rain and mist can block the sea and distant peaks, while a clear day opens the entire view. A pair of sunglasses, comfortable shoes, and a camera are useful here.

The Seven Colored Earth Geopark is the most unusual sight in Chamarel. The ground contains distinct bands of red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple, and yellow tones, created as basaltic lava changed into clay minerals. The colored earth forms rounded sand hills surrounded by green vegetation, giving the site an almost otherworldly appearance.

You do not walk freely across the formations. Instead, you view them from the designated area and take photographs. The stop lasts about 40 minutes, which is enough for the main overlook and an unhurried look, though not for a long nature walk.

Chamarel Waterfall is another major stop in the same part of the island. At about 100 meters, it is described as Mauritius’ tallest single-drop waterfall. Three streams feed the Saint-Denis River, which drops into a pool before continuing through a forest-lined canyon toward Baie du Cap.

The waterfall has more than one viewing angle, including an upper viewpoint. Ask your guide where the best current view is, since water levels and access can affect what you see. With only about 25 minutes here, you will have time for photographs and a quick look, not a long stay.

Lunch and the practical value of the package

Lunch is a three-course meal at a local restaurant, with vegetarian and non-vegetarian choices. The meal is halal, and non-alcoholic drinks are included. You should report food allergies, illness, or dietary needs when booking, rather than waiting until the day itself.

Including lunch makes the $147.50 price easier to judge. You are also paying for hotel pickup and return, private air-conditioned transportation, a certified driver-guide, bottled water, Seven Colored Earth admission, Chamarel Waterfall admission, Ebony Forest admission, and the forest Jeep safari.

That is fair value if you want to see many major sights in one day and would otherwise need to arrange a private car, entrance tickets, lunch, and a separate forest activity. It is less attractive if you prefer long walks, quiet exploration, or a slow meal. One three-star assessment described the experience as mostly being driven from one spot to the next, which is a fair description of the route’s basic structure.

Ebony Forest: the tour’s strongest stop

Ebony Forest is the part I would protect most carefully when planning the day. The reserve focuses on Mauritius’ native flora and fauna, including ancient ebony trees, rare plants, Aldabra tortoises, and rare birds such as the Mauritius Paradise Flycatcher.

The visit includes a 4×4 Jeep safari and a guided forest component. You may take a gentle trail or, for a more demanding option, climb toward the summit of Piton Canot. The forest also provides views toward UNESCO-listed Le Morne, adding a wider coastal perspective to the close-up plant life.

This is not just another lookout. It gives you a better sense of the island before intensive development and introduces species that you will not see from a hotel beach. A forest guide joins the Jeep section and explains the area during the walking portion.

Bring plenty of insect repellent. One especially positive account singled out the forest as the day’s highlight but warned about bugs. Wear non-slip shoes, as requested by the operator, and do not assume the Jeep portion can be taken whenever you wish.

The forest Jeep is shared, even though the overall tour is private. That small distinction matters. One poor experience involved arriving too late for the planned Jeep departure, while another account described confusion over whether the safari was included. Confirm the forest timing with your driver early in the morning and be ready when you arrive.

Maconde Point and the southern coast

The final scenic section takes you toward Baie du Cap and Maconde Viewpoint. A narrow stairway leads to a lookout over the ocean, coastal village, and shoreline. From the top, the road and cliffs give you the feeling of being surrounded by water.

The stop is short, about 20 minutes, so wear shoes that handle stairs well. The view is worth the effort, but anyone who dislikes narrow steps should take care. You also pass through Riviere des Galets, where a distinctive flat stone formation provides another glimpse of the island’s unusual volcanic geology.

The route then returns you to your accommodation. Depending on pickup location, traffic, weather, and time spent at each stop, the day lasts roughly seven to eight hours. If you are staying in the northwest, the drive to the south adds to the length, but it also lets you see more of Mauritius between attractions.

Guide quality can shape the entire day

The strongest experiences come when the driver acts as a guide rather than only a taxi driver. Salim, Manu, Kevin, Hans, Irshaad, and Belinda are names connected with friendly service, useful explanations, punctual pickup, and flexibility. One particularly good day included a guide who changed part of the plan to better match the group’s interests.

The weak point is inconsistency. Some bookings have involved a driver who offered little explanation, sat in the vehicle at stops, or failed to provide promised written material in a requested language. A Spanish-language booking was especially disappointing because the guest expected Spanish explanations but received very limited communication.

Do not assume that a requested language is guaranteed unless it is clearly confirmed. The provided details confirm a certified guide and driver, but they do not promise a specific language or a named guide. If cultural explanation matters greatly to you, contact the operator before paying and confirm exactly what language support will be available.

There have also been reports of route confusion, including missed waterfalls or beaches and unwanted stops at shops. The published route here includes the southwest sights described above, but you should review the day’s plan with your driver at pickup. That takes two minutes and can prevent a long day from drifting off course.

Who should book this Mauritius tour?

I would choose this tour if you have limited time on Mauritius and want a broad introduction to the south. It suits people who enjoy viewpoints, waterfalls, short walks, religious sites, unusual geology, and a wildlife reserve, all without arranging several separate outings.

It is also a good fit for couples, families, and small private groups who value hotel pickup and a vehicle reserved for their party. Most people can participate, but you should be comfortable with a long day, repeated getting in and out of the car, some stairs, and short walks on uneven or slippery ground.

I would choose something slower if you want a serious hike in Black River Gorges, a long visit at Grand Bassin, or extensive time at each waterfall. The route gives you many samples rather than one deep experience.

The operator offers free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start time. Since the tour depends on good weather, a cancellation caused by poor conditions should result in a different date or a full refund.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if your goal is to see the greatest number of southwest highlights in one day, with lunch and entrance fees handled for you. The combination of Chamarel and Ebony Forest gives the day real variety, and a strong guide can turn the long drives into useful time.

Before booking, confirm the guide language, the planned route, and the Ebony Forest Jeep schedule. If you receive a friendly, engaged guide such as the highly praised Kevin, Manu, Hans, Irshaad, Belinda, or Salim, the day can be an excellent overview of Mauritius. If you want slow travel, guaranteed specialist interpretation, or long hikes, the packed schedule may feel expensive and rushed.

FAQ

Where does the tour start?

Pickup is offered from any hotel or accommodation in Mauritius. The listed start time is about 8:30 a.m.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts approximately seven to eight hours.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. The main tour uses private transportation, and only your group participates in the private activity. The Ebony Forest Jeep ride is shared.

What food is included?

A three-course lunch is included, with vegetarian and non-vegetarian choices. The meal is halal, and non-alcoholic beverages are included.

Are entrance fees included?

Admission to Seven Colored Earth, Chamarel Waterfall, and Ebony Forest Nature Reserve is included. The Ebony Forest Jeep safari is also included.

What should I wear?

Wear non-slip shoes. You should also bring insect repellent for Ebony Forest, where bugs can be an issue.

Can I participate if I do not want a difficult hike?

Most people can participate. Ebony Forest offers a gentle forest trail, while the climb toward Piton Canot is the more demanding option.

What happens if the weather is poor?

The tour requires good weather. If the operator cancels because of poor conditions, you will be offered another date or a full refund. You can cancel for a full refund if you do so at least 24 hours before the start time.