Things to do in Mauritius with Beachcomber

When you booked your trip to Mauritius, you thought you would most probably spend your days sunbathing in the tropical sun.

If you are an adrenaline and thrills lover, and passionate about nature and its offerings, we have something for you! 

Welcome to Heritage Nature Reserve, this beautiful reserve nestled in the iconic Bel Ombre estate in the south oust region of the Island.

You will discover an incredible fauna and flora with many endemic species. Choose from a range of activities offered such as buggy, trail or quad. 

Heritage Nature Reserve promise you an experience unlike any other in the middle of a lush vegetation where you will have the opportunity to learn about the history and the ecosystem of Mauritius with the help of knowledgeable guides. 

Experience a day out that you’ll remember forever. 

Get in touch and book by calling (+230) 202 66 60 

There is a selection of cruises to several destinations across the turquoise waters of Mauritius, with packages including sunset and dinner cruises.

Croisières Australes, founded in 1992, stands out as a pioneer in the catamaran excursions in Mauritius. 

Through a range of excursions and personalized services, Croisières Australes will make you enjoy an incredible and unforgettable experience. You just have to choose from the range of cruising experiences offered, as per your likings and preferences.

Croisières Australes has a selection of cruises to several destinations across the turquoise waters of Mauritius with 5 departure points around the island such as Grand Bay, Black River, Trou d’eau douce, Mahébourg or Grand Gaube, each one being unique.

Pick from any cruising packages including daily outings, sunset and dinner cruises, depending on the experience you are looking for. Croisières Australes created special itineraries for you to discover the exceptional maritime sites of Mauritius such as, Ile Aux Cerfs, the North Islands and Benitiers Island. You only have to choose the type of boat you wish to embark on, between catamarans or speedboats, and you are ready to go! 

A day full of sun, delicious food, lots of fun and relaxation await you.

Get in touch and book by calling (+230) 202 66 60

The semi-submersible boat Nessee offers a spectacular view of the reefs, sunken ships and marine life around Mauritius.

Get to experience being up close to tortoises, rays and barracudas that they virtually brush past you and play at your feet and lure you into their corals of arabesque patterns. And for good reason! 

You are comfortably seated in the cabin of the Nessee, a semi-submersible specialised in underwater outings in Grand Baie at 1m50 below sea level, offering a panoramic view of underwater life.

The large glass windows of this 15-metre long, 3.40 metres wide vessel is an excellent way of exploring the Mauritian seabed without getting wet. The excursion lasts for approximately an hour and forty-five minutes. It comes with explanations on the history of the sites visited, the flora and fauna of the lagoon and reef.  

The Nessee offers diving enthusiasts the opportunity to stop and admire specific sites such as the coral reefs. They can access the deck, put on diving outfits and mingle with the enchanting show put on by the multi-coloured fish.

As for children, they get to experience a spectacular view within a secure environment. 

Off the shores of Mahébourg, at only one kilometre from the old colonial capital of Mauritius is located the île aux Aigrettes. 

Managed by the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF) since 1985, this coral island of a surface area of 26 hectares was classified as a natural reserve since 1965.

It was named after a colony of egrets, fishing birds with long legs that lived there in the 17th century. It was used as a military base by the British during the Second World War, period during which nearly the entire indigenous forest was destroyed. Since 1985 the MWF has strived to reinstate the unique fauna and flora of this part of the world in order to restore this environment to its original state.
 
The excursions take place daily, departing from Pointe-Jerome. The motor boat cruises through the turquoise water before reaching this ecological mini-paradise. Once berthed, you begin your stroll and discovery along the sign posted trails. Several routes are available. The tour of the island happens in about 1:30 am with fabulous encounters along the route.
 
You will come across trees with evocative names such as: the Eugenia Bojeri tree, the Bois Boeuf tree or the Ebony tree. You get to admire the Pink Pigeon, Gunther’s gecko, giant tortoises, bats as well as the Mauritian cardinal. You will feel an irresistible attraction to the orchids and the Trochetia Boutoniana. Ile aux Aigrettes Island represents an ultimate stopover in nature in the south-east of Mauritius.

A genuine Noah’s ark!  

The Vanilla Nature Park is a zoological park created in 1985, covering a surface of five hectares in the south of Mauritius close to the village of Rivière des Anguilles. While the main attraction orbits around the Nile crocodiles, the establishment also proposes encounters with a huge number of other animal species while on your stroll, be it on foot or on the back of a donkey, in the middle of a humid tropical forest full of trees, plants and endemic flowers.

The visitor will come across caimans, iguanas, cane toads, radiated tortoises of Madagascar, giant tortoises of Seychelles, freshwater turtles, geckos from the Ronde Island, dogfish from Rodrigues Island, eels, Koi carps, monkeys, frogs, wild boars, mongooses, stags, goats, sheep and donkeys. Not to mention the 30-year-old collection of over 20,000 species of insects and butterflies originating from all five continents collected by Jacques Siedlecki.

Children with abundant energy levels will be able to play about in the specifically designed play area that comprises various rides and activities. Such an adventure whets the appetite. A discovery for some, an experience to be renewed for others, the restaurant: Le Crocodile Affamé (the Famished Crocodile) proposes crocodile meat dishes as their specialty.

250 hectares and numerous and diverse activities! 

250 hectares of possibilities nestled at the foot of the Rampart Mountain with a view overlooking the West Coast. Casela World of Adventure, member of the pan-African Association of zoos and aquariums (PAAZA), is the most visited attraction of Mauritius and of the Indian Ocean since its opening in 1979.

This adventure park was originally a bird sanctuary. It came into being thanks to the vision of nature enthusiasts who decided to create a garden for the purpose of saving the trees growing on the site from being felled. It soon became a must see over the years when visiting Mauritius thanks to its panoply of adventures, that always seem to surpass each other, be it the: African safari in the safari bus, quad biking or Segway, unforgettable encounters with the big cats, toboggans and zip lines above the trees and the ravines. All this, by respecting and protecting endangered species.

The proposed activities over the years kept on expanding in this unique scenery. Today, it is possible to feed the giraffes, the bright-coloured lorikeets or the pygmy hippopotamus: Athena, to discover the hilly landscape of the park on the back of a horse or a dromedary or to fish the tilapias and take an amusing tour on our mini-farm.

If the adrenaline-driven amateurs are left hungering for more after our zip lining, they can experience a Formula 1 rush on our Casela Karting track, a mere five-minute drive from the park.

Casela World of Adventure is at the centre of future developments undertaken by the Medine group and the flagship of an area in which fundamental changes are taking place in order to welcome an eco-friendly city in the coming years. 

Nestled between the walls of an old sugar factory in Beau Plan

Nestled between the walls of an old sugar factory in Beau Plan, the Aventure du Sucre narrates the inspiring history of the sugar industry of Mauritius, cornerstone celebrating three hundred years of economic success.

Sugar was part of all the accomplishments of former Isle de France. Introduced from Java by the first Dutch colonists in 1639, the sugar cane enables them to produce alcohol by the process of distillation. It is only during the French period that the first sugar mills were built for the purpose of exportation in 1745. The production of this gold, sometimes white, sometimes brown, was done on an ongoing basis. During the British period, it was taken to another level, by becoming the main economic activity of the island. Showing how much the history of sugar and the History of Mauritius go hand in hand. 

The tour of this sugar museum lasts for at least 1:30 am. However, for a complete and detailed visit, you need to consider a 3-hour tour. You will witness the birth of the island and get acquainted to sugar throughout the ages: you will go back in time to discover the chimneys of the old Mauritians factories, and then take a glimpse at the future through the technological progress which accompanied the development of the sugar cane industry. You will enrich your knowledge with the characteristics of this native grass originally from Oceania. You will then navigate the sugar and trading routes across the globe and also get to learn more about the manufacturing processes related to the production of rum.

In addition to educational and cultural aspect, this visit includes the tasting of a variety of more than thirty products at the Boutik Village including the twelve natural brown sugars, New Grove rums, jams and honey, only waiting to be tasted.

The vast majority of this tour is made accessible to folks on wheelchair.

Meet the dolphins, in their natural habitat, in the middle of crystalline water, surrounded by breathtaking panorama. 

It is one of the West Coast’s wonders, perhaps the only place in the world where you can swim with dolphins in the morning, do a safari on the back of a dromedary at midday and a walk with lions in the afternoon.

Carnivorous toothed cetacean mammals: the dolphins are grouped into twelve species, spread throughout the oceans. They are banded and live in moderate and tropical areas. Since 1500 BC they fed many legends and mythologies. They appeared on coins, mosaics, paintings and on Greek and Roman sculptures. They are considered to be as intelligent as humans with whom they nurture a friendly bond.

Two types of dolphins can be spotted in Mauritius: the most popular one in the world: the bottle-nosed dolphin or the large dolphin and the spinner dolphin. The bottle-nosed dolphin travels in small groups and is easily approachable in the middle of the lagoon early in the morning and sometimes in the afternoons when it goes hunting in the open sea. It is advised, to be there with the rising sun to get a chance to live this unique experience. The spinner dolphins swim under water in groups of ten.

For those of you who happen to be more patient and venture further down the coastline, you may get to admire whales. Among them, you may encounter sperm whales, considered as Mauritians since they live in our waters all year long, but also humpback whales that stay with us only three months a year, from July to September.  

Grab your flippers, masks and snorkel and jump in for a memorable encounter…

In Flemish, “Van Ann” means “De Ann”.

The brand “Van Ann chocolate maker” reflects the Belgian origins of its founder, Ann Van den Bergh. On 1 January 1992, she founded her chocolate factory in Plaine des Papayes, in the north of the island, and decided to manufacture a product that did not exist in Mauritius. And it was to her native land Belgium, where chocolate was born in 1912 thanks to Jean Nenhaus Jr. that she turned to learn the art of chocolate making.

The training lasted a few weeks. When Ann Van den Bergh came back to Mauritius, she brought back various moulds and a tempering machine used to keep chocolate at a set temperature. She then began to manufacture various products on her own, creating recipes for a dozen of moulded chocolates made from praline, caramel, vanilla, coffee, coconut, rum or grapes.

“Van Ann chocolate maker” has improved over the years and has expanded its range of products by inventing new recipes for chocolates moulded, coated and flavoured with cocoa paste. In addition to offering new box sizes, Ann Van den Bergh has customised her boxes to leave a lasting impression and seduce gourmets as much as their content.

Van Ann chocolates are sold everywhere in Mauritius, in the Mauritius Duty Free Paradise and on Air Austral flights (Reunion Island). The factory first moved from Plaine des Papayes to Petit Raffray before settling in Calebasses in early 2012.

The village of Mahebourg houses a covered market, open every day, where one can find fruit and vegetable products, a salted fish stand as well as ornaments used in Hindu prayers.

If you like colourful spectacles, the Mahebourg market is worth a visit.

It takes place once a week in the streets near the bus station and the covered market. This is where Mauritian families from neighbouring villages and towns go on Mondays to search for great deals.

Vegetables, fruits, flowers, food, bazaar articles, basketry, souvenirs, T-shirts, branded clothing, fabrics, tablecloths, towels, Indian products, jewellery, shoes, Mauritian and African musical instruments.

One can find anything in this large market in Mahebourg where scents blend with the colours and sounds of voices calling out to potential customers or negotiating the final price.

For those coming from abroad, it is a sure encounter with Mauritian folklore: a pair of dholl puri to satisfy your cravings and a coconut to quench your thirst. Or else, an alouda to take the edge off spicy chutneys and doughnuts. A complete immersion into the daily life of Mauritians in the heart of a coastal village steeped in history.

Its colonial past is reflected in its lined streets and ancient houses. Mahebourg or Le Bourg de Mahé is named after Mahé de La Bourdonnais, the most famous of the governors of the former Isle de France. It was given this name in 1804 replacing that of Port Sud-Est.

Of medium difficulty level, climbing Le Morne Brabant (550 metres) is a hike that culminates in the ascent of the spectacular mountain from the southwest of the island to the cross at an altitude of 500 metres.

Once they reach the highest point, the most daring ones are rewarded with a panoramic view of almost 360 degrees of the west and south.

The first part of the climb begins smoothly under the tree canopy. This phase, said to be easy, allows hikers to reach an altitude of 255 metres. This is where the obstacles leading to the cross, 245 metres higher, begin. The path becomes steeper and one has to use one’s hands and ropes in some places to advance on the basalt, in rock climbing mode.

The views of the lagoon are stunning: breathtaking views of Bénitiers Island, îlot Fournaux, as well as the most beautiful lagoons on the island: stretches of fine white sand. This three-hour climb also includes a historical element as it takes hikers to a place classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 6 July 2008, which has since been known as “Le Morne Cultural Landscape”. Le Morne Mountain used to be a shelter for runaway slaves. It is today a site of remembrance and pilgrimage.