Mauritius Southern Tour review
Who it’s for
Cruise passengers with one day, families of up to six who want one car and one bill, people who do not fancy the mountain roads on the left, and anyone who wants Chamarel and Grand Bassin at ground level. Erna from the Netherlands put the case: “It’s wonderful when you don’t have to drive yourself through the high mountains.” The guide speaks English, French, German, Hindi or Spanish live, with an audio guide in Italian and other languages, and the vehicle is wheelchair accessible.
It is not a way to see the sandfall, and it is not a hike: half an hour at Le Morne beach means the beach and the view up at the mountain, not the trail. Two of the stops charge entry on top — the Seven Coloured Earth geopark and the Rhumerie de Chamarel — so carry something for those. If you want the plateau, the gorges and Chamarel from above instead of from a car park, that is exactly what the airport helicopter flies.
The day in order
The operator publishes stop times, which I like, so here they are.
- Pickup at your hotel, apartment or the cruise terminal.
- Trou aux Cerfs, Curepipe — the dormant crater with the rim walk, about 85 m deep. 30 minutes.
- Mare aux Vacoas reservoir. 15 minutes.
- Grand Bassin (Ganga Talao), the crater lake at about 550 m, the island’s most sacred Hindu site, with the 33 m Shiva statue at the entrance. 1 hour.
- Alexandra Falls viewpoint. 30 minutes.
- Black River Gorges National Park viewpoint. 30 minutes.
- Seven Coloured Earth geopark at Chamarel. 1 hour; entry fee extra.
- Rhumerie de Chamarel. 1 hour; extra.
- Le Morne Brabant and Le Morne beach. 30 minutes. Then back to your pickup point.
Lunch, water and the air-conditioned car are in the price. Eight hours is a long day and Lennard from Germany was right that “getting up early is worth it”: the plateau clouds over in the afternoon in the wet season, and Grand Bassin is quieter before the coaches. During Maha Shivaratri in February or March the lake draws hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and the roads round it slow to a walk; a good driver will reorder the day.
What works
- Private car for up to six, so the price divides well for a family or a cruise cabin or two
- Pickup anywhere on the island, cruise ships included
- Published stop times, which most road tours do not give you
- Live guiding in five languages, and reviewers name the drivers: Rishab, Mervin, Akash, Jevin, Nirav
- Lunch and water included; wheelchair accessible; reserve now, pay later
Worth knowing
- The Coloured Earth and the rhumerie charge entry on top
- Half an hour at Le Morne is the beach, not the mountain
- No view of the underwater waterfall from anywhere on the route
- Eight hours in a car with nine stops is a full day for small children
- Priced per group: for one or two people a seat on a shared trip may divide better
Ask the driver to do Grand Bassin before Trou aux Cerfs if you are collected from the west or south. It puts you at the lake earlier, ahead of the coaches and the cloud, and the crater is fine at any hour. How the same stops look from the air, and which flight passes which, is on Chamarel Waterfall vs the underwater waterfall.
What the reviews say
A 4.6 from 192, and it is a driver-guide score through and through. Connor from the UK: “Excellent from start to finish. Our guide Rishab was fantastic.” Katrin from Germany had “a really great tour with Mervin, a great and calm style.” Petra from Germany: “Our guide Akash was able to tell us a lot about the island. 10 out of 10.” Ishita from India: “Akash was very helpful and took us around all places marked.” Sanna from Finland called it an “easy way to experience many attractions in one day”. When a road tour lands at 4.6 rather than higher, it is usually the length of the day and the extras at the gate, and both are printed on the listing.
Is it worth the money?
For four to six people, yes: a private car with a guide, lunch and door-to-door pickup divides into very little per head, and it removes the mountain roads. For one person it is a less obvious buy. It is a completely different purchase from a flight, and it does not replace one; if the sandfall is why you are here, the cost page shows how the flights compare and this tour is the ground day to put alongside them. Everything on the ground and lagoon is on Le Morne tours.
Check dates
Frequently asked questions
Does the southern tour see the underwater waterfall?
No. It is a road tour, and the illusion is only visible from the air. The tour ends with half an hour at Le Morne beach looking up at the mountain, which is a good stop, but the sandfall off the tip is not visible from the sand or the water. How to see it lists what does show it.
What is not included in the price?
Entry to the Seven Coloured Earth geopark and to the Rhumerie de Chamarel, both paid at the gate. Lunch, water, the air-conditioned car and the driver-guide are included. Where the money goes on a day like this, and how it compares with a flight, is on what a flight costs.
Where does the tour pick up?
Anywhere on the island: hotels, apartments and cruise ships. It is a private car for up to six, so the day starts and ends at your door. Distances and drive times from the airport, Port Louis and the north coast to Le Morne are on how to get to Le Morne.
How long do you get at Le Morne?
Thirty minutes at Le Morne Brabant and the beach at the end of the day. That is a look, not a climb; the four-hour guided ascent is a separate booking, reviewed on the Le Morne hike review.