Bois Cheri Tea Factory & Gris Gris: Private Craft Tour

Tea tasting, rum sampling, artisan workshops and coastal cliffs in one day

A private 8-hour craft tour in Chamarel, Mauritius, takes you through four working artisan sites: the Bois Cheri tea plantation with its production museum and tasting room, the St. Aubin rum distillery and colonial house, a model ship-building workshop where craftspeople hand-carve miniature vessels, and a diamond-cutting museum. The day ends at Gris Gris Cape, where waves crash against the southern cliffs. You control the pace at each stop and choose which attractions to explore fully.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Bois Cheri Plantation2h
2. St. Aubin House & Sugar Estate2h
3. Gris Gris Capepassing by

Visit tea, rum, crafts, and scenic cliffs

• Visit Bois Cheri tea plantation
• Tour tea factory and museum
• Taste Bois Cheri tea
• Visit St. Aubin Rhumerie
• Tour rum factory and colonial house
• Explore vanilla and anthurium plantations
• Visit Le Port model ship workshop
• Explore diamond museum
• Admire waves and cliffs at Gris Gris

The experience

Gris Gris Cape anchors the southern coast, but the route builds around the craft producers inland. Bois Cheri opens the morning: you can walk the tea plantation, tour the production museum, taste the vanilla-infused black tea that defines Mauritian memory, or do all three. The operator recommends it. St. Aubin Rhumerie comes next, where artisanal and traditional distillery techniques produce award-winning rum. You learn the process, sample varieties, and can also visit the colonial house and the vanilla and anthurium flower plantations on the estate. The flexibility here matters: you set how long each stop takes, and if one doesn't interest you, you skip it and give that time to another.

The model ship workshop and diamond museum occupy the middle hours. Mauritius is known for hand-crafted miniature ships that collectors travel to the island to buy. You watch artisans at work and can purchase if one catches your eye. The diamond museum shows how local cutters transform rough stones into finished pieces, with experts visible at their benches and finished work on display. Both are working spaces, not just galleries.

Gris Gris Cape closes the day. Unlike most of Mauritius, where coral reefs create calm lagoons, the southern break in the reef lets the ocean run raw: big waves hit the cliffs with force. A few metres away, La Roche qui Pleure, a natural rock formation, resembles a person crying when the waves strike it. A private driver handles all transport, waiting time and parking. You bring only your appetite for lunch, which you arrange and pay for separately. The 8-hour window is a frame, not a cage: depending on your group's pace, you may not see every site, and that is the point. You choose what matters.

What’s included

• Private transfer to and from your hotel in an air-conditioned, insured taxi, minibus or coach.
• services of a fully licensed, qualified driver who speaks English or French.
• waiting time at each stop.
• parking fees.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday to SaturdayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to2d before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and French

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Paid on siteUS$ 33

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendly

Operated by Bonjour Mauritius

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English or French, so you need to be comfortable following commentary in one of those languages. A private vehicle means your group travels together and sets its own rhythm: ideal if you want to linger at one craft site or skip another without waiting for other travelers.

Traveler reviews

3.75★★★★★★★★★★

4 verified traveler reviews

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and French.

What is the Bois Cheri tea plantation like, and can I taste the tea?

Bois Cheri grows the most popular tea in Mauritius, a vanilla-infused black tea. You can choose to walk the plantation, tour the production museum, taste the tea, or do all three. The operator recommends experiencing all three to understand how the tea is made and why it holds such significance for Mauritians.

How does the St. Aubin rum distillery work, and what else is on the estate?

St. Aubin uses both artisanal and traditional distillery techniques to make award-winning rum. You tour the factory, learn the rum-making process and sample the varieties they produce. The estate also includes a historical colonial house and vanilla and anthurium flower plantations you can visit.

What happens at the model ship workshop and diamond museum?

The model ship workshop is a working space where artisans hand-craft miniature vessels that collectors buy as art. You watch them work and can purchase a piece if you choose. At the diamond museum, you see local experts cutting diamonds from rough stone to finished work and view the completed pieces on display.

What makes Gris Gris Cape different from the rest of Mauritius?

Most of Mauritius is surrounded by coral reefs that create calm lagoons, but at Gris Gris the reef breaks, and the ocean runs open. Big, powerful waves crash against the cliffs, creating the rugged scenery the southern coast is known for. Nearby, La Roche qui Pleure, a natural rock formation, resembles a person crying when the waves hit it.

Can I skip attractions or spend more time at the ones I prefer?

Yes. The tour lasts up to 8 hours, and you control how long you spend at each stop. Attraction fees are not collected by the operator, so you can skip any site that doesn't interest you and give that time to another. Depending on your group's pace, you may not have time to see all four attractions, and that flexibility is built in.