Southern Mauritius tour: Bois Chéri tea & 23-colored earth

A private guide takes you through tea production, then down to waterfalls and colored sand dunes in one day.

A private 8-hour tour of southern Mauritius starting with hotel pickup, featuring a guided visit to Bois Chéri tea factory with tasting, the sacred Grand Bassin lake and 33-meter statue of Lord Shiva, Alexandra Falls, the Black River Gorges viewpoint, a 3-course Mauritian lunch, the 23-colored earth geological formation, Chamouny waterfall, and panoramic stops at Trou aux Cerfs volcano and Gris Gris cliffs. Your guide speaks English, French or Hindi.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Trou aux Cerfs Volcano35m
2. Black River Gorges National Park30m
3. Bois Cheri Plantation1h
4. Gris Gris Cape2h

Explore Southern Mauritius highlights

• Hotel pick-up and meet guide
• Visit Bois Chéri Tea factory and plantation
• Tour tea production museum and taste teas
• Drive through Souillac village
• Stop at Gris Gris viewpoint and garden
• Enjoy 3-course Mauritian lunch
• Visit Twenty-Three Colored Earth sand dunes
• See Chamouny Waterfall
• Visit Alexandra Falls and panoramic views
• Stop at Gorge Viewpoint for forest panorama
• Visit Grand Bassin Hindu temple and statue
• Explore Trou Aux Cerfs dormant volcano crater
• Visit Mare Aux Vacoas reservoir

The experience

The tour starts at your hotel and moves through the island's south in a single arc. First stop is Bois Chéri, where a guide walks you through the tea factory, the plantation, and a small museum of tea history in Mauritius, then you taste the teas (green, herbal, flavored), while looking out over the southern landscape. From there the route heads inland and upward to Grand Bassin, the crater lake 550 meters up, where the 33-meter statue of Lord Shiva stands on the shore beside a Hindu temple and smaller shrines. The lake itself is 18 meters deep and ringed by forest.

The middle of the day brings you to the waterfalls and gorges. Alexandra Falls sits 700 meters up and opens onto a view of the southeast coast and the green valley below. A wooden platform lets you climb for the full panorama. A short walk from the road, the Gorge Viewpoint cuts across the Black River Gorges National Park (17,000 acres of rainforest with endemic birds and plants), and the vista down into the deep valleys is what makes the stop worth the detour. Lunch is a 3-course Mauritian meal at a local restaurant: salads, rice, soups, chicken curry or fish with vegetables, your choice, and the chef walks you through the options.

The afternoon swings toward the coast and the geological oddities. The 23-colored earth is a natural formation of sand dunes in seven distinct colors (red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple, yellow) created when basaltic lava converted to clay minerals. The colors separate again if you mix them, and there is a tortoise park and coffee shop on the grounds. Chamouny waterfall, a single drop in dense vegetation, comes next. Then the tour moves to the viewpoints: Trou aux Cerfs, a dormant volcanic crater 605 meters up with a 350-meter diameter and 360-degree views of Curepipe, the Rempart Mountain, and the Port-Louis range; Mare aux Vacoas, the island's largest reservoir at 26 million cubic meters; and Gris Gris, where cliffs meet strong waves and a small garden offers benches and a path down to the beach. The tour ends with drop-off at your hotel.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off anywhere in Mauritius.
• private air-conditioned vehicle and fully qualified guide.
• guided tour of Bois Chéri tea factory, tea museum, and tea plantation with tasting.
• entrance to the 23-colored earth and Chamouny waterfall.
• a 3-course Mauritian lunch with vegetarian or non-vegetarian options.
• bottled water upon arrival.
• non-alcoholic beverages during lunch.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:30

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (18 to 65 years) · Senior (66 and older) · Youth (10 to 17 years) · Child (4 to 9 years) · Infant (1 to 3 years): free

Live guideEnglish, French and Hindi

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

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

Prices and times updated 9 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Freshverde Holidays

Is this one for you?This is a private tour with your own guide and vehicle, so the pace and stops are yours to shape within the 8-hour route: ideal if you want to linger at a waterfall or move quickly through others. The guide speaks English, French, or Hindi, so book the language that fits your group. Children from age 1 are welcome, and specialized infant seats are available if you need one.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, French and Hindi.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (10 to 17 years); Child (4 to 9 years); Infant (1 to 3 years): free.

What is the Bois Chéri tea factory visit actually like?

Bois Chéri is a working tea plantation and factory where a guide leads you through the production process, the plantation itself, and a small museum about tea history in Mauritius. You taste the range of teas they produce (green, herbal, and flavored varieties) from a viewpoint overlooking the southern landscape.

Can I swim at any of the waterfalls or beaches on this tour?

Alexandra Falls and Chamouny waterfall are viewing stops where you stand above or near the water, not swimming spots. Gris Gris has a small beach at the base of the cliffs, but the waves and currents there are extremely strong and swimming is not advised. It is a place to walk and photograph the view.

What does the Mauritian lunch include?

Lunch is a 3-course meal at a local restaurant with fresh salads, rice, soups, and a choice of chicken curry or fish with vegetables. The chef explains the options and accommodates vegetarian preferences if you request them when booking.

Is Grand Bassin an active religious site, or just a tourist stop?

Grand Bassin, also called Ganga Talao, is a sacred lake in the crater of an extinct volcano, about 550 meters up in the southwest mountains. The temple and shrines on the shoreline are active places of worship where visitors come to pray and meditate, as well as to walk by the lake and see the 33-meter statue of Lord Shiva.

How much walking is involved on this tour?

Most stops are short walks or viewpoints accessible from the road. The Gorge Viewpoint is a 3-5 minute walk. Alexandra Falls has a wooden platform you can climb for the full view. The 23-colored earth and Chamouny waterfall are accessible areas. Trou aux Cerfs, Mare aux Vacoas, and Gris Gris are primarily viewing spots where you can walk at your own pace.