Southern Treasures: Bois Cherri Tea Factory & 23-Colored Earth

Southern Mauritius packs a remarkable amount into one day: a dormant volcano, forest viewpoints, a sacred crater lake, a tea factory, rough Atlantic surf, and the strange, rainbow-toned soil of the 23-Colored Earth. A private guide-driver handles the long crossings, leaving you free to watch the island change from town to rainforest to coast.

I like the hotel pickup and private transport, especially because these sights are spread across the island. I also like the mix of nature and culture: Bois Cheri explains a major Mauritian crop, while Grand Bassin offers a look at living Hindu worship. The main drawback is the ambitious schedule. You see a lot, but some stops are brief, and the quality of guiding can depend on whether your driver actively explains each place or simply drops you off.

Key points to know before booking

• Private air-conditioned vehicle: Hotel pickup and return are included anywhere in Mauritius, with a certified guide-driver.
• Nine varied stops: The day combines Trou aux Cerfs, Mare aux Vacoas, Alexandra Falls, Black River Gorges, Grand Bassin, Bois Cheri, Gris Gris, the 23-Colored Earth, and Chamouny Waterfall.
• Lunch is included: You receive a three-course halal meal with non-alcoholic drinks, and a vegetarian option is available if requested in advance.
• The tea visit has real substance: You tour the Bois Cheri factory and tea museum, then learn about tea growing and production.
• The coast is for looking, not swimming: Gris Gris has powerful waves and currents, so use the garden, path, and viewpoint rather than entering the water.
• Expect a full day: The advertised duration is about 7 to 8 hours, with an 8:30 a.m. start.

Why this southern Mauritius route works

This is not a single-attraction outing. It is a broad introduction to the southern half of Mauritius, built around short visits rather than long walks or one extended activity. If you have limited time on the island, that range is the chief reason to consider it.

The route also gives you useful contrasts. At Trou aux Cerfs, you look into an ancient volcanic crater above Curepipe. At Grand Bassin, the volcanic setting is tied to Hindu worship. At Bois Cheri, the focus shifts to agriculture and local industry. By the time you reach Gris Gris, you are watching the sea strike cliffs on the southern coast.

The price is $136.44 per person. That is not a budget taxi ride, but it covers private transportation, pickup and drop-off, a guide-driver, lunch, bottled water on arrival, and admission to the tea factory and the 23-Colored Earth area with its waterfall. For two people who want a private day without arranging several separate rides, the package can be good value.

The tradeoff is pace. A day covering this many points leaves little room for long walks, slow photography, or extended time at any one attraction. I would choose it for coverage and convenience, not for a relaxed single-region visit.

Trou aux Cerfs gives you a quick view from above

The day begins at Trou aux Cerfs, a dormant volcanic crater about 605 meters above sea level. The crater measures roughly 350 meters across and about 100 meters deep, with forest around its rim.

The setting is more wooded than you may expect from a volcanic site. Indigenous plants and large green pine trees fill the area, softening the crater’s edges. The volcano is believed to have erupted once and remained dormant for around 700,000 years. Experts consider it potentially capable of becoming active again, though your visit is about the view, not volcanic drama.

The best reason to stop here is the broad outlook. You can see Curepipe, Rempart Mountain, Trois Mamelles, and the Port Louis to Moka mountain range. Give yourself a few minutes to take in the geography. This is one of the places where a guide can add real value by pointing out the surrounding peaks and towns.

The visit lasts about 35 minutes and admission is free. That makes it an efficient first stop, though the time is too short for a serious walk around the crater.

Mare aux Vacoas offers a quiet forest pause

Mare aux Vacoas is Mauritius’s largest reservoir, with a capacity of nearly 26 million cubic meters. It is surrounded by thick forest and offers a calm change of pace after the town and crater views.

There is no major attraction structure here, and that is part of the appeal. You get a few quiet minutes beside the water, with a view suited to photographs rather than a long activity. If your ideal day includes constant action, this may feel like a simple stop. If you appreciate breathing room between major sights, it works well.

The planned visit is about 30 minutes. Use it to slow down, take photographs, and let the guide explain where you are. The value depends heavily on the weather and visibility, since the reservoir is primarily a scenic viewpoint.

Alexandra Falls brings rainforest and a wider view

Alexandra Falls is one of the best-known nature stops in Mauritius, sitting at roughly 700 meters above sea level. The waterfall itself is attractive, but the broader view is just as important. From the area, you can look toward the southeast coast and the turquoise sea.

A wooden platform provides a better angle for seeing the falls and the surrounding scenery. You will want shoes with good grip, since the tour specifically advises non-slippery footwear. This is not presented as a strenuous hike, but practical shoes will make the short visit more comfortable.

The stop lasts around 30 minutes. That is enough to see the falls and use the viewpoint, but not enough for a long forest walk. I would keep your camera ready and avoid spending too long at the first viewing point if you want time for the wider panorama.

Black River Gorges shows the island at its wildest

The Black River Gorges viewpoint is a short three to five minute walk from the road. From the lookout, you see deep valleys, rolling hills, rainforest, and a waterfall off to the right.

The national park covers about 17,000 acres in southwestern Mauritius and protects a large area of native plant and animal life. You do not tour the entire park on this excursion. Instead, you get a compact roadside viewpoint that gives you a strong sense of the park’s scale.

This stop is useful because it connects the other sights. The volcanic highlands, forest, waterfalls, and coast all begin to make sense as parts of one island. It is also a good place to stretch your legs without committing to a long trail.

Again, allow about 30 minutes. The viewpoint is easy to reach, but the schedule does not allow for a full hike.

Grand Bassin adds living religious culture

Grand Bassin, also called Ganga Talao, sits about 550 meters above sea level inside the crater of an extinct volcano. The lake is sacred, and a temple and small shrines along the shore are dedicated to Lord Shiva and other Hindu deities.

The 33-meter statue of Lord Shiva is the visual centerpiece. It is impossible to miss, but the lake and worship spaces deserve your attention too. This is not just a photo stop. It is a religious site, so you should act quietly and respectfully around the temple and shrines.

The visit lasts about 40 minutes. One important practical point is that the driver may leave you to explore rather than accompany you into the temple area. That can be fine if you have read a little beforehand, but it reduces the educational value if you expect a guide to explain the religious details on site.

I would ask your guide at the start of the day whether they will walk with you here and provide context. That simple question can make the difference between a meaningful cultural stop and a quick look at a large statue.

Bois Cheri connects tea with Mauritius

The Bois Cheri visit is one of the strongest parts of the day because it offers more than a scenic view. You tour the factory, see the tea plantation, and visit the tea production museum. A guide explains the story of Bois Cheri and why tea production matters in Mauritius.

Tea gives you a look at the working side of the island. Instead of simply passing through pretty scenery, you learn how a familiar drink is grown, processed, and presented. The factory and museum also provide a welcome indoor element if the day is hot or wet.

The stop lasts about an hour. That is enough time for the factory visit, museum, and a look across the southern part of the island. Tea tasting is part of the appeal of the visit, though the supplied details do not specify every variety or tasting format.

Several strong parts of the meal also tie in nicely with the food side of the day. The included lunch is three courses, with vegetarian and non-vegetarian choices, halal food, and non-alcoholic drinks. A typical meal example includes chicken curry, fish salad as a starter, and vanilla ice cream, though the exact menu can vary.

Tell the operator about vegetarian needs, allergies, or illness before the tour. The meal is included, which makes the $136.44 price easier to assess, especially since you do not need to find a separate restaurant during a tightly planned day.

Gris Gris is the coast’s dramatic pause

After passing through Souillac village, the route reaches Gris Gris. Here, waves crash against the cliffs, and a small garden gives you benches and several spots to look out over the sea.

A path leads from the garden toward a small beach. The beach may look inviting, but strong waves and currents make swimming unsafe. Treat Gris Gris as a place for a walk, photographs, and sea air, not a beach break.

The scheduled visit is about two hours, making it the longest stop of the day. That gives you room to slow down after the busy inland circuit. You can sit in the garden, follow the path, and study the cliffs without rushing through every view.

The coast can also expose the limits of a fixed itinerary. If weather or road conditions have delayed the morning, the guide may need to shorten this stop. If Gris Gris is a priority for you, ask how much time you will have once you arrive.

The 23-Colored Earth is strange, small, and photogenic

At Valle Aventure Park, you visit the 23-Colored Earth, a natural formation created as basaltic lava changed into clay minerals. The area contains sand dunes described in red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple, and yellow tones.

The result is a compact, unusual sight surrounded by green vegetation. It has a lunar quality, though the colors are best appreciated as bands and patches rather than as a huge open desert. The contrast between the colored soil and the plants around it makes this a strong photography stop.

The name suggests 23 colors, while the visible hues are commonly described as seven distinct shades. You should not expect to mix the earth into a new color, since the different soils remain separate after rain and weathering. The geological oddity is the point.

Admission is included, and the planned visit lasts about 40 minutes. That gives you enough time to walk through the viewing area, photograph the earth, and see the nearby waterfall.

Chamouny Waterfall closes the route

The final listed stop is Chamouny Waterfall, a single-drop waterfall surrounded by dense vegetation. It is described as one of the most recognized waterfalls in Mauritius and is visited as part of the same Valle Aventure Park section of the day.

The stop lasts about 25 minutes. Expect a short scenic visit rather than an extended hike or swimming session. Its value is that it adds one more natural feature to a day already filled with falls, forest, crater views, and coastal cliffs.

Because the schedule is full, ask your guide how the waterfall visit connects with the 23-Colored Earth timing. The two sights are grouped together in the plan, which should reduce unnecessary driving, but you still have limited time at each.

What the private format really gives you

Pickup and drop-off are offered at any hotel or accommodation in Mauritius, with an 8:30 a.m. start. The air-conditioned vehicle matters here. You spend much of the day moving between highland, forest, and coast, and a cool vehicle gives you a dependable break between stops.

A private guide-driver can also adjust the rhythm. You may be able to spend a little longer at a favorite viewpoint or move on when a stop has offered all it can. Guides named in the feedback include Manu and Deva. Manu was praised for kindness and island information, while Deva was described as respectful and attentive, even adding an extra viewpoint as a surprise.

Still, private does not automatically mean fully guided. One poor experience involved a driver who acted more like a taxi driver and left the visitor to find information independently at the temple. I would be clear at the beginning: ask for explanations at each stop, confirm whether the guide will walk with you at Grand Bassin, and say which sights matter most to you.

The tour has an overall rating of 4.6 from nine reviews, with praise focused on punctuality, courtesy, flexible pacing, the tea factory, waterfalls, colored earth, and lunch. The lower rating points to one useful warning: guide involvement is a key part of what you are paying for.

Small details that make the day easier

Wear non-slippery shoes. Several stops involve viewpoints, platforms, paths, or damp natural ground, and practical footwear is more useful than beach sandals.

Bring sun protection and a light layer, though only the supplied information confirms bottled water upon arrival. Weather matters because the tour requires good conditions. If poor weather forces cancellation, you can receive a different date or a full refund.

Vegetarian food is available, but you should request it when booking. Also report food allergies or illness in advance. Lunch includes halal food and non-alcoholic drinks.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the 8:30 a.m. start. Changes or cancellations inside that window are not accepted for a refund.

Should you book this southern Mauritius day?

Book it if you want to see many of southern Mauritius’s signature sights without renting a car or arranging several separate rides. It suits first-time visitors, couples, families, and anyone who values hotel pickup, a private vehicle, included lunch, and a guide who can adapt the day.

Choose something slower if you prefer long hikes, extended time at one waterfall, or a deep cultural visit at Grand Bassin. The route covers a lot, but it does so through short stops.

Before departure, confirm that your guide will explain the sites rather than only drive between them. With an active guide such as Manu or Deva, this is a strong one-day sampler of southern Mauritius. With minimal commentary, it becomes an efficient sightseeing transfer with lunch. That difference is worth clarifying before you pay.

FAQ

How long does the tour last?

The experience lasts approximately 7 to 8 hours and begins at 8:30 a.m.

Is hotel pickup included?

Yes. Pickup and drop-off are included at any hotel or accommodation in Mauritius.

Is lunch included?

Yes. The tour includes a three-course halal lunch with vegetarian and non-vegetarian options, plus non-alcoholic beverages.

Can I request vegetarian food?

Yes. A vegetarian option is available, and you should advise the operator when booking. You should also report food allergies or illness in advance.

Is swimming allowed at Gris Gris Beach?

Swimming is not advised at Gris Gris because the waves and currents are extremely strong. The stop is intended for walking, sitting in the garden, and viewing the sea and cliffs.

What happens if bad weather cancels the tour?

If poor weather causes cancellation, you will be offered a different date or a full refund. Free cancellation for other reasons is available up to 24 hours before the experience start time.