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

One day, nine southern highlights, no rental car required. This private Mauritius tour packs volcanic craters, tea country, waterfalls, sacred Hindu sites, rugged coast, and the famous Twenty-Three Colored Earth into seven to eight hours. I like the hotel pickup and air-conditioned vehicle, especially because southern Mauritius covers a lot of ground. I also like the included tea-factory visit and three-course lunch, which turn a string of viewpoints into a fuller day out.

The main consideration is the pace. You will see a great deal, but several stops are short, and the quality of guiding may depend on who drives you. One review praised Manu warmly, while another found the service closer to a taxi ride than a guided tour. If you want broad coverage in one day, this is appealing. If you want long walks and detailed explanations at every stop, you may find it rushed.

Key points to know before booking

• Nine southern stops in one day: You cover Trou aux Cerfs, Mare aux Vacoas, Alexandra Falls, Black River Gorges, Grand Bassin, Bois Cheri, Gris Gris, Twenty-Three Colored Earth, and Chamouny Waterfall.
• Private transport reduces the hassle: Pickup and drop-off are included at any hotel or accommodation in Mauritius, with a private air-conditioned vehicle.
• Tea is more than a quick tasting: Bois Cheri includes the factory, plantation, museum, and views across southern Mauritius.
• Lunch is built into the day: A three-course halal meal includes vegetarian and non-vegetarian choices, plus non-alcoholic drinks.
• Gris Gris needs care: The coast is lovely, but strong waves and currents make swimming unsafe.
• Guide quality matters: Manu and Deva received especially warm praise, while one experience felt under-explained at Grand Bassin.

Why this southern Mauritius route works

Southern Mauritius has a different feel from the resort coast. Here, the road leads through upland forests, tea plantations, volcanic country, Hindu pilgrimage sites, and rough ocean cliffs. This tour gives you a useful cross-section of that region without asking you to plan a complicated driving route.

The private setup is the biggest practical advantage. Pickup begins at about 8:30 a.m., and you do not need to arrange taxis between widely separated sights. Your driver handles the roads, parking, and timing while you watch the scenery from an air-conditioned vehicle.

You pay $136.44 per person. That is not a budget sightseeing bus price, but the cost includes private transport, a private guide or driver, lunch, drinks during lunch, bottled water on arrival, Bois Cheri admission, and entry to the Twenty-Three Colored Earth and waterfall area. For two people who would otherwise hire a car, pay fuel, arrange meals, and buy separate admissions, the price can make sense.

The tradeoff is that the day is packed. The listed stops add up to nearly seven hours before driving time, so the schedule depends on efficient road work and brief visits. You should think of this as a highlights tour, not a slow countryside day.

Trou aux Cerfs gives you a volcanic start

Your first stop is Trou aux Cerfs, a dormant volcanic crater above Curepipe. It sits about 605 meters above sea level, measures roughly 350 meters across, and reaches about 100 meters deep.

The crater is not a bare bowl of rock. Forest, indigenous plants, and tall green pine trees surround it, giving the site a surprisingly leafy appearance. Geological activity here ended long ago, with the crater believed to have been dormant for around 700,000 years. Experts still consider future activity possible, though your visit is about views, not volcanic drama.

Allow about 35 minutes. The main reward is the 360-degree outlook over Curepipe and the surrounding mountain ranges, including Rempart Mountain, Trois Mamelles, and the Port Louis to Moka range. This is a good first stop because it helps you understand the island’s volcanic shape before the day moves into forest and coast.

Do not expect a long crater walk. The stop is best for orientation, photographs, and fresh highland air.

Mare aux Vacoas offers a quiet forest pause

The road then reaches Mare aux Vacoas, the largest reservoir in Mauritius, with a capacity of almost 26 million cubic meters. It is surrounded by thick forest and feels calmer than the island’s more famous attractions.

You get about 30 minutes here. The reservoir is not a major monument, and it may not impress you as much as the waterfalls or colored earth. Its value is the pause. After the road journey from Curepipe, a few quiet minutes beside the water give the day a better rhythm.

Bring your camera, since the reservoir and forest create a simple but attractive view. If you prefer active walks, this may feel like a short photo stop rather than a full attraction. Still, I like its inclusion because it adds a less polished side of Mauritius to the route.

Alexandra Falls pairs water with a coastal view

Alexandra Falls is one of the best-known nature stops in the south. It sits around 700 meters above sea level, in a high forest setting that opens toward the southeast coast.

The visit lasts about 30 minutes. From the viewpoint, you can look toward the turquoise ocean and surrounding valleys. A wooden platform helps provide a fuller view, so wear shoes with a good grip if the ground is damp.

The waterfall itself is attractive, but the wider outlook is just as important. This is not simply a stop to stare at falling water. You get forest, height, distant sea, and a sense of how quickly Mauritius changes from upland interior to coast.

The short time means you may need to choose between photographs and simply standing still for a few minutes. I would use the first part of the stop for the viewpoint, then take photographs once you know where the best angle is.

Black River Gorges shows Mauritius at its wildest

At Black River Gorges National Park, the tour pauses at a gorge viewpoint. The lookout is only about a three to five minute walk from the road, making it easy to reach without a strenuous hike.

The park covers nearly 17,000 acres of forest, rolling hills, deep valleys, waterfalls, and native plant and animal life. You will not explore all of that in a 30-minute stop, of course. What you get is a clear sample of the park’s scale, with the gorge dropping away below the viewpoint and a waterfall visible to the right.

This is one of the most rewarding short stops because the view does not require much effort. The high position can surprise you, especially after the gentler reservoir stop. Keep your shoes on and stay aware near viewpoints, since the terrain can be uneven.

If hiking is a priority, note that this excursion only includes the gorge viewpoint. It is a scenic introduction rather than a national-park walk.

Grand Bassin connects volcanic scenery with Hindu worship

Grand Bassin, also called Ganga Talao, is a crater lake about 550 meters above sea level in the mountainous southwest. It is both a peaceful natural site and an important sacred place for Hindus in Mauritius.

The shoreline includes a temple and smaller shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva and other gods. The enormous Lord Shiva statue is the visual anchor, rising 33 meters above the area. Its calm expression gives the statue a gentle presence despite its size.

You have about 40 minutes here. Dress and act respectfully around the temple and shrines. The stop is not just a photograph with a giant statue in the background. It is a place of worship, and taking a moment to notice the religious setting will give you more than a quick look from the vehicle.

One practical point deserves attention. Your driver may drop you near the temple and leave you to explore independently. That happened to one visitor who wanted more explanation and had to search for information afterward. A good guide can explain the meaning of Grand Bassin, but you should ask clearly if you want an escorted visit rather than assuming the driver will walk in with you.

Bois Cheri makes the tea stop worthwhile

Bois Cheri is the cultural and food center of the day. The visit takes about an hour and includes the tea factory, tea plantation, and tea museum.

A factory guide explains how tea production shaped Mauritius, then the museum adds background on the island’s tea industry. You also get broad views across the south, which gives the stop more character than a simple shop visit.

This is one of the tour’s strongest inclusions because it connects scenery to local production. You see where the tea comes from, learn how it is made, and then taste it in the same general setting. The exact tasting details are not specified, but the tea visit and tasting were praised as a highlight, so tea lovers should pay close attention here.

Lunch is included during the day, with three courses, halal food, non-alcoholic drinks, and vegetarian and non-vegetarian choices. One particularly well-liked meal included chicken curry, fish salad as a starter, and vanilla ice cream. You should mention allergies, illness, or dietary needs when booking, rather than waiting until the morning of the tour.

If you do not care much about tea, the factory and museum may feel longer than the waterfalls. Even then, the meal and plantation setting make this a useful break from the vehicle.

Gris Gris brings you to the rough southern coast

Gris Gris is a sharp change from the inland sites. After passing through Souillac village, you reach a coastal viewpoint where waves crash against dark rock cliffs.

The stop is scheduled for about two hours, making it one of the longest parts of the day. A small garden has benches, sea views, and quiet places to sit. A path leads down toward a small beach, allowing you to see the water closer up.

Do not swim here. The waves and currents are very strong, even though the beach has pale sand. This is a place for walking, sitting, and watching the surf, not for entering the sea.

The long stop gives you room to slow down. After several short viewpoints, Gris Gris lets you enjoy the coast without immediately being called back to the vehicle. You may find the garden more comfortable than the beach path if the weather is hot or the ground is slippery.

Wear shoes with good traction throughout the day, but especially here. The tour specifically advises non-slip footwear, and that is sensible for wet paths and uneven ground.

Twenty-Three Colored Earth is the day’s oddest sight

The Twenty-Three Colored Earth area presents one of Mauritius’s most unusual natural features. The colored sands formed as basaltic lava changed into clay minerals, producing bands and patches of red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple, and yellow.

The result is a small, surreal field of colored dunes surrounded by greenery. It is visually striking because the colors sit in one contained area rather than spreading across a huge desert. The site is carefully framed for viewing, so do not expect to wander freely across the colored earth.

You get around 40 minutes here, including entry to the attraction. This is enough time for photographs and a proper look, though the stop may be shorter than you expect if you want a detailed geological explanation.

The colors are the reason to come, but the geological story is what makes the place memorable. Ask your guide to explain how the lava became clay if that information is important to you. As with Grand Bassin, the value of the stop depends partly on how much explanation your guide provides.

Chamouny Waterfall finishes the route with a single drop

The final stop is Chamouny Waterfall, described as a single-drop waterfall surrounded by dense vegetation. You have about 25 minutes here.

This is a compact ending after a long day. The waterfall gives you one last nature view without requiring a major hike or a long detour. It may not offer the broad panorama of Alexandra Falls, but its setting among thick greenery gives it a different mood.

The stop is included with the Twenty-Three Colored Earth admission. Since the day already contains several waterfalls and viewpoints, Chamouny works best as a final short look rather than a separate major outing.

Guides can make or break the day

The tour provides a certified private guide or driver, but the actual experience can vary. Manu was praised for kindness, local information, and a warm manner. Deva was also praised as respectful, friendly, and well informed about the island, with an extra viewpoint added at the end of one day.

Another driver received criticism for acting more like a taxi driver than a guide. The key lesson is simple: tell your driver what you want. If you want explanations at Grand Bassin, ask to be accompanied. If you want more context at the tea factory or geological sites, say so early.

The private format gives you a better chance to shape the day than a large group excursion. You can also ask for enough time at Gris Gris or a little less time at a stop that does not interest you. Still, the route has many fixed points, so flexibility will not be unlimited.

Timing, comfort, and the real value of $136.44

Seven to eight hours is a sensible length for this route. The air-conditioned vehicle matters because you spend much of the day moving between highland, forest, and coast. Hotel pickup and drop-off also remove the need to find transportation before sunrise or after a tiring day.

The price is strongest for people who value convenience. You receive transport, guide service, lunch, drinks, bottled water, and several admissions in one booking. A couple or small private party can spread the vehicle cost across the group, making the arrangement more attractive.

The price is less convincing if you only want one or two southern sights. Someone focused solely on Bois Cheri and the colored earth could prefer a shorter outing. You are paying for coverage and private transport, not just entry to a single attraction.

The tour suits first-time visitors who want to understand the south quickly. It also works well for people who do not want to drive on unfamiliar roads. Families and mixed-interest groups may appreciate the variety, since the day includes nature, religion, food, geology, and coastal scenery.

It is less suitable if you need a relaxed schedule, long hikes, or detailed guiding at every stop. The nine-stop plan is ambitious, and some places are clearly designed as brief viewpoints.

What to pack and how to prepare

Wear comfortable, non-slip shoes. You will use short paths, viewpoints, garden trails, and possibly damp ground near waterfalls.

Bring sun protection and a light layer for the higher sites. The tour includes bottled water on arrival, but carrying your own water for the full day is sensible.

Tell the operator about vegetarian needs, allergies, or illness in advance. Vegetarian food is available, and the included meal is halal with non-alcoholic drinks.

The experience requires good weather. If poor weather cancels the day, you can receive a different date or a full refund. Standard cancellation allows a full refund when you cancel at least 24 hours before the start time. Changes made inside that 24-hour window are not accepted.

Should you book Southern Treasures?

Book this tour if you want a wide view of southern Mauritius in one private day. The combination of tea production, crater scenery, sacred sites, waterfalls, rugged coast, and colored earth gives you much more variety than a simple beach excursion.

I especially like it for first-time visitors, couples, and small groups who value hotel pickup, lunch, and a private vehicle. The strongest days seem to come with guides such as Manu or Deva, so ask for a guide who will explain the sites and accompany you when appropriate.

Skip it if you want a slow pace or a serious hiking day. You will spend plenty of time in the vehicle, and some stops may feel brief. At $136.44 per person, the tour earns its price through convenience and coverage. It is a practical way to see the south, provided you set realistic expectations and speak up about the kind of guiding you want.

FAQ

What is included in the tour price?

The price includes hotel or accommodation pickup and drop-off anywhere in Mauritius, private transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle, a certified private guide or driver, bottled water on arrival, a three-course lunch, non-alcoholic lunch drinks, Bois Cheri Tea Factory admission, and entry to the Twenty-Three Colored Earth and Waterfall area.

What time does the tour start?

The stated start time is 8:30 a.m. The full experience lasts approximately seven to eight hours.

Is lunch suitable for vegetarians?

Yes. A vegetarian option is available. You should advise the operator about vegetarian needs, food allergies, or illness when booking.

Can I swim at Gris Gris Beach?

No. Swimming is not advised because the waves and currents are extremely strong. The stop is better for viewing the cliffs, walking, and sitting in the garden.

What should I wear?

Wear non-slip shoes. This is especially useful for paths near waterfalls, viewpoints, and the coastal area.

What happens if bad weather cancels the tour?

The experience requires good weather. If it is canceled because of poor weather, you will be offered another date or a full refund. You can also cancel for a full refund if you do so at least 24 hours before the start time.