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

Mauritius packs an astonishing amount into its southern half, and this full-day outing connects volcanic craters, tea country, waterfalls, a Hindu pilgrimage site, and a rough Atlantic-style coast in one sweep. The Bois Chéri tea stop and the odd, rainbow-hued earth at Chamarel give the day its strongest sense of place.

I like the private air-conditioned vehicle, especially because the route covers a lot of ground. I also like that lunch, bottled water, hotel pickup, and entry to the tea factory and colored earth are included. The main drawback is pace: nine stops in 7 to 8 hours leaves limited time at each one, and one disappointed guest found the guide acted more like a driver at Grand Bassin.

Key points at a glance

• A full southern circuit: Cover Trou aux Cerfs, Mare aux Vacoas, Alexandra Falls, Black River Gorges, Grand Bassin, Bois Chéri, Gris Gris, Chamarel, and Chamouny Waterfall in one day.
• Bois Chéri adds local flavor: Tour the factory and tea museum, learn about Mauritian tea production, and enjoy the high-country setting.
• Lunch is part of the value: A three-course halal meal includes vegetarian and non-vegetarian choices, plus non-alcoholic drinks.
• Private transport keeps the day simple: Pickup and drop-off are provided at any hotel or accommodation in Mauritius.
• Gris Gris is for views, not swimming: Strong waves and currents make this a cliff-and-coast stop rather than a beach day.
• Come prepared for uneven ground: Wear non-slip shoes, especially for viewpoints, gardens, and waterfall areas.

Why this southern Mauritius day works

This is not a slow village walk or a single attraction visit. It is a sightseeing sweep designed for you to see the major sights of southern Mauritius without arranging a car, learning the roads, or deciding where to stop next.

The route begins inland at Curepipe and the high central plateau, then moves through forest and tea country before reaching the southern coast. That change in scenery is the real appeal. Within one day, you go from a dormant volcanic crater to a reservoir, from rainforest viewpoints to a sacred lake, and from cultivated tea fields to cliffs where waves strike the shore.

At $136.44 per person, the price makes the most sense if you value convenience. You receive private transportation, a guide-driver, hotel pickup and drop-off, lunch, water, and two listed admissions. If you already have a rental car and want to linger at each site, doing the route independently could offer more freedom. If you want someone else to handle the long driving day, the package is easier to justify.

The outing starts at about 8:30 a.m. and lasts roughly 7 to 8 hours. Exact time at each place can shift, so think of the schedule as a broad route rather than a minute-by-minute program. Guides named in the supplied feedback include Manu and Deva. The strongest praise centers on punctuality, courtesy, flexibility, and good local information, but you should confirm at the start how much guiding you want inside places such as Grand Bassin.

Trou aux Cerfs and the high plateau

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

The setting is more wooded than you might expect from a volcano. Indigenous plants and tall green pines surround the crater, giving the stop a cool, leafy feel. You will not walk down into the crater. The main reward is the broad view from above, including Curepipe, Rempart Mountain, Trois Mamelles, and the Port-Louis-Moka mountain range.

Allow about 35 minutes here. That is enough for photos and a look around, though not enough for a long walk. The crater is said to have erupted once and remained dormant for about 700,000 years, with experts considering a future eruption possible. That detail adds a little drama to what otherwise looks like a peaceful park.

Next comes Mare aux Vacoas, the island’s largest reservoir, with a capacity of almost 26 million cubic meters. This is a quieter stop. Thick forest surrounds the water, and the attraction is mainly the calm view rather than a formal visitor experience.

You get around 30 minutes here. I would treat it as a useful pause after the first stop, with time to take photographs and enjoy a less developed side of the island. If you prefer major monuments and active sightseeing at every stop, this may feel modest.

Alexandra Falls and Black River Gorges

Alexandra Falls sits at about 700 meters above sea level and is one of Mauritius’s best-known nature sites. A short visit gives you time to see the waterfall, take photographs, and look across the southeastern coast toward the turquoise sea.

A wooden platform provides a fuller view. The waterfall itself is important, but the wide coastal outlook is just as appealing. In wet conditions, the water may have more force, while the forested setting gives the stop its character at any time of year.

The stop lasts about 30 minutes. That keeps the day moving, but it also means you should not expect a long trail walk. Stay aware of your footwear and the ground around viewpoints. The operator specifically advises non-slip shoes.

The Black River Gorges viewpoint follows. The main lookout is only about a 3 to 5 minute walk from the road, so you do not need to commit to a demanding hike. From the high viewpoint, you look over deep valleys, wooded slopes, waterfalls, and the broad protected area of the national park.

The park covers almost 17,000 acres in southwestern Mauritius. This short stop cannot show you the full park, but it gives you a strong sense of its scale. There is also a waterfall to the right of the viewing area.

You have about 30 minutes here. The practical advantage is easy access. The practical limitation is that this is a viewpoint visit, not a national park trek. If walking through forest is a priority, you would need a separate, longer visit.

Grand Bassin and the 33-meter Shiva

Grand Bassin, also called Ganga Talao, is one of the most meaningful places on this route. The lake sits around 550 meters above sea level in the crater of an extinct volcano and is regarded as sacred by Mauritius’s Hindu community.

Temples and smaller shrines line the shore, with dedications to Lord Shiva and other gods. The enormous Lord Shiva statue is hard to miss. At 33 meters high, it gives the stop a powerful visual focus before you even reach the lake.

You have about 40 minutes here. Dress and behave respectfully around the religious site, and remember that this is more than a photo stop. The quiet water, shrine-filled shoreline, and mountain setting make it one of the day’s most memorable places.

This is also where the guide’s role matters most. One account praised the driver but criticized the lack of guidance inside the temple area, leaving the visitor to search for information independently. If you want cultural context, say so clearly when you arrive and ask your guide to accompany you where permitted. A private vehicle does not automatically mean a private walking tour at every stop.

Bois Chéri tea country

Bois Chéri is the day’s best connection to working Mauritius. Tea has an important place in the island’s agriculture and food culture, and this stop gives you more than a plantation photo.

A guide leads you through the tea factory and plantation, then you visit the tea production museum. You learn how tea is made and why production matters on the island. The factory visit lasts about an hour, making it one of the more substantial stops.

The high setting also gives you wide views across the southern part of Mauritius. Tea fields, factory buildings, and distant views create a different mood from the volcanic and religious sites earlier in the day.

Tea tasting is part of the appeal, and the supplied feedback gives this stop especially high marks. You should expect the experience to be more structured than the roadside viewpoints, with information about production and the history of tea in Mauritius.

If you enjoy food and local products, Bois Chéri may be the most satisfying stop. If factories do not interest you, it still earns its place because it breaks up the day with a clear sense of local industry.

The included three-course lunch

Lunch is included, with halal food, vegetarian and non-vegetarian choices, and non-alcoholic drinks. You should advise the operator about food allergies, illness, or dietary needs when booking.

The meal has been described as a three-course experience with examples such as chicken curry, fish salad as a starter, and vanilla ice cream. Exact dishes can vary, so use those as an indication rather than a guarantee.

This inclusion matters because the route is long and stops are spread across the southern part of the island. You do not have to spend part of the day searching for a restaurant or negotiating an unfamiliar menu. It also gives the schedule a proper pause rather than making you rush from one viewpoint to the next.

Still, lunch should not be the only reason you choose the outing. The strongest value comes from combining the meal with private transport and the two paid admissions. If you have strict dietary needs, communicate them early rather than relying on a last-minute request.

Gris Gris and the southern coast

Gris Gris brings you to a very different Mauritius. Instead of a sheltered swimming beach, you find cliffs, open sea, a small garden, and waves striking the rock below.

A path leads from the garden toward a small beach. The setting is attractive, but do not swim here. The waves and currents are strong, and the stop is intended for a walk, sea views, and photographs.

The planned time is about two hours, making Gris Gris one of the longest stops. That gives you a chance to slow down after the inland sightseeing. You can sit in the garden, walk along the path, and watch the water from a safe position.

The stop also passes through Souillac village, offering a glimpse of local life along the way. Do not expect a long guided village tour, but the drive adds a little context to the coastal section.

This is a good place to remember that Mauritius is not only white sand and calm lagoons. The southern coast can be rugged and forceful. Gris Gris shows you that character without asking you to take part in a risky water activity.

The Twenty-Three Colored Earth and Chamouny Waterfall

The final major attraction is the Twenty-Three Colored Earth at Valle Adventure Park. The earth formed as basaltic lava changed into clay minerals, producing a set of colored sand dunes surrounded by green plant life.

Descriptions of the site refer to red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple, and yellow tones. The title uses Twenty-Three Colored Earth, but the visible effect is best understood as a range of blended colors rather than neatly separated stripes. The result has a lunar, almost painted appearance.

You get about 40 minutes here. Entry is included, so you can focus on the viewing area and photographs rather than an additional ticket. The site is a quick visual reward, but it is not a place for a long hike.

The route also includes Chamouny Waterfall, described as a single-drop waterfall surrounded by dense plant growth. You have about 25 minutes here. That is enough for a brief look and photographs, though the short visit means you should not expect extensive exploration around the falls.

Together, these last stops finish the day with two different kinds of scenery: the colored earth is geological and carefully viewed, while the waterfall feels more like a quick encounter with the island’s wet interior.

How the private format affects the day

The vehicle is fully air-conditioned, and pickup and drop-off are offered at any hotel or accommodation in Mauritius. That is a meaningful benefit on a route with many road sections and changing elevations.

A private format also gives you some control. One positive account describes a driver who allowed enough time and adjusted to the group’s wishes. Another praised a guide for adding an unexpected viewpoint at the end. Ask about flexibility early, since the number of stops means an extra detour may require shortening another visit.

The tradeoff is that the quality of your day depends heavily on the person assigned to you. Manu and Deva are named as friendly, polite guides in the supplied comments, while another account wanted more active guiding at a cultural site. Be clear about whether you want simple transportation, site explanations, help with photographs, or a walking companion at Grand Bassin and Bois Chéri.

Who should book this experience

I would choose this outing if you have one free day for southern Mauritius and want the major highlights bundled together. It suits first-time visitors, couples, families, and anyone who prefers a private vehicle to public transport or self-driving.

It is also a good match if you want a mix of nature, culture, food, and geology. The day is not aimed at serious hikers, beach swimmers, or people who prefer to spend half a day at one attraction.

The price is fair when you use the included lunch, admissions, water, guide-driver, and hotel transport. The value drops if you dislike a busy schedule or already have a car and can visit the same places at your own speed.

Free cancellation is available until 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations inside that window are not refunded, and poor weather can lead to a different date or a full refund. Since the day depends on outdoor views, check the forecast before you commit.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want an efficient southern Mauritius sampler with the hard work handled for you. The best parts are Bois Chéri, Grand Bassin, Gris Gris, and the colored earth, while the reservoir and short viewpoints provide breathing space between the headline stops.

Before setting off, confirm the pickup time, tell the operator about dietary needs, wear non-slip shoes, and ask your guide for explanations at the religious and cultural sites. If you want leisurely walks or long stays at each attraction, choose a slower private day instead. For a one-day overview with lunch and transport included, this is a strong, practical choice.

FAQ

How long does the Southern Treasures tour last?

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

Is hotel pickup included?

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

Is lunch included?

Yes. A three-course lunch is included, with halal food, vegetarian and non-vegetarian options, and non-alcoholic drinks.

Can I request vegetarian food?

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

Are the attraction entrance fees included?

Entry to the Twenty-Three Colored Earth and its waterfall is included, as is entry to the Bois Chéri Tea Factory.

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 and viewing the coast.

What should I wear for the day?

Wear non-slip shoes. The tour includes viewpoints, gardens, paths, and waterfall areas where secure footwear is useful.