One of the reasons why we rented a car was to discover new places, to do unique things nearby Le Morne. There are many interesting things to do in Le Morne, Mauritius, aside from just staying at the resort

So, on our first day in Le Morne we did a road trip; From Le Morne – Chamarel – Black River Gorges National Park – Bois Cheri – Souillac- Le Morne

What we wanted to visit are the following: Chamarel with the Seven Earth Colors, Black River Gorges National Park, and the Victoria Falls and Bois Cheri Bubble Lodge and Tea Plantation.

The trip was quite long, by car it took us almost the entire day, disregard the google map duration as to when you get stuck behind the buses the trip can be much longer. From our hotel, we left around 9:30am, heading north towards La Gauellette, where you can withdraw some cash if you wish to ( ATMs were very limited in Le Morne), then we took a tiny twisty road to Chamarel. You have nice viewpoints on the way (the most famous ones are where the taxis stop).

Chamarel: There are many exciting things to do in Chamarel. From historical sites to cultural attractions, most of the activities are located in the same area/road – there’s an entrance fee to access to the attractions depending on which one you wish to visit (Waterfalls, Seven Coloured Earth, Lavilleon Natural Forest and Ebony Forest) For us, we paid 7$ per person for the waterfall and the seven coloured earth.

Chamarel Waterfalls- is the highest waterfall in Mauritius, it was nice to visit but nothing really special in there, it was purely sightseeing.

Chamarel Seven Colored Earth- a relatively small area of sand dune comprising sand of seven distinct colors (approximately red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple, and yellow). There’s a small restaurant in this area if you wish for a small bite.

Another place to visit or things to do in Chamarel is the Rhum factory, however, it was a bit more touristic, but the surrounding is beautiful. We just passed by, because we are not going to buy nor drink, an entrance fee of 13$/person.

So, we drove straight to Victoria falls. In the Black River Gorges National Park, some treks are possible for a few hours or for a day. The Victoria falls were okay, but again, not really impressive, however, if you need greenery and scenic route in the mountain, this must be good.

Passing by Le Petrin, there are two massive statues on both sides of the road. When we were there, it was Mahashivaratree Festival, a most spectacular pilgrimage for Hindu to Grand Bassin, that takes place at the end of February or the beginning of March every year. The road was quite busy, but it was acceptable.

Then we continued our road trip to Bois Cheri, where the other Bubble Lodge in Mauritius is located. We really wanted to see it just to have a bit of comparison to where we stayed in Ile Aux Cerfs. I made a separate post about Bubble Lodge In Ile Aux Cerfs if you want to learn more.

In Bois Cheri, you can visit the tea plantation, tea museum and factory, and a tea tasting at the chalet. We did not do the full visit, we had our lunch at the restaurant near to the Bubble Lodge. The place was full, and it was noisy inside, however, the food and the view were great. So we rushed to finish our food as we couldn’t bear the noise and we managed to ask the right person if it is possible to visit one of the bubbles.

And then, we drove back to Le Morne passing by Souillac, it was a long drive. Please note that from 3pm, the road gets busy because of the school buses. With narrow roads, without proper bus stops, it does not allow you much to overtake. We reached our hotel at 5:00pm, it was perfect to catch the sunset by the beach while sipping a frozen margarita and we called it a day!

Snorkeling in Dinarobin & Paradis Beachcomber Resort

This activity is free of charge for both Dinarobin and Paradis guests. However, this must be booked at the sports center. From Dinarobin, you have to take the buggy to Le Paradis for around 10minutes. The sports center is located at the end of the Paradis beach. You will go on a boat with a crew, and in our case, we were a group of 7, and it was not that far from the main resort. There are 2 spots in this area located in the map showed below.

Water was relatively clear, but the corals are dying, and I was not impressed by the underwater beauty. You can enjoy snorkeling for around 30 minutes then he will take you back to the resort. Please keep in mind that, no water and towels will be provided on the boat neither at the sports center.

You can also do other water sport activities, they have paddleboard, hobby cat, wakeboard, ski nautic and more…. For the less sporty people or older guests, you can book a boat with a glass bed, meaning that you can look at the fish through the boat and you do not have to go in the water.

Horse Riding by the beach with Haras de Morne

You have to book this activity through the hotel or you can contact Haras du Morne directly. They will come and pick you up at your hotel. There are 2 moments in the day that are in demand, early morning and sunset ride. In our case, both were not available, so we went from 16:00 to 17:00 (Sunset was at 18:30).

After filling up the administrative paper, you will be presented to your horse. For the first-timer, you will be given a more gentle horse to walk you through the beach, but if you have a bit of experience you are allowed to do horseback riding. I believe they also offer horseback riding in the mountains to those who are more experienced.

Hiking to Le Morne Mountain from ‘Slave Route’ till the summit ‘Cross of the Slaves’

This is the most interesting things to do in Le Morne Mauritius, at least for us, Climbing Le Morne mountain with a guide, was a truly breathtaking and one-of-a-kind activity we did. We booked this activity through our hotel concierge, or you can contact him directly. The guide will come and pick you up at your hotel. I suggest, the earlier the better.

The walk will take you from sea level to the very pinnacle of Le Morne Brabant, 450m above sea level, ending at the Croix des Esclaves (‘Cross of Slaves’), a monument erected to pay tribute to the memory of slaves in Mauritius, in particular those slaves who died on that mountain. The hike has two parts, the easy part and the climbing part going to the summit as per the map below marked in red.

The climb took us 3 hours and 1h30min, on the way down. We were a group of 3 kids, 5 adults, and 1 guide. For the first 250m, it was an easy walk along a wide path surrounded by dense vegetation. If you don’t feel like going to the summit, this stops you see amazing views already on both sides, but if you can, please keep going.

The next 150 m is a little tricky, as the path gets steeper and narrower, that’s why it is always good to have a guide for our safety, but as you reach the last 100m or so, you’ll enjoy the most striking views on the mountain. On reaching the mountain summit, you’ll be truly amazed by the magnificent viewpoints overlooking the west coast and the sense of achievement, a priceless reward that comes close to no other feeling.

What made our hike unique was, our guide Allan was not just a guide, I can feel his true passion for nature. He will explain to you and share with you the secrets of the plants, tales of day-to-day life in Mauritius, a little about the history of Le Morne, and its importance of their culture. He has a knowledge of medicinal plants that he learned it from his grandfather.

Water will be provided and carried by the guide. I highly recommend that you take a backpack, wear comfortable clothes, hiking shoes, or trainers with a good grip, sun cream, mosquito repellent, and a hat.

Beachcomber SPA

After the hike, we treated ourselves a massage and spent the rest of our afternoon at the SPA. It was the perfect place to relax and enjoy some refreshments before and after treatment while marveling at a different perspective of the majestic Morne Mountain. SPA was my most favorite area of the hotel during our stay, however, it was exclusive only for the guests who are having a treatment.

If you are a yoga lover, they also offer a yoga class in the morning, but you have to book it in advance as slots were limited.

You might want to consider reading our Ultimate 7-Day Itinerary in Mauritius and hope I shared some helpful information and thank you for your time. Comment down below if you have any questions or feel free to email me at infomail@jesschatenay.com if you want more information, I will try my best to help you. 

Bisous,

C’est Jess