2 days in Mauritius

Day by day

1. Day 1: Le Morne Brabant and Chamarel Seven Coloured Earths and waterfall

   Le Morne Brabant, Chamarel Seven Coloured Earths and waterfall, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden and Black River Gorges National Park, then Grand Baie in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Le Morne Brabant

      A trail climbs to a viewpoint with a cross and then, more steeply, to the summit, with views over the lagoon and the reef's 'underwater waterfall' illusion.

   2. Late morning

      Chamarel Seven Coloured Earths and waterfall

      A small patch of rippled volcanic dunes in shades of red, brown, violet and yellow, formed by the weathering of basalt, inside a nature park that also has a viewpoint over the 100-metre Chamarel waterfall and a pen of giant Aldabra tortoises.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Dholl puri

      Street stalls around Port Louis Central Market and in every town; locals queue at well-known vendors at lunchtime.

   4. Afternoon

      Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden

      Official guides at the gate explain the plants and their uses.

   5. Late afternoon

      Black River Gorges National Park

      Trails such as the Macchabée loop pass waterfalls and viewpoints, and endemic birds including the pink pigeon and Mauritius kestrel survive here.

   6. Evening

      Grand Baie

      The island's main nightlife area, with bars along the coast road and clubs busy on Friday and Saturday nights.

2. Day 2: Grand Bassin (Ganga Talao) and Île aux Cerfs

   Grand Bassin (Ganga Talao), Île aux Cerfs, L'Aventure du Sucre and Port Louis Central Market, then Flic en Flac in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Grand Bassin (Ganga Talao)

      A 33-metre statue of Shiva, Mangal Mahadev, stands at the entrance, and hundreds of thousands of pilgrims walk here for Maha Shivaratri.

   2. Late morning

      Île aux Cerfs

      A small island in the east-coast lagoon with white-sand beaches, a golf course and water-sports centres, reached by boat from Trou d'Eau Douce or on catamaran day trips that stop at a waterfall on the Grande Rivière Sud-Est on the way.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Farata

      Street stalls and snack vans in Port Louis, Rose-Hill and beach car parks.

   4. Afternoon

      L'Aventure du Sucre

      The visit ends with tastings of unrefined sugars and local rums.

   5. Late afternoon

      Port Louis Central Market

      Stalls outside serve dholl puri, alouda and gâteaux piments, making it the best place for a street-food lunch.

   6. Evening

      Flic en Flac

      Beach bars and restaurants with live music on weekend evenings.

If it rains

• Swap in Blue Penny Museum (Port Louis): Pair it with lunch and a stroll around Le Caudan Waterfront next to the harbour.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 19–24 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.9 hours in June to 13.4 hours in December.

Getting between stops: Car. Hiring a car gives the most freedom for the southwest loop and the south coast.

More or fewer days

• One day in Mauritius
• 3 days in Mauritius
• 5 days in Mauritius

Questions travellers ask