A holiday to the tropical paradise of Mauritius it was like a dream come true for us and we where lucky enough to enjoy it for a week. It seems little time to spend there and it was, but we made the best of it and we did many things. So here I will share my second blog post about this astonishing island and many ideas about what you can see and do there.
We visited the picturesque village of Chamarel and gazing down at what must be one of the most spectacular panoramas it was pure bliss. You must know that Chamarel is a private property where you can buy a ticket to visit the waterfalls and the spectacular 7 coloured Earth.
CHAMAREL
The enchanting village is nestled amidst hills on the west coast of Mauritius in the Riviรจre Noire District. This little village is mostly famous for the 7 Coloured Earth Geopark, a stunning waterfall, exquisite rum distillery, scenic drive and impressive coffee plantations. You can visit this place for only one day, but you can split the visit in two days if you want to explore more and take things slower.
price fee
You can enter the park for the price of $6 per person.
parking in Chamarel
You have to know that Seven Colored Earth has a separate parking lot, so you need to drive a bit between the attractions, but that’s easy enough. The Chamarel Waterfall entrance fee is included in the ticket to Seven Colored Earth and it’s also very close to the waterfall.
CHAMAREL COLOURED EARTH
In the middle of the tropical mountains, the Earth abruptly opens up and reveals the most mysterious place in Mauritius, unparalleled sand dunes. These are not just ordinary sand dunes, they have seven colours, perfect shape and we still can’t explain how this natural gem was millions of years ago formed, but most likely, we can blame the volcanic activity. Hot lava, cool air, different temperatures, iron, aluminium and some natural processes surely created this perfect and colourful combination, but it is still hard to explain how is it possible, that the colours are perfectly separated.
The impressive colours are given due to the tropical weather conditions, all water soluble elements such as silicon dioxide have been washed out. The remains are the reddish black iron and aluminium oxides which create shades in blue, cyan and purple. The various colors developed due to the different compositions.
CHAMAREL WATERFALL
The Chamarel Waterfall is a must visit place while you are in Chamarel. This place looks like a fairytale, just it is real and you can visit it. The waterfall it’s surrounded by lush greenery and fed by two rivers, this waterfall is best to be seen in the rainy season, or after torrential rain when the volume of the flowing water almost doubles.
It can be seen only from up, it is not allowed to go down. There are the two viewing platforms who offer stunning views of the waterfall and it’s only a short walk from the parking lot, where you can safely park your car if you drive there by yourself.
GANGA TALAO TEMPLE
I prefer nature, but I must say that I love visiting temples, because of the awesome architecture and everything about them. Considered by many as the most sacred Hindu place in Mauritius, Grand Bassin or the Ganga Talao is a large lake formed out of a crater, situated near the western boundaries of the island, atop the mountains. This is the perfect place for Hindus to meditate, chant, make offerings and pray and it serves as an important pilgrim site during Maha Shivaratri. The ambiance is pure tranquility and it smells like incense which makes it perfect for an evening visit.
BEACHES
If you’re dreaming of crystal clear water, white powdery sand and adventurers of snorkelling above the coral reefs that dot the shore teeming with an array of exotic marine life, from stunning starfish to slinky moray eels, then Mauritius is your place. When we visited Mauritius it rained a lot and I mean a lot, it was so crazy that everybody on the island had been prohibited for one day to get out of their house or hotel because of the flood, but with all this we still had some clear days where we could enjoy the beaches.
LE MORNE BEACH
This beach is a little bit hidden way down south of Mauritius and it is hardly visited, meaning that here you can sit quietly and listen to the sound of waves. Well.. you’ll meet a few cute doggies, but who doesn’t like that, right? This pristine beach is a a perfect place to chill out under the palm tress, soak up the sun and enjoy the slower pace of life. Even thought is not very visited, the parking lot is pretty close to the beach and it is completely free of charge.
BLUE BAY BEACH
This little corner of the island embodies the authentic spirit of Mauritius, providing visitors with a refreshing escape from the hustle and bustle of the other beaches with much more noise and restaurants. This is the place where you can just bask in the islandโs natural beauty, with breathtaking views of the sea and lush greenery at every turn and of course, more doggies. We did not snorkel here, but I heard that this beach offers a stunning underwater life.
TROU AU BICHES
This one is great to enjoy a beach day like no other at this picturesque oasis, where the powdery white sand stretches for over 10 kilometres, making it one of the longest beaches on the island and that also means, there is plenty of space for everybody. The beach is famous for its dazzling water colours, awesome snorkelling, here we did snorkel and it was amazing, but I will make a different blog for it. The beach is perfect for water sports, like kayak, paddle board, diving and also a great place to have lunch, because the beach has plenty of restaurant offering delicious meals.
facilities
Clean public toilets, showers and changing rooms are available, while sun loungers and umbrellas can be rented for a hassle free beach day. The parking lot is super close and across the road you can find a few supermarkets.
GRIS GRIS BEACH
The absence of the coral reef barrier near Souillac makes Gris Gris one of the most rugged places in the whole Mauritius and as we all know, without a reef to protect the shores this part of the island is exposed to the enormous waves and strong winds. This makes this beach well known for rough seas and windy days which attracts many visitors curious to see this natural phenomenon altogether with a beautiful landscape. Although Gris Gris is wild and untamed, there is something very calming and soothing about this place
The absence of the coral reef barrier near Souillac makes Gris Gris one of the most rugged places in the whole Mauritius and as we all know, without a reef to protect the shores this part of the island is exposed to the enormous waves and strong winds. This makes this beach well known for rough seas and windy days which attracts many visitors curious to see this natural phenomenon altogether with a beautiful landscape. Although Gris Gris is wild and untamed, there is something very calming and soothing about this place.
FLIC EN FLAC BEACH
This beach is very visited as being amongst the most famous in Mauritius and for us was a must visit. Our visit here was a little adventure because of the flood and the crazy rain, we had to drive the car on a street with half meter of water to make it to the beach. But we still had a few hours of good weather. This beach is great to take a speedboat, go out in the sea and see dolphins super close where you’ll be surrounded by mountains and beautiful scenery. But of course, all these with good weather.
facilities
Parking here is very easy and plenty of space for many cars and many restaurants lined up the street behind the beach.
Madeleine ๐ 
The 7 coloured earth reminds me of Peru’s rainbow mountains. Would love to visit one day.