Mauritius: South of the Island Private Full-Day Tour

The best part of this tour is the way it links several sides of Mauritius in one long day: a volcanic crater, plantation country, sacred Hindu sites, waterfalls, wild cliffs, and big ocean views. The rum tasting at Rhumerie St Aubin and the tea stop at Bois Chéri give the day some local flavor beyond the usual photo stops.

I like the private vehicle and hotel pickup, since you avoid organizing several separate rides across the south. I also like the three-course Mauritian lunch, which gives you a proper pause after a busy morning. The main concern is timing and guide quality: one serious complaint described a taxi driver who provided no commentary and missed several planned stops, while other ratings praise the guide and the day itself.

Key points to know

• Private full-day route: You get pickup and drop-off at most accommodations in Mauritius, with transport in an air-conditioned vehicle.
• Two local tastings: St Aubin serves rum, while Bois Chéri offers tea tasting with a wide view over the surrounding countryside.
• Sacred Ganga Talao: The 33-meter Lord Shiva statue is one of the day’s most striking sights.
• Wild southern coast: Gris-Gris and Maconde show you the rougher, more dramatic side of Mauritius, away from resort beaches.
• Lunch included: A three-course meal with non-alcoholic drinks is part of the price, with vegetarian food available if requested.
• Allow for a packed day: The route covers much of the south and southwest in about 7 to 8 hours, so good shoes and realistic expectations matter.

A full day across Mauritius’s southern half

At $126 per person, this is not a quick scenic drive. It is a private, tightly packed tour that tries to cover much of southern and southwestern Mauritius in one outing.

That has a clear benefit. You can see places that are spread across the island without arranging taxis, hiring a car, or working out the best order yourself. Your driver picks you up at your accommodation, and the day includes transport, several admissions, tastings, lunch, and bottled water on arrival.

The tradeoff is simple: you will spend a fair amount of time in the vehicle. This itinerary has many stops, and some are short viewpoints rather than places where you linger for an hour. I would choose this tour for variety, convenience, and a first look at the south, not for a slow day in one village.

The private format also gives you more flexibility than a large coach excursion. You can ask questions, set your own pace within the schedule, and avoid waiting for a full bus. Still, the advertised route is ambitious, so ask at the start of the day that the driver confirm the main stops.

Trou aux Cerfs and Mare aux Vacoas set the scene

The first stop is Trou aux Cerfs, a dormant volcanic crater high above the island. At about 605 meters above sea level, it is surrounded by forest, indigenous plants, and tall green pine trees.

This is a useful opening stop because it gives you a quick sense of Mauritius as a volcanic island. You are not looking at a polished beach resort here. The crater and high elevation point to the island’s geological past, while the trees soften the view.

Next comes Mare aux Vacoas, the largest reservoir in Mauritius, with a capacity of almost 26 million cubic meters. Thick forest surrounds the water, and the stop offers a quieter change of pace after the crater.

Do not expect a major attraction with a long visitor program at either location. These are scenic pauses, best enjoyed with a few minutes outside the vehicle. They work well early in the day, when you want to get your bearings and start seeing the interior rather than rushing straight to the coast.

Rum tasting at Rhumerie St Aubin

Rhumerie St Aubin is one of the more distinctive stops. The distillery occupies a colonial house with a tropical setting, and the visit explains how local rum is made.

The tasting is not just a single sample. You can expect to try different flavors produced by the distillery, which makes this a better stop for understanding the range of Mauritian rum. The setting also gives the visit a strong sense of place, rather than feeling like a generic bar tasting.

I would treat the tasting as a cultural stop as much as a drinking stop. Rum production is tied closely to Mauritius’s sugar industry, and this visit helps connect the plantation areas you pass with one of the island’s best-known products.

The tour description calls the tasting boozily delicious, but keep your own limits in mind. You still have a long day ahead, several viewpoints to visit, and a vehicle ride over winding roads. If you do not drink alcohol, this stop may have less value for you, and the included tasting is not presented as an alcohol-free alternative.

There is one important practical warning. A serious complaint reported arriving when the distillery was closed on a weekend, along with other missed stops and no explanation from the driver. The general ratings are positive enough to suggest this is not the normal experience, but I would confirm operating days and the planned route before departure, especially if your tour falls on a weekend.

Bois Chéri tea country and the panoramic restaurant

Bois Chéri brings you into another major part of Mauritian life: tea production. A guide is meant to lead you through the factory and plantation, explaining the history of the estate and the role tea plays in the country.

This stop is useful because it shows the work behind a familiar drink. You get more than a plantation view. The factory visit is intended to explain processing, while the plantation gives you a better feel for how tea is grown in the highlands.

After the factory visit, tea tasting takes place at the Bois Chéri restaurant. The restaurant has a 360-degree panoramic view of the surrounding countryside, so the tasting comes with a strong visual payoff.

The timing here matters. This is a place where you will want a little room to look around, take photographs, and enjoy the view rather than being rushed from the vehicle to the next stop. Since the day has many scheduled points, ask your guide how long you have at the factory and restaurant.

One booking problem described the tea factory as closed by the time the group arrived. That makes the order of stops especially important. If the tea factory is a priority for you, confirm that it is included and open on your date. The experience is much more worthwhile when you get both the factory visit and the tea tasting, rather than only a drive past the plantation.

Ganga Talao and the Lord Shiva statue

Ganga Talao is the spiritual center of the route. The lake is a sacred Hindu site, and the 33-meter statue of Lord Shiva dominates the visit.

The sheer size of the statue makes this one of the day’s memorable sights. It is not simply another viewpoint or roadside stop. People come to pray, meditate, and walk beside the lake, so you should treat the area with respect and keep the mood quieter than at the tasting stops.

You do not need to share the religious tradition to appreciate the setting. The lake, surrounding hills, and statue give you a look at Mauritius as a culturally mixed country, not just a tropical holiday destination.

Dress and behavior should be modest and considerate. The supplied information does not list a formal dress code, but this is a place of worship, so avoid treating the stop like a hurried photo shoot. Your guide can help explain what you are seeing, which is another reason the quality of the guide matters here.

Alexandra Falls above the southern coast

At roughly 700 meters above sea level, Alexandra Falls is one of the main nature stops. The waterfall itself is the draw, but the wider view matters just as much. From the viewpoint, you can look toward the southeast coast and its turquoise water.

This is a good place to take a breath after the more structured factory and religious visits. The setting is open, green, and scenic, with little needed beyond time to look and take photographs.

The tour description suggests that the view can soothe the eye, which is fair, though do not expect a long hike or an adventurous waterfall outing. This is a viewpoint stop, not a demanding trek. That makes it suitable for many ages, but you should still wear the recommended non-slip shoes, especially if conditions are damp.

Gris-Gris shows Mauritius at its roughest

The coast at Souillac and Gris-Gris is different from the calm, postcard beaches often associated with Mauritius. Here, high cliffs fall sharply toward the sea, and the Indian Ocean wind is present throughout the year.

That contrast is one of the route’s strengths. You see a coast shaped by waves and cliffs rather than by swimming lagoons and resort sand. The view feels wilder and more exposed.

Be careful near edges and follow your guide’s instructions. The provided information does not promise a marked coastal walk or swimming, and this is not the place to expect gentle water. Gris-Gris is about the force of the sea, the wind, and the cliffs.

Gorge, Chamarel, and Maconde viewpoints

The Gorge Viewpoint adds another broad scene, with long green stretches across the interior. It is a quick way to appreciate the scale of the island, especially after the tighter views around the crater, plantation, and waterfall.

The Chamarel Viewpoint looks toward the west coast and Île aux Bénitiers. It is described as family-friendly and offers a wide coastal view, making it a practical stop for photographs without a strenuous walk.

Maconde is saved for the final viewpoint. The road and viewpoint give you the sensation of being surrounded by ocean, with the water visible on both sides. It is the sort of place where a few minutes outside the vehicle can be more rewarding than a long explanation.

These stops are easy to underestimate. They are not major attractions with museums or long trails, but together they create the visual rhythm of the day: forest, highland, coast, cliff, and open sea.

Make sure the driver knows you expect all three viewpoint stops. One poor experience involved Chamarel and Maconde being left off the route, along with the tea factory and rum distillery. That account is a warning to be clear at pickup, not proof that every departure has the same problem.

The three-course Mauritian lunch

Lunch is included at a local restaurant, with vegetarian and non-vegetarian choices and non-alcoholic drinks. You should advise the operator about vegetarian needs, allergies, or illness when booking.

The meal is important because this itinerary has a lot of stops. A proper three-course lunch gives you a chance to sit down rather than eating hurriedly in the vehicle or buying food between viewpoints.

The exact dishes are not specified, so do not book this expecting a particular menu. Think of it as a convenient included meal that adds value to the day, with the chance to taste local cooking in a restaurant setting.

The lunch also helps the $126 price make more sense. You are paying for private transport, a full day of driving, a certified guide-driver, admissions to St Aubin and Bois Chéri, both tastings, bottled water, and the meal. A solo visitor may find the price high compared with a public bus day, but the private logistics and coverage are the main reason to choose it.

Guide quality matters more than usual

This tour depends heavily on the person behind the wheel. The experience is advertised with a fully qualified certified private guide-driver, and the guide is expected to explain the stops in English, French, or Hindi.

When the guiding works, the itinerary has real value. A guide can explain the rum-making process, put Ganga Talao into context, point out the best views, and keep a long route moving at a sensible pace. Several ratings describe the day positively, including one that says the guide knew the island well.

But one very poor account describes a driver who acted only as a taxi driver, did not speak between stops, did not leave the vehicle at the sites, and seemed unsure of the route. That is a major failure for a sightseeing tour, particularly one built around interpretation and planned admissions.

At pickup, confirm that you have a guide-driver for the private excursion, not simply a transfer driver. It is also sensible to repeat the key stops: St Aubin, Bois Chéri, Ganga Talao, Alexandra Falls, Gris-Gris, Gorge, Chamarel, and Maconde. This takes a minute and can prevent confusion later.

Who should book this southern Mauritius tour

I would recommend it to you if you want to see many parts of Mauritius in one day and value door-to-door convenience. It is especially useful for a first visit, a short stay, or anyone who does not want to drive unfamiliar roads.

You will get the most from it if you enjoy a mix of scenery, food, plantation culture, religion, and short sightseeing stops. Families may appreciate the private vehicle and family-friendly viewpoints, while couples may like the combination of rum, tea, lunch, and dramatic coast.

I would be more cautious if your priority is a slow schedule, long walks, or beach time. This is a busy route, and the 7 to 8-hour duration leaves limited room for extended visits at each stop.

Children aged three and under are free, and an infant seat can be requested when booking. Wear non-slip shoes, carry sun protection, and tell the operator about dietary needs in advance. Pickup and drop-off are available at most hotels and accommodations in Mauritius, with the representative meeting you at reception in a uniform and Freshverde Holidays badge.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want a broad introduction to southern Mauritius, especially the tea factory, rum tasting, Ganga Talao, and coastal viewpoints. At $126 per person, it offers fair value when you use the included meal, admissions, tastings, private transport, and hotel pickup.

I would not book it without first confirming the guide, opening hours, and full route for your date. The positive experiences point to a rewarding day with a good island guide, but the poor account shows how much depends on proper coordination.

If the operator confirms that St Aubin and Bois Chéri are open and that every listed viewpoint is planned, this is a practical way to see the south in one packed day. Just expect variety and convenience, not a leisurely pace.

FAQ

How long does the South of Mauritius private tour last?

The tour lasts about 8 hours, with the itinerary also described as a 7 to 8-hour southwest excursion.

Is hotel pickup included?

Yes. Pickup and drop-off are available at most hotels and accommodations in Mauritius. The representative meets you at reception wearing a uniform and a Freshverde Holidays badge.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. The experience is offered as a private group tour with private transportation in a fully air-conditioned vehicle.

Which languages can the guide speak?

The tour is offered with live guiding in English, French, or Hindi.

Are rum and tea tastings included?

Yes. The price includes rum tasting at Rhumerie St Aubin and tea tasting at the Bois Chéri restaurant, along with entrance to the St Aubin distillery and Bois Chéri tea factory and tea route.

Is lunch included?

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

Can children join the tour?

Yes. Children aged three and under are free. You should request an infant seat when booking if one is needed.

What should I wear or tell the operator before the tour?

Wear non-slip shoes. You should also advise the operator about vegetarian requirements, food allergies, or illness when booking.