I thought I’d write about where I was born since many people have never heard of it. Mauritius is an Island off the east coast of Africa, about a 2 hour flight east of Madagascar. It is multicultural with people of African, Indian and Asian ancestry! The island is well connected by several major airlines with daily flights from France and direct flights from South Africa, England, Germany, India and Dubai, UAE.

1. Swim with wild dolphins!

Mauritius is one of the few places in the world where you can swim with wild dolphins. If there is one thing you must do during your trip, it's definitely this one! Tours regularly leave from the West of the Island at Tamarin Beach from 6-7 am. There are many companies advertising the dolphin tour but I’ve seen some of their boats chasing the dolphins so be sure to read reviews before picking one. I chose a local fisherman. We left from Tamarind beach at 6 am and he took us past the reefs into open water where we spotted the dolphins. I have done this tour several times and in May (winter in Mauritius), the dolphins are usually much farther from shore and it takes some time to reach them. When you leave at 6-7 am, the sun is only starting to rise so the visibility is poor and the water appears dark. In the summer months, I’ve noticed that the pods stick much closer to shore and you can see the dozens of boats circling around them from shore. Once you arrive near the dolphins, the skipper will line up the boat and tell you when to jump in. Dolphins are extremely fast swimmers so it helps if you’re a good swimmer as the water can be quite deep and you sometimes cannot see the bottom. However, you will not be able to keep up with them no matter how good a swimmer you are. If you are lucky, some of them will slow down and approach you. The experience is surreal, some curious dolphins may get very close to check you out and you can see their eyes watching you and then swiftly return to their pod. The pod we encountered was a group of females with their calves. After we got back on the boat, they performed some jumps for us, you can see it in the video above!

Our guide took us to the reef after where we were free to snorkel for as long as we wanted. Make sure to ask about this when booking. The locals refer to this reef area as “aquarium” and it is filled with fish. I have also seen barracudas and squids around here.

Video: Skip to 4:50 if you want to see the dolphins

In recent years, this area has become overcrowded with boats and it looks more like chasing dolphins than swimming with dolphins. Several boat tours are reckless and cut in front of other boats to drop their clients in the path of the oncoming dolphins. This seems invasive for the dolphins but also dangerous for tourists as a boat could run you over with its sharp propellers. In addition, there are now kayaks and paddleboards in the water, all adding to the chaos. If you are able to book a private tour, I highly encourage you to do so. Even better, I’ve noticed that when you are not trying to chase the dolphins, they will approach your boat by themselves and swim alongside and specially in front of the bow (the front of the boat creates a wave that pushes the dolphins forward so they don’t have to swim as hard).

2. Day Trip to Ile Aux Cerfs (+ Parasailing)

Ile Aux Cerfs is a small island located on the east side of Mauritius. Boats leave daily from the docks at Trou d’Eau Douce. This island is very popular so you will see it advertised at any place that offer tourist activities and day trips. You can book a simple day trip or one that includes all the activities like parasailing and the underwater walk. There are also activities available directly on the island but they will be overpriced. The tours may take you up the river first to visit the Grand Riviere Sud Est waterfall. We were lucky to spot some monkeys along the river and our guide stopped to let us interact with them. I highly recommend you do the waterfall activity in the early morning because I have done it in the afternoon and did not see any monkeys. Afterwards, you can choose to go parasailing or do the underwater walk. I found parasailing to be way more fun than the underwater walk since the view up there is breathtaking while the speedboat pulls you across the lagoon. The underwater walk was underwhelming; it was more of a underwater “stand” and look at fish. If you opt to hire the entire boat, you will have the advantage of planning your day the way you want but it will cost you more per person depending on the number of people in your group. We chose to do all the activities first, then have lunch (included) on the island and we asked our skipper to take us to another spot for snorkeling in the afternoon. The boat ride to the island is very quick, only about 15 minutes on a speedboat.

Video: skip to 1:00 to see Ile Aux Cerfs

3. Go Whale Watching

Mauritius is home to the majestic sperm whale. These whales live together in families called pods. They can be found around the island year round and can be observed during whale watching trips. These trips can take anywhere from 3-6 hours depending on where the whales are hanging out that particular day. The tour guide on the boat will use a hydrophone to listen to the whales to help locate them then you will head off in that direction. The boat ride can be very rocky depending on the weather so plan ahead and take some nausea medication if you tend to get seasick. During the winter months (starting around June until September), humpback whales also visit Mauritius to mate and give birth. These whales put on a bigger display than the sperm whales and tend to jump out of the water. They're also amazing singers! Unfortunately, I haven't been on a humpback whale watching trip but I imagine they are just as impressive. I did spot one a few years back on a scuba diving trip in the north and it was mesmerizing!

A victim of its own success, the whale watching tours are also sadly starting to resemble the overcrowded chaos of the Dolphin Tours I mentioned above. The first time I went, there was around 3 boats. Recently, that has increased to 6.

4. Snorkel at Blue Bay Marine Park

Located in the south of the island, Blue Bay is a must visit. The bay here is protected as a marine reserve. There is a diverse array of species to see here. While snorkeling, I spotted a puffer fish, parrot fish and schools of damsel fish. I also saw a turtle resting on the corals.

You do not need to book anything in advance. Head to the beach the day of and you will find numerous kiosks along the beach. They will approach you to offer their services. You can definitely negotiate the price. For the 4 of us for 1 hour of snorkeling, it cost about $27 and we had our own boat + skipper. Tip: bring some bread with you either from your hotel or from the stands across the beach. The fish will go crazy for it.  

The boat ride to the snorkeling spot is quick, about 5-10 minutes only. I do not suggest swimming out by yourself as it is a quite far and the water depth increases to 20-25m until you reach the corals. They will provide you with a mask and snorkel. Fins are not allowed here in order to protect the corals from damage. Be sure to use a reef-safe sunscreen to avoid harming the corals.

5. Pet giant Aldabra tortoises and watch the crocodile feeding at Crocodile Park

La Vanille Nature Park is a reserve that is built right into the forest and it’s surrounded by lush tropical plants and tall trees everywhere. While the main attraction are the crocodiles, the scenery is simply stunning. Check the feeding times on their website before you go so you don’t miss the feeding. They usually feed them around 11 am with pieces of chicken. You can also try crocodile meat if you choose at their restaurant. I tried the degustation platter which included smoked and deep fried crocodile. I’d say it tasted like a mix between chicken and white fish.

Tip: there is a wide open area of the park where they have giant tortoises. You can buy food to feed them there or break off some leaves from the branches of the trees nearby. It is impressive how big they can grow here. You are free to pet them but do NOT sit on them. I wore bright green shoes and one of them kept trying to eat it.

Video: skip to 3:25

6. Swim at Pereybere Beach

Pereybere beach is located in the North of Mauritius, just a few minutes away from the popular tourist town of Grand-Baie. The beach here is relatively small compared to others in Mauritius but what makes this the best place to swim is the velvety smooth sand. You won’t find rocks or corals here. The sand is warm and soft to stand on, it’s almost like swimming in a pool! There are schools of small fish that occasionally swim by you. There are also nearby food trucks selling kebabs, coconuts and ice cream. What more could you ask for?

Hot tip #1: this isn’t really a good beach for sunbathing. The beach area is small and gets crowded at times.

Hot tip #2: There’s a resident turtle to the right of the beach. You can sometimes see him break the surface to breath. I spotted him from my paddleboard.

7. Go Hiking at Le Morne Brabant

Being a volcanic island, Mauritius has many beautiful mountains that make it a great place for those who love hiking. There are plenty of hikes to choose from. My personal favourite is Le Morne Mountain, located at the South Western Tip of Mauritius. This is probably the most famous one as well because of that underwater waterfall effect that you see over the lagoon once you reach the top.

The hike takes about 1.5 hours each way. It is not particularly difficult until you get close to the summit. At that point, the rocks are quite steep and there are ropes installed to help you climb to the top. Avoid on rainy days as the area can get very slippery.

Hot Tip: Bring lots of water, a hat, sunscreen and bug spray. The area is open to access for all and you can hike without paying for a tour.

This area also has important historical and cultural significance. During Mauritius’ slavery days, run-away slaves would hide in the mountain and use it as shelter. According to legend, after slavery was abolished in Mauritius, soldiers arrived to announce the slaves of their freedom. Upon seeing them, the escaped slaves feared that they would recaptured and forced into slavery again. They chose their freedom and jumped off the mountain to their death over slavery.

Le Pouce (“The Thumb”) is another mountain that has gorgeous views of the capital Port Louis.

8. Take a Catamaran to the Northern Islands (Round Island, Flat Island and Gabriel Island)

The northern islands of Mauritius are some of the most beautiful yet peaceful. The most popular are Round Island, Flat Island and Gabriel Island. Your adventure begins in Grand Bay on the Northern Coast where catamarans depart for these stunning destinations around 8:30 in the morning (close to the Super U, Grand Bay). If you're staying in the North of the island, you'll find numerous shops and stalls in town offering day trip packages. For those staying at resorts or farther from the North, a quick Google search can help you discover tour companies and you can easily reach out to them via WhatsApp. These island excursions typically include a delightful BBQ lunch, an open bar both on board the catamaran and on the island itself, providing the perfect opportunity to savour some local Mauritian rum and beers. Don't forget to pack a hat and plenty of sunscreen to protect yourself from the sun's rays. Don’t forget to bring your waterproof camera and if you happen to have a drone, bring it along for capturing breathtaking scenic photos but please make sure to fly it away from other people to maintain the tranquility of these beautiful beaches without disrupting other people’s vacations.

9. Go Scuba Diving

With warm water year round and great visibility, Mauritius is the perfect destination to go scuba diving. Coral reefs surround the island almost entirely and they're a short boat ride to reach most dive sites. There are many dive shops all over the island.
Now I have been diving mostly in the North and only once in the West at Flic en Flac and based on my personal experience, I would not recommend Flic en Flac. This could have just been an unlucky experience because I have been snorkeling at the reef there and it was absolutely beautiful and full of corals and marine life. I've seen schools of barracudas, squid, damsel fish.
The North has the best dive sites in my opinion, I have been lucky to see many schools of fish here, along with octopus and turtles over many dives. I once saw a humpback whale during our surface interval!

10. Walk with lions (ethical?) at Casela

I previously wrote about this experience and highly recommended it. However, after visiting Thailand and learning about captive elephants and watching documentaries such as Blackfish and The Cove, I feel that the ethics of this activity is highly questionable. There is a lot of grey area here, for example, where are these lions sourced from? What happens to them as they get older and are no longer fit for human interaction? The lion cubs at the park are separated early on from their mothers and you can see them in a separate enclosure being handled by humans. I leave you to consider these before making your own decision.

At Casela Safari, you will have the chance to get up close and personal with lions. They offer both a lion interaction and a walk with lions. I’ve done both and the walk was definitely more fun. The lions are not drugged in any way and you will see them stretching and climbing trees during your walk. Make sure to bring your camera as the price they charge for their video is not worth it in my opinion.

Book online as spots can fill up quickly during high season.

This activity also includes the entrance ticket to Casela so allow for plenty of time to visit the rest of the park after. They have a myriad of different species of birds, hippos and giraffes.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my experience as you plan your trip. I will continuously update this page with new activities and information. Leave a comment below if you have any questions.

This post was already published in August 2022 and has been updated since.

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