Southern Mauritius
Domaine des Grands Bois covers over 2000 acres of magnificent parkland, rich in lush and exotic fauna. Ebony, eucalyptus, palm trees and wild orchids provide the backdrop for stags, deer, monkeys and other wildlife.
Near Souillac, in the wild south, La Vanille Crocodile Park breeds Nile crocodiles imported from Madagascar. The site offers a vast park with a nature walk through luxuriant forest studded with freshwater springs. A small zoo of animals found in the wild in Mauritius is also located here.
Situated nearby, the Rochester Falls can be reached by a road which crosses a sugar plantation that is open to visitors. Water cascades over spectacular rock formations. Spectacular joints have been formed by the contraction of lava due to sudden cooling. Within a short distance of Bois Cheri, Grand Bassin rests in the crater of an extinct volcano, this is one of the island’s two natural lakes. It is a place of pilgrimage for a large number of Mauritians of the Hindu faith.
To the southwest lies Plaine Champagne, the highest part of the central plateau (740m/2430ft), from where there is a superb view of the Rivire Noire Mountains and the sea lining the horizon. The forest-clad slopes contain some fine specimens of indigenous timber and interesting plants peculiar to the island. For the keen birdwatcher, the mountains are the habitat of most of the remaining indigenous species.
A twisting, tarred road leads from Case Noyale village to Chamarel. This is an area of undulating land of seven contrasting layers of coloured dunes: blue, green, red and yellow earth, believed to be the result of weathering. The nearby Chamarel Waterfall emerges from the moors and the primeval vegetation and is very beautiful.
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