The South of Mauritius: Coast, Ocean and Forest

Your Arrival
You land on the south-east corner of the island, a short distance from where you will stay. From the moment you step off the aircraft, the formalities are handled, and the journey to your coastal villa is ours to manage. The afternoon is yours — the pool, the beach, the quiet of your villa as the pace drops.

The coast, at your own pace
A free day, and the one the journey is built around. For those who want it, the walk: a kilometre and a half south from La Cambuse beach, where the reef thins and the lagoon opens into the Indian Ocean. Past the coastal dunes that hold the shore in place, to a stand of royal palms where the sound of the sea falls away. Clear water, a sea with some movement in it, and a coastline that keeps its own company. Nothing is booked. The day is time in the water and time at rest.

The islet and the lagoon, by private boat
A full day on the water, on a private boat with a skipper who knows this stretch of coast.

The morning begins at Île aux Aigrettes, a small coral islet off Mahébourg cared for by the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation. It holds the last of Mauritius’s coastal reserve, and decades of patient restoration have returned species that had vanished from the mainland — the pink pigeon among them, and Aldabra giant tortoises. A guided walk with the reserve’s team shows what that work involves.

From there, into the Indian Ocean to snorkel over the coral, and on to a quiet islet where lunch is set out on the sand. The afternoon is unhurried — the ocean, the boat, the light — before you return to your villa.

A second free day, by design. The journey leaves a day between the water and the highlands — for the spa, the pool, a return to the coast, or nothing at all.

Chamarel and the endemic forest
A day inland, where the landscape changes entirely, from coast to forested volcanic uplands.

The morning is at the Ebony Forest Reserve above Chamarel, a restoration project bringing native Mauritian forest back to land cleared generations ago. A guided walk moves through endemic trees and birdsong to viewpoints over the south-west coast, and you plant endemic saplings into the recovery yourself — a small, real part of the forest’s return.

In the afternoon, the Rhumerie de Chamarel, an estate distillery producing fine agricultural rum from cane grown in the valley around it, hosts you for a private tasting. The day ends back at your villa.

Departure
A last morning at the villa before the journey to the airport — close by, and ours to handle from your door to the lounge.

The journey is set in the private pool villas at Constance Le Chaland — the most secluded accommodation on the property, each with its own pool, sundeck, dining sala, and a butler on hand.

The Two Bedroom Pool Villa measures 270 square metres: two ensuite bedrooms opening onto an indoor living room, a private pool and sundeck, a dining sala and kitchenette, and sleeping up to six. It suits a couple wanting room to spread out, or a family.

The Four Bedroom Pool Villa measures 395 square metres: four ensuite bedrooms, a garden, a private pool, and indoor and outdoor living areas, sleeping up to twelve. It suits a family group or two couples travelling together.

Both places put you a few steps from the beach, and from the start of the coastline this journey is built around.

The intention is that you arrive and never have to think about logistics again.

On arrival, you are met as you step off the aircraft and taken through a private airport lounge, the immigration and baggage formalities handled on your behalf while you wait in comfort. From there, a private transfer to the villa — a short drive on this corner of the island.

Through the journey, every movement is private and arranged in advance. The boat on day three is yours alone, with its own skipper. The day in Chamarel is led by a private guide, with private transfers to the highlands and back. There are no group departures and no fixed coach times to meet; the journey moves at your pace.

On departure, you are collected from your villa and taken to the airport, through the private lounge again, the formalities handled so that the last hours of the journey are as unhurried as the first.

The journey begins at EUR 8,000 per person, based on two guests sharing a Two Bedroom Pool Villa, with all experiences described here, daily breakfast, lunch and dinner at the hotel, all private transfers, and private arrival and departure through the Jet Prime lounge. From there it moves with you — the villa, the season, the pace, what you add or leave aside — and we give you a clear quote once we know your dates and who is travelling.

How many nights do I need for this journey?
The journey is built as five nights, which is enough to settle into the villa, take both excursion days without rushing, and keep two days entirely free. It can be extended if you would like more time on the coast, or paired with a few nights elsewhere on the island.

Is this journey suitable for families?
Yes. The villas accommodate families comfortably, and the boat day and the forest day both work well for older children. We will adjust the pace and the activities to suit the ages travelling.

Can we swim on the south coast?
The south coast is more open than the island’s lagoon-protected beaches, with clearer but more active water. It rewards confident swimmers who read the conditions, and it is a fine coast to walk. For flat, sheltered swimming, the lagoon around île aux Aigrettes — part of the boat day — is calmer for snorkelling.

How much of the journey is scheduled?
Two of the five days are excursion days; two are entirely free; the first and last are arrival and departure. The free days can be lightly arranged on request, but the journey is intentionally built around space rather than a full programme.

What happens if the weather affects the boat day?
The day on the water is weather-dependent. We hold it as the flexible point in the journey and move it with the conditions — the order of the two excursion days can be swapped so that nothing is lost.

When is the best time of year to take this journey?
The south-east coast is beautiful year-round, though conditions vary by season. We advise on timing once we know when you are thinking of travelling, so the journey lands in the right window for the water and the walking.