La Pirogue

Romantic Safari + 2 more + 3 more

South Africa Safari & Beach

South Africa, Mauritius

A seamless South Africa and Mauritius holiday.

14 days

from £4,450 pp

The Best of South Africa

Romantic Classic + 3 more + 3 more

Cape Town, wine & wildlife: South Africa's highlights over 11 days.

11 days

from £3,225 pp

Romantic Luxury + 1 more + 2 more

Mauritian Explorer

Mauritius

Two weeks of island life in Mauritius.

14 days

from £4,025 pp

South African Grand Tour

Safari Wildlife & Nature + 3 more + 3 more

Three weeks, one unforgettable road trip across South Africa’s greatest highlights.

21 days

from £4,295 pp

Bergs, Battlefields & Bush

Safari Adventure + 2 more + 3 more

Exploring the history & wildlife of KwaZulu-Natal.

13 days

from £4,750 pp

Classic South Africa

Family Classic + 3 more + 3 more

A classic South African holiday, with a few lesser-visited surprises.

17 days

from £3,655 pp

Quirky excursions

View all excursions in South Africa

Highlights of Chamarel

If you're planning a day trip exploring the island, then including time in Chamarel is a must. Located in the mountains, and acting as a gateway to Black River Gorges National Park, the area is well known for its incredible food and drink offerings. A rich culinary scene offers traditional Mauritian dishes, including highlights such as octopus rougaille and curries, accompanied by rotis, samosas and palm-heart salads. The best-known attraction of the area is the Chamarel Rum Distillery, which offers guided tours, and slightly further out you can view the colourful sand formations at Terres de 7 Couleurs on the way to the picturesque Chamarel waterfall.

Golf in Mauritius

Mauritius is a popular golf destination and rightly so with ten golf courses each one unique in its design, setting and technical specificities. Most have been designed by renowned professional golfers such as Rodney Wright or Ernie Els and what makes them even more exceptional is their location with some nestled in the heart of lush nature, between mountain and sea, such as Heritage Golf Club in Bel Ombre, ranking among the best golf courses in the Indian Ocean, whilst other courses constantly remind you that you are on a tropical island like the Ile aux Cerfs Golf Club, set on a paradise islet with beautiful sandy beaches. Some hotel resorts even have their own golf courses such as the Legends and Links courses attached to the Constance Belle Mare Plage, so you can easily combine lying on the beach with playing a round of golf.

Diving and Snorkelling

A halo of coral surrounds the island of Mauritius creating calm lagoons where you can snorkel from the beach to catch a glimpse of the fish that venture into the shores, but for the best snorkelling, we recommend you take a boat trip out to the reef system itself where you'll be able to swim amongst this underwater city. The eastern coast of Mauritius offers some of the best snorkelling, especially in The Blue Bay Marine Park which has some of Mauritius’ healthiest coral. For those wishing to explore beneath the waters and meet the marine life face-to-face then Mauritius has a plethora of exceptional dive sites, predominantly in the north as it is the best area for accessing the outlying islands and shore-side reef dives. There is also some advanced drift diving on the east side of the island and some okay diving in Flic en Flac in the west. Dives will often feature wall and wreck diving with some unique geology making for interesting underwater canyons and crevices that can be quite fun to swim through. Summer (November - April) is the best time to dive in Mauritius as the visibility is usually great and the warm water brings a higher diversity of sea life. In order to avoid cyclone season (January to March), we recommend diving in Mauritius from October to December and March to April. That being said, the weather at any given time of year shouldn't affect your dive trip.

Black River Gorges National Park

Located in the southwestern tip of the island, Black River Gorges National Park provides a vast network of walking trails through forested peaks, waterfalls, river and canyons which make up the park. The best time to view the park is during the flowering season between September and January, though the views from the various viewpoints around the park attract visitors year round. The area is home to Mauritius kestrels, pink pigeons (endemic to Mauritius) and echo parakeets, as well as macaque, wild boar and deer, though the latter are less frequently seen. Accessible either as part of a full island day tour or by car, the park delivers an alternative to the beaches and coastal activities elsewhere in the island. Note: if you choose to self-drive, we suggest stopping by the park's visitor centre to get maps, and ideally a guide, who can make the most of your time in the park.