East Mauritius

East Mauritius is less popular among tourists than the West. It is characterized by plenty of lagoons, islets and long beaches with small villages. This part is the windiest of all in Mauritius all through the year. It also has cheaper accommodation options and not much facility. One of the finest resort areas is Belle Mare village. A national park and a protected marine reserve adorn the east. Many historical sites associated with the naval history of Mauritius can be found in this part of the island. Central Flaq happens to be the urban centre of the east with excellent markets and connectivity.

We spent our next 2 days in Trou d’eau Douce at the cheapest homestay of our entire trip. We stayed near the Ile Aux Cerf departure point so it became quite far from the hip areas of Trou d’eau Douce or even Belle Mare. Nevertheless, all the restaurants and beaches were within 2 kilometres from where we lived. Although we found a pizza place, a good restaurant, a breakfast stall and an excellent shawarma & biryani corner to take care of our food. We took taxi to come from Grand Baie to Trou d’eau Douce and could cover most of the sightseeing in the transfer trip. However we suggest covering it in a day trip instead or choosing to stay at Belle Mare. Following are the places we went to:

Bras d’Eau National Park

This is on the two National Parks on the main island. This was used as a place to plant non-native trees. Still there are many indigenous trees specially the ebony and some ferns and orchids. There are large number of Mango and litchi trees, though. The lake inside the park is considered a visiting spot for migratory birds. If you are interested in bird watching you may consider going here. It is less frequented by tourists as it not as gorgeous as the Black river National Park. It is absolutely alright to skip it on your trip.

Belle Mere Beach

One of the most stunning beaches of Mauritius and this is saying something because Mauritius has a lot of beaches. It is a long white sand beach with amazing views of the Indian ocean as far as the eyes can see. The waves can get rough due to strong winds in the winters and there is no water activity around but is a good place for a good chill. Otherwise, on a good day it is most suited for swimming or snorkelling as the water is crystal clear. If you are morning person, then to start a day watching the sunrise on this beach would be perfect. This area is home to plenty of resorts for those who seek luxury and comfort of idling by the beach.

Adjacent to the Belle Mare beach is the Palmer public beach which is just an extension of the Belle Mare beach. It has all the facilities to enjoy the beautiful sea views like seats, shades and food trucks. So take your picnic basket and some towels and choose your spot to enjoy the day with family and friends.

Ile Aux Cerf

Ile Aux Cerf is a beautiful island off the east coast of Mauritius. It has the whitest of all beaches we have ever stepped on. The tour operators organise a boat trip to the island on catamaran and speedboats. However, if you are staying in Trou d’eau Douce, the boat departure points are very near so you can directly arrive at the departure and book a boat from here. The boats take you to Ile aux cerf island and leave you there for an hour or two to swim, relax or enjoy water sports. After this they take you on another boat to GRSE waterfall where you see the waterfall closely. On the way you will get a chance to interact with some macaques. Later, you have barbeque lunch on a nearby island and have an hour to spend as per your wish before returning to the departure point.

The island is not very large and you can go around it in half an hour or so. There are activities you can take part in like para sailing, snorkelling or banana rides. Or, you may choose some shade to take a nap or simply admire the view. There are shower rooms available too, so you may certainly take a dip in the absolutely clear waters. The scenery all around and the waters are so tempting that you would not be able to resist taking a plunge. The white sand, green surroundings, blue water and a mountain as a backdrop form the picture perfect frame. Be ready to click as many pictures to fill up your phone’s memory!

Grand River South East Waterfall

Grand River South East waterfall (GRSE Waterfall) is a mesmerizing waterfall. This is one of the most popular tourist attraction of Mauritius. It is a cascade formed when the river falls into the ocean. The waterfall can be accessed using the speed boats that take you near the waterfall for a good view. There is no facility to stop or get down from the boat so you have to give your best pose sitting on the boat. When the water is full, the waterfall is mesmerising to say the least. There is another way to visit the waterfall by road as well, however, you get the top view of the waterfall from there and it does not seem as intimidating. Do not miss going here. It is a must visit spot.

Trou d’eau Douce

This is a small fishing village on the east coast of Mauritius. It is from here that many catamaran and boat trips start to Ile Aux cerfs. We also came to this place for the same. The place is quite and serene. There is nothing to do here except explore the coastline. We walked to the shore and explored adjacent beaches from Trou d’eau douce beach to palmer beach.

Grand Port District

South east side of Mauritius is very beautiful. It has several popular tourist spots to explore. Mostly consisting of natural attractions, there are many historical places to visit here as well. Most of the historic sites are related to the naval aspect of Mauritius’s history. Grand Port and Mahebourg were important naval ports for the Dutch, French and the British.

Point Du Diable

Point Du Diable is also known as Point Canon. This place can be identified as several canons in a row facing towards the ocean. It is a ruin of some old fort area which used to house French troops. It was however overtaken by the British. There are some World War II structures here as well. Since, it is right by the coastal road it can be reached by bus also.

A little away from the Point Du Diable is the Dutch Landing point. This is the place where the Dutch are believed to have first landed. Not much to see here but the Frederic Hendrick Museum is located near here.

Ferney Nature Walk

Mauritius has no dearth of natural beauty. Adding to this list is the Ferney nature Walk. The Vallee de Ferney is a Valley at the foot of the Lion mountain where visitors can hire a cycle or a quad bike to go around exploring the dense vegetation of the Valley. You may also explore the area on foot. There are two ways to explore the valley-one by booking a day tour and second by booking a stay over at the Ferney lodge. The lush green scenery with mountains and trees will relax you. You can spend an entire day here if you wish to.

Mahebourg Waterfront

We spent the last 3 days of our trip in Mahebourg exploring all the nearby places by bus. We got a superb homestay just near the bus station in Mahebourg making our stay very comfortable. These are the places we covered in the south eastern part of the island:

The waterfront was just outside the place where we stayed. We had a view of the waterfront right from our room. To know the details of where we stayed check this post. It is an awesome place to take a stroll or go for a morning jog while watching a beautiful sunrise. We spent all our evenings here.

There is a small Hindu temple and the statue of Maharshi Shivananda by the waterfront. A war memorial dedicated to the French troops is also built here. When the British and the French went to war, Mauritius was occupied by the French. They lost almost everywhere at the hands of the British except the attack at Grand Port. So, this memorial was constructed to commemorate the bravery of the French troops stationed here.

Mouchair Rouge

This is a small island just off the Mahebourg waterfront which can be visited by a fishing boat. It can be seen from the waterfront also. There is a small colonial house on the island with a red roof and white walls acting as an attraction. This house must have seen so quite a few naval battles.

Lion Mountain

The lion mountain is clearly visible from the Mahebourg waterfront. The silhouette of the mountain is like a resting lion, hence, the name. It is majestic view specially in the evenings during the sunset.

Mahebourg Market

There are many other places worth visiting in Mahebourg like the Naval Museum, Mahebourg Museum, Point Canon, Lavoir etc to name a few. We tried to cover as many as we could on foot. Point Canon is a beautiful open garden with an auditorium. It is a beautiful place with the ocean and the lion mountain as the backdrop.

Lavoir is the washing area of uniform and clothes of French troops that were stationed here. There are square stones and water storage canals used to store water from nearby river for washing clothes. It is in use even now and is a part of Mauritius’s heritage. However, we skipped the museum and spent our time in the market fair.

There is a market fair at Mahebourg waterfront every Monday. It is a huge market covering around 1 square km area. Although much smaller than the Quatre Bornes market fair, you can get everything here at fair prices. If you are planning to stay in Mahebourg choose Monday to be here. The stalls are put up by local shops and vendors as well as vendors from other cities. We found several stalls that we found at Quatre Bornes market as well.

Blue Bay

Blue Bay beach is one of the top beaches in Mauritius highly frequented by tourists and locals alike. It has all the elements of a beach scenery as they come in books. The beach is lined with palm trees, white sand and bluest blue water. There are many food options lining the approach road. There are several restaurants as well. One side of the beach is a bit rocky while the rest is plain and perfect to lay down a bit.

The blue bay is a protected marine park as well. The water of this lagoon is full of precious marine life like corals and fish. You can also observe schools of colourful fish in the clear waters from the beachside. If you want to experience the corals and more creatures closely you may take a glass bottom boat ride to the lagoon. It should ideally cost you around 250-300 MUR a person, although, they ask for a lot more at first. We were able to see a lot of colourful fish, crabs and corals from the rocky side of the beach. The Ile aux Aigrettes is nearby to the blue bay beach and can be seen from the bay.