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Snorkeling with Giant Turtles, The Red Church, Pamplemousses Garden & Port Louis
3.8
73 Ratings
Trou aux Biches
Experience the thrill of snorkeling with giant turtles in the Indian Ocean before exploring the iconic Red Church, Pamplemousses Garden, and vibrant Port Louis.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Plage de Trou aux Biches - Begin your day with a truly unique experience in Mauritius: snorkeling with wild, giant turtles! You’ll board a boat on the island’s northwest coast and get the chance to snorkel with turtles in their natural habitat. These Giant Green Sea Turtles can grow up to 1.2m long and weigh up to 200kg. Besides the turtles, you’ll encounter a variety of marine life, including different species of tropical fish and coral. Snorkeling equipment is provided (masks and tubes - fins are not permitted)!
Note: Usually, the swimming with wild turtles part of the tour is done first, but this may vary depending on the tides. The total time spent on the boat and snorkeling is approximately 45 minutes.
- Notre Dame Auxiliatrice - Notre Dame Auxiliatrice, also known as “The Red Church,” is a cherished landmark situated in the scenic town of Cap Malheureux, in the far northwest of the island. The church offers a fantastic photo opportunity with the stunning Indian Ocean as a backdrop. From Cap Malheureux, you can also see the famous island of Coin de Mire, located almost directly north of Mauritius.
- SSR Botanic Garden - In the historic village of Pamplemousses, you’ll visit the renowned Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden, where you can see giant waterlilies and 85 varieties of palm trees from around the globe. You’ll also discover various spices and medicinal plants and learn about the different endemic and imported plants in the garden.
- Port Louis - A tour of the North wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius. The city is a mix of old and new. On one side, you have the bustling historical market (bazaar), built in 1828, where you can haggle for spices and souvenirs and taste Mauritian street food. On the other side, there’s the modern Caudan Waterfront, where visitors can shop at brand-name stores and dine at various restaurants. You can explore the areas of Port Louis that interest you, such as the Jummah Mosque, Blue Penny Museum, Aapravasi Ghat (a UNESCO heritage site), and the smaller streets. For great views, your driver will take you to the Citadel, and you’ll also see the Champs de Mars racecourse along the way.
- Le Caudan Waterfront - One of the many attractions in Port Louis you can visit on this tour.
- Aapravasi Ghat - One of the many attractions in Port Louis you can visit on this tour.
- Blue Penny Museum - One of the many attractions in Port Louis you can visit on this tour.
- Port Louis Race Track - One of the many attractions in Port Louis you can visit on this tour.
What's Included
- Snorkeling with turtles
- Air-conditioned and insured taxi, minibus or coach
- Hotel pickup, dropoff and transportation in a private vehicle
- Snorkeling gear (masks and tubes - fins are not allowed)
- Services of a fully licensed, qualified driver
What's Not Included
- Entrance fees to Pamplemousses Garden are Rs. 300 (6 Euros) per person
- Lunch or snacks
Additional Information
- Note: It is forbidden to touch or interact with the turtles.
- Note: This tour is private except for the snorkeling with giant turtles portion.
- Note: Typically the swimming with wild turtles portion of the tour is done first, however this may change depending on the tides.
See the North of Mauritius in a unique way by starting your day snorkeling with giant turtles in the Indian Ocean! Board a boat from the northwest coast of the island, and use our snorkeling gear while swimming with these magnificent creatures (masks & tubes - fins are not allowed).
After the adventure, take photos at the famous Notre Dame Auxiliatrice (The Red Church), set against the backdrop of a beautiful lagoon, and the famous island of Coin de Mire.
Next, visit the famous Pamplemousses Botanical Garden where you’ll discover a variety of plants native to the island. Finish your day in the bustling capital of Port Louis and visit the well-known Caudan Waterfront, the popular outdoor market, and more!
- The swimming with turtles portion of this outing is not recommended for pregnant women. All children under 12 years old should be accompanied.
- In most cases you will see turtles. However, if this is not the case, a second outing will be offered on the boat free of charge (transportation to and from your hotel are not included for the second outing). It’s important to note that there will be no refund once you have completed the activity.
- This tour lasts up to eight hours, and you will be able to choose how long you spend at each attraction (except for the turtles portion). Depending on your group’s speed you may not have time to see all the listed attractions. You will be able to stop for lunch but the price of the lunch is not included
- Bring swimwear and a towel for the swimming with turtles portion, and a change of clothes and comfortable walking shoes for the rest of the tour
Location
Plage de Trou aux Biches
Costal Road
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
3.8
(73 Ratings)
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Tour703530
Jun 14, 2024
Turtle experience and tour. - First of all, credit to my driver, Luv. He was extremely helpful, informative and flexible. I didn’t feel rushed and he was on-hand when needed.
I started with a trip to the red church, which is a great photo opportunity.
A brief stop at Baby Baie beach for a wander along the sand, before heading off to meet the boat for the turtle encounter.
Swimming with the turtle is an experience I won’t forget. I got really close to it, respecting the wildlife guidelines explained to us by the captain.
From the ocean to the Botanical gardens next. I could quite easily have spent more time in this stunning place.
I made the mistake of not hiring a guide, which were very well priced at Rs75. My highlight was seeing the giant tortoises.
A stop for lunch at an amazing seafood restaurant was followed by a trip to the citadel/fort of Port Louis.
To be honest, the fort could have been better presented.
It is an amazing structure, but the lack of information boards or guides left me a little disappointed. As I’m very interested in history and having more info to hand would have made the visit a lot more worthwhile.
Then on to Port Louis centre to visit the aquarium and a bit of a mooch around the shops.
The aquarium is well worth a visit, albeit a little on the pricey side at Rs1200. Some amazing phot ops here though.
The nearby shopping centre was very pretty and certainly worth a window shop. There is a mixture of high-end retailers, food & drink outlets and gift shops. All of which are very expensive.
My driver Luv was waiting immediately outside when I had finished my strole around and he took me back to the hotel.
By this point I must admit, I was pretty worn out and there may have been a nap involved on the journey back 😂
Total excursion time was around 8 hours.
All in all, excellent value for money and I made sure to tip my driver for his efforts.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Helen_s
May 13, 2024
Great trip - We had a great day, our guide Aslim was fantastic, nothing too much trouble. Swimming with the turtles was amazing.
Review provided by Viator
Karlis_b
Dec 23, 2023
A good introduction to Mauritius - A great tour around North Mauritius. Definitely the highlight of the tour was the snorkeling with sea turtles, an amazing experience 😄
You also receive a personal taxi driver who carries you to all the destinations (its only you and people you booked with). Our driver was very knowledgeable and great to talk with !
Review provided by Viator
Kate_u
Jun 14, 2024
Would definitely recommend - A really great experience and a fab way to see lots of things if you are short on time. Our driver was great- chatty and knowledgeable and very patient with us at each of the sites. The beaches we visited were particularly beautiful. I would definitely recommend this tour - especially if you are short on time visiting Mauritius. Only taking away a star as we didn’t see any turtles- not the tour’s fault but it was the main reason we booked so feel a bit disappointed. Otherwise 10/10!
Review provided by Viator
Bhawley28
May 14, 2024
Enjoyable - Very enjoyable trip, we particularly liked Pamplemousses but snorkeling with turtles was not great. The snorkeling equipment provided was not fit for purpose and the boat had seen better days. Unfortunately I did not get to see any turtles which can't be helped but they did offer for us to come back the next day free of charge. Our driver San was brilliant he really gave an insight into what life is like on the island and was super friendly and chatty.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
G4274azchristinel
Mar 9, 2024
We enjoyed our trip and Mr. Sun was a good and sociable guide. (English speaking) - The trip was very well structured and we saw a lot of the country and its people. All of the program points were covered. There was enough time available.
The snorkeling was also OK. It was exciting to see lots of colorful fish and a turtle.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
195k_vins
Mar 3, 2024
Family day - Very good excursion overall. First the Port Louis market, apart from the counterfeits the atmosphere is superb. Visit the Kuanfu Tea tea museum: don't hesitate to take the time to look at the history of the tea on display even if you are in a hurry to go to the tasting sign of the tea sale. Tea is very expensive and does not provide any real added value compared to Chartreuse, Corson or Bois Chéri tea (available in supermarkets on the island such as Super U) so you will buy something small because you have visited and tasted. In these conditions you will have a good time. Then Trou aux biches, very beautiful place. Swimming with turtles with lots of tourists around a poor turtle we could have done something else... The beach is very pleasant. Our driver Prakash was very understanding when you didn't follow his restaurant advice (he will be tempted to take you to a restaurant which doesn't always pay top notch but above all is expensive and not very well located) and preferred to eat at the Souvenir restaurant: Alright. For the red church: magical place. Then the Pamplemousse gardens: very good time, we took a very interesting guide. Advice: don't hesitate to follow your desires and with a driver who agrees to follow your desires you will have a very good day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alexander
Feb 4, 2024
Tour left us with mixed feelings, but turtles were fantastic - Some parts of the tour were great, and some we were not impressed by.
Good:
- Swim with turtles was fantastic and without doubt the highligt of the trip. The boat personnel were nice.
- Driver was friendly and his flexibilty was good. He stopped at Caudan waterfront on our request.
Not so great:
- Driver had poor english skills so he didn’t talk or explain alot unlike other tours we went on.
- The driver planned lunch for quite late (2pm) without asking us, and he stopped at a tourist trap/scam restaurant. It was ridiculously overpriced compared to the quality of both service and food. Food was the worst and also most expensive we had at our whole Mauritius trip. Unfortunately this made us feel we were being somewhat exploited. The restaurants name was Camaron Rouge.
Would it not have been for the turtles, the tour would not have been worth the money.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Journey10420506473
May 10, 2024
Not so nice experience - The trip was a bust . No turtles. We were not very satisfied. The driver was friendly and very knowledgeable and helpful, but we should have done something differently
Review provided by Tripadvisor
784heleneh
Feb 25, 2024
Poor turtles! - Do not snorkle with sea turtles! It is forbidden! A poor turtle gets fed so that around 20 tourists can roam around with arms and legs all over. The information about how to snorkle and behave is non-existing. They didn't even bring snorkle equipment for people, even if the description said so. Would never have done it if I knew it was like this! Otherwise we had a lovely day with a very good guide (Manoj). Can recommend him, but not the snorkeling.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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