Grand Bassin (Ganga Talao)
A sacred crater lake at 550m, watched over by two of the tallest Hindu statues in the world. The holiest site on the island.
Set in an old volcanic crater around 550 metres up in the Savanne mountains, Grand Bassin, known as Ganga Talao, is the most sacred place in Mauritius for the island's Hindu community. According to tradition, a priest dreamt in the late 1800s that the lake's waters were linked to the holy river Ganges in India, and it has been a place of pilgrimage ever since.
The calm, deep lake is watched over by two enormous statues, including a 33-metre figure of Lord Shiva, and ringed by colourful temples and shrines. Monkeys wander the edges and the mountain air is noticeably cooler than the coast. Each year around Maha Shivaratri, in February or March, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims walk here in one of the largest Hindu gatherings outside India.
It is a place to walk slowly and be respectful: dress modestly and, as it is a holy site, avoid bringing meat or alcohol. Entry is free, and it combines well with Chamarel and the Black River Gorges viewpoint.
South Tours
Chamarel: 7 Coloured Earth & Waterfall
Dunes of red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple and yellow sand, plus the tallest single-drop waterfall on the island.
Vallée des Couleurs Nature Park
A 450-acre adventure park with 23-coloured earth, the longest zipline in Mauritius and a 350m Nepalese bridge.
Gris Gris & La Roche qui Pleure
The wild southernmost point of Mauritius, where open ocean crashes against black cliffs with no reef to stop it.