Turtle Snorkelling & Scenic North Island Full-Day Experience
Description
* 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!
Tour Options
Itinerary
Start the day with one of the most unique experiences in Mauritius: snorkeling with wild, giant turtles! You will board a boat on the northwest coast of the island and have the opportunity to snorkel with turtles in their natural environment. These Giant Green Sea Turtles can reach up to 1.2m in length and weight up to 200kg. Apart from the turtles, you can see a variety of marine life, including different varieties of tropical fish and coral. Snorkeling gear is included (masks and tubes - fins are not allowed)! Note: Typically the swimming with wild turtles portion of the tour is done first, however this may change depending on the tides. The total time spent on the boat and snorkeling is around 45 minutes.
Notre Dame Auxiliatrice, also known as "The Red Church" is a beloved landmark located in the picturesque town of Cap Malheureux, in the far northwest of the island. The church makes an excellent photo opportunity against the backdrop of the stunning Indian Ocean. Also visible from Cap Malheureux is the famous island of Coin de Mire, located almost due north of Mauritius.
In the historical village of Pamplemousses, you will visit the famous Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden, where you will get to see the giant waterlilies and 85 varieties of palm trees from around the world. You will also discover the various spices and medicinal plants and learn about the various endemic and imported plants in the garden.
A tour of the North isn’t complete without a visit to Port-Louis, the capital of Mauritius. The city is a blend of the old and the new. On one side you have the hustle and bustle of the city’s historical market (bazaar), built in 1828, where you can bargain for different spices and souvenirs and sample Mauritian street food. And on the other side you have the modern Caudan Waterfront, where there visitors can shop at brand name stores and eat at various restaurants. You can visit the areas of Port-Louis that interest you such as the Aapravasi Ghat (UNESCO heritage site), and the smaller streets. For great views, your driver will take you for a stop at the Citadel and you will also get to see the Champs de Mars racecourse on the way.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We pick up at all hotels, B&Bs, apartments on the island. Please let us know which hotel, B&B or apartment you're staying at. We will let you know your exact pickup time upon booking, but it will generally be at between 8:00am and 9:00am.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- 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
Reviews(91)
Good turtle swimming, nice church, a short turnaround in Port Louis and a great botanical garden in Pampelmouse.
Hi, thanks for your review! We're happy you enjoyed the excursion and we hope to see you again soon!
Great day Private Guide ++ Boat and turtle 👍 Port Louis (souvenir purchases) Grapefruit 👍 Unhappy cape very beautiful Nice excursion
Bonjour, merci pour votre avis. Nous sommes ravis que vous ayez passé une excellente excursion et espérons vous revoir bientôt !
It was a beautiful tour. Our guide told us interesting things about Mauritius. Swimming with the turtles was very nice. All in all it was great
Hi, thanks for your review! We're happy you enjoyed the trip and we hope to see you again soon!
The trip was really a dream! Above all, a big thank you to our driver Vinay who took us to all the beautiful spots:) The highlight of course was snorkeling with the turtles 🐢 ❤️ We can only warmly recommend this tour, it was a wonderful day!
Hi, thanks so much for your wonderful review! We're happy you had a great day and hope to see you again during your next trip to the island!
Punctual pickup at the hotel. Our guide San entertained us all day with interesting information. We had a perfect trip thanks to him.
Hi, thanks so much for your review! We're glad you had a great trip and we hope to see you again soon!
Excellent Trip would highly recommend and definitely to it again. Trip was amazing, seeing Turtles not too far from shore, deep enough to swim. Only thing put me off, was too many people in swimming at same time too see Turtles.
Hi, thanks so much for your review! We're glad you had a great trip and we hope to see you again soon!
This private tour experience was amazing, our driver was extremely accommodating. Would highly recommend this experience especially when dealing with tour companies on the island want to charge you £900 for this exact experience
Hi Kate, thanks so much for your wonderful review! We're happy you enjoyed the trip and we hope you're having a great stay in Mauritius!
Avoid this you do not swim with turtles you are ferried 150metres to an anchored speedboat that has an anchor with bait attached and a turtle is feeding from it - it’s chaotic as people enter the water to see the turtle - the water is murky and it’s just a waste of money. The changing facilities are beyond basic. The trip was also to Port Louis the red church and pamplemousse gardens all of which are worth visiting and our car and driver were excellent but swimming with turtles is just a set up and shouldn’t be allowed you dont swim with them and the whole management of this part of the day was shambolic and should be avoided .
Hi Deborah, thanks for your review and feedback. We're sorry you didn't like the turtles portion of the excursion. Please note that the turtles are wild, and some days there may be more than others. We're glad you liked the rest of the tour.
The turtles are the highlight of this trip. They are amazing and majestic creatures, and you can get very close to them (but keep a respectable distance). It was great also seeing Port Louis, the Red Church and Pamplemousses Gardens in the same trip. Our guide was very helpful and clued us up on lots of local knowledge. He was relaxed and gave us more than enough time at each stop.
Hi, thanks so much for your review! We're happy you enjoyed the trip, and we hope to see you again soon! Happy Holidays!
Snorkelling with the sea turtle was a once in a lifetime activity! Our taxi driver was lovely although on the way home dropped us off at a cashmere shop unsolicited which we didn’t want. Apart from that the sight seeing of the north was good.
Hi, thanks for your review and feedback! We're happy you enjoyed the trip and we'll follow up with your driver regarding the drop at the cashmere shop. We hope you had a great stay in Mauritius!
