Ebony Forest Love Tree Tour - Plant Your Own Endemic Tree

The Guided Tour at Ebony Forest (Love Tree) includes:

• Entrance to Ebony Forest Reserve
• 2-hour tour at Ebony Forest
• The opportunity to plant and label your own endemic love tree
• One drink (lemongrass juice/ tamarind juice/ soft drink/ beer) and a selection of vegetarian snacks
• Guided tour through the forest in a 4 x 4 jeep
• Guided walk through the Raised walkway to the spectacular Sublime Point
• Spectacular view of the mountains & tropic birds
• Access to self-guided hiking trails
• Film in English (6 mins) or French (8 mins) about the island’s wildlife
• Ebony Forest souvenir as gift
• Visit the museum about our island’s natural history
• Access to the shop and toilets (wheelchair accessible)

Transport is available for an additional supplement which will include pick up and drop off from any hotel / place of accommodation in Mauritius.

About the Ebony Forest Tour including a 4x4 Jeep Ride - South West of Mauritius

Your visit begins with a special welcome at the Visitor Centre, followed by a tour of the Ebony Experience museum, written and illustrated by Dr Julian Hume, a British artist, palaeontologist and highly acclaimed co-author of Lost Land of the Dodo.

Another must-see at Ebony Forest is the 6-8 minute film in English or French, about the Island’s unique and fragile biodiversity. You’ll leave the museum with an understanding of the conservation work and how your visit makes a difference.

Next is a 10-mins jeep ride that will take you to the Flycatcher raised walkway. En route, you will come across the restoration sites, non-native vegetation are being replaced by native species to create a refuge for our island’s threatened biodiversity.

The professional and passionate local guides will then take you on a 30-minute tour along the unique raised walkways, passing through one of the best-preserved Ebony forests in Mauritius. Experience the feeling of floating among the trees as you view wildlife from a whole new perspective.

Keep an eye out for endemic Phelsuma geckos, pic pic birds and one of the rarest trees in the world, the Bois Corail or Coral Tree - named after its magnificent coral-shaped flowers. Inhale the fresh and cool forest air and learn about why palms, once widespread in Mauritian forests, are now missing from most native forests.

The jeep ride continues up the mountain to Sublime Point and as the name suggests, it is absolutely sublime. Enjoy stunning views of Le Morne, Ile aux Bénitier, Tourelle du Tamarin, Corps de Garde, Montagne du Rempart, Le Pouce, Trois Mamelles, Pieter Both, Piton Canot and the island’s highest peak, Piton de la Rivière Noire. Watch the endemic Mauritian Fruit Bat flying below, as the Mascarene swiftlets, Mauritius Kestrel and White-tailed Tropic Birds dazzle you with their aerial acrobatics.

As you admire the spectacular view, you will be served a drink and local snacks. Now is the perfect time to write a love note about your dreams or simply feelings about each other. Alternatively, commemorate a loved one, colleague, friend or family member. Make it as wild or as emotional as you wish - ultimately, you will end up burying the handwritten note under your love tree.

Your guide will then take you to a nearby restoration site, where you’ll be told more about your endemic love tree and its significance in the conservation mission. You will then be invited to label the tree that you plant. After that, it’ll be time to head back to the Visitor Centre - choose to return by hiking the 2.4 km (30 - 50 mins) or by the safari jeep (15 mins).

You’ll be gifted a small souvenir to take home with you so you don’t forget your wonderful experience!

Additional Info about the Ebony Forest

Ebony Forest

While making your way through the forest, you will get to admire the native fauna of Mauritius, such as fruit bats, swiftlets and tropicbirds soaring high along the mountains’ ridgeline. The two mid-canopy walkways through the Ebony Forest will give you the surreal sensation of floating through one of the best-preserved forests on the island.

If you are a keen bird watcher, you will be able to spot the endemic birds that the Ebony Forest hosts, such as the Mauritius Paradise Flycatcher, Mauritian Black Bulbul and grey-white eyes.

The Sublime Point offers a breathtaking view of Le Morne Brabant and the surrounding bays where you can also see a lot of tropical birds, including the white-tailed tropicbird.

Your visit and any purchase in the onsite Shop have a hand in helping offset carbon and save endangered species from extinction. Profit generated from ecotourism activities are reinvested into the conservation of the flora and fauna, which has been ongoing since 2006.

Museum

The Ebony Forest museum is where you can witness 8 million years of the island’s history, including the history of the unique animals and plants that inhabited Mauritius. The museum provides an overview from the volcanic eruption millions of years ago, to the flora & fauna that inhabited our island including how man’s actions have ultimately destroyed the island’s unique environment.

You will also be able to see the effort made in order to restore the island’s fragile habitats and how some habitats have been rebuilt.

Facilities at The Ebony Forest

• Visitor Centre
• Boutique
• Sublime Point
• Toilets
• Native Plant Nursery
• Ebony Museum

• Sun cream

• Hats

• Mosquito Repellent

• Bottle of water

• Walking shoes

• Activities/ Facilities which are not included in your selected option are subject to an additional cost.
• Minimum number of participants: 2 adults
• Booking confirmation is essential.
• Entrance to the Ebony Forest Reserve is included in this package.
• Children under 12 years must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Any child not accompanied will be refused access.
• Clients are requested to arrive 10 minutes prior to activity time.
• The Flycatcher raised walkway is more than 4m in height so if you suffer from vertigo, please inform our staff in advance.
• The Sanctuary shall not be responsible whatsoever, for any loss, damage and/or theft of your personal belongings.
• Ebony Forest Reserve is a natural site and hence there are risks from falling branches and steep slopes. It also undergoes active forestry activities. Please pay attention.
• You can fill up your water bottle for free from the water fountain at the onsite shop.

Rules and Regulations

• It is forbidden to bring any illegal substances, alcohol, firearms and/or generally any other object which is likely to be offensive, dangerous and/or is illegal.
• It is forbidden to disturb or harass the animals and tranquillity of Ebony i.e, by musical instruments, audio equipment, screaming, shouting etc.
• It is forbidden and a criminal offence to remove, any animal, plant, part of the landscape and/or any other structure and/or to damage or deface any of the aforesaid.
• It is forbidden for any visitors to picnic, climb stone walls or trees, or litter.
• Any food and drink purchased within Ebony Forest Reserve must be consumed within the designated zones.
• Footwear must be worn at all times. No shirtless/topless dress is allowed. Bottoms must be worn at all times.