Cheri Tea Factory

The park was created in 1985, and its name honors the old Vanille vine cultivated in the valley where the reserve of 5 hectares is located.

Conservation of nature, and welfare of the animals are privileged in this park, where guides will take you on an unforgettable visit to the reserve. The park has an extraordinary diversity of plant and animal species. Unfortunately, many of these are being pushed to extinction as a result of forest clearing, hunting and the introduction by man of invasive species to areas of the park to which they do not belong. Many of these species can now only be saved through efforts to protect their habitat, captive breeding for later reintroduction into the wild and farming to reduce demand for wild-caught animals. La Vanille Nature Park is involved in all three of these conservation efforts.

There are more than 1000 captive-bred giant Aldabra tortoises in the park, in addition to 2000 Nile Crocodiles as well as a variety of other animals such as monkeys, iguanas, bats, deer, geckos, eels, wild boar and more. You can also visit the insectarium with more than 23,000 specimens. The collection has some specimens of inestimable rarity, some of which are now extinct. There’s also an aquarium and a fossil museum. New at La Vanille there is a petting farm and pony rides.

You will also be able to see a collection of fossils of animals that are now extinct in Mauritius and surrounding islands such as the dodo and the elephant bird of Madagascar. You will also be able to taste a bit of crocodile meat. The restaurant Le Crocodile Affamé has a special crocodile meat dish for adventurous foodies or you can keep it simple and enjoy a selection of Mauritian dishes on the menu.