Before coming out to Mauritius, I didn’t know what to expect to be honest. We had no information about the activities we would be doing, but looking at some of the coverage from bloggers that previously visited the island, I already had a good idea that it would be a mix of relaxing beach-related activities as well as more thrilling activities across the island.
When I found out I had the opportunity to go quad biking in Mauritius, I was super excited, because I had never tried it before and I’m always up to experience new things. So today I would love to show you what went on at Domaine De L’Etoile in East-Mauritius, where we joined the company TerrOcean on one of their Quad Bike Tours!
OVERVIEW
QUAD BIKING IN MAURITIUS: BUCKET LIST ACTIVITY!
Discovering Domain De L’Etoile
On the East Coast of Mauritius, near the village of Sebastopol, you can find Domaine De L’Etoile, the biggest natural and private nature reserve of the country. The area is rich in protected wild flora and fauna (Java deer, wild boars, kestrels (a type of falcon) and other endemic birds) and extends over 1200 hectares!
They have ancient ebony trees, as well as a beautiful English garden (Jardin de l’Étoile) that immediately catches our eyes when we walk to the reception area.
The estate opened its doors to the general public in 2002. From native forests to lush valleys and from the dense vegetation of the sugarcane fields to stretched-out dust roads, this former sugar domain is a feast for the eye and makes for a perfect backdrop of some adventure activities that you can participate in.
At TerrOcean, you can go hiking, horseback riding, take a buggy ride or go zip lining (and they also have activities geared to children), but I’m going to try an activity I’ve never done before: quad bike riding!
Let’s Get Some Quad Bike Action!
As we have 5 quads available and we’re with 8 people, some of us go together on one quad. This is not a problem at all, because the quads are huge and actually have two seats with enough space for both. I decide to not drive, but sit on the back instead, because (hello #bloggerlife) I want to take as much photos and videos as I can during this tour!
We get a quick introduction with instructions on how to operate the quads, fit our helmets and I am joined by my lovely driver Hayley (www.hayleysparkes.co.uk), who quickly picks up on how to drive the massive machine and we whizz off into the forest. Adventure!
What I love most about the tour, besides feeling the wind on my face and the general excitement of doing something I’ve never experienced before, is that the landscape around us keeps changing.
We start through a small bit of forest, then continue on into an almost Teletubby-kind of landscaped garden with water running through it, then make our way up the green mountain, where we then are treated with some incredible views. As we head down, we keep enjoying the views all the way to the sugarcane fields, we we pick up pace as we race over dusty gravel roads with the mountains glooming in the distance. Then we continue even further, back into the forest, until we hit Teletubby-land again and have safely made it back ‘home’.
That was AMAZING!!!
At the end of the tour, we get back on the bus to our hotels (have you read my Four Seasons Hotel Review yet?), but you could spend some time at Domaine de l’Etoile’s restaurant if you’d like.
It overlooks the river. The Grand River South-East is, with 24 kilometers, the longest river of Mauritius, by the way. There is a waterfall at the mouth of the river, which you can only access by boat from Tour d’Eau Douce. Maybe next time!
Should you book a Quad Tour on Mauritius?
Even though in the end I didn’t actually drive the quad myself, I had a fantastic experience and I was happy that I got to capture the ride and the incredible landscape that we drove through. Most of the time we drove at a pretty relaxed pace, but once Hayley got a hang of the driving and we got to a flat part of the tour, she did speed up a lot and had a bit of a thrill, which was super cool!
Most of the time, I was just looking around to see the landscape change from tropical forest to hilly mountains, then back to sugarcane fields and dusty roads, which made a ride on the back just as fun as driving the quad myself. But, let’s me honest, next time I do this activity (and I would love to try it again), I’ll definitely would like to be the one behind the steering wheel!
BOOK YOUR QUAD BIKE EXPERIENCE
Prices:
- Quads – MUR 3500 (about 95 USD / 86 EUR / 74 GBP)
- Zip lines – MUR 2000 (about 55 USD / 50 EUR / 42 GBP)
- Horse trekking – MUR 2000 (about 55 USD / 50 EUR / 42 GBP)
- Entry to the garden & Kids Fun Village / Mini-Farm / Non-guided hiking trail – 250 MUR (adults) or 175 MUR (kids)
Time Schedule:
- The Quad tour runs 3 times a day, at 10 AM, 13:30 PM and 15:30 PM.
What’s Included:
- Included is a welcome drink, test drive & security briefing and you get a sanitary cap with your helmet.
- I believe they have the option to take your photo (paid of course), but if you are driving with someone on the back, I was able to easily take pictures and videos along the way, and you also make plenty of stops to snap a quick photo.
Contact Information:
- Domaine de L’Etoile-Terrocean Concept LTD
- Telephone: 54231055/57291055
- Email: nalini@terrocean.mu
- Website: www.terrocean.mu
More Quad Tours on Mauritius:
- I found another Quad Bike Experience on Get Your Guide that you might want to check out: 2 Hour Quad Bike Tour of the Wild South of Mauritius [find out more about this tour >>]
BEST ACTIVITIES TO DO ON MAURITIUS
Full-Day Trips in Mauritius:
- Private Tour of the South West
- Public Tour of the South West
- Île aux Aigrettes: Guided Tour of Nature Reserve Island
- Mahébourg & Ile aux Aigrettes Nature Reserve
- Chamarel Village: Full-Day Electro-Bike Tour with Lunch
- Bois Cheri, Saint Aubin & La Vanille Nature Park
- Vanilla Park and Wild Beaches Tour
Cultural Tours in Mauritius:
- Port Louis, Mont Choisy and National Botanical Garden Tour
- Port Louis: Street Food Tour
- Private Full-Day Instagram Tour
- The Cultural North Tour, Grand Bay & Chapel of Notre Dame Auxiliatrice
- West Mauritius Dodo Trail Tour with Lunch
Hiking and Nature Tours in Mauritius:
- Chamarel: 7 Coloured Earth Geopark Entrance Ticket
- From Chamarel: 3-Hour Waterfall Eco-Hike Adventure
- 3-Hour Hiking the Wild South Excursion
- Black River Gorges National Park 3-Hour Hike
- Le Morne Mountain UNESCO 4-Hour Eco Hike
- Tamarind Falls 5-Hour Hiking Adventure
- 4-Hour Bird Watching Tour
- Grande Montagne Nature Reserve Guided Ecotour
- Ebony Forest: Jeep Safari, Birdwatching or Hiking Tour
- Bike Tour of The Wild South
- Casela World of Adventures with Hotel Pickup
- Heritage Nature Reserve Eco-Buggy Ride
- Heritage Nature Reserve: Picnic Experience
Boat Tours & Cruises in Mauritius:
- Ile des Deux Cocos Day Trip with Transfer
- Black River Swim with Dolphins Speedboat Tour
- Île aux Cerfs Full-Day Cruise from Trou d’Eau Douce
- Full-Day Cruise to Ile aux Cerfs with BBQ Lunch Included
- Full-Day Catamaran Cruise to the Northern Isles
- Swimming with Dolphins and BBQ Shared Tour
- Discover the South East Lagoon by Speedboat
- Big Quest Fishing Shared Excursion
- Ile aux Aigrettes: Sunset Cruise Tour
- Grand Baie: Discover Scuba Half Day with 2 Dive Sites
- From Grande Riviere Noire: Ocean Sunset Cruise
- Tamarin Bay: Beginners Scuba Diving Experience
- North Coast Scuba Experience
PLAN YOUR TRIP TO MAURITIUS
I hope this article made you excited about visiting Mauritius! Here is more information to help you plan your trip:
Time Zone in Mauritius? Mauritius Standard Time (GMT+4)
Currency in Mauritius? The Mauritian Rupee is the currency of Mauritius. Check the latest exchange rate here >>.
Electrical Plugs in Mauritius? In Mauritius the power plugs and sockets are of type C (2 pins, same as in the Netherlands/Germany, etc.) and G (3 flat pins, same as in the UK). It depends on your accommodation which one they use, so definitely bring both!! The standard voltage is 230 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz. We recommend getting [amazon_textlink asin=’B01KLMW9GY’ text=’a universal travel adapter’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’thetraveltester-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’1798619a-ecb8-11e8-8af7-5980e1425c5f’] to never worry about having the right plug on your travels!
Languages Spoken in Mauritius? There is no official Mauritian language, but most commonly spoken is English and French. Other language you can hear are Mauritian Creole, French-based Creole, and ethnic languages such as Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, Urdu, Tamil or Mandarin.
Best time to visit Mauritius? May to December are considered the best months to visit, but this country really is great all year round. There is the chance of tropical cyclones between January and March. The rainy season lasts from December to about April.
Insurance for Mauritius? Make sure to get travel insurance! We recommend checking out worldnomads.com >>
How to get to Mauritius? I flew with Air Mauritius from Paris (Amsterdam to Paris with KLM). Check for best flights on Skyscanner.com >>
Where to stay in Mauritius?
LUXURY – Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita [see best prices on booking.com >>]
MIDRANGE – The Ravenala Attitude Hotel [see best prices on booking.com >>]
AFFORDABLE – Ocean Beauty Boutique Hotel [see best prices on booking.com >>]
Tourism Board of Mauritius Website? Find out more information about Mauritius at: www.tourism-mauritius.mu
Looking for convenient Airport pickups? I found a few good ones on Get Your Guide:
- Round Trip Airport to Hotel Private Transfer
- Roundtrip Airport to Hotel Shared Transfer
- One-Way Private Transfer to Hotel
- One-Way Private Transfer Service
- Private Inter-Hotel Transfer
- Private Airport Transfer
Read my Four Seasons Resort Mauritius Review!
This is the Ultimate Escape: Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita
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Disclaimer: I was kindly hosted in Mauritius by iambassador and the Mauritius Tourist Board as part of the #MyMauritius Explorer Lab Conference. All opinions and video clips are 100% our own.
