Southwest Mauritius trades the polished resort beaches of the north for volcanic cliffs, seven-hued earths, cascading waterfalls and the dense native forest of Black River Gorges National Park — the island's most scenically dramatic and ecologically significant corner.
Mauritius: Sacred Temples at Ganga Talao
Shiva, Durga and a Lot of Steps: Our Trip to Grand Bassin, Mauritius
We’d been told that if you only do one “proper” cultural thing in Mauritius, beyond the beaches and the overpriced cocktails, it ought to be Ganga Talao. So off we went, up into the hills, on roads that seemed to have been designed by someone with a grudge against suspension. Mauritius likes to sell itself as a beach destination, and fair enough, the beaches are lovely, but the middle of the island is a different beast altogether — green, hilly, and a good deal cooler than the coast, which after a week of melting on a sun lounger was something of a relief.
Ganga Talao, also known by its rather more colonial-sounding name of Grand Bassin, sits about 550 metres up, inside what used to be a volcano. It last had any opinions about erupting a very long time ago, and these days it’s entirely occupied with being peaceful, which it does rather well. We arrived a bit sweaty, a bit lost (the satnav had some creative ideas about which turning to take), and not entirely sure what to expect. What we got was somewhere between a pilgrimage site, a nature reserve and, if we’re honest, a bit of a tourist trap near the car park. All three things can be true at once, and often are.
🕉️ A Dream, a Priest, and Rather a Lot of Devotion
The story of how this lake came to be so holy is a good one, and I’m a sucker for a good story, especially one involving dreams. Back in around 1897 or 1898 — accounts vary, which is the sort of thing that happens when stories get passed down rather than written in triplicate — a Hindu priest by the name of Jhummon Giri Gossayne had a vision. He dreamt that the waters of the Ganges, the great sacred river some four thousand miles away in India, were flowing right there in this crater lake on a small island in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
Now, to understand why that mattered so much, you have to remember what Mauritius was going through at the time. Through the nineteenth century, the British shipped in roughly half a million indentured labourers from India to work the sugar plantations, after slavery was abolished and the plantation owners needed somewhere else to find cheap labour. These labourers, and their children, and their children’s children, were a very long way from home, with no realistic hope of ever seeing the Ganges or anywhere else in India again. Gossayne’s dream gave them something they badly needed: a little piece of the old country, right there on the doorstep. His first pilgrimage to the lake, leading a group from the village of Triolet, took place in 1898, and people have been going back ever since.
The link to the actual River Ganges wasn’t just symbolic for ever, either. In 1972, water from the real Ganges was brought over and poured into the lake, which rather neatly cemented the whole business and gave the lake its proper name, Ganga Talao — “Ganga” meaning the Ganges, and “Talao” meaning lake, which even I, with my famously poor grasp of languages, managed to work out. The Mauritian government made it official in 1998, declaring it a sacred lake by law, which I rather like — not every country bothers to put its holy sites on the statute books.
🏮 Wandering Round the Lake Itself
There is a cluster of smaller, brightly painted temples dotted around the lake’s edge, each one dedicated to a different deity — we spotted shrines to Hanuman, Ganesh and Lakshmi among others, each one draped in flower garlands and little offerings of food left by previous visitors. The smell of incense hangs over the whole place, which I quite liked, though my other half found it a bit much after a while. Say what you like about British whinging, but at least we’re consistent about it — give us the most spiritually significant lake in the Southern Hemisphere and someone will still complain about the smell.
What struck us both, incense aside, was how calm the whole place felt, even though there were other visitors wandering about. The lake itself is a proper crater lake, ringed by volcanic hills that have gone a splendid shade of green from all the rain Mauritius gets, and there’s a stillness to the water that makes you understand why people have found it special for well over a century. We weren’t there during any festival, which I suspect helped enormously, because what we gather happens during Maha Shivaratri is on an entirely different scale.
👣 Half a Million People and a Stick
Maha Shivaratri, the big one, happens every year, usually in late February or early March depending on the Hindu lunar calendar, and it is apparently the most important Hindu festival in Mauritius by a country mile. Something like half a million people — on an island with a population only a bit over a million — make their way to Ganga Talao, many of them on foot, many of them barefoot, which when you’ve seen the state of some of those roads strikes me as either deeply impressive or slightly mad, possibly both.
Pilgrims carry what are called kanwars — tall, elaborately decorated wooden or bamboo structures, sometimes genuinely works of art, built at home over weeks beforehand and then carried, often for days, all the way from wherever the pilgrim lives to the lake. Once there, they collect holy water from the lake to carry back home again, completing the journey in the other direction. We obviously weren’t there for any of that, since we turned up on an ordinary Tuesday afternoon with nothing more demanding to carry than a water bottle and a slightly grubby guidebook, but you could sense, even in the quiet, that this was a place built for exactly that kind of devotion and spectacle.
🗿 The Blokes You Can See From the Car Park
The thing you notice before anything else, long before you’ve parked the car properly, is the enormous Shiva. You can’t miss him. He’s called Mangal Mahadev, he stands a frankly ridiculous 33 metres tall — that’s 108 feet in old money, for those of us who still think in feet — and he was put up in 2007, with the full religious consecration ceremony, known as the Sthapan, following the next year during the Maha Shivaratri festival. He’s modelled on a similar statue in Vadodara, in the Indian state of Gujarat, and he’s the tallest statue of any kind on the island, and the third-tallest Shiva statue anywhere in the world, which is the sort of fact I enjoy trotting out at dinner parties even though nobody has ever asked.
Not to be outdone, and not far away, stands Durga Maa, exactly the same towering height, holding her own against the Shiva statue with a golden lion at her feet. She’s a more recent arrival — the whole statue took about six years to build, funded entirely by public donations rather than any government grant, and she was finally unveiled over two days of ceremonies in late September and early October 2017, during the festival of Navratri, with a grand finale called Durgotsav that by all accounts went on long into the night with music, dancing and a great deal of devotional fervour. She’s reckoned to be the tallest Durga statue in the world, which is a title I didn’t know existed until we went there, but there you are — you learn something every day, even on holiday.
Planning your visit to Ganga Talao
📍 Location Grand Bassin, Savanne District, Mauritius
| 🕖 Opening Times | Daily, 24 hours | 🌐 Website | hindutemple.mu |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📞 Phone | +230 603 1400 | info@hindutemple.mu |
🎟️ Entry Fees
| Visitors | Fee |
|---|---|
| General Admission | Free |
| Parking | Free |
🚗 Getting There
Ganga Talao sits in the mountainous interior of southern Mauritius, about 18 km north of Mahébourg and 50 km from Port Louis. By car or taxi, take the B3 motorway south from Port Louis toward Curepipe, then follow signs toward Grand Bassin via Nouvelle France — the final stretch winds through forested hills. There is a car park at the site. Public buses run from Curepipe bus station toward Grand Bassin, though services can be infrequent; a taxi or rental car gives more flexibility. The road narrows near the crater lake, so allow extra time during Maha Shivaratri when hundreds of thousands of pilgrims make the journey on foot.
The best time to visit Mauritius
Mauritius sits in the southern Indian Ocean and follows a broadly tropical rhythm, with two main seasons shaped by trade winds, rainfall, and the Indian Ocean’s warmth. The island’s geography adds complexity: the central plateau and windward east coast receive considerably more rainfall than the sheltered west and north. Altitude also plays a role — the interior highlands can be cloudy and cool when the coast is drenched in sunshine.
☀️ November to April — Summer and the Wet Season
Summer in Mauritius runs from roughly November through April. Temperatures on the coast climb into the low-to-mid thirties Celsius, and humidity is at its most pronounced. Rain arrives in heavy, dramatic bursts rather than steady drizzle, and the afternoons frequently clear to brilliant sunshine. The sea reaches its warmest, typically between 26°C and 29°C, making snorkelling and diving particularly rewarding.
December, January, and February form the heart of this period and carry the greatest risk of tropical cyclones. Mauritius sits within the South-West Indian Ocean cyclone belt, and while direct hits are relatively rare, the island can experience heavy rains, strong winds, and rough seas during this window. Cyclone alerts can disrupt flights and close beaches at short notice.
Despite these caveats, this period draws many visitors, particularly Europeans escaping winter. Hotels on the west and north coasts — which sit in the rain shadow of the central mountains — remain relatively sunny even when the east is wet. The lush vegetation at its greenest, waterfalls running full, and warm evening temperatures make for a vivid atmosphere.
December and early January are peak festive season, with prices at their highest and availability tightest. If you are travelling over Christmas or New Year, booking well in advance is essential.
What to pack: Lightweight, moisture-wicking clothing in breathable fabrics; a quality compact umbrella or a packable waterproof jacket; sandals as well as closed shoes for evenings out; high-factor suncream (SPF 50+); insect repellent; a lightweight scarf for air-conditioned restaurants and shopping centres.
🍂 May to October — Winter and the Dry Season
The austral winter, from May to October, is widely regarded as the best time to visit Mauritius in terms of comfort. Trade winds from the south-east keep humidity low and temperatures pleasant — typically between 17°C and 25°C on the coast, with cooler nights in the highlands. The skies are frequently clear and blue, rainfall is minimal, and the sea, though slightly cooler than in summer at around 22°C to 24°C, remains inviting for swimming.
July and August are the coolest months and can feel surprisingly fresh in the evenings, particularly at altitude or on exposed headlands. A light layer is genuinely useful after sunset. The reduced humidity and cooler air make hiking, cycling, and exploring the interior far more comfortable than during summer.
The south and east coasts receive the strongest trade winds during this period, which can create choppy conditions for swimming and water sports in those areas. The west and north coasts remain calmer and more sheltered. Surfers, however, seek out the east and south coasts during winter for consistent swells.
Visibility underwater is excellent between May and September, and whale watching is possible from around June onwards when humpback whales pass through Mauritian waters.
June to August is the busiest period for European and South African visitors — the island’s two largest visitor markets outside the festive season — so prices are elevated compared to shoulder months, but generally lower than December and January.
What to pack: Lightweight daywear; a mid-layer fleece or smart casual knit for evenings and cooler highland days; comfortable walking shoes or trainers; a long-sleeved shirt for sun protection on the water; suncream; a compact day bag for hikes or market visits.
🌸 May and October–November — Shoulder Months
May and the October–November transition represent perhaps the shrewdest time to visit for those who want good conditions without peak-season pricing. May bridges the wet and dry seasons elegantly: most of the summer humidity has dissipated but the landscape retains its lushness, and sea temperatures are still warm. October and November mark the return of warmth after winter, before the cyclone risk and full summer humidity arrive.
Crowds are thinner, rates are more negotiable, and the island’s hospitality industry tends to be at its most attentive without the pressures of full occupancy. The risk in November is that the season can edge earlier in some years, bringing heavier rain and the odd cyclone depression from mid-November onwards.
What to pack: A versatile wardrobe that layers easily — lightweight trousers or a dress plus a light jacket covers most eventualities; sandals and comfortable closed shoes; suncream; swimming gear.
🌊 Diving and Snorkelling
Water visibility and marine life vary through the year. The period October to December offers the warmest sea temperatures and calmer waters on both coasts before the cyclone season intensifies. April and May, as the wet season eases, also offer very good conditions. The south-east trade winds from June to August can stir up sediment on the east coast but leave the west coast clear.
Whale sharks are occasionally spotted off the west coast between October and March. Humpback whales pass through from around June to September. Sea turtles nest on some beaches between October and February.
🏄 Kite Surfing and Water Sports
Le Morne on the south-west peninsula and Anse la Raie in the north are the main kite surfing spots. The strongest, most consistent trade winds for kite surfing run from May to October. Surfing the reef breaks on the east and south coasts is best from around May to September, when the swell arrives with the trade winds. Flat-water watersports — paddleboarding, kayaking, glass-bottom boats — are most enjoyable from May to September on the sheltered west and north coasts
🌡️ Overall Best Time to Visit
For most visitors, May to October offers the most reliably comfortable conditions in Mauritius: low humidity, sunshine, clear skies, and warm enough seas for swimming and snorkelling. Within that window, June and July strike the ideal balance of dry weather, excellent visibility for diving, whale watching opportunities, and manageable prices — without the summer cyclone risk or the humidity that can make outdoor activity tiring. Families with school-age children often find the Easter and October half-term shoulders equally rewarding: warm, less crowded, and frequently kinder on the budget than the peak winter and festive seasons. If a warm sea and a vivid, lush island are the priority and cyclone risk is accepted, December and January remain genuinely beautiful — simply book early, watch the weather alerts, and choose the west or north coast.
Where to stay
Mon Choisy Beach Resort
We stopped in the Mon Choisy which is on the northeast coast of Mauritius. This is a lovely area of the island with great beaches and supposedly the best weather.
The resort was outside the main areas of the town and right on the edge of the large public beach at Mon Choisy. The resort was right on the water, with a rocky beach. It was a perfect place for watching the sun go down and catch the sunset.
We wanted to self-cater, or at least have the option to, so this resort was perfect as the rooms had a small kitchenette which was reasonably well equipped. The rooms were very comfortable, but most of them do not have much of a view.
The pool area was perfect for sunbathing and cooling off, as well as being a perfect spot for seeing sunsets.
Hôtel 20 Degrés Sud
This 5-star hotel is also located on the northeast coast of the island near Grand Baie.
The first boutique hotel in Mauritius, the 20 Degrés Sud offers you the luxury and excellence of a 5-star hotel in an establishment with the dimensions of a charming hotel.
No ostentatious luxury but much more: elegance and refinement. The delicacy in taste, spirit and feelings that will truly give you the feeling of being in a world apart.
Nestled in a pretty coconut grove at the water’s edge, the 20 Degrés Sud enjoys a privileged location, far from all the hustle and bustle, but only a few minutes from the entertainment of Grand Bay. Its location in the heart of a very quiet residential area served by a charming coastal road gives it a peaceful and relaxing side.
Le Peninsula Bay Beach Resort & Spa
This 3-star hotel is located on the southwest side of Mauritius, closer to the International Airport.
Located in Blue Bay, a 2-minute walk from Blue Bay Beach, Le Peninsula Bay Beach Resort & Spa has accommodations with an outdoor swimming pool, free private parking, a fitness center and a garden. Among the facilities of this property are a restaurant, a shared lounge and a 24-hour front desk, along with free WiFi throughout the property. The property provides karaoke and a tour desk.
The hotel will provide guests with air-conditioned rooms offering a desk, an electric tea pot, a fridge, a safety deposit box, a flat-screen TV and a private bathroom with a shower. At Le Peninsula Bay Beach Resort & Spa all rooms include bed linen and towels.
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