Plan your visit: feeding sessions, more than 1,000 giant tortoises and a fascinating insectarium await you at La Vanille Nature Park in southern Mauritius.
Looking for the largest colony of giant tortoises in the world? La Vanille Nature Park, in the heart of southern Mauritius, is home to more than 1,000 free-roaming Aldabra giant tortoises, more than 2,000 Nile crocodiles and an insectarium containing 23,000 specimens. This wildlife park in Rivière des Anguilles can be explored in 2 to 3 hours, amid tropical forest and a freshwater river. Follow our tips to plan your visit from the west coast, just a short distance from our 5-star Legend Hill residence.
La Vanille Nature Park is a wildlife reserve criss-crossed by 3.5 km of trails, located in Rivière des Anguilles, in southern Mauritius. Established in 1985, it takes its name from the surrounding region and immerses visitors in dense tropical forest, crossed by a freshwater river and home to old ebony trees. Its history is closely linked to the protection of species native to Mauritius and the Mascarene Islands.
From Legend Hill, on the west coast in Rivière Noire, the park can be reached by road along the southern coastline. It makes an ideal nature excursion during a luxury stay in Mauritius, which our concierge team will be happy to arrange. Combining discovery and wildlife watching, La Vanille Nature Park is a favourite with both families and animal lovers.
Southern Mauritius is perfect for a full day of excursions. Before or after visiting La Vanille Nature Park, continue to Rochester Falls or the village of Souillac, overlooking the ocean. Our local guides recommend arriving when the park opens, when the crocodiles are most active and the temperature is still pleasant beneath the trees.
La Vanille Nature Park is home to an exceptional range of tropical wildlife, from giant tortoises and Nile crocodiles to a unique insectarium. Here are some of the species to look out for along the shaded trails.
The Aldabra giant tortoises are the park’s stars, and the park claims the world’s largest colony of giant tortoises in captivity, with more than 1,000 individuals roaming freely. These giants can weigh up to 250 kg and live for more than 150 years. Among them, Domino is one of the oldest and largest. Children can approach the tortoises and, in designated areas, feed them. The same species has been reintroduced on Île aux Aigrettes, in the south-east, to replace the island’s extinct endemic tortoises.
Nile crocodiles have earned the park its reputation as a crocodile park. More than 2,000 Nile crocodiles live here in a tropical environment shaded by giant bamboo. The crocodile feeding session is one of the highlights of the visit, transforming these seemingly lethargic reptiles into swift predators as soon as food appears above the enclosure.
The insectarium houses 23,000 butterflies and insects from five continents, making it one of the Indian Ocean’s most impressive collections. The park is also home to monkeys, flying foxes, large fruit bats, and iguanas. A fossil collection also recalls extinct species such as the Mauritian dodo and Madagascar’s elephant bird.
La Vanille Nature Park is more than a tourist attraction: it is a genuine conservation centre. The park participates in several breeding and reintroduction programmes for endangered species from Mauritius and Madagascar, including the Malagasy radiated tortoise. This work highlights the park’s important role in protecting biodiversity in the region.
In practice, this scientific dimension adds depth to the visit. Every enclosure serves as a reminder of the vulnerability of endemic species and the importance of protecting them. It is a powerful message, shared with both families and nature enthusiasts.
To make the most of La Vanille Nature Park, we recommend planning your visit around the 11:30 a.m. or 2:30 p.m. feeding sessions and allowing plenty of time for the giant tortoises. It is the southern excursion our family travellers enjoy most.
Before setting off to explore the park, here is the essential information you need to plan your visit:
Want to extend this nature escape with some peaceful time overlooking the lagoon? Why not combine your visit to La Vanille Nature Park with an exceptional stay on the west coast? Book your getaway at Legend Hill: our concierge team can tailor your trip and excursions in Mauritius, from the wild south to the beaches of the west.
Fancy a day among giant tortoises and crocodiles?
Method: the number of tortoises and crocodiles, the founding year, the length of the trails, the opening hours and the feeding times were taken from the park's official website, while the insectarium and fossil collection were cross-checked with the two guides listed above, then supplemented by the Legend Hill team's own visits, verified in August 2026. Opening hours, prices and the feeding schedule change with the season: ask our concierge team before setting off.
Sunny Malliah started out as a receptionist in Mauritian hospitality in 2003 and now heads the rooms division at Legend Hill: front office, concierge, reservations and housekeeping. Twenty-three years on the ground, a CTH hospitality management diploma and a Cornell certificate, plus the coordination of a 54-room build and a water park project. A great stay, in this view, is above all a well-paced one, much like our one-week itineraries.
La Plantation Marguery
Black River Mauritius
Tel : +230 5509 8168
reservations@legendhill-mauritius.com