La Vanille Nature Park
A zoo in the tropical rainforest of the south, home to many Aldabra giant tortoises and Nile crocodiles, where you can get up close to the tortoises.
Located in Rivière des Anguilles near Souillac in the south, the park was originally a crocodile farm and is now a nature park in the tropical rainforest. It keeps hundreds of Aldabra giant tortoises (you can enter the enclosure to touch and photograph them), Nile crocodiles, fruit bats, monkeys, and more. There is also a museum of large insect specimens. The trails are well shaded but hot and humid, so watch out for mosquitoes. Admission costs a few hundred rupees (with discounts for children), and it is open daily from about 09:30 to 17:00. It is about a 15-minute drive from Gris Gris, so the two can be combined into a southern day trip.
Opening hours
09:30–17:00
Nearby sights
- Gris Gris
- Rochester Falls
- Grand Bassin (Ganga Talao)
- Black River Gorges National Park
- Blue Bay Marine Park
- Black River Peak
- Rhumerie de Chamarel
- Tamarind Falls (Seven Cascades)