Ebony Forest Reserve Chamarel: Endemic Birdwatching Guided Tour

Overview

Available languages

English

French

4 hours

Mobile ticket

• Private guided visit to the bird release aviaries to see the rare Pink Pigeon and Echo Parakeet feed in the wild

• See some of the world’s rarest birds and wildlife: Mauritius Kestrel, Pink Pigeon, Echo Parakeet, Mauritius Flycatcher, Black Bulbul, Grey white-eye

• Experienced and passionate guides

• Spot White-tailed tropic birds, Mascarene swallows, Mascarene swiftlets and Mauritius flying foxes soaring in the air

• Enjoy a selection of local drinks and Mauritian snacks at the breath-taking Sublime Point

• Bespoke tour to accommodate your needs. You can hike or drive different sections as you choose

• Visit the museum, written and illustrated by British palaeontologist, bird expert and artist, and critically acclaimed co-author of Lost Land of the Dodo, Dr Julian Hume.

Additional Info

Public transportation options are available nearby

Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries

Not recommended for pregnant travelers

Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health

Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

Binoculars

Snacks and drink

Camera

What To Expect

Prepare for a very special and unique birding experience among one of the most magnificent ebony forests and few places in Mauritius where six of the nine remaining endemic birds call home. On your 3-4 hour guided tour in this Important Bird Area, as listed by BirdLife International, you will have the opportunity to spot some of the World’s rarest birds, such as the Pink Pigeon, Echo Parakeet, Mauritius Paradise Flycatcher, Mauritius Black Bulbul (also known as the merle), Mauritius Kestrel, and Grey-white eye. Your 3-4 hour guided bird watching tour starts with a brief visit of the museum and an exclusive visit of the bird release aviaries to spot the wild Echo Parakeet and Pink Pigeon. Discover how Ebony Forest is committed to saving endemic birds and observe the forest restoration efforts to recreate large areas of native forest. Walk or use the safari jeeps to visit the Flycatcher Raised Walkway and Sublime Point. Savour Mauritian delights at Sublime Point while your guide highlights the mountains and rugged scenery of the wild south. A minimum of 2 adults is required to carry out the activity.

Options

Ebony Forest Reserve Chamarel: Endemic Birdwatching Guided Tour

Reviews

4.91

45 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Best bird watching trip ever
cazzerr94,
Oct 16, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We booked onto the bird watching tour and had the most amazing day ever! We visited on 16th October 2025. Unfortunately we did not catch the name of our guide, however we would like to say a huge thank you to him for the most amazing experience. He taught us so much about the history of Mauritius, the Flora and Fauna and of course, the birds! We were the only two on our tour and it was very comfortable to walk around and chat with our guide as he showed us all of the birds. We saw all the birds we had wanted to see and more! Including the Mauritius kestrel, pink pigeon, echo parakeet, paradise flycatcher and olive white eye! We are both love birds and bird watching so this was the perfect experience for us. We even saw 3 of the 13 giant tortoises and plenty of geckos! It was a 4 hour hike, so you need to be prepared with plenty of water and fitness but the guide will let you have a break when you need one (which I needed lots of!!!) If we had the time on our holiday, we would come back again because bird watching never gets boring. Thank you to all of the staff at Ebony forest, and our wonderful guide, for such a special experience.
Outstanding Birding Experience
Adamevekeyshiaroxy,
Oct 14, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Incredible experience. Saw Mauritius Kestrel, Pink Pigeon, Olive White-eye, Mauritius Bulbul, Mauritius Paradise Flycatcher. The walk was fantastic ... needs fitness. The reserve is outstanding! What people are doing to preserve and rehabilitate natural forest is exemplary. Our bird guide was EXCELLENT!!!
Great overall impression
AndriesCombrinck,
Oct 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We visited the Ebony Forest for a birdwatching tour. Unfortunately we didn't get to see all the birds we were hoping, but that is just how nature works. Our guide (unsure of the spelling, Johanna?) was excellent and her knowledge of both the fauna and flora enlightened us. The guys at Ebony Forest seem like a passionate bunch who are trying to restore nature to its original state. Well worth visiting, guided tour recommended.
Best tour done on Mauritius
Katie R,
Sep 8, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Had a wonderful 4hours walking round the forest with Damien teaching us all about the fascinating flora and fauna of this gorgeous island. His enthusiasm for his surroundings and commitment to giving us the best experience possible was unparalleled and we loved getting to know him as much as getting to know the forest. With odds stacked against us due to noisy renovations ongoing in the aviaries we still got to see the very rare Olive White-eye up close due to his dogged determination and understanding of this very special little bird. Would come back and do it all again tmrw. Thanks so much for giving us such an entertaining and memorable tour Damien.
Truly wonderful and educational experience
Cybernest,
Jul 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
The Ebony Forest is a beautiful place. Following the Bird Watching Tour, was truly one of the best ways to explore this magnificent region. Compared to other national parks, Ebony Forest has a very recent opening (in 2017). This makes it a unique opportunity to see how biologists try to help restore the original species and maintain a balanced ecosystem. By starting off with a bit of Mauritian history, it helps you picture how the forest was before: full of many endemic species such as the dodo and a whole canopy of ebony trees. Throughout the years, the ebony tree population decreased immensely, mainly because of careless colonisation. Getting this full picture helps you release the big efforts that conservationists put into saving the Ebony Forest. Besides birds, you get a chance to firsthand experience how they are planting and restoring new ebony trees. The Bird Watching Tour also gave us the chance to visit the reintroduction sites of the endemic species that are being brought back after extinction on the island. We saw 5/7 endemic bird species, even the rare Mauritius Olive White-Eye (only 3 birds in the park)! But also the reintroduced giant tortoises that roam freely around the park. Having our very excited, friendly and a bit bird obsessed 🤩 guide Damian, helped us understand the importance of biodiversity and gave us some inside information on the animals here. He knew all the bird species by heart (even mimicking some of the bird calls!) and introduced us to the different personalities of the tortoises (they can be quite sassy!). As you can tell I highly recommend doing this Bird Watching tour to fully understand the Ebony Forest and help fund their research. Every contribution, every activity puts them one step forward on completing their goal: a fully restored, healthy Ebony Forest! PS make sure to book this tour beforehand as it is one of the most popular and memorable experiences!
Nice and informative tour!
LP1408,
May 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We were guided by Damien and the visit was very informative. He’s really passionate about his profession and it shows, because he knows how to pass on his passion to visitors. Congratulations for the enormous work that has been done by the whole team and we wish you every success in this magnificent project! Lauriane
Guided tour of the bridge
Docbill77,
May 16, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Excellent visit accompanied by our extremely relevant and funny Damien and Brice guides. Sublime landscapes. Beautiful species. To do at all costs!
Great Tour.
Michael V,
May 6, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Super!!! Very informative and interessting with the great View Point to the Ozean. Great Tour. The Guide was very friendly.
All as advertised and well worthwhile
Bruce C,
May 5, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Would say 4.5 as went on a bit long. 4.20. And strenuous. But the guide was lovely and we saw the expected birds. The place is well maintained as they restore the native forest. Only negative is i had to book two persons as wont book a single. There were two others on the walk.
I loved it.
Passenger29777402668,
Mar 14, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Hiking in one of the only 2 preserved reserves of Mauritius, guide (extremely interesting) included in the price, 7 species of native birds to see. I recommend if you like walking and learn about the history of the territory you come to visit.