Every love tree tells a story, what will yours be? Are you looking for a romantic activity that will have a lasting impact? Whether you are on your honeymoon or just want to remind your partner, friend, mother or father, just how special they are, come and plant a love tree at Ebony Forest. You will be helping save endangered species and offset your carbon footprint all in the name of love.

Your visit will start with a special welcome at our Visitor Centre, just for you, then a tour of our museum, Ebony Experience, written and illustrated by British palaeontologist and artist, and critically acclaimed co-author of Lost Land of the Dodo, Dr Julian Hume. If you are short of time, a must-see is the 6-8 minute film in English or French about the Island’s unique and fragile biodiversity, sponsored by the Mauritius Commercial Bank and produced by Mystic Mauritius. Leaving the museum, you will understand the importance of our conservation work and how your visit has made a difference.

A 10 mins jeep ride will take you the Flycatcher raised walkway. En route you will pass through our restoration sites, where we are continually removing the non-native vegetation and planting native species to create a refuge for the island’s threatened biodiversity.

Our experienced and passionate local guides will then take you on a 30 minute tour along our unique raised walkways through one of the best-preserved Mauritian ebony forests. Experience the feeling of floating among the trees and seeing wildlife from a different perspective than you would get if you were at ground level. Feel the density of ebony wood and understand why it is one of the most valuable woods in the world. See Fruit Bats hanging in the trees or eating fruits, endemic Phelsuma geckos sunbathing, pic pic birds fluttering among the canopy looking for insects and one of the rarest trees in the world, the bois corail or Coral Tree, named for its magnificent coral-shaped flowers. Breathe in the sweet scents of the fresh and cool forest air and learn about why palms, once common in Mauritian forests, are now missing from most remnant native forests.

The jeep ride continues up the mountain to Sublime Point. As the name suggests, it is just sublime. One of the best views in Mauritius, if not THE BEST. Stunning views await you at Sublime Point of Le Morne, Ile aux Benitier, Tourelle du Tamarin, Montagne du Rempart, Corps de Garde, Trois Mammelles, Le Pouce, Pieter Both, Piton Canot and the island’s highest peak, Piton de la Riviere Noire. With a unique vantage point, watch the endemic Mauritian Fruit Bat flying below, White-tailed Tropic Birds delight you with their aerial acrobatics, Mascarene swiftlets, and Mauritius Kestrel.

As you admire the spectacular view, you will be treated to a drink (tamarind juice, lemon grass juice, soft drink, water, wine, or beer) and local snacks. Now is the perfect time to write a love note about your hopes, dreams or simply feelings about each other. No need to be embarrassed as you will be burying your note under your tree. Alternatively, commemorate a loved one, friend, colleague or family member. Your guide will then take you to a nearby restoration site and tell you about your endemic love tree and why it is so important in our conservation mission. You will be invited to label the tree that you plant. Choose to return to the Visitor Centre by hiking the 2.4 km (30 – 50 mins) or taking the safari jeep (15 mins).

So you don’t forget your wonderful experience, we give you a small souvenir to take home with you. Thank you once again for sharing your love with us and helping to save our biodiversity. If the trees, birds, bats, insects and reptiles could talk, they would say cheers. Your visit and any purchases in our Shop contribute to helping save endangered species from extinction and offset carbon.