Grand Bassin (Ganga Talao)

Grand Bassin (Ganga Talao) tickets and tours: which one to book

No ticket for Grand Bassin is sold online, and none is needed. The crater lake and its temples are open to everyone without charge, and there is no gate, timed slot or booking. A donation box stands at the main shrine, and stalls by the car park sell flowers, incense and coconuts for those who want to make an offering. The question is how to get there. Grand Bassin lies in the high, forested south-west of Mauritius, in the district of Savanne, and buses are slow and infrequent.

Most visitors come on a full-day island tour by car or minibus that combines the lake with the giant statues nearby, the Black River Gorges viewpoints, the Chamarel waterfall and the coloured earths. These tours usually include transport, a driver-guide and hotel pick-up, while entry fees at Chamarel and lunch are often extra; check what is covered before booking. A private driver for the day gives the most freedom and is easy to arrange through hotels. Renting a car works too, as the roads are good and parking is free, though traffic and parking become difficult around the Maha Shivaratri pilgrimage. The page lists any GetYourGuide tours whose route passes Grand Bassin.

Visiting Grand Bassin (Ganga Talao): what to see and how to behave

Grand Bassin, known to Hindus as Ganga Talao, is a crater lake in the hills of southern Mauritius and the most sacred Hindu site on the island. Its waters are believed to be linked to the Ganges, and the lake became a place of pilgrimage at the end of the 19th century, when Hindu priests from the island's large Indian-descended community consecrated it. Today temples to Shiva, Hanuman, Lakshmi, Ganesh and other deities stand along its shore. The approach is the most striking part. Two huge statues guard the road a short distance before the lake: a 33 m figure of Shiva, among the tallest in the world, and a figure of the goddess Durga, both completed in the last two decades.

At the lake, a broad paved area leads down to the water, where devotees leave offerings of flowers, fruit and incense on the stone steps. The main temple, dedicated to Shiva, sits on the bank, and smaller shrines are scattered around the rim; a path up the hillside behind leads to a shrine with a view across the lake. Monkeys roam the site and will grab food, so keep snacks out of sight. Remove your shoes before entering any shrine, and dress modestly. Photography of the setting is fine, but ask before photographing people at prayer. Do not swim, and do not touch offerings. Grand Bassin is about an hour by road from Port Louis and about 40 minutes from the beaches of the west coast.

Grand Bassin (Ganga Talao): opening hours, ceremonies and the best time to go

The lake and its shrines are open daily from early morning until dusk. Arrive in the morning, when priests and families come to pray and the light falls on the water; by early afternoon mist and rain often drift over the hills, as this is one of the wettest parts of the island. The most important time of the year is Maha Shivaratri, the great night of Shiva, in February or March. For days beforehand, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims dressed in white walk to the lake from across Mauritius, many carrying elaborate decorated frames called kanwars, and the whole area becomes a vast camp of worshippers.

It is a remarkable sight, but roads are closed to traffic and visiting as a tourist is best done on foot and with patience. Outside the festival, the cooler months from May to October are pleasant, with fewer storms. Allow about an hour for the lake, the statues and the shrines. Combine it with Black River Gorges National Park, the Chamarel waterfall and the coloured earths to fill a full day in the south-west.