Casela Nature Park - The African Safari Review
Going on an African safari could be anyone's dream, and for sure it was mine. So although I prepared an itinerary, the itinerary was a guide to all the places I wanted to travel to. I woke up, got washed and dressed, and told my family today would be the day we'd go on the African safari.
On Our Travels
We took a bus from Flic-en-Flac to Cascavelle, which was about 15 minutes away. We got off at Cascavelle Mall and took another bus that dropped us outside the nature park. We hadn't booked anything, so we decided at the counter what we wanted to do. I knew I wanted to feed the giraffes... that was a complete dream of mine. So at the till, we paid around 3000 MUR (roughly £60), for entry to the park, the safari ride, and an amusement ride for two adults and one child. I paid an extra 200 MUR (£4) to feed the giraffes. Admission worked out to about £19 per adult and £15 per child over 11.
The African safari is what we really looked forward to, but we were very disappointed that there were no elephants, lions or giraffes on the route. Understandably, the park is designed to make money, but we felt like the safari lacked excitement and it was something we wouldn't do again. We weren't keen on just viewing deers and antelopes, and while we did get to see a pack of beautiful zebra, we thought elephants and lions somehow would be there for us to see. Feeding the giraffes was the highlight of this trip for me. I felt like I was living out one of many dreams of mine.
The nature park did offer a package where you could walk with the lions, but we were unaware this excluded the lions from being a part of the Safari tour ride. To be quite honest, we almost felt like the safari was misleading, and believe this should have been stated somewhere.
At the nature park, there are lots of restaurants and places to eat, particularly where you could try some authentic Mauritian cuisine. The food we had at one of the restaurants was absolutely delicious.
We had Mauritian fritters, samosas, and noodles. We ordered the homemade ice teas, one watermelon and one peach- once they arrived, they were absolutely delicious. With every purchase to the Nature park, you'll be admitted to ride one rollercoaster, which is something you most definitely try!
You'll have to manage the speed of your cart and ensure a safe distance from every other driver. It is a real adrenaline rush considering you are the one in control of your 'drop'. Super scary, but super worth it, and if you don't believe me, just check out my mum in the photo above!
We had the option to book online before our visit, but I was glad I waited until we arrived so I had a more in-depth idea of what I wanted to do. Aside from viewing the animals, Casela Nature Park offers a variety of activities including ziplining, quad biking, walking with the lions, and feeding the animals.
My overall thoughts on Casela Nature Park are that I would return, but I would most likely feed and interact with the animals over the safari.
If you are arranging a trip to Mauritius, Casela Nature Park should be top of your list, but I would recommend feeding the animals or walking with the animals, over the safari. You will appreciate a more intimate and longer interaction with the animals.