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Aapravasi Ghat
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Aapravasi Ghat

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Aapravasi Ghat
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#2 of 32 things to do in Port Louis
Historic Sites
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9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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See what other travelers are saying
  • Aberdeenyummymummy
    Bunbury, Australia113 contributions
    So informative
    This is a fantastic little museum - just noth of the waterfront. It is well laid out with the right mix of exhibits and information in both poster format and IT touchscreen. It gives a real feel of the history of Mauritius and it's people.
    Written January 19, 2023
  • Angela C
    Eastbourne, United Kingdom76 contributions
    A free experience into the history of Mauritius
    It is worth negotiating the heavy traffic opposite the bus station in order to access this museum at the very end of the waterfront near the harbour. It gives an informative history of indentured labour and the conditions that workers endured through film, exhibits and photographs. There are interactive video screens for children (although not all of them were working). It is an insight into the history of Mauritius and better organised than some other museums that have an entry fee.
    Written March 1, 2020
  • rishav_rv
    Mumbai, India37 contributions
    A Reminder of Imperialism
    It is a UNESCO world heritage site. There is no entry fee. It is more like a small museum. They have put nice and descriptive replicas of boats, utensils, chambers of the indentured labourers. The official records are also for display, writing is a little cursive; but if one can relate to the names in the list, it is not tough to decipher. While this is historical to the development of the island, it is also a reminder of imperialism.
    Written October 7, 2022
These reviews are the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor checks reviews for fraud.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.0
281 reviews
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6
DERtravels
Pomona, CA1,440 contributions
Excellent Insight into History
May 2019 • Couples
Our first stop of the day tour was at Aapravasi Ghat. I had no idea of this part of indentured servitude, especially in such a more recent part of history, 1834-1920. Our guide was excellent. We could almost feel the presence of those souls from China, India and South East Asia while they waited to be transshipped to other parts of the world. When we visited the grounds were open every day but Sunday
Written April 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
PrestonGuild
United Kingdom54,767 contributions
An important element of social history
Aapravasi Ghat is Hindi for immigration Depot. A building complex located on the Port Louis waterfront. It was the first British colony to receive indentured workers from India from 1849 to 1923.

An estimated half a million Indian indentured labourers passed through the Immigration Depot and spread out to plantations throughout the British Empire. In Mauritius alone, almost two thirds of the population is of Indian ancestry. The Immigration Depot has thus become an important reference point in the history and cultural identity of Mauritius.

Only the partial remains of three stone buildings from the entire complex have survived. And are now protected as a national monument and has been recognized by UNESCO when it was declared a World Heritage Site in 2006. The site is under the management of the Aapravasi Ghat Trust Fund. Conservation efforts are underway to restore the fragile buildings back to their 1860s state.

A visit will inform and educate you with the history of the Immigration Depot and the impact of indentured labourers. Guides are on hand to answer any questions. Unfortunately many visitors pass this landmark by without taking a peek on the way to Port Louis or to the waterfront but its worth spending a few moments there to understand this important piece of social history.
Written October 30, 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
TwoMouthsFull
Mumbai, India951 contributions
Interesting peek into history
Dec 2018 • Family
This place tells tales of a time gone by. You get a little peek into the life of indentured slaves, and their trials and tribulations. Well worth a visit.
Written January 3, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Fantajan
Pretoria, South Africa279 contributions
The Ellis Island of Mauritius
Apr 2019 • Family
This place is worth a quick visit if you are in Port Luis and you have an interest in learning about the history of the island's population. After the abolition of slavery, the British had to figure out a way to keep their extensive sugar plantations in production. Thus began the first major experiment with indentured labor. 1,000 of people arrived from India, Eastern Africa, Madagascar, China and Southeast Asia - and the Ghat was where they stayed for their first two days before being assigned to plantations. The vast majority of Mauritians are descendants of Indian immigrants. The Ghat includes a self-guided visit to a museum which is nicely laid out but a bit repetitive in terms of the information offered. You also visit what remains of the immigration center. The visit is free and there is very limited free parking right next to the entrance to the facility. It is, as another reviewer noted, a bit hard to find - and if you go too far you are back on the highway and it could easily take you 20 minutes or more to get turned around.
Written April 27, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
wraopera
Washington Dc33 contributions
The Ellis Island Of Mauritius
Oct 2018 • Couples
This World Heritage Site Museum May be the best (only?) resaon to visit Port Louis. The museum explains how after the British abolished slavery they used indentured servants, largely from southern India, to staff the burgeoning sugar plantations.

The museum tells the story in poignant terms of the how the immigrants traveled to Mauritius and what they did upon arrival. Today the descendants of those indentured servants make up some 75 percent of the population and help explain why there are so many Hindu temples throughout the country.
Written October 16, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
frankyD
Zurich, Switzerland245 contributions
Well presented and informative
Aug 2018 • Couples
Informative, well presented and even free - this site is a must when in Port Louis to learn about the history of Mauritius.

Concise descriptions and some exhibits without the overly lengthy museum feeling - guided tours are also available if you want to know more details.
Written August 27, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Stephen S
London, UK36 contributions
In the footsteps of history
Jun 2018 • Solo
Until recently there was very little to see and not much to bring home to you the importance of Aapravasi Ghat. That changed when this well-conceived museum opened in converted warehouses after the location became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

After Britain abolished slavery in Mauritius and its other colonies, the furious French plantation owners demanded replacements for their freed slaves. Under the indentured labour system, agents recruited people in India to work on contract on Mauritian sugar plantations. Almost all of the 450,000 indentured labourers arrived right here, walking from the quayside up the steps to the Immigration Depot, where they were 'processed' before being sent to their allocated sugar estate. For someone of Indian origin a visit to Aapravasi Ghat surely has huge emotional impact.

Outside the museum there isn't a lot to see - some stones, a few trees and some explanatory signs. This was once the 1860s Immigration Depot, but 95% of it was demolished years ago and today the site is bounded by the busy, polluted main road, the North Bus Terminal, the historic, derelict Civil Hospital and Trou Fanfaron fishing port. Despite this - and ironically given how noisy and busy the Depot would once have been - it's a small haven of peace in hot, frantic, crowded Port Louis.

The museum is thoroughly recommended as a primer on the great migration of Indians to Mauritius. However, despite the list of eminent historians involved, there are some misleading statements. It's stated that indentured labour was 'free', but that doesn't mean they were employed at zero cost; they were 'free' because they were not slaves. The otherwise excellent model of the Immigration Depot c1860s depicts a 1920s sugar estate tramway engine and cane wagon rather than an 1860s Mauritius Government Railways train. Apart from the reconstructed labourer's hut, we get little idea about the lives of the labourers on the estates and how they changed over the years. There's no mention of the Depot's role in pioneering mass photo ID - possibly the first such scheme in the world.

As with all Mauritian museums, you need to apply a French filter to the captions. History is won by the victors, they say, and in Mauritius that essentially means the old Franco-Mauritian families who still own so much of the land and the businesses, almost as if the island were still a French colony rather than an independent state. Their culpability in trying to hang on to slavery and their subsequent ill-treatment of indentured labourers despite the efforts of some of the more enlightened, but outnumbered, British administrators is one of the country's uncomfortable truths.

So there's still work to do, but this museum is a very good start.
Written July 1, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Paula N
Bristol, United Kingdom63 contributions
Very interesting place to visit
Oct 2017
We only found this because it was sign posted from the bus station but were glad we went. It was very interesting to learn about the people that came to colonise Mauritius in the 19th Century. Free to visit and air conditioned with clean toilets.
Written October 31, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Dwayne M
Box Hill, Australia91 contributions
Depressingly fascinating.
Jan 2017 • Couples
Whether the British called them "slaves" or "indentured" doesn't change the actual circumstances surrounding the history of these poor people. It is eerie and a bit emotional to walk up the same steps many thousands of exploited people were forced to many years ago. As a world heritage site it is worth visiting for its importance, but take the time to read each board as you will learn a little more about the history of the place. Although it felt like the explanations were a little sugar coated. It's only a small sight, but has so much history and sadness behind it, it is worth spending some time quietly contemplating the reality of what occurred there.
Written January 12, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Kuttappi
Vienna, Austria303 contributions
Important piece of history, nice exhibit
Jun 2016 • Solo
This well curated and nicely laid out exhibit provides important insights into the history of Mauritius. The exhibition is well laid out, informative and managed by a group of professional staff who are very helpful. Recommended.
Written June 19, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Aapravasi Ghat (Port Louis) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about Aapravasi Ghat
Aapravasi Ghat is open:
  • Mon - Fri 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
  • Sat - Sun 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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