Ilot Gabriel Beach
Ilot Gabriel Beach
4.5
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
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The area

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles576 reviews
Excellent
333
Very good
155
Average
48
Poor
18
Terrible
22

karolinakulesza
Negombo, Sri Lanka6 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022 • Couples
The island itself is lovely, it is natural reserve unfortunately as daily about 15 -20 catamarans come brining about 150 people to the beach who party like there is no tomorrow and very often leave their rubbish and cigarette buds behind. The whole coral is dead and most fish are gone so if you are keen on snorkelling you are better off doing it from main Mount Choisy beach.
There is a BIG difference between what you see on internet and reality, don’t get me wrong, its beautiful but if you are in for paradise island… you are on the wrong trip.
Written October 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Samer K
19 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Friends
The most horrible service. I only tried to make a booking and that was already one of the worst experiences in my life. They start by swearing in Creol and think I don’t understand. I then decided to dump the trip for tomorrow. Just the most disgusting persons on planet earth
Written February 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Odysseyx
Brisbane, Australia717 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2015 • Couples
Booking a trip to Ilot Gabriel is a bit like a lucky dip. There are tourist operators in every third shop in Grand Baie and it's confusing as to who's offering what and which boat you're going on.

The BIG TIP is: make sure you book a trip that has lunch on the island and NOT on the catamaran.

My partner and I fluked it by saying that and then we learned that only one company has the rights to take people onto the island. The others can't and that's why they only have you on an unshaded beach for an hour and then whip you back onto the catamaran for lunch. This was the previous reviewer's experience and, of course, it happens a lot.

For the record, we booked with Princess Tours in the main street in Grand Baie and paid 2000 Mauritian for the two of us which is about AUD35 each. This was great value considering it included the return trip of about 90 minutes each way and we spent a couple of hours swimming on the beach and relaxing in the shaded, private area with wooden tables and thatched umbrellas; drank free beers, rum, soft drinks and water and enjoyed a delicious BBQ lunch of fish, chicken and salads.

The beaches and water on Ilot Gabriel are pristine and we enjoyed the swimming very much.

We then sailed past Madame Trou and onto Gunners Point where we could swim and snorkel. Again, this was magical but there's not a lot of marine life or coral to see. Make sure you bring your own gear if you want to snorkel as none was offered by staff.

The orange catamaran we went on isn't flash and you need to take your own water with you as they only offered us water in glasses washed in sea water - and that was only on the return trip. The male staff were lazy and lying in some of the best seats that passengers would have liked. They didn't look after us in any way which was disappointing and service needs to be improved.

Despite this, the experience on Ilot Gabriel was one of the highlights of our three weeks in Mauritius.
Written March 2, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JustineLeon
Uxbridge, UK43 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2015 • Couples
We went to ilot gabriel on Valentine's day as we had nothing else planned. We went via catamaran which held about 30 people and the journey took roughly an hour and half. We left at 9.30, arrived at approx 11.15, you then have to take a mini boat to the shore as the catamarans are too big. We were only given an hour to relax on this island before being called back for a bbq lunch on the catamaran- just enough time to take all the photos. There is practically no shade on the island and people were huddling under trees where they could. There is a bar and loads of shade in a private area where visitors were not allowed to go..I don't think you can even pay for it either. As there was no shade in the main part of the island we walked allowed round it but the further you walk the more rocky it became. The boat crew put on some entertainment and we haspd locals on our boat who made the expreience very enjoyable as they were dancing to the music. The sea was very rough coming back and ho estly at ti es it felt like we were going to go overboard! Overall, it wasn't the best island to visit in mauritius and you only get to spend an hour on the island;the bulk of the trip is on the catamaran.
Written February 16, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ash
473 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2019 • Friends
Gabriel and flat islands are both absolutely stunning 😊 great for chilling out and snorkelling but beware of the current!!
Written August 16, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LF79
Sydney, Australia186 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2017 • Friends
Went with catamaran with family. Had the 58 seater with maybe 25 on board so ample seating for all. All shoes, savettes etc had to be taken off and put in a box, you get them back once you get to the island.

The guys from royal catamaran started serving drinks not long after we took off. Bit of advice if your not used to choppy waters don't drink alcohol or go down below to the bathroom, your stomach will thank you for it later on.

We got to ilot Gabriel about 1 hour 40 mins later, a motorised dinghy dropped us off at the beach. Don't forget your shoes, the sand was scorching hot.

The beach and water itself is pristine, a lot of people were snorkelling, swimming others were baking in the sun and.just relaxing.

Lunch and drinks were served at 12.30 just some bbq fish, chicken, sausage,salads and drinks.

There are no shops at all on this island nor are there any bathrooms. If you have to go, go before you leave the boat. Have to say there were a number of people going to relieve themselves further away from the beach.

It takes an hour and a bit to walk around Gabriel island if you prefer walking to swimming.

We got picked up by the boat just after 2pm, most people were either sleeping or just relaxing back in the catamaran. More drinks were served and some cake and banana.

Got back to Grand Baie just after 4pm.

Was an enjoyable day with nothing to do apart from swim and relax.

A few tips
Wear and bring sunscreen and a hat
Take your shoes with you
Bring water (even though you get glasses, you get dehydrated easily)
As you would with any touristic place, protect your valuables.
Written October 16, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Luke F
19 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2017 • Couples
I've been to Mauritius many times and like many other places this is definitely somewhere I go every time. The catamaran trip to and from the island is fun and very enjoyable we usually leave from grand baie, and the boat crew truly do make the whole experience so much better, they play music throughout the trip and the food cooked on the BBQ is amazing!. The island itself is just beautiful once you arrive you everyone gets onto the smaller boat and they take you to the beach, once there you can have a look around or just soak up the sun and bath in the clear water. Myself I would rather be snorkelling in the water and instead of taking the small boat to the beach I swim, I do think that with Ilot Gabriel to get the full experience of the island you have to snorkel as the sea life is absolutely stunning, the fish come in various sizes and colours and it truly is beautiful, once your in you end up swimming around completely losing yourself in the beauty of what you see. Definitely a place to visit and a fantastic day out!.
Written April 24, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rodo1
36 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2015 • Couples
Make sure to book the catamaran which offers lunch on the island. The boat is not flashy, but staff and food are great. Lunch on the island is much better than staying onboard.
Written March 19, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Michael G
Augsburg, Germany115 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2014 • Couples
We booked the day trip via mauritiusattractions.com and had a very nice day on the catamaran and on Gabriel's island. The staff was very kind and helpful and the beach on the island is just gorgeous. The BBQ on the catamaran was tasty so we had an amazing day for a very good price.

If you want to book the trip on your own I highly ca recommend the agency. You can park your rental car (e.G. Maki Car) on the public car park next to the beach at Grand Baie for free and walk then to the pier where all the catamarans where towed.
Written October 28, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rupam0079
Dhaka City, Bangladesh265 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2013 • Couples
Everyone should go there for taking the taste of beauty of nature....I liked it. It was a life time achievement for me...
Written December 23, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Ilot Gabriel Beach - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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