Rochester Falls is a name, a famous site that everyone makes a point of visiting. It is also one of the most accessible waterfalls in the country. Rochester Falls is a waterfall located in the south of Mauritius, just outside a small village called Souillac on the way to Surinam. Rochester Falls is a perfect place for a day's rest and picnic, swimming, photography and enjoying nature. Very popular for its rectangular shaped rocks, Rochester is the widest waterfall in Mauritius. It reaches a height of about 10 metres.
There are two ways to enjoy the show. Accompanied by a guide who will take you there, or go by yourself. First of all, when you leave the village of Souillac, in the direction of the village of Surinam, you will always stay on the main road. As soon as you leave the village, look carefully to the right and you will find a sign indicating the way to go.
The whole thing is fairly well signposted, until you enter a cane field, where you might come across a sign that says Rochester Falls is 500 metres away. In fact, if you look closely it's more like 1500 metres. You simply continue straight on through the cane fields. If it's cutting season, you may find yourself blocked by farm machinery, you can easily continue on foot, but be careful of the sun.
After a while you will find a stall on your left where fruit and vegetables are available. There is a path that goes down and that seems difficult to reach by car. You are almost there! We advise you to leave your car here and finish on foot, as you will hear the roar of the waterfall anyway. At the bottom, you can turn right to be at the top of the waterfall, or turn left to be at the bottom. We strongly advise you to do both, to get some nice pictures! You will find a pleasant silence around the area where Rochester Falls is located where you will not hear any noise other than the water.
As you pass by, you will probably come across a vendor selling fruit, coconut, fruit salads and other seasonal fruits. If it's cane cutting season, you can taste frangourin for example.
You may well come across teenage diving addicts jumping off the cliffs. Their objective is of course to earn a living in exchange for the show. Don't hesitate to give a few Rupees, these jumps are their livelihood.
It is advisable to avoid visiting Rochester Falls during the heavy rainy seasons at the beginning of the year. The water gets muddy at times and also makes the area quite slippery. Beware of mosquito bites too! It is recommended that you always bring your mosquito repellent with you.
This magnificent waterfall is one of the most popular in the country, especially in the Savanne region. However, if one explores a little further and talks to the locals, one will discover that there are other waterfalls, just as picturesque, in this locality. And the Cascade de la Savanne is a good example.
The Cascade de la Savanne is located upstream of the river that separates the villages of Souillac and Surinam. You have to take the street on the right, just after crossing the Souillac bridge, in the direction of Surinam. This narrow street leads to the Moulin Cassé district, which has a touch of the old days. The remains of stone buildings on one side of the road, a small temple that seems to be from another era and cliffs where a few houses are perched contribute to the atmosphere of the neighbourhood, which seems to have passed in slow motion.
Once you have crossed the small concrete bridge over the river, you will almost find yourself in the cane fields, through which you will walk for a good ten minutes before hearing the first sounds of the waterfalls. At the beginning of the route you can even see houses that inspire more fear than admiration. Indeed, they are located on the cliff itself.
To reach the waterfall, you will have to cling to the roots and other shrubs. Less large and less noisy than Rochester Falls, the Cascade de la Savane has a more peaceful aspect but the spectacle offered to your eyes is no less beautiful. Rather well hidden in its green setting, the waterfall proves to be, moreover, very majestic. The particularity of this waterfall is that two rivers flow into it. The Savanne River and the Patates River. The basin below the falls bubbles and swirls. This place is also the playground of the local youth. A rope attached to a mango branch above the rocks is a sign of this.