La Vieille Cheminée Chamarel: What It’s Like To Stay There
Sustainable Eco-Lodges in Chamarel, Mauritius
La Vieille Cheminée in Chamarel, Mauritius is French for ‘the old chimney’. It is a three-star tourism establishment with a total of nine eco-lodges on a small tropical working farm. We stayed there because of its location in one of our favourite villages: Chamarel, Mauritius. It’s ideal for a relaxing couple getaway that also offers an authentic experience with hosts mindful about sustainability.
It was the right choice to stay at La Vieille Cheminée in Chamarel, Mauritius. Not only do they truly care about respecting the environment in how they cater for their guests, but their sustainable efforts extend to the local economy, improving the livelihoods of the villagers, and also regenerating the soil through permaculture on this 80-hectare property.
Where is La Vieille Cheminée?
La Vieille Cheminée is located in the village of Chamarel in the south-west of Mauritius. The road to get there is along the main road in Chamarel as if you were heading to the touristic attractions such as Chamarel Seven Coloured Earths and Chamarel Waterfall as La Vieille Cheminée is only a mere couple of kilometres away.
Why Stay at La Vieille Cheminée in Chamarel, Mauritius
Our experience staying at La Vieille Cheminée | Chamarel, Mauritius
Like we mentioned, we were looking for accommodation that would allow us to relax and recharge. I was doing some writing for work and needed an inspiring environment, my husband wanted to enjoy quality time together. La Vieille Cheminée in Chamarel is in a great location – far from where we lived in the north of Mauritius, and in splendid nature. In other words, a fun road trip leading to a romantic getaway in serene surroundings.
The accommodation
Out of the nine eco-lodges, we stayed in l’Atelier. The eco-lodge came with a veranda fitted with a fireplace (perfect for the nippy evenings), a bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchenette, and a private garden area where I fantasized about writing my novel. L’Atelier seemed cosy enough to be romantic but still spacious enough when you consider the private outdoor area. The Mauritian-style veranda served as an outdoor living room as well as dining area for romantic breakfasts and delightful dinners.
When we arrived for check-in just after noon, the staff were friendly and attentive. The owner and his son even chatted with us when we met. Overall, the welcome was warm as if visiting good old friends even though it was the first time we set foot there!
The room was comfortable and well appointed. The amenities and decor despite being a 3-star felt more like affordable luxury, in a rustic way. We appreciated the level of care and thought that went into the making of what La Vieille Cheminée is all about. The ecological principles guiding this property’s ethos are evident.
We were really comfortable there and didn’t want to leave. Ever.
That’s how much we loved it.
If I really need to find a negative point, I’d say it’s that they don’t have WiFi in the rooms. But even that can be a massive positive point for those who truly seek peace and to connect fully with nature and their loved ones.
I went there as a digital nomad, working remotely for clients in South Africa and I had to walk up to the main Reception area every time I wanted to send an email. However, like I said, that’s not even a point to complain about because we enjoyed being unplugged.
What we did at La Vieille Cheminée, Chamarel
Have you ever stayed on a working farm? What about a tropical one that grows pineapples too? As ananas aficionados, we were in pineapple paradise. We walked in front of rows of pineapples, got pricked when we tried to touch them, and had lots of fun taking photos.
We also met the horses in the paddock and even opened the door for them when they had to return to the stables. It was wonderful to watch them gently gallop. Such elegant and intelligent creatures. We opted out of horse-riding as we had enough to do already by just wandering the farm and chalet area.
Once I finished sending emails to my clients, I wrote, rested, read books. My husband enjoyed lighting up the fireplace and listening to the crackling of the kindle. Together, we reconnected, talked, sipped tea, spent quality time, and enjoyed walks.
What we ate at La Vieille Cheminée
It is difficult to write this section because we get homesick for Mauritius when we think of the delicious food we had during our stay. What a delectable feast this was!
La Vieille Cheminée does not have a restaurant, but they do offer breakfasts and dinners at an extra charge. You need to book 24h ahead of time for the dinners. The menu: appetising Mauritian dishes made with love. You can taste the love!
Every morning, we were like kids on Christmas day as we received our breakfast basket to our lodge. We unwrapped bread, peeled homegrown bananas and enjoyed sweet juicy pineapples, uncovered local yoghurt, jams, bread and perked up with strong coffee, tea, and freshly squeezed orange juice. So much excitement.
For dinner time, we simply reheated the meals brought to our lodge when we were ready to have our evening meal.
On our first evening, we enjoyed rougaille saucisse, which is sausage cooked in a Creole-based tomato sauce, served on white rice, pumpkin and lentil soup. Dessert was chocolate mousse.
For lunch we ate fruits and reheated whatever was leftover from the day before. We were a bit lazy to head out of La Vieille Cheminée to eat out.
On our second evening, we licked our plates clean from the chicken curry served on white rice, with cucumber salad and red kidney bean soup. For dessert, we savoured caramelised pineapple (perks of staying on a pineapple farm!).
It’s a pity we were leaving because we saw the menu for the third evening and it still haunts us to this day that we didn’t extend our stay. can you tell we are two epicurean gourmands? 🙂
Other things to know about La Vieille Cheminée, Chamarel
Things to do at La Vieille Cheminée and around Chamarel, Mauritius
Horse-riding
They have a horse trainer and friendly horses for those who wish to enjoy some equestrian fun. There are great trails to better enjoy while on horseback, and the views will leave you out of breath and words for sure. Helmets and equipment are provided.
Hiking
Depending on your ability and fitness levels, you can choose one of the hiking trails. From within La Vieille Cheminée in Chamarel, you can enjoy hiking along these trails ranging between 2-6 kms. The shortest, easiest one takes about 30 minutes to complete. Pick the appropriate trail – different coloured arrows for different distances.
Swimming
There’s a swimming pool if you head all the way up to the highest part of the chalet. When we were there in June, it was a bit chilly for us as it’s winter season in Mauritius and it was also windy. We didn’t swim but for sure on a hot day, this would be a perfect spot for a dip. Instead, we enjoyed a cup of tea by the pool and dreamed of living in Chamarel permanently.
Other attractions nearby
You could also venture out of the property and head to popular attractions such as Le Morne, or even in Chamarel itself to visit the 100m waterfall, Ebony Forest Reserve, the Seven Coloured Earths Geopark and more. I’ve written a comprehensive guide on Chamarel village and you’re welcome to read it.
Check out our list of 13 things to do in Chamarel.
Plan your stay at La Vieille Cheminée Eco-Lodges
You can book an eco-lodge at La Vieille Cheminée here. We partner with Booking.com, so we get a small commission at no extra cost to you when you reserve with our link. It keeps our blog running.
We thank you for reading our personal review of La Vieille Cheminée in Chamarel and hope you have a better idea what to expect when visiting or sojourning there. Should you decide to stay at La Vieille Cheminée, we wish you a pleasant stay there. We love this guesthouse eco-lodge a lot and can’t wait to return one day.
