Le Jardin du Roi sits high above Anse Royale, at the end of a winding road that leads up through the forest. At the top you are surrounded by cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, pepper and lemongrass, not arranged in beds but growing just as nature intended: among trees, on a slope, with views across the east coast and out to sea.
What to see
A walking path leads through the garden, with plants labeled at every turn. This matters more than it sounds: you know cinnamon as a stick, not as a tree whose bark you scrape. You know vanilla as a pod, not as a climbing orchid. After half an hour, you see the rest of the island's forest with different eyes.
In the old plantation house there is a small museum with tools, maps and photographs from when spices brought money to this place. There is also a shop selling vanilla, cinnamon and spice blends grown on site.
The restaurant
The terrace overlooks Anse Royale bay. Creole cooking, fish, and homemade ice cream that has a good reputation among our guests. There are toilets here too, which is not a given on a day trip, so we like to schedule this stop around lunchtime.
Entry and time
Entry costs 150 rupees per person, cash on site, not included in the tour price. The walk around takes forty minutes, with a meal it becomes an hour and a half. You can choose both on the day planner on the tour page and see straight away what it means for the rest of your day.
How to get there
From Anse Royale the road leads uphill. On foot the climb is long and there is no pavement. On our island tour Le Jardin du Roi is a regular stop.
Nearby
Anse Royale sits down on the slope below, you can reach Takamaka Rum Distillery and Domaine de Val des Prés in around twenty minutes.
