The village of Ferney in the south east of the island holds important meaning to Mauritius as it is the area where the Dutch descended when they first discovered the island in 1598. The place contains one of the few remnants of pristine forest (good quality native forest accounting for less than 2% of total forest area) on the island with a number of endemic flora and fauna and has an amazing view of the Grand Port area and South East Mountain Ranges.
The Ferney estate sugar mill lies right on the premises along with a small coffee plantation and coffee museum. The reception area provides information, maps and guides to make the visit a pleasant and educational one. There is also a restaurant specializing in Mauritian food consisting mainly of local fish, deer and boar; to remember the visit, the souvenir shop has many items such as books, bracelets etc. A visit to the valley is worthwhile; all the money obtained from this ecotourism business is used for funding other conservation and preservation projects in the forest thus allowing the survival of many endemic species.