REUNION ISLAND

I had the opportunity to visit the island of Reunion in August 2013 with Thompsons Holidays on an educational.  Just a 4 hour flight from Johannesburg and nestled between the islands of Mauritius and Madagascar in the Indian Ocean and not too far off from the Seychelles, I expected Reunion to be similar - an island feel with beautiful beaches lined with palm trees where one would spend days relaxing on the beach.  How wrong I was and very pleasantly so!

Reunion is a very diverse island which is wholly a part of France and one can be forgiven for thinking one is in the South of France at times. Reunion is french with a touch of exotic. French is the main language and France's flag flies everywhere on the island. Cuisine is a mix of colours, tastes and textures, with French cuisine as the main food, mixed with local island influence.  Interestingly enough, up to 42% of the island is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The country has excellent roads, with a main ring road circling the island consisting of 4 lanes in most parts, with various bridges crossing over the many gorges.   Reunion has an excellent infrastructure and medical care, making it a very safe destination.

The island consists of 3 cirques ( or caldera's) and an active volcano and is the perfect destination for a number of exciting outdoor activities such as hiking, parasailing, canyoning, snorkeling, canoeing in plastic canoes so that one can see the marine life etc. The scenery is breathtaking from the lush green caldera's to the magnificent waterfalls, impressive volcanic landscape, rainforest and the lagoon.

 A self drive option is the best way to explore the island as each section is so diverse in terms of activities and scenery and one needs to see the whole island ( which is not very big) to truly experience it.

Reunion is not a place where you want to stay in one spot and self driving allows one to stop where you want along the way and not be in a rush to get there. There are mountains with expansive views and quaint villages stuck in an early age.

Our first stop was on the East coast of the island at Dinea Dea Lodge, a lodge 600m above sea level on the volcano side of the island.  This lodge was reminiscent of a game lodge back in South Africa and when walking through the grounds the next morning we were very pleased to see a herd of buck.

 We then drove through Cirque de Salazie, where we saw some of the most amazing landscapes I have ever seen.  One cannot get over the sheer height of the many mountains and pictures just don't do this experience justice.

 Reaching the top we branched off to the volcano, known as the Piton de la Fournaise.  This is an active volcano and as you near it, the landscape changes to brown, dead, arid land.  It honestly feels as if one has just landed on the moon and I believe this is the site of many a film involving aliens and outer space.  And I can see why.

 Right is a picture of me standing on the moon - ok, it's not actually the moon, more like volcanic rock.  If one has the time and inclination, a 2 hour hike will take one to top of the crater of the volcano.
 After the volcano we travelled to the "Wild South" via La Plaine Des Cafres viewing point below.  Way below the viewing point one can see a tiny village, accessible by a lift from where we were standing.

 Below is a very unusual black sand beach - formed from the sand of the volcanic rock.

 Then it was via St Leu and St Gilles where the beach sand turns white and where the "lagoon" is situated - this is a stretch of beach that is safe for swimming in.  Quite a few hotels are dotted along this stretch.  We stayed in the LUX Le Recif HOtel and the LUX Ile de La Reunion - both perfect bases for exploring this side of the island.  There are quite a few shops and restaurants along this stretch, with some nightlife too.  Also along this stretch is the Kelonia Turtle Farm, a site for the rehabilitation of turtles and well worth a visit.  St Gilles is a quint seaside village with restaurants and shops facing the seafront and it also boats an impressive waterfront area from which you can take sunset cruises, fishing trips, diving trips and the like.
On this site of the island, being at the Lagoon, one can do a see-through canoe trip, the perfect way to see the myriads of fish and coral.
 

 

 Another awesome experience is the drive to Cirque de Cilous.  The road to Cilous is called the road of 420 bends and one can see why!  It literally has 420 bends ( ok, I didn't really count them but there were a lot!) and after each bend one is blessed with the most beautiful scenery.

 

 The town of Cilous is in the middle of the Cilous Caldera (cirque)and is reminiscent of a town in Austria or Switzerland with all the flowers and window boxes.  This was a beautiful town and we had the opportunity to walk around the entire town whilst doing a version of the Amazing Race type teambuild.  From this town you can stand in one spot and turn 360 degrees and the surrounding mountains will just take your breath away.  A night or 2's stop in this town is a must.

Le Vieux Cep

The hotel we stayed at was Le Vieux Cep, a beautiful hotel with the most amazing flowers I have ever seen.

No visit to Reunion is complete with a stop at the La Saga Du Rhum, the local rum factory where you can do a short tour, followed by rum tasting.  I am not a fan of rum but I came home with a bottle of coffee vanilla rum which is the perfect after dinner drink.

And of course, a visit to another country means you have to take back local souvenirs and what better place to find hem that at St Paul's traditional market, situated close to St Giles

 I highly recommend a helicopter trip over the island, which gives you the most amazing vantage point as you fly over the caldera's, the lagoon and even the volcano.

 

And last but not least, we had a nights stay in St Denis, home to the port of Reunion and also the closest city to the airport.  I feel very honoured to have been afforded the opportunity to visit this wonderful little island that I didn't really know existed but where I have seen some of the most breathtaking scenery and diverse landscapes ever.

WELCOME!!

Welcome to my blog.  There are some people that don't get the opportunity to travel ( or for those that do, they might not travel as often or to the same destinations as me) so here is your perfect opportunity to sit back and relax whilst you join me on my travels.  I'll be giving reviews of the places I go to, the things I see and will be putting photo's up for you to drool over and then when you feel the need to leave the couch and travel yourself, contact me and I'll plan that perfect holiday for you!