Island in the Indian Ocean, but the French overseas department: a naturalistic paradise and a mix of different populations, colors, religions and traditions. In the post, practical suggestions to reach the island and visit it.
I have just returned from a nice holiday in RĂ©union, island in the Indian Ocean, a French overseas department. Land of France in short, the southernmost place in the European Union.
The island fascinated me for its geographical, naturalistic and also social characteristics. I'll tell you how to go there and why.
The flight
Since we are in France you can also travel to RĂ©union with identity card, which I do not recommend in case your flight has any inconvenience.
The flight I took from Paris was of Air Austral lines, a company based in RĂ©union and with daily flights from Charles De Gaulle airport to Roland Garros in Saint Denis, the island's capital. The company offers a good level of service considering that you travel all night (for 10 hours). I didn't buy a really cheap ticket, because the trip was decided a little late; on the net I read that you can also fly to nearby Mauritius and then take a flight to RĂ©union, which takes you there in a scarce hour.
Practical information: advantages and disadvantages
We are in a tropical country, but we are in France: advantages in terms of currency - you pay in Euros; Skills, with European standards; tongue - with a little bit of French you get away with it, not everyone speaks English.
Tourism on the island is practically only French, if like me you don't "adore" your compatriots abroad, this is the right place.
Another advantage is the reverse seasons, our summer is their winter (low season) with warm but pleasant temperatures, low humidity, while our winter sees the rainy season and much higher temperatures.
No hygienic problems, indeed great cleanliness for example on the beaches or on the paths, no problem to drink water; there are no dangerous animals.
The disadvantages are the downside: European-style prices, although I wouldn't call it an expensive country; the low season makes some places a bit dead; the days are short, with the sun already setting at 17.30 pm in early August.
La RĂ©union: how to get around
At the airport I rented a small car, there are the most famous car rental companies plus some local agencies.
The island has a circumference of 450 kilometers, taking the coastal road is quite simple; the interior however presents very different situations, with narrow and really steep mountain roads. Hairpin bends are a constant.
The very high mountains inside the island mean that the various locations are few connected to each other, moreover, while some sections are comparable to highways (always free) others are truly heart-pounding.
There is a good level of public transport, but the car gives greater freedom, especially if the time available is limited. There are no railway lines.
La RĂ©union: accommodation
On the coast, in the most touristic places, such as the whole area of Saint Gilles Les Bains, there are plenty of hotels, from extremely luxurious to medium.
In other cities, even located on the sea but less known, it is difficult to find accommodation in their low season.
Inside, however, especially in the Cirque area (see next paragraph) there are both small hotels and chambres d'hotes o gites. The latter are very cheap accommodations (max 30 euros per person) in houses that are sometimes a bit dilapidated. If you decide to spend little on a trip, where among other things there is the use of the kitchen, you can choose between the typical Creole houses - very picturesque but quite uncomfortable - or a more modern house, with greater comfort. Honestly, there are very few campsites and I have not even seen a camper, given the distance from all the other "emerged lands" and the roads, not very suitable for this vehicle.
Why visit it
Here is the really important point: if you want the tropical sea you will probably be disappointed here: there are a few kilometers of coastline with coral reefs, transparent water, colorful fish, but most of the beaches, even if beautiful, are not suitable for swimming due to the strong currents. and sharks, very aggressive.
However, the coast is beautiful, the beaches of golden sand, or black of lava stone; palm trees are everywhere and the vegetation is lush.
But the island hides the real treasures inside, tackling the climbs that lead to its own three Cirques, which were the craters of an extinct volcano thousands of years ago; the verdant mountains rich in vegetation: the highest, the Snape des Neiges reaches mt. 3070. The kingdom of trekking. The island is full of water and waterfalls, suitable for the most extreme sports such as canyoning. The other volcano, the Snape de la Fournaise, is still active and this year has already erupted 4 times.
La RĂ©union is a naturalistic paradise: plants and flowers in abundance, tropical fruit, vast expanses of sugar cane, cultivation of vanilla and tea. Intact tropical forests, rivers that carve wild valleys.
Plus a perfect mix of people of color, religion and different tradition. Creoles are a masterpiece of nature, mixed families are the rule: here Europeans, Africans and Indians coexist very well with their different skins and religions, under the common belonging to France, despite a past of slavery and colonial exploitation.
photo: Serge Gelabert; Luigi Ferrari
