JOIN USIt’s 11 am. After a six-hour journey, the captain announces our descent to Reunion Island, this French overseas department in the Indian Ocean. I look at the window, and there, between the sky and the ocean, the island gives its first emotions — a big rock arising out of the waters, carved with mountains, pristine forests, volcanoes and beaches.
Once out of Roland Garros Airport, the scents of the tropics reached me — the frangipani flowers embalming the air, the sun shining over the mountains and the ocean breeze cooling the midday heat. Winter was just starting here in the Southern Hemisphere, but I could expect temperatures around 25°C during the day.
My hotel for the first two days was located in the ‘Wild South’, at Petite-Île. A lady wished me ‘Bienvenue’ with a cocktail, before taking me to my bungalow. The property overhung the splendid beach of Grand’Anse, and the infinite pool gave me an incredible view of the Indian Ocean and the sunset. I ended the day at the spa and with a typical Creole meal — rice with fish and pickles.
On Reunion Island, people live with the sun, and I was ready to explore the island at 7.30 am the next day after a great breakfast of exotic fruits and French pastries. I headed up to the Langevin river and its waterfall, one of the thousands on the island. I continued along the coastal area — Saint-Joseph, Cap Méchant, Saint-Philippe — and experienced a sudden change of landscape — from the luxuriant forest leaves to a chaotic view where the lava crossed the road during the past eruption of the Piton de la Fournaise, the active volcano of the island. I picked up lunch on the roadside and reached L’Anse des Cascades, a remote place between waterfalls, palm groves and the ocean where the Reunion people like to spend their Sunday picnics and go fishing. I decided to end my day at the casino, back in Saint Pierre, the happening city of the South.
The next day, I left the hotel before sunrise to reach the volcano side as early as possible. It took me a bit more than an hour to reach Le Pas de Bellecombe, the point of view of the enclosure where the main crater stands in this surreal environment. Before reaching the parking, the temperature went down to five degrees and I felt as though I was on the moon on the road La Plaine des Sables. The volcano is one of the most active ones in the world, yet quite safe. It is, in fact, a shield volcano with lava flows.
On the fourth day, I decided to go trekking to Mafate, one of the three cirques — caldera — of the island, a part of the UNESCO heritage sites. Mafate is very remote and accessible only by trekking. I chose to stay in a guesthouse, where a local family warmly welcomed me and shared a traditional Creole meal cooked on firewood with me and the other trekkers.
I continued the visit of the cirques with Cilaos. This one is accessible after more than 400 turns in the mountain! The thermal city is worth the journey, famous for its embroideries and the highest peak of the Indian Ocean — the Piton des Neiges, 3070 metres.
The third cirque, Salazie, was my favourite — the greenery in the mountains reminded me of an adventure movie and the picturesque village of Hell-Bourg invited me to reconnect with nature. In the afternoon, I drove to the Eastern part of the island, to Saint-Benoit, to go rafting in the fresh water of the Des Marsouins river. On my way, I stopped at Saint-André to see one of the most colourful temples. Reunion Island has a strong Indian community which celebrates all kinds of Hindu and Muslim festivals.
I spent the last three days of my holidays on the West coast, at Saint-Gilles-les-Bains. Paddling, kayaking, snorkeling, diving... I had a lot of choices to enjoy the turquoise waters and spot the colourful fishes of the lagoon! I enjoyed an afternoon at the City Centre doing souvenir shopping and dropped by ‘Loulou’, a typical Reunion house, which sells all kind of snacks. For dinner, I opted for a French gastronomic experience at my hotel.
On the last day, I decided to go for a helicopter tour, which gave me a new scenic view of the island. The experience was fantastic and unforgettable. My stay on Reunion Island ended with a beautiful sunset cruise on a catamaran. We were lucky to see dolphins. From July, whales choose the waters of Reunion Island to give birth and can easily be spotted. That gave me a good reason to go back!
The next morning, after a last visit to Saint-Paul’s market — a local colourful market for fruits and vegetables, souvenirs and handicrafts — it was already time for me to head back to India with some vivid memories.
How to get there
There are direct flights from Chennai to Saint-Denis on Wednesday and Saturday with Air Austral. The return ticket per person is around Rs 29,000. One can also go via Mauritius with Air Mauritius. A free short stay visa voucher is generally given if you buy your trip package via a tour operator/ travel agency.
Places to stay
From two to five stars, the hotels are very good and family-friendly. Guesthouse and homestay are the best options to experience the local life. The tariff for hotel rooms is usually around Rs 7,000 per night for a middle-class hotel, Rs 10,500 per night for a higher-class and Rs 14,000 per night for luxury. It is better to go for a self-drive tour if you want to fully enjoy the island. For a week, it will cost around Rs 10,500.