Visiting Reunion (Island)
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Recently we were fortunate to take a holiday to Reunion, a small French island off the east coast of South Africa, just beyond Madagascar. Here it seems it is always summer, thanks to being a little closer to the equator, but August seems to be the perfect month to visit, with days and nights ranging between 20–30 degrees Celsius at the coast. Whilst the island is small and the perimeter can be driven in around 3.5 hours, the terrain is diverse, with great altitudes to climb and many different sights, from coastlines to volcanoes, mountains, forests, jungles, arid plains, and lush farmlands. Alongside the natural beauty the economy is first-world and the towns and cities are as you would expect to find in Europe.
The Economy
Being an economist I was curious as to how such a small island, with a population of less than a million, can operate so well. The healthcare and education systems follow that of France and a doctor that we met explained that skills are often recruited from France for those who would be interested in this transfer. The perimeter infrastructure is great, with organised road systems that are easy to navigate and flow freely (more on the mountain roads below). This system is also growing as the island is currently building a raised stretch of highway that can withstand larger waves on some parts of the coastline, an impressive engineering feat. Some of the main contributors to the economy are tourism and sugar cane. The island is also well known for exports of high-quality vanilla and essential oils, as well as rum and seafood. The latter is amazing and we were fortunate to taste some amazing meals. In the summer there is also an abundance of tropical fruits like mango and papaya. Despite this, the price and labelling of supermarket food indicates that a great deal of food is still imported, from France and from neighbouring countries. The scale and consistency of supply is not always available locally, and so reliance on foods from further afield is to some extent a necessity. But despite this reliance on imports with dry goods largely coming from France, I was surprised to see how competitive other import markets were. Many brands of cars, at least half non-French, could be found, and it surprised me to see at least six different fuel retail station brands (despite a regulated retail fuel price). We were also impressed to observe that inequality is low and the lifestyle and safety provided by the island makes it an attractive place for French-speaking people (both local and from mainland France) to live. We found everyone that we encountered to be friendly and helpful and (mostly) English-speaking.
The Coast
The economy aside, we visited four main areas that we would recommend. The first and our base for this trip was Saint Gilles, just a thirty minute drive from Saint Denis, where the airport is. This is at the coast with many beautiful resorts to choose from. We stayed in a well-rated one which was perfect for us, a few steps from the beach and with many offerings, including pools, table tennis, snooker, volleyball, a spa, restaurants, beautiful gardens, and helpful staff. The coast in itself is a destination, wrapped by a large lagoon and a stretch of trees on the shore. Beyond this are huge and crashing waves that are a sight in themselves. The water is turquoise and the beaches white (with some small rocky cobbles), but there are also some beautiful black volcanic beaches that are most spectacular. Whilst the beach seems to be a big part of local time spent, at no point did it feel crowded and there is place for everyone (at least in August).
Cilaos
The second main area and our favourite was Cilaos. This is a two hour drive from Saint Gilles. The first hour is on the highway and hence fast. The second hour follows a narrow road with many sharp bends (it is customary to hoot at each bend to alert any oncoming traffic). The drive is however well worth it as the end of the road is the town of Cilaos, deeply set amidst mountains on every side. The town itself is functional and not as small as one might think, offering many accommodation and restaurant options. This would be our base for two nights if we were to return for hiking in this area. From here you can hike many different routes, all with incredible sights and views as the mountains here are huge and the terrain lush and green. We chose an 11km hike called Bras Rouge, which we extended by an additional 5km by returning back to Cilaos along the road. This is a do-able hike for any fit person and takes one through many lush areas, a stunning waterfall on a big rock, a great climb, and an amazing mountain view (picture featured above).
The Volcano
The third main area and our second favourite was the volcano. I did not expect this to be so special but left with a different impression. This is about 1.5 hours drive from Saint Gilles and is a fairly easy drive. Only the last few kilometers are slow and bumpy but on a flat sand road leading up to the volcano (our medium-sized car was fine). Perhaps what is most surprising is that the terrain changes quickly as you near this area, from lush farmlands (many decades back forested), to dry and arid red sand with wide and flat plains that are quite unworldly. The volcano itself, Piton de Fournaise, is also breath-taking. As it was spewing a few hours earlier and had been erupting the week before our visit, the (now black) lava made beautiful contrasts against the older (browner) lava, the red and brown terrain, and the bright yellow flowers local to the area. Signposts indicated that the volcano erupts regularly and may be best seen at night, but even in the day we enjoyed this. We also walked an out and back route of about five kilometers around the volcano (which is surprisingly also quite lush); I would recommend this (unless it is not erupting and you want to walk to the top of the volcano, which many do).
Maido/ Mafate
Our final favourite area was Maido. This is an hour’s drive from Saint Gilles, accessed largely along a windy and narrow road which requires some good driving skills. This overlooks the beautiful Cirque de Mafate, an area that we did not have time to hike on this trip but would prioritise next time. Mafate is only accessible on foot and is a deep valley, overlooked by Maido, which is at a little over 2,200 meters altitude (take a jacket, also note that the cloud cover comes over from mid-morning so it is strongly recommended to leave at sunrise to see this view). The views from Maido are breathtaking, looking into the surreal world down below. Given more time we would hike into Mafate and stay a night or two. Despite the depths of the view and limited accessibility, it is clear that there are many houses and much life in Mafate and we are told that this is an organised and welcoming area for hikers. Despite missing this hike, we did do a nearby hike/ walk through lush forest- and jungle-like terrain. This is the beautiful Alcide Islet route, which is moderate and undulating and takes place under a green canopy. This is about three hours’ round-trip, with diverse and impressive plant-life all around. On our return we also visited the (recommended) Chez Doudou restaurant. Here we took take-aways since the sit-down meals were a few courses long. As all traditional meals come with a base of rice and beans/ lentils, this did too, and then on top we tried a fish dish (many varieties) and a traditional version of the locally renowned pork meal called Rougail Saucisse. On the side were delicious avocado and lemon based chilli dishes, and also cooked mango and papaya. This is worth a stop, but there are also many great and similar spots on the coast (we also loved Chez Herbert, which served similar food and is a casual stop).
