Visit Reunion Island
Reunion Island
Reunion Island is a hidden gem in the Indian Ocean. The island is located off the east coast of Africa and is nestled between Madagascar and Mauritius.
It has been at the top of my bucket list destinations, especially regarding many digital nomads that make it their home.
The Island is home to an active volcano that lights up the evening sky with its spectacular eruptions. The volcano was dormant during my visit but erupted a few months after my stay.
The Island is popular for adventure seekers with a multitude of outdoor activities to choose from. Soaring high and lush mountains are any hiker’s dream, with many hiking trails to choose from. Helicopter rides over the volcano, paragliding, canyoning, and watersports are also big attractions.
Another draw of the island was to try the local cuisine. Reunion Island is known for its street food! A mixture of the various cultures of the inhabitants on the island. You can find an Asian restaurant, Indian food stall, and French bakery all on the same street. Fresh vegetables and fruit can be easily brought at one of the many stalls off the side of the road.
There are also street markets in each town and it’s a good idea to plan your itinerary around the markets you would like to visit. These markets have anything from fresh fruit, souvenirs, homemade items, and good food!
Getting There
It’s a four-hour flight from Johannesburg with Air Austral, Reunion’s flag carrier, to Roland Garos Airport in St Denis, Reunion.
Flights with Air Austral are limited to specific days of the week so keep this in mind when making your booking.
Weather
January- March
Is prone to the monsoon and rainy season on the island.
April – June
The weather is warm, humid, and with little or no rain. It’s the perfect time to visit the island.
July – September
This is the holiday season in France and many families will spend their spring break coming to Reunion Island.
October – December
October is the end of the dry season as you move towards December the rains pick up.
I visited Reunion in April, and the weather was warm and it only rained once during my trip, making it perfect for swimming and outdoor activities.
Getting Around
The Island has great public bus systems such as Car Jaune and Carvest.
I downloaded the Car Jaune app on my phone and could easily check bus routes and times. It was easy to travel between different parts of the city and different coastal towns.
I would suggest renting a car if you would like to travel further inland, as I later learned. Due to my expired driver’s license, I was unable to rent a car and missed a few outdoor activities I had planned. Having your own set of wheels makes getting to your hike or canyoning booking much easier.
Currency
Reunion Island uses Euros. ATMs were readily available in all the towns.
Interestingly, a beer was € 0.90 and a water € 1.50.
Fresh fruit and vegetables at the stalls was a great place to do grocery shopping as the supermarkets were more expensive.
Visa
South African passport holders do not need a visa and you can stay on the island for up to 6 months.
Staying Connected
My South African “Vodacom” network worked very well as “Orange” in Reunion, and the roaming fees were not overly expensive.
My South African adaptors fitted in all the sockets and I had access to wifi at all the places I stayed.
7 Day Itinerary
St Denis
Day 1
I arrived on the early morning flight to St. Denis and had arranged to leave my luggage at the accommodation prior to arrival.
Thereafter, it was off to explore the Reunion capital, St. Denis.
It was quite a walk to get to the city center, Reunion is built on a slope from the coastline up the mountain. Getting back to my accommodation proved to be much easier as I was able to take the bus, having brought tickets in the city center.
St Denis, and Reunion Island in general is a mixture of cultures, religions, and people, and the glue that binds everyone together is the language, French.
The city has a variety of tourist attractions, including Gereon The Slave, Roland Garros monument, le Barachois, the Cathedral of St Denis, the Old Town Hall, and course the markets.
The two markets to visit in St Denis are the Marche Petite and the Grande Marche.
The Marche Petite, the smaller of the two, as the name indicates, is located towards the city center. The market has a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers, and more.
The Grande Marche on the other hand is perfect for tourists with souvenirs and handmade goods.
Everything in the city is within walking distance of each other and each street offers an attraction as many of the old houses and buildings have historical significance. There are also many restaurants, and a variety of retail stores for the shopping enthusiast.
For lunch, the botanical gardens, Jardin de l’Etat, offers a peaceful spot underneath lush, green trees.
The gardens are open six days a week and are closed on Mondays. The gardens are also home to the Museum of Natural History.
St Denis - St Gilles
Day 2
I took one of the Car Jaune busses to St Gilles on the island’s coastal highway, one of the world’s largest road construction projects. It offers beautiful views of the coastline and made my journey quick and easy.
The resort village, St Gilles Les Bains, on the west coast of the island, offers two beaches that are perfect for swimming and snorkeling, the Plage des Roches Noires and the Plage de l’Ermitage.
I booked into the colourful Hotel de la Plage, which would be my home base for the next few days before heading back to St Denis for my flight.
A visit to Aquarium de la Reunion, the largest aquarium on the island, and the Paroisse Notre-Dame del a Paix was first on my list for the day. The afternoon was spent on the beach and later shopping for dinner at the local supermarket.
St Gilles Les Baines has a variety of restaurants to choose from, and fresh pastries from the Chez Loulou bakery are highly recommended.
St Leu
Day 3
My first stop was Kelonia, a marine and research center dedicated to sea turtles. You can take either a free or guided tour.
House of Coco, my next stop, offers workshops, lunches and a walk through their gardens is free.
The Conservatoire Botanique national de Mascarin has beautiful gardens gardens to walk through.
St Leu is popular for paragliding, it’s a definite must on your visit.
St Paul
Day 4
A day trip to St Paul included the St Paul Marine Cemetery, Villa Riviere, lunch at a beachside restaurant, and a walk on the beachfront.
St Paul’s Market, a must-visit, is busiest on Fridays.
South Side of Island Tour
Day 5
A guided tour of the south side of the island, including Piton de la Fournaise, was on the agenda for the day.
Our first stop was Belvedere de Bois Court, offering a spectacular view of the mountains and overlooking the town of Grand Bassin.
Thereafter, it was off to the Piton de la Fournaise. The volcano was dormant during my visit and you could book a hike up to the volcano.
We stopped at a local restaurant on the way back from the volcano, to what would be, the best meal of my time on the island.
St Rose, a town on the east side of the island was home to The Church of Notre Dame des Laves. It was the only one of two buildings that survived the volcanic eruption in 1977. The lava stopped right at the doors of the church and then flowed around the building.
The rest of the tour took us around each town sown the coastline stopping at different attractions until we reached St Gilles Les Bains again in the evening.
St Gilles Les Baines - St Denis - Cirque De Salazie
Day 6
An early breakfast in St. Gilles of coffee and croissants before taking the bus to St. Denis. After checking in, my host offered to drive me up to Cirque De Salazie, a small mountain town in the center of Reunion.
Cirque de Salazie is a popular tourist destination especially with hikers.
The afternoon we went swimming at one of the many natural waterfalls at St Marie.
St Denis
Day 7
My last day on the island was spent catching up on souvenir shopping at Grande Marche and having a final cup of coffee and croissant from Pomme de Pain before heading to the airport.
Au Revoir,
