Mix France and Hawaii together and voilà: Reunion. Three hundred miles east of Madagascar, Reunion is a department of France with similarly excellent cuisine and a 35-hour work week. The island contains an active volcano, world-class hiking, black sand beaches, and a tropical island attitude more like Maui than Paris.
The Cirque de Mafate
Highlights of Reunion
Volcanoes. The Piton de la Fournaise is an active volcano that erupts every few years. The volcano is located within a large crater that can be reached by car. Depending on the level of seismic activity, you may be able to walk across the crater to view the volcano up close. Other dormant volcanoes on the island have left breathtaking scenery to explore by car or on foot.
Our friend Jay guided us around the island (Piton de la Fournaise in background)
Hiking. For many, hiking and exploring the mountains is the reason to visit Reunion. From day-hiking to week-long treks, there are plenty of options for enjoying Reunion’s mountainous scenery. Cilaos is a popular starting point to hike the Cirque de Cilaos, climb the Piton des Neiges—(Reunion’s highest point at 10,069 feet/3069 meters), or hike other numerous trails in the area. Trail racing is a big sport in Reunion. You will likely see some extremely fit people running up and down painfully steep trails.
Mafate. Inside the Cirque de Mafate, one of Reunion’s volcanic craters, a few hundred people reside in small villages connected by footpaths. There is no road access. Walking around Mafate evokes images of 19th century France, mixed with the mountainous scenery of Machu Picchu. Some children walk for miles to get to school. Hikers can camp or spend the night in guesthouses located inside the crater. I wish I could have spent a week here, especially after the steep hikes required to descend and ascend the crater walls.
We struggled to capture Mafate's magnificence in a smaller photo
Black sand beaches. As a volcanic island, Reunion contains both black and white sand beaches, primarily on the west coast. The ocean around Reunion is some of the most shark-infested in the world. There are so many sharks, surfing is illegal. You can swim in some places, but man-made rock pools near the water are probably a safer bet.
One of several rock pools on Reunion
Huge waves. No, you probably don’t want to surf (re: sharks), but the southern shore receives massive waves on their way up from the Southern Ocean. When they reach the cliffs of Cap Méchant, they crash onto shore with stunning force.
Standing on a 40-foot cliff at Cap Méchant
Multiculturalism. Reunion is frequently pointed to as a shining example of multicultural harmony. Major groups include people of European, African, Indian, and Chinese descents, with large numbers of people from mixed-race backgrounds. Coming from the United States, it is cool to see people from various ethnic groups hanging out with each other so frequently. As a visitor, we found locals to be easygoing and welcoming.
Food. Like mainland France, food in Reunion is extraordinarily high-quality. Bakeries abound, and gas stations sell premade food better than anything you would find under a heat lamp in an American gas station. With its diverse population, Reunion features excellent French, African, Indian, and Chinese food—blended in ways found only on Reunion.
The best dish we tried, unique to Reunion, is gratin de palmistes, a mouthwatering dish made with hearts of palm, cream, and cheese. We also enjoyed “American sandwiches,” open-faced baguettes toasted with cheese, French fries, and a choice of other toppings.
Gratin de palmistes. Mmmm... cheese (fromage)
The Dodo. Reunion’s de facto national beer is the Dodo, named for the extinct bird that previously lived on neighboring Mauritius. The Dodo seems to be the only beer anyone drinks on Reunion. The slogan, “La Dodo le la” (the Dodo is here), appears above virtually every bar in the country.
Dodo beer and an American sandwich
What you need to know
Despite its remote location, Reunion is firmly in the developed world. Reunion uses the Euro, ATMs are plentiful, credit cards are widely accepted, and plug-ins are European. Roads are immaculate and cellular coverage is everywhere. As in France, stores are open during limited hours to preserve the French work week.
What things cost. Reunion is a remote island and part of France, two things that keep prices high. Other traveler expenses can be quite low. Visiting the volcanoes is free, the parks are free, and the beach is free. If you like camping, Reunion allows free camping on most public land as long as you pack up during the day. If you avoid eating in restaurants, food at groceries stores is high quality and reasonably priced.
In 2017, Sarah and I spent an average of $73/day and could have lowered that if we stayed more than five days. For an itemized list of everything we spent, see our article: Cost to Travel in Southern Africa for 10 Weeks (Plus Some Sweet Islands in the Indian Ocean)
A black sand beach by our camping spot at Pointe des Sables
Flights. Reunion’s remoteness is part of the charm and limits the number of tourists, but the cost of flights is significant. Nonstop flights arrive from several destinations in France, Bangkok, and Johannesburg, as well as several other islands in the region. Flights from Paris start at ~$360 one-way. Neighboring Mauritius (134 miles east) receives numerous long-haul flights, making it another option if you have time to visit both islands. In 2017, Sarah and I visited Reunion while touring the region, so we flew in from Mauritius for $148 and out to Madagascar for $117. We poured over Google Flights, Skyscanner, Momondo, and Kiwi.com to find the best flights for us.
Transportation. Public transportation is available around the island and in cities, but Reunion is best viewed with a vehicle. You will need your own transportation to reach many of the island’s remote sights and driving around the island is part of the fun. Roads are well maintained with signage befitting a modern country. Mountain roads can be curvaceous, zig-zagging back and forth to gain elevation. The cost is reasonable (we spent $105 for 5 days) and having a car is helpful if you are camping on the beach or in the mountains. Gas costs ~€1.36/liter (March 2018), but distances are relatively short. Automatic transmissions cost more than manual.
Parking lot in the sky
Accommodations
Camping on public land. With a tent and a sleeping bag, you can find plentiful places to camp on Reunion. Most public land is available for camping, especially by the beach and in Reunion National Park (covering 42 percent of the island). Décathlon is a good place to purchase cheap camping gear if you don’t want to bring your own. Some beaches even have showers. Paid camping with showers and bathrooms is also available
Budget accommodations. If camping or sleeping in a rental car isn’t your thing, hotels start at ~$45 on booking.com and ~$20 on Airbnb for two people. Reunion’s hostels are not on the major English-language booking sites, but can be found at AubergesDeJeunesse.com. Couchsurfing is also an option.
A guesthouse inside Mafate
Language. Reunion is part of France and everyone speaks French. English is about as common as the rest of France—fairly rare. Be polite (and try to speak a little French) and most people will be patient and friendly. Reunion Creole is spoken as a first language by a significant amount of the native population.
Sarah and I don’t speak French but did not find this a difficult barrier. We learned basic phrases and numbers, and this was enough to get by. With a SIM card for your smart phone and a rental car, you can figure out pretty much everything on your own. France is a modern country and most things operate the same as in other Western countries.
Weather. With its tropical location and sea breezes, Reunion maintains warms temperatures all year. November to April is cyclone season and a bit hotter and more humid. Cyclones typically hit the island once or twice per year for a couple days. May to October is drier and less humid. Because of prevailing winds and the location of the Piton de la Fournaise, the east side of the island receives more rain and overcast skies. Hiking is frequently better in the morning before afternoon fog rolls in.
Our waterfall view obscured by afternoon fog
Items to bring with you. If you plan to hike, bring footwear for the occasion and a backpack. You can bring mostly warm-weather clothes, but the temperature will be chillier at higher elevations. Bring sunscreen for the beach and for hiking. Anti-nausea medicine is helpful for the winding interior roads and altitude sickness.
Sarah and I camped our whole time on Reunion and frequently during our time in Africa. To reduce weight, we brought a tent and sleeping bags. We probably should have bought mattress pads at some point but didn’t need them on the beach.
For a complete packing list, see: Packing list for 10 weeks in Africa followed by 6 weeks in Canada.
Screenshot of our GPS driving through the mountains
Passport and visas. Reunion’s visa policy is similar to France. Most Europeans can visit indefinitely, and other Western countries can visit for up to 90 days without a visa. Visitors in the 90-day category may need to show an onward ticket upon arrival. Reunion is not part of the Schengen Area, but eligibility to visit is the same for most nationalities. Differences primarily affect citizens of China, India, and visa-holders in the Schengen Area.
Schengen Area visa exemption map. Image source: Wikitravel
Looking for a guide?
Our friend Jay, who we met during study-abroad, is a former Reunion National Park employee and gives tours at reasonable rates. He is an avid hiker, knows most of the history of the island, and once got kidnapped at sea. Contact him via Facebook at this link.
Let us know what questions you have in the comments. Bon Voyage!
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I am Sterling, one of the Two Fish Traveling. I love to travel and live in Polson, Montana with my wife Sarah.
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Great photos. I thought this was a travel brochure put out by the RCOC (Reunion Chamber Of Commerce), but the people in the pictures looked so familiar! I would love to visit Reunion, but my knees are rickety. Mafate in particular sounded like a place I would love to knock around.
Thanks, Pat! There is some pretty good hiking near you in Montana as it is. And a supervolcano that hopefully never goes off. Perhaps you can venture to Reunion and hire a donkey to carry you around. It would be very Sancho Panza–I think you would fit in.
How does the Dodo compare to the beer at Lewis and Clark Brewing co? I might have to do a personal comparison. See if i give it the old Chris Lambert stamp of approval.
Few places have beer as good as Montana. The Dodo is a good light lager, which all taste pretty similar in my opinion. I mostly like the way “La Dodo le la” rolls off the tongue.
I’m debating buying some cheap tickets to Reunion now and this a great resource! i’ll be solo and on a tight budget. Any thoughts on whether renting a car pays for itself in being able to have better access to free camping spots or is it more or less as easy to get places by bus and hitchhiking? Also, I read somewhere else that hitchhiking to the volcanoes was pretty common. Did you notice many hitchhikers when you were there? And were you able to do any of the longer hikes with a car or did they require coming in… Read more »
Hi Emily. I’m happy you found this article helpful. I’m not certain about hitchhiking (since I didn’t try it). My semi-educated guess is that it would be feasible. The people are really friendly and hitchhiking always seems a bit more common on islands. That said, I don’t remember seeing hitchhikers. You correctly point out that having a car was pretty handy for accessing camping spots and hiking trails which tended to be in more remote areas. Buses exist going around the island, but it seemed like most people were getting around with cars. Road density is pretty high and there… Read more »
From my friend on Reunion: “I think you have more freedom when you rent a car. You can drive mostly everywhere on the island. Hitchhiking isn’t common anymore because people do use cars a lot but you can find facebook groups that helps you going places. Near the volcano it’s pretty common for sure and people will help drive you to the point of view. And for the longer hikes it depends. You can have a tour in mafate or different “cirques” start and return from one point or start from one cirque and finish in another one.” He also… Read more »
Hi Sterling,
Thank you for a great article!
May i know where did you rent a car as prices i can find are much higher than you mentioned:)
Would really appriciate if you could recomend any one or any company 🙂
Best Reagrds,
Voytek
I searched on kayak.com and rented from Sixt, booking a couple months ahead of time. I don’t know if the price we paid was typical, and I don’t have any particular insight into renting cars in Reunion, as my experience is limited to the one time. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
That’s great. Thank yo so much
Hey Sterling! Great article. I have a group of 4 planning a trip to reunion in April, but we haven’t found a lot of English resources online. We’d love to do a 3/4 night backpacking hike during our trip and I was wondering if you have any tips? We’re also hoping to stay near the beach for a few nights. Would love some suggestions.
Cheers.
Wonderful you are going! I am dying to go back. If only Reunion weren’t on the other side of the world. For 3-4 nights of backpacking, you can hike all over the inside of the Mafate crater. You can park on the crater’s edge (Le Maido) and do a return trip or hike through the crater and out a different exit. We spent one night inside the crater and it was painful to leave after such a short trip. The inside of the crater is unbelievably beautiful and the few houses connected by trails are charming. There are free minimalist… Read more »
Hey guys,
thanks for this helpful post. My question would be how did you know who owns the land (public vs. private) – we would like to camp as well. Do you know if there are some great opportunities for snorkeling? Thanks a lot!
Glad it was helpful! We didn’t snorkel, but I read about some good spots. This website has a good overview: https://www.snorkeling-report.com/destination/snorkeling-reunion-island/
For figuring out public land, our default is zooming in on Google Maps. Public land is usually green when you zoom in. There were a lot of parks in the interior and beaches on the outside where you can camp.
Hello! Are the mountain roads fine in smallish cars (eg VW Polo) or do you need an SUV?