Reunion Island, new step of our trip in the Indian Ocean. And not just any stage because for me, Franck, it's already my 3rd stay but Richard visits the intense island for the first time. Between the exploration of the volcano Piton de la Fournaise and its lava tunnels, the helicopter flight over Reunion Island, the catamaran trip to admire the sunset, our days in the cirques of Salazie and Cilaos, the beaches and confidential hikes, the lagoon of Saint-Gilles in a transparent kayak, the visit of the Intense Island on the trail of the Gouzous, we didn't have time to get bored in 20 days of stay on the spot. Here are our stories and advices, all the practical information to book the activities and we even describe you some accommodations tested on Reunion Island.
10 intense activities to experience on Reunion Island
Here is the outline of this article from our travel blog on Reunion Island. Click directly on the links to read what interests you. This stay on Reunion Island is the second step of our long journey in the Indian Ocean, after our visit of Mayotte and before our stay on Mauritius.
After a very comfortable 2h10 flight from Mayotte on board a Boeing 737-800 of the Indian Ocean airline Air Austral, we rented a Renault Clio from Jumbo Car, an agency selected by the cheap car rental website BSP Auto.
There are of course other solutions to rent a car in Reunion Island, like on the website of MultiAuto for example. We like the concept of this Reunionese company opened in 2003 which rents vehicles regularly checked and maintained. Indeed, the earlier you rent your vehicle, the less you pay. You can save up to 40% on your bill depending on your dates! A good plan as we like them. Thanks to this ONEDAY21 promo code, you can also benefit from an additional 5% discount on your future car rental on Reunion Island. Don't hesitate to take advantage of it!
These 10 experiences are of course subjective. The island offers so many options like the cirque of Mafate, the waterfalls of Langevin, the plain of Palmistes, the view on the cirque of Mafate from the Maïdo where we went but with a completely blocked view, Saint-Denis and the creole architecture of its historical buildings, Saint-Gilles between the Hauts and the port and its promenade, and of course the coastal road between Saint-Gilles and Piton Sainte-Rose. We had time to make several times the tour of the island. We explored a lot but not everything.
---- Read Also ----
Islands of Hyères : Which island to choose ? Porquerolles, Port-Cros or Levant
----------------------
Here are our 10 favorite experiences on Reunion Island.
1. Explore the volcano of Piton de la Fournaise by foot
Exploring the caldera of the Piton de la Fournaise is certainly the strongest experience of our stay on Reunion Island. We are always fascinated by the power and the energy that volcanoes give off. We think back to the strong emotions felt during our expedition to the volcanoes of Java.
Reunion Island, it is also intense. We would come back on the intense island only to tread again the lava of this still active volcano and feel the power of the Nature in a very singular silence. The words are difficult to find so much the raw beauty of this site impressed us. And it is even more impressive when it wakes up. The last flow took place a few days before while we were traveling in Mayotte.
The arrival by rental car is an adventure in itself. From St. Pierre, the climb takes about 45 minutes and, like the road to Salazie, there is no counting the number of turns to get there. The road, initially with 2×2 lanes, is transformed into 1 departmental road which crosses many communes while taking altitude. Then, we find ourselves in Norman landscapes with its cows and its rabbits which gambol in the green grass. We cross then a forest of thorny and comes quickly the bush and finally the volcanic sand which covers now the 2 sides of the small road. What of so contrasted landscapes crossed in so few kilometers finally!
We reach a first point of view on the Plain of Sands.
After some impressive loops always asphalted to go down in slow motion, place to the track. On the last kilometers, it is the Adventure, especially when you play with the clouds.
On the island, intense you should not look at the weather but believe in your good star. And even if the fog often accompanied us, we had the right to beautiful clearings. And it is of course at this moment, when the few spots of colors shine, that the show takes another dimension and that the emotion knots the throat. We even admit to you that some tears flowed.
0 Comments