As we had to pass through JHB to get home from Rwanda, we thought we'd extend the trip to take in another stop. JHB was wet, grey and cold and felt like Manchester!
Reunion Island sits in the Indian Ocean, a population of 800,000, a French protectorate, a member of the EU and with €uros as its currency. It's 150 miles from Mauritiius, which is most SAfricans holiday home destination. Having visited Martinique, St Barts, I'm rather partial to a little French influence, far from Paris, to exercise my pauvre Francais! It's not technically in Africa so, we are unable to check another country off the list.
You walk out of the airport, expect to pick up a rental car, hit the A8 and head to St Cezaire sur Siagne, our home in the South of France, for 11 years! Everything, but everything, is the same, car number plates to graffiti, brands to road signs. While the coastal area is very tropical and Caribbean, a coral lagoon is outside our hotel, the mountains and volcano are covered in luxurious flora and fauna. Everywhere has the EU flag and every board where there is construction bears the words "funded (in part) by the EU. The road infrastructure is tunnels, bridges, dual carriageways, cycle lanes, while buildings, gardens, pedestrian walkways, even our hotel are indebted to the "union"! Having been to Crete a few months ago with its potholes, dust and rustic charm, Reunion obviously has someone who is very good at filling out grant application forms. Greece's loss is France's gain! The road infrastructure is necessary, I've never seen so many cars, there are jams everywhere, at all times of the day!
We have rented a car and we've decided on a couple of landmarks we wish to see over the two days we've rented. Our first trip is along the west coast, heading south through coastal villages and towns, before heading inland. The ascent to the centre of the island is a fascinating exercise in monitoring the way flora and fauna changes with altitude. It is Spring, spectacular displays of wisteria, cream mimosa, bougainvillaea, frangipani, jacaranda.. give way to sugar cane fields, bananas, vanilla plantations, and polytunnels of market gardening, before it becomes an alpine scene with heathers, brooms, in bloom, calla lilies in clumps, cows and chalet architecture. This takes you up 3000m to Piton de la Fournaise, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. The route is tens of hairpin bends, most in first gear, driving through the cloud level. En route, we discover we are at the head of Nez de Boeuf, a huge canyon that just appears along side the road, unannounced. It is spectacular, and takes your breath away. The volcano erupted a couple of weeks ago and the road has only just reopened. In 2007 there was a huge eruption and the area around its mouth dropped 300m to create a crater! It's a beautiful scene, very few people are here as it's the low season.
The following day, sees us in pursuit of "cirques ", three huge craters around the volcanic area. We head up the windy roads to Cirque de Mafate. I really enjoy the driving, as it's fun and the flora is gorgeous. Once, at a point we knew you could walk from, we park up and head up the mountain. You walk towards a ridge and there it is, the land falls away 2000m and you stand looking over the edge at a magnificent view which I think exceeds Machu Pichu and The Grand Canyon. It is humongous and you can take three days to hike it. There is every kind of geology and landmark, vegetation hugs the walls of everything almost like unsuccessful lemmings. It's one of the most spectacular sights I've ever had. Cloud is rising to block the view, then disappearing as sun breaks through, it's inconceivable to imagine climbing down, and back in a day. The path is less than 1m wide at some points, no guard rail, you clamber down rocks covered in dust and stones, it's quite scary. Now that I know of it, we will be back to do the three day hike. Google it and be prepared to be amazed!
From this point, back down to the coastline, again, before driving from the west, to the east coast, through the capital, St Denis. It's commercial, modern and thriving, yet, 5 miles inland and it becomes a mysterious island. Another winding road takes us through magnificent mountain and landscapes to get to one of the other craters called Cirque Salazie This one is all about waterfalls, of which there are many, with some nutters abseiling them beneath cascading water! We stop at a village near the top for a delicious baguette sandwich, the shop, typically, co financed. by the EU before descending once more to the coast, stopping off at a new shopping mall, co-financed....., which is impossible to identify as anything but in France. There's even a super highway being built, it's 8 miles long and sits in the sea, parallel to mountainous cliffs deemed too dangerous, despite being cages by massive metal nets and retaining walls. A mere £1.3bn, you've guessed, financed...., by the EU. This hasn't gone unnoticed, we find an article from 2014, in The Telegraph, that details the EU's excesses on this island. It is hard not to feel indignant about this level of funding, 5,500 miles from the European mainland and know that the 50+ cities there of 800,000 + citizens cannot possibly have been as super served by such levels of investment. I am not xenophobic, it's just that it is everywhere you look!
I'm delighted we had the car, the mountain region of this island is spectacular, I'd have to say that the fact we do not know of these incredible landmarks, suggests someone is not doing their job. While UNESCO have recognised Matafe", it really needs general tourist awareness.
We have loved it here, the weather app for the island was far from encouraging, however, the west coast is a micro climate and its dry and sunny most of the day. The hotel, Akoya, is excellent, a little out of the way, during the week it's very quiet, and the island has some of the worlds most incredible sites. Well worth a trip if you make it to the Southern Hemisphere. The fact most tourists go to Mauritius, should be all the encouragement you need!