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Overview

Introduction

Reunion Island, a territory of France, is a small island surrounded by the Indian Ocean. Its mainly French-speaking residents are a mix of African, Indian, Chinese, French and Malay ethnicities, creating a unique combination of cultures.

Those taking a trekking vacation will appreciate Reunion Island's rugged land and beautiful, dramatic mountains. The island offers jagged mountain peaks, steep cliffs, an active volcano and waterfalls.

Travelers wanting a more relaxing vacation can admire the lovely gardens, Creole houses and richly scented spice farms. Reunion is a magnificent place to de-stress.

Reunion's one problem is found at the coast—its tiny lagoons are quite shallow, and there's not much protection against the rough surf.

Geography

Part of the Mascarene Archipelago, along with Mauritius and Rodrigues, Reunion Island lies in the southwestern Indian Ocean, about 500 mi/800 km east of Madagascar. The island itself is 128 mi/205 km around and contains two mountain ranges. The highest point, Piton des Neiges (10,069 ft/3,069 m), is an inactive volcano in the east-central portion of the island, and 8,630-ft/2,630-m La Fournaise (The Furnace), an active volcano, dominates the eastern end of the island.

Reunion also has three cirques, or natural mountain basins, which were formed by erosion of the Piton des Neiges.

Reunion also includes other smaller islands that serve primarily as meteorological stations, with no tourist accommodations—only Reunion is inhabited.

History

Reunion is believed to be a result of two volcanic eruptions about 2.5 million years ago. Though Arabs visited the island during the Middle Ages, it remained uninhabited until the mid-1500s when it was discovered by the Portuguese, who were followed by Dutch, British and French explorers. It was declared French territory in 1649 and, except for a short British period of occupation in the early 19th century (1810-15), has remained under French administration to this day.

Inhabitants are descended mainly from French settlers and varied groups of African slaves and indentured Indian workers. The island's unique Creole culture reflects Arab, Chinese, French and Indian influences.

Reunion was a major stopover on East Indies trade routes—coffee, sugar, vanilla and the like shaped the island's political and socioeconomic history. However, the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 cost Reunion its strategic importance in world trade. World War II brought the island further troubles—the islet was obligated to send supplies to France at its own expense, resulting in a weakened economy.

In 1946, however, the country experienced a rebirth: Its status was elevated from colony to overseas department of France, opening the door to equal sociopolitical benefits with France. Until the early 1990s, the people of Reunion were content with this status. Then in February 1991, a spate of anti-government riots and unrest rocked the department, as residents demanded autonomy. By 1993, the unrest had subsided, although lingering tensions still persist.

Starting in the mid-1990s and continuing till today, Reunion has experienced tremendous growth in its tourism industry, overtaking sugarcane as the island's major exchange earner.

Reunion is trying to lure more non-French ecotourists to decrease its dependency on the French market. France still heavily subsidizes the economy of the island.

Snapshot

Reunion's main attractions are rambles (trekking and hiking), beautiful waterfalls, bird-watching, mountain climbing, deep-sea fishing, yachting, volcanoes, horseback riding, golfing, wild orchids, historic sites and monuments, windsurfing, unique culture and delicious food.

Reunion will appeal to travelers who love untouristy islands with striking (almost South Pacific-type) scenery. Don't go if you can't do without immaculate surroundings, efficient service, varied nightlife and shopping. And don't go if you are on a limited budget or if you feel uncomfortable in countries where English isn't commonly spoken.

Potpourri

Reunion is a young island: It is believed to have emerged from the deep sea about 2 and a half million years ago. This accounts for its lack of deep lagoons—there hasn't been time for the sea to carve them out.

As in all French-influenced lands, fresh baguettes and excellent coffee abound on Reunion Island.

Though Reunion has the highest standard of living of all the Indian Ocean islands, the gap between the well-off and the poor is noticeably large and has often led to some social tensions.

Sections of an old rail line, originally built for transporting sugar across the island, are being adapted for use as a tourist attraction. The line winds through the island's mountainous terrain and a tunnel 6 mi/10 km long (third-longest land tunnel in the world) and crosses two spectacular bridges.

Noted figure skater Surya Bonaly was born in Reunion.

Riviere-des-Pluies, southeast of St. Denis, is the home of the locally famous Black Virgin. Pilgrims flock to the village to pay homage to the shrine.

There are 370 mi/595 km of meandering, well-maintained footpaths on the island, the longest trail being the 50-mi/80-km GRR1 Rambler (it includes all three of the natural cirques). Other trails vary in length and difficulty, so ask about them locally before you start off.

Just before slavery was abolished in 1848, African slaves numbered 60,000 out of a total population of 100,000.

The island is the world's largest producer of geraniums. The production of perfume bases from flowers is, after tourism and the production of sugarcane, rated among the most important industries of the island. Some of the geranium farms can be visited.

Mount Piton de La Fournaise is still active and flares up quite often. As enchanting as the astounding sight of cascading lava may seem, it is a thing to watch out for before checking into the mountainous inland. It is known to have erupted close to 160 times since 1640. A modern volcano observatory is currently monitoring its activities closely.

Overview

Introduction

Union Island, The Grenadines, is a hilly, sparsely populated island just west of Palm Island and the closest population center to Tobago Cays. This island in St. Vincent and the Grenadines is quiet and relaxing. The beaches are pleasant, the hotels casual and comfortable, and there is some remarkably good food available at restaurants, in the gourmet shop, in market square and from ladies who cook outdoors.

The dusty little port town of Clifton on Union Island has a tourist bureau and is a popular stopping-off point for yachters: Dozens of marine-service businesses have sprung up, and two full-service marinas are available—Bougainvillea (http://grenadines-bougainvilla.com) and the Anchorage Yacht Club (http://www.aycunionisland.com). The pier at Clifton is a good place to buy fish or lobster direct from the fishermen, or just watch them at work cleaning conch. Union Island is also connected to nearby islands by air service.