Réunion - Lonely Planet

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Réunion
POP 845,000 /
% 262
Includes 
St-Denis. . . . . . . . . . . . 182
The West . . . . . . . . . . . 190
St-Gilles-les-Bains. . . 197
L’Hermitageles-Bains . . . . . . . . . . . 202
St-Leu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
The Cirques. . . . . . . . . 215
Piton de la Fournaise
(The Volcano) . . . . . . . 236
The Wild South. . . . . . 247
Le Grand Brûlé. . . . . . 258
The East. . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Best Places to
Eat
Why Go?
Réunion is one of the Indian Ocean’s last great island adventures. The diversity of landscapes is truly astonishing for such
a small pocket. Jutting out of the ocean like a basaltic shield
cloaked in green, this scenically magical island is a miniHawaii. What to expect? Emerald forests, tumbling waterfalls, awesome mountainscapes, twisting roads, soul-stirring
panoramas, energetic coastal cities and a sprinkling of whiteor black-sand beaches. The formidable Piton de la Fournaise,
one of the world’s most accessible active volcanoes, adds to
the thrill. Small wonder that Réunion is a dream destination
for nature and outdoor lovers. Hiking is the number-one activity, but canyoning, paragliding, rafting, horseback riding,
diving, whale-watching and climbing are also available.
There’s also plenty to compel culture aficionados. Réunion has a fascinating Creole, African, Indian, Chinese and
French heritage, with a wealth of architectural treasures and
vibrant festivals that are a great occasion to immerse yourself in local culture.
¨¨Les Letchis (p266)
¨¨L’Eveil des Sens – Le Blue
Margouillat (p210)
When to Go
¨¨Auberge Paysanne Le
Palmier (p257)
¨¨Le Saint-Michel (p201)
¨¨Réunion’s climate experiences only two distinct seasons:
the hot, rainy summer from December to April and the cool,
dry winter from late April to November. Temperatures on
the coast average 22°C in winter and 27°C in summer. In the
mountains they drop to 11°C and 18°C, respectively.
Best Places to
Sleep
¨¨Peak tourist season is during the French school holidays
from July to early September. From October through to the
New Year holidays is also busy, but after this everything eases
down during cyclone-prone February and March.
¨¨Le QG (p236)
¨¨Senteur Vanille (p200)
¨¨Rougail Mangue (p254)
¨¨Villa Belle (p244)
¨¨Diana Dea Lodge & Spa
(p267)
¨¨Dan’n Tan Lontan (p257)
¨¨The drier winter months are the most favourable for hiking,
as some of the trails are simply impassable when it’s wet. The
east coast is considerably wetter than the west.
¨¨Whale-watching season runs from June to October.
181
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20 km
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Roland Garros
St-Denis International
Airport
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8
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# Ste-Marie
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Ste-Clotilde \
RN2
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Ste-Suzanne
# Bois Rouge
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La Possession
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Le Port \
des Cirque de
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L'Hermitage-
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S a la z i e
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Piton des Neiges #
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les-Bains
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les-Bains
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St-Pierre
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Petite-Île
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Piton- \
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(2380m)
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Le Grand Brûlé
Plaine des Sables &
Morne
Langevin Piton de la Fournaise
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Le Tampon
Ste-Anne
RN3
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BourgMurat
Manapanyles-Bains
INDIAN
St-Benoît
Plaine-desPalmistes
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Entre-Deux
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St-Pierre-Pierrefonds –
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International Airport
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RN1
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Le Tévelave
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Piton St-Leu \
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Les
Makes
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Cirque de
Cilaos
D3
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Forêt de
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Cilaos \
Pointe des
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Châteaux \
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St-Leu \
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Cir
Réu ni o n H i ghl i ghts
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5 les-Bains
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St-André
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Mafate
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St-Gilles- \
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les-Bains
D3
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St-Paul \
Dos
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Galets
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RN1
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Vincendo
StJoseph
RN2
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St-Philippe
OCEAN
Réunion Highlights
1 Plaine des Sables &
Piton de la Fournaise (p236)
Gorging your senses on the
Martian landscapes.
4 Le Grand Brûlé (p258)
Looking out over the barren
moonscape of this solidified,
pure black lava field.
2 Cirque de Mafate (p231)
5 L’Hermitage-les-Bains
3 Cirque de Cilaos (p217)
6 Hell-Bourg (p227)
Exploring the topography of
these fabulous landforms.
Canyoning in this weird-andwonderful vertical world.
(p202) Immersing yourself in
the island’s steamy nightlife­.
Checking out this picturesque
town and its appealing Creole
houses.
7 St-Pierre (p239)
Discovering the colonial
heritage and great nightlife.
8 St-Denis (p182) Going
heritage-hunting among the
Creole buildings.
9 Piton des Neiges (p217)
Huffing to the top of for
sensational views.