The first people to visit Reunion Island were the Portuguese in the early 1500s. It was settled by the French East India Company in the mid-1600s. Up until 1946, Reunion Island was a French colony. It was, however, colonised by the British from 1810 to 1815 during the Napoleonic Wars. In March 1946, it became an overseas department of France. The island has seen quite a lot of economic and social unrest, which was further amplified by the high unemployment rate. Displays of violence were common during the 1990s and 2000s, which also included the growing gap between the different classes of society.

Reunion Island was renamed in the 18th century, which is when it achieved prosperity. This was because it was a part of the shipping route that carried trade between Europe and Asia. The economy grew due to the sugar plantations that brought in slaves as workers from Africa. You will find sugarcane growing on most of the cultivable land on the island, which makes sense since sugar has been the major source of income on the island for over a century. Some of the other things produced in Reunion Island include vegetables and fruits, geraniums, and tobacco.

• Reunion is an overseas department as well as a region of France. The official name of the Island is the Department of La Reunion.
• Reunion Island is home to Piton de la Fournaise, which is one of the most active volcanoes in the world.
• The world’s longest domestic route, from Paris to Reunion Island, covers a distance of 9,349 km.
• Reunion Island is a major producer of Bourbon vanilla.
• The British colonised Reunion Island from 1810 to 1815.
• The largest native land animal to be found in Reunion Island is the panther chameleon.
• The average life expectancy in Reunion Island is 82.78 years.

• Since French is the official language of Reunion Island, it’s best to memorise a few phrases that could help you communicate with the locals.
• If you’re planning on going hiking, make sure to pack enough water and snacks. Also, the temperature and weather could change throughout the day, so check the weather forecast in advance before a hike.
• Tipping isn’t expected or common in Reunion Island, but you can always tip your server if you enjoyed their service.
• Don’t swim at beaches that don’t specifically allow swimming, as there could be a risk of shark attacks and strong currents.
• Although Reunion Island has a low crime rate, petty crimes such as pickpocketing can occur, so take care of your belongings.

Here are some of the reasons why you should visit Reunion Island:

Along with a volcanic coastline, the landscape of Reunion Island includes natural wonders, lush greenery, and hidden beaches. There is Roches Noires Beach, with its white sand and shallow waters where you can go surfing and paddleboarding. Visit the Bebour Forest, which covers an area of 6 hectares and was categorised as a biological reserve in 1994. Make sure to also lay your eyes on the gorgeous waterfalls like Trou de Fer, Grand Galet Waterfall, and Takamaka Waterfall.

Reunion Island offers a plethora of adventurous activities for tourists, such as paragliding, kayaking, snorkelling, and diving. Take a helicopter ride over Piton de la Fournaise where you can get an aerial view of its lava flows and craters. The rivers of Reunion Island offer the perfect opportunity for whitewater rafting as the island is home to numerous canyons and waterfalls. Discover the underwater world of Reunion Island through diving and snorkelling where you can come face to face with creatures such as dolphins, whales, and turtles.

The food of Reunion Island has European, Indian, African, and other influences. In addition to an abundance of seafood, you will find the island’s cuisine to have plenty of spices, vegetables, and locally grown fruits. Even though Reunion is a modern French territory, the island’s cuisine reflects the culinary traditions and characteristics of French cuisine. As you walk around the markets of Reunion Island, you will find a mix of delicious fruits, including coconuts, lychees, guavas, mangoes, and pineapples.

The wildlife of Reunion Island is fascinating to witness, especially for bird lovers as the island is home to plenty of bird species, including endemic species of birds. This includes the Egyptian goose, garganey, Madagascar partridge, king quail, and the village weaver. Explore the Belouve Forest, where you can spot the zebra dove, Reunion stonechat, and the Mascarenes swiftlet.

The tropical climate of Reunion Island is tempered because of the trade winds and the Indian Ocean. The island experiences two main seasons. The first is the austral summer which is also the rainy season. The second is the southern winter season, which is the dry season. As compared to the western region of the island, the eastern side receives heavier and more frequent rainfall. The highlands receive much cooler temperatures than the coast. Let’s dive into what the different seasons in Reunion Island bring along so you can accordingly decide when to book our Reunion tour packages.

The temperature during the summer season in Reunion Island ranges between 23 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius. Travellers can expect short periods of intense rainfall at this time. It’s also the tropical cyclone season, and these cyclones usually last for a day and occur about once or twice a year. The sight of waterfalls and lush greenery makes it a great time to visit the island. Due to the pleasant weather, you can easily go swimming in Reunion Island during the summer season. It’s also the ideal period to shop for exotic fruits at the markets of Reunion. The Liberte Metisse Festival is a fun festival you can experience during your holiday if you visit the island during this season.

The highest temperature you will witness in Reunion Island during the winter season could be somewhere between 20 degrees Celsius to 25 degrees Celsius. The southern winter brings about slightly lower temperatures compared to the austral summer. However, it rarely goes below 20 degrees Celsius in the coastal areas. You won’t experience much rainfall at this time. Watersports are particularly popular in Reunion Island during the dry season. The festivals that the island witnesses at this time include Diwali and the Safiko Musik Festival.

Saint-Denis is Reunion Island’s capital city. If you wish to experience the island’s art and culture to the fullest, then this is the city to visit. This is due to its alluring architecture, authentic dance forms and music, delicious cuisine, and eclectic places of worship. From bars, restaurants, and nightclubs to cathedrals, mosques, and temples, Saint-Denis will constantly amaze you. The must see attractions in the city include Our Lady of Deliverance, Musee Leon-Dierx, and Jardin de l’État.

Salazie is a cirque situated on Reunion Island which is known for its abundant rainforests, natural beauty, and diversity of scenery. Perched at the heart of the island, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has several hiking trails. Some of the most popular tourist spots to visit in Salazie include Belouve Forest, Maison Folio, and Hell-Bourg.

For the ones looking for white sandy beaches and watersports, remember to keep Saint-Gilles in your itinerary. You can participate in activities like kayaking, windsurfing, swimming, and fishing. Make sure to visit the Garden of Eden, Aquarium of Reunion, Hermitage Beach, and Boucan Canot Beach. After spending a day sightseeing in Saint-Gilles, you can explore the bars, nightclubs, restaurants, and stores of this resort village.

Reunion Island offers activities for tourists of all kinds, whether you’re travelling with your family, friends, or by yourself. Keep reading to find out the activities you can indulge in and the places you can explore with our Reunion tour packages:

Piton de la Fournaise is a shield volcano and is known to be one of the most active volcanoes in the world. It is located on the southeastern side of Reunion Island. Shield volcanoes are formed due to hardened lava, and their shape is similar to that of a warrior’s shield lying flat on the ground. On average, this volcano has erupted once every nine months for the past 10 years. The last time it erupted was in September 2022. The volcano is situated in Reunion National Park, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010.

The Cirque de Mafate is a caldera located in the northwest part of Reunion Island. Enveloped by mountains, the cirque was formed when the large shield volcano named Piton des Neiges collapsed. It’s one among the three natural amphitheatres on Reunion Island that can only be accessed by helicopter or foot. This is a beloved spot for hikers as the absence of paved roads and automobiles makes it easier to be explored with our Reunion tour packages. Tourists began to flock to this place even more after it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010.

Maroon slaves had first settled in the Cirque of Mafate in the 19th century and the cirque derives its name from one of these maroon leaders. The name ‘Mafate’ is derived from a Malagasy word which means ‘lethal’, therefore referring to the difficulty of reaching this particular location.

The Piton des Neiges is a shield volcano located in the northwestern part of Reunion Island. The emergence of this volcano from the sea can be traced back 2.1 million years. Standing at 3,071 metres, the Piton des Neiges is the highest point on the Reunion Island and also in the Indian Ocean. No special mountaineering skills or equipment are required to hike to the peak of this beloved tourist spot. Cilaos, which is a spa town on Reunion Island, offers an easy and accessible hike to the top of Piton des Neiges. The hike is about 8 km long and it takes about five hours to reach the topmost point.

The Cirque de Salazie is located in the Saint-Benoît district of Reunion Island. The Bridal Veil Falls is one of the most beautiful sights tourists can enjoy near the cirque as this gorgeous waterfall is visible from the road between Salazie and Hell-Bourg. This UNESCO World Heritage Site serves as a starting point for several hikes and offers a spectacular view of the Piton des Neiges.

Eden Garden is situated on the west coast of Reunion Island. The garden was created by Philippe Kaufmant and was inaugurated in 1991. Having English style architecture, tourists require anywhere between one to three hours to explore this spot completely. It is located within a park that covers 2.5 hectares and is home to 700 tropical plant species. There is a hermitage marsh located close to the garden that has been searched for bone deposits for over three decades. Various kinds of endemic, rare, aromatic, and medicinal plants can be found in the garden, including bamboo, palm trees, and succulents.

Located on the west coast of Reunion Island near Saint-Gilles is the Hermitage Beach. With a coastline that stretches for 7 km, this white sandy beach is lined with pine trees. Whether you want to go picnicking, sunbathing, or swimming, there are a myriad of activities to participate in at Hermitage Beach. It has a shallow swimming area, and this beach is the only one on Reunion Island that is protected by a coral reef. Owing to its rich variety of underwater flora and fauna, the coral reef at the beach is categorised as a Nature Reserve. There are long stretches of filao trees situated in the area behind the beach that is perfect for picnics.

The Aquarium of Reunion is located in Saint-Gilles. It helps you gain a deeper insight into the marine life of the island. This includes the coral gardens, the open sea, the coral reefs, and the marine biodiversity. The aquarium is home to numerous tanks, whose combined capacity is 600,000 litres. With more than 2000 animals on display, the aquarium has 200 species of reef life. Visitors can watch documentaries about the underwater world in the projection room, which has a capacity of 70 people. Some of the stars of the marine world you can witness at this aquarium include the sea bat, the lionfish, the damselfish, and the blacktip reef shark.

• Hiking
• Rafting
• Canyoning
• Whitewater rafting
• Snorkelling
• Diving

Listed below are the best souvenirs to buy from Reunion Island and the places you can shop from:

Reunion Island is known for the Bourbon vanilla. Renowned for its floral and sweet notes, intoxicating fragrance, and stupendous quality, this vanilla is manually harvested. The natural drying process it goes through is quite lengthy. Various markets across the island sell this product. Its inclusion in your dishes will only enhance their aroma.

As you explore Reunion Island with Vaadiyan Luxury Holidays’ Reunion tour packages, you will discover that the island has several distilleries that produce flavoured rum. This is why it’s one of the best souvenirs to take back home for your loved ones. The history between the island and rum can be traced back to the 17th century. This kind of rum is created by combining traditional white rum with other elements such as plants, fruits, and spices. The beverage is usually served as a digestif at the end of a meal.

If you’re travelling to the Reunion Island from India, then you might crave the sight of spices during your trip. Fortunately, the island is known for its spices, and you can grab a handful of them for your friends and family as you explore Reunion Island with our Reunion tour packages. Some of the most popular spices to grab during your holiday are nutmeg, cardamom, and cinnamon. However, the one you absolutely must buy is turmeric as it’s a flagship item of the island. Turmeric is hand extracted in Reunion Island and has a delightfully dark orange colour.

Lava rock is quite a famous symbol in Reunion Island. You can bring back this symbol as a souvenir with you in the form of jewellery. Take your pick from earrings, necklaces, and even mortar and pestles.

• Malagasy Market: For tablecloths, baskets, wooden objects, fruits, vegetables, spices.
• Marche Couvert de Saint-Pierre: For fruits, vegetables, spices, local crafts.
• Marche du Chaudron: For artisanal goods, local vegetables and fruits, Bourbon vanilla.

• Most of the shops in Reunion Island remain closed on Sundays.
• The supermarkets usually stay open from Monday to Saturday, 9 am to 8 pm. Some of them are also on Sunday mornings.

• Make sure not to refer to Creole as ‘broken French’.
• Don’t assume that everyone in Reunion Island will understand English.
• Don’t compare Reunion Island to other places, including your home country, as it’s often considered offensive.
• Avoid drinking tap water after a cyclone or heavy rainfall.
• Be careful of heat related illnesses. Therefore, make sure to stay hydrated, wear lightweight and loose clothes, and try to keep physical activities to a minimum when the temperature is high.
• Stay away from swimming in freshwater in areas where there is poor sanitation or in developing regions.
• Some of the beaches on Reunion Island could have animal waste, which is why you should wear shoes to avoid catching an infection.

Although Reunion Island is a part of France, Creole cuisine is quite different from Parisian cuisine in terms of ingredients, preparation techniques, and origin. You will get to taste its flavourful blend of spices when you visit the island with our Reunion tour packages. The cuisine of Reunion Island reflects its communities and how different people of the island are connected to France, India, Mozambique, Comoros, and China in one way or another. You can taste the influence of Indian spices, European stewing methods, African herbs and roots, Chinese dumplings, and Asia’s umami flavours in the food of the island. Let’s take a look at the dishes you absolutely must try out during your trip to Reunion Island:

Bouchons are bite-sized treats that resemble dumplings. They are usually filled with pork or chicken and are then steamed. They are typically served with soy sauce, mayonnaise, and Chinese chilli paste. Although bouchons are popular as appetisers, the people of the island also consume them during other times of the day.

Cari is a Creole dish eaten in Reunion Island which makes use of Indian spices. Some of the local ingredients that are mixed together to create this dish are poultry, meat, fish or seafood. The other elements that go into making caris are ginger, cloves, turmeric, tomatoes, onions, and garlic. Cari is usually eaten along with boiled rice so that the spiciness of the dish becomes manageable.

Rougail or sausage rougail is among the most beloved dishes in Reunion Island. The combination of vegetables, meat, and carbohydrates makes this a well-balanced and hearty dish. It was traditionally eaten by labourers on the island. Rougail consists of grains, rice, meat, and spices. Some of the ingredients you will find in the dish are sausages, tomatoes, ginger, onions, and chillies.

The samoussas found in the island are usually smaller than the Indian samosas and are typically filled with potatoes, crabs, cheese, or chicken. They can easily be found at the food stalls across the island and also at farmers’ markets. Samoussas appeared in Reunion Island for the first time back in 1828 when the first Indian commissioned workers came in from Pondicherry.

Chayote au gratin, which is also known as gratin de chouchou, is a traditional dish of Reunion Island. The dish is created using oven baked chayotes, cheese, and bechamel sauce. Green pumpkin, papaya, chayote, and pasta are often common ingredients in gratins. Thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper are used to cook the vegetables, and the concoction is then mixed with cheese or bechamel sauce.

The culture of Reunion Island has been quite impacted by European, Asian, and African influences. Dance and music form an integral part of the island’s culture, and Maloya is one of the most popular art forms. It’s a combination of dancing, music, and singing and has been recognised by UNESCO in its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (ICH). Another genre of dance and music that travellers will come across while touring the island is Sega, whose roots are connected to the Mascarene Islands. It displays a mixture of dance, storytelling, and music. Events such as weddings and festivals usually have the presence of music, and these gatherings often feature percussion instruments.