Despite its geographical remoteness and tiny land mass, Reunion is packed with an intriguing diversity of scenery, cultures, music, food and surf.  

Reunion is a land of contrasts, yet these differences seem to complement each other, making for a unique and tantalising package.

This was highlighted to me while lunching with David, a French born practising doctor and piano bar owner/performer living on Reunion with his jazz singer Mauritius wife, I noticed he took out of his briefcase a packet of cigarettes.
 
They were not of the meek and mild variety, rather the type that the medical fraternity and governments spend million of dollars warning us not to inhale, even passively.

I felt inquisitive and perplexed and put it to him that I did not think I would see a doctor smoke.  His reply, in the smoothest French accent you are ever likely to hear, “The doctor does not smoke - it is the piano player”.


red wine white rum black sand cool music

Lying some 200 kilometres west of Mauritius, it is part of France, with the Euro as the official currency, gendarmes on the streets and Paris 10,000 kilometres away in another hemisphere. It has elements of the culture and sophisticated charm of Parisian France but also some of the usual Gallic frustrations for non-French speaking tourists in Europe.

While Reunion is officially part of France, this west Indian Ocean destination is unique and offers a surfing holiday like nothing else on the planet.

From Australia, Reunion is best reached via the weekly flights from Sydney-Perth to Mauritius and then a hop of less than an hour on Air Mauritius turbo-prop planes on the last leg to the island itself (Air France also flies direct from Reunion to Paris).

Winging into Reunion is spectacular, with rugged volcanic massifs rising up to 3,000 metres from the island’s core – including one of the most consistently active volcanoes in the world – and surrounded by coral fringes and glistening, deep blue seas.

Reunion Island is a world away from Mauritius with its English colonial heritage, plentiful broad white beaches, numerous resorts and strong focus on tourism, 1000 metre central peaks and relatively easy road access around the island. Mauritius is an independent country which has to make its own economic way in the world.

Reunion, by contrast, is heavily subsidised by the French central government. This has resulted in a much more impressive infrastructure and outward prosperity. This also means a lot more cars, heavier traffic and more impressive highways. The rugged and steeper mountainous topography also makes driving more tortuous. And Reunionese drive like Parisians – fast and aggressive. As a result, travellers to Reunion have to allow a lot more time to get around the island. And Euros as the currency mean services are European-level expensive. Food is reasonably priced but not cheap.

Reunion’s quality waves are all found on the island’s west and south west coasts at spots like St. Pierre; l’Etang-Salé les Bains; Pointe des Aigrettes, near a famous coral-fringed swimming beach at Cap Boucan Canot; St. Paul; and Reunion’s world-famous long left reef point at St. Leu, which has hosted world pro circuit shortboard contests. Waves range from beach breaks to long sand points and reefs which are Mal-friendly. Booties are advisable, not only for the coral but also to counter hazards such as plentiful sea urchins.

Like Mauritius, the southern hemisphere winter brings the most consistent swells and waves for Reunion. The water and winter sun are warm. Reunion lies at about 21 degrees south – roughly the same latitude as Karratha on Western Australia’s north west coast or Bowen in north Queensland. Summer brings cyclones in the Reunion area and can generate some big but inconsistent swells.

The high inland altitudes result in Reunion having quite large climatic variations for such a small island – so you will need some warm clothes on your trip there too. For example, St. Leu at the centre of the surf coast receives an average of less than 750mm of rain per year, while the high inland plateaus record up to a drenching 6,000mm a year. Summer daytime temperatures on the coast average 27 degrees and regularly soar into the mid 30s, whereas inland the daytime mean is as low as 15 degrees. In mid-winter, the coast-to-inland average daytime temperature variations are 22 degrees to 10 degrees, respectively.

The island’s international airport is just outside the capital, St. Denis, on the north coast. This is up to two hours’ drive from the surf coast, depending on traffic. The journey can be via the coast highway looping across the island’s north west and down the western flank or the more spectacular, twisting, turning and at times slightly hair-raising traverse through  Reunion’s mountainous heart. The inland crossing includes a drive through and above the clouds on the Plaine-Des-Palmistes – an incredible high plain area covered in giant palms with the feel of Jurassic Park.

Local transport on Reunion is not longboard-friendly and taking some soft racks is advisable.

A smaller regional airport has been opened near St. Pierre on the surf coast and a daily service flies there from Mauritius. While this saves a lot of driving time after arrival, it is not advisable for longboarders (see travel warning below).

The first French settlers arrived on Reunion in 1663 accompanied by their Malagasy servants (from Madagascar). In the 18th century came a coffee boom, plantations and slaves from the African coast and India. In the 19th century, coffee was replaced by sugar, exotic spices like vanilla and local rum as the cash crops. The latter remain thriving agricultural-based industries today.

Although French is the official language, Reunion’s cultural diversity has spawned Creole as the spoken word of the streets and villages. And the Creole culture has infused cooking and local music with some fascinating features to experience and enjoy. Classic French restaurants and cafés are plentiful too, as are jazz and music clubs. Local bars serving cold Fosters lager mixed with the local sweet white rum was an acquired taste though!

But it is water sports and outdoor pursuits which are the feature of Reunion – including world class diving, deep sea fishing and windsurfing.

Go to Reunion for good waves but make sure you plan your itinerary to leave enough time to take in some of the unique out-of-the-water natural attractions too.

The ‘wild south’ of the island, with its coastline of towering black cliffs and battering swells, is dominated by the Piton de La Fournaise volcanic peak, which rises to 2,632 metres at its highest point. As recently as 1986, lava has flowed all the way down into the sea following eruptions.

The volcano’s domain and the long dormant massifs and central island plateaus of the Cirque De Salazie, Cirque De Cilaos and Cirque De Mafate are sparsely-inhabited national parks with breathtaking hiking and mountainbike cycling trails set up for tourists. They feature spectacular peaks, valleys and waterfalls. There is also mountain white water rafting and canoeing, horse riding, fishing and hang gliding.

If you decide to combine a trip to Mauritius with the hop to neighbouring Reunion Island to check out different waves, beware of one big pitfall for longboarders in making your travel plans.

The hop from Mauritius west to Reunion only takes about 45 minutes. You can fly to Reunion’s international airport at St. Denis, on the island’s north coast, or direct to the smaller St. Pierre on the west/south west coast and near the main surf locations.

Air Mauritius fly modern, twin-engine turbo-prop ATR 72 aircraft on the route to St. Pierre. But the luggage compartments cannot handle longboards. So you can fly but your longboards will not – as   longbreak found out after we arrived! The maximum allowance length for luggage on these aircraft is two metres.

So make two specifications to your travel agent for your Reunion trip. Firstly, you must fly in and out through the main airport at St. Denis.  And you still have to book your boards on separate daily air cargo flights by Air Mauritius to St. Denis.

Alternatively, fly by the rival Air Austral service which uses jets on the route to St. Denis which can carry longboards.