How much do you really know about this French island in the Indian Ocean? All the information and travel tips you need before your trip are right here.
Réunion is a piece of France suspended in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar and about 200km south west of Mauritius, the nearest island. It is one of the overseas departements of France, which gives it equal status to the provinces and regions within France. The Euro is legal tender and French is the official language, though Creole, Tamil and Arabic are also widely spoken.
It is a pretty small island, 63km long and 45km wide, spanning a surface area of 2,512km². But its geography is pretty astounding with the three natural calderas of
Cilaos,
Salazie and
Mafate, the active volcano of
Piton de la Fournaise, the highest peak in the Indian Ocean (Piton des Neiges at 3069m), rivers of lava and palm-fringed beaches on the coast.
Like Mauritius, the island is a multicultural mix. Indian, African, Malagasy, Chinese and ethnic French have made Reunion their home. And these people have intermarried and mixed, meaning that Creoles are now the majority. Roman Catholicism is the main religion though Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism are also present.
It is a great
all-year round destination, though February and March are best avoided due to cyclones. It is almost always hot along the coast, but much cooler inland due to the altitude. The rainy season runs during the summer from December to April while it is drier in the winter. Average coastal temperatures are 22°C during winter and 27°C in summer while inland they can drop to 11°C and 18°C.
NB: Need more information on Reunion? Our consultants can help you out.
Don't delay - contact us to plan your tailormade trip!
Capital: St Denis
Population: 802,000 (2008 estimate)
Visas: European, British, Irish, Canadian, Australian, Kiwi and American passport holders do not require visas. The visa requirements are the same as for France.
Health: Reunion is malaria free so no need for medication. Water is safe for drinking and no immunisations are needed. Visitors to Réunion should take precautions against mosquito bites due to illnesses such as dengue fever and the Chikungunya virus.
Currency: The Euro. Visa and MasterCard are most widely accepted. Cash is the preferred means of payment and travellers cheques are not easy to exchange.
Economy: The main industries are sugarcane, rum, vanilla, geranium oil for perfumes and tourism has boomed in recent years. Nonetheless Reunion is dependent on mainland France for financial support.
Time zone: GMT + 4 hours
Luggage Allowance: 20 kg.
Customs Allowance: 1 litre of spirits or 2 litres of wine.
Power Supply: 220 V; European-type 2-prong plugs.
Communications: The international access code is +262. The outgoing code is 00.
NB: Need more information on Reunion? Our consultants can help you out.
Don't delay - contact us to plan your tailormade trip!
