Pointe Des Galets - Reunion Island France.

 

Princess Cruises - Pointe Des Galets - Reunion Island.

Today is the 14th February – Valentine’s Day and what better place to be than in France – or at least the Overseas Department of France – the Island of Reunion. As we approach this small tropical gem, lying approximately 500 klms east of Madagascar, it appears like a green emerald emerging from the blue of the Indian Ocean with its lush tropical green mountains and volcanic peaks.

The size of Reunion is approximately 40klms by 70klms and it is volcanic in origin. The highest peak is Piton des Neiges at 9,800ft and this is also the highest elevation in the Indian Ocean. It is surrounded by the 3 cirques (calderas) -Mafate, Salazie and Cilaos. The island still has an active volcano which last erupted in 1998 and regularly emits steam and rumbles. The island has a mix of white sandy beaches and black-sand beaches but unfortunately we are not going to see any tropical beaches today as we are heading up into the lush, humid mountains to the Cirque de Salazie, to see some of 100+ waterfalls that spill down from the great heights of the mountainous peaks. This is an 8 hour tour designed to showcase the best of the island’s natural beauty and it will include lunch in a Créole Village.

The coastal road we travel along.

 

We leave Porte des Galets, which is about 10klms from the main city of Saint Denis, and we travel north along the coast. This island is a lot larger than I expected and it has a very well established network of roads and bridges. Just by looking at the houses and building etc. you get the feeling that this island is a lot more prosperous and the standard of living is a lot higher than most of the ports we have visited on this cruise.

The first part of our journey is along a dual highway that has a huge mountain on one side and the Indian Ocean on the other. The very sheer cliffs are covered in steel mesh to stop rock slides and there are massive road works in progress to make this vital road even wider. There are no beaches in this part of the island, just piles of small rocks and boulders along the shore. Eventually we start heading up into the mountains.

 

 

Scenes of the Tamil Temple.

 

Our first stop is a Tamil Temple and as it is a Sunday it has many people worshipping as well as busloads of tourists stopping for a look. The true culture of Reunion is a mix of Créole, European, Indian, Tamils and Chinese and all their different religions are reflected in their different places of worship.

As we move further into the mountainous area we see how high the highest volcanic peaks actually are and they seem to be lost in the very dark clouds that are forming around their tops. The scenery is very dense and green with fields of sugar cane, bamboo, banana palms, watercress and choko plants and arbours of cabbage palms. There is water flowing through the small creeks and rivers we cross because the rainfall on this island is very regular and is very high (24 mts per year). We visit one of the biggest vanilla plantations on Reunion and we see the plants, learn about how the plants are fertilized and how they are harvested and dried. It is a very labour intense industry and that is why vanilla is so expensive.

Vanilla growing on a host plant.

 

This box of dried vanilla is worth 2000ers.

 

The further up the mountains we go the steeper and narrower the road gets. It is really quite a hairy drive because the driver cannot see what is coming around most of the corners, is often on the wrong side and in some spots the turn is so tight that he has to stop and back the bus back before completing the turn around the sharp bend. We stop several times to take in the magnificent views which includes many sensational waterfalls - the highest and prettiest of these is the Brides Veil Falls – named because of the way the water cascades down in glistening veils. We then enjoy a panoramic photo stop at Watermen Pond which is just so beautiful - as the sun is out and you can see right down into the deep gorge and then right up to the tops of the mountain ranges.

One of the many water falls.

Brides Veil Falls.

 

 

Next we visit the small village of Hell-Borg - a pretty Créole Village situated in the cirque de Salazie basin where we have a lovely walk around the village and then have traditional lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch we have free time to look at the few shops in the village and to practise our French by chatting to the locals, but unfortunately the clouds roll in and the rain starts and does not stop again until we are back at sea level.


The main street of Hell-Borg.

A Créole House in the village.

 

A typical French Cemetery in the mountains on Reunion Island.

 

The local shop owners.

 

The drive back down the hill is very wet and the roads are slippery. In some spots waterfalls are actually hitting the road and we have to drive through them. The clouds are now so low and dense – so seeing the views is very limited. We were so lucky that we had such wonderful weather in the morning.

The falls through the mist.

 

On our way back to the ship we have a drive around the city of Saint Denis with many wonderful old French Colonial buildings and houses.  Reunion, might be a long distance from France in Europe but the language, culture, road signs and cuisine are truly French and it has been a really wonderful and surprising place to visit.

When we get back to the ship we are greeted with lots of red and white heart decorations everywhere to celebrate Valentine’s Day and there are beautiful heart shaped cakes and deserts for us to eat. This really makes for a very enjoyable and memorable day. That night we enjoyed our dinner out on the open deck – lovely warm night, nice sunset and then plenty of stars.