Smart Travels: Réunion

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Sunday, 1 March 2015

Cité du volcan museum

The Cité du Volcan museum re-opened in August 2014 after several years of refurbishments. It tells you everything you need to know about Reunion's Piton de la Fournaise in particular, and volcanoes in general.

Exterior of the Cité du Volcan

It's located in Bourg-Murat, the small town where most of the eating and accommodation options are to be found nearest the volcano.

Exterior of the Cité du Volcan

Initially opened in November 1992, its existence is largely due to the French volcanologists Maurice and Katia Krafft, who had studied La Fournaise closely. They both died in a pyroclastic flow in Japan in 1991.

Exterior of the Cité du Volcan

It used to be known as the Maison du Volcan until 2011 when it closed for refurbishment. It reopened on August 5th 2014.

multi-sensory lava tunnel, entrance to the Cité du volcan

Covering 6200m2, the new museum includes a 4D cinema, a 270°C auditorium screen, and has innovative and interactive features such as holographic projections, augmented reality, wide 'multitouch' surfaces, and audio-visual environments.

one of the exhibition rooms

In a bathyscaphe the colonisation of underwater lava flows is explained, including how a lava flow becomes a coral reef and the birth of living organisms.

one of the exhibition rooms

part of the Piton de la Fournaise timeline

A large part of the exhibition lets you explore Reunion island and its geological and geographical features, including the island's birth, more than 3 million years, up until the present day.

a copy of the first-ever map of Reunion

Other parts let you seen the human effect the volcano has had on the island, and explores the legends surrounding it.

exhibition room about the Volcano observatory

The Cité du Volcan is one of four museums operated by the Regional Museums of Reunion group. The others are Kelonia, Stella Matutina and the MADOI.

exhibition room about the Volcano observatory

The museum is open every day (apart from Christmas Day, New Year's Day and May 1st) from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. The ticket office closes at 4:45 pm.

screen showing pictures of the most recent eruption.

Museum website (in French)

Related articles:

Saturday, 28 February 2015

Under the volcano - visiting Reunion's lava tubes

Fancy visiting the bowels of the earth? Crawling under a volcano along tunnels that were still molten magma just over a decade ago? This is what you can do when you visit Reunion's lava tubes.

Looking out to sea from the starting point

Although lava tubes are located all over Reunion, access to most of them is to be found in the island's south-east, in an area known as Le Grand Brûlé. This is where lava sometimes flows from the Piton de la Fournaise into the sea.

ʻAʻā lava to the left, pāhoehoe lava to the right

The particular lava tube that we visited dates from a 2004 eruption, eleven years ago. I believe that is the most recent lava tube in the world that can be visited by the public. Reunion's lava tubes are also fairly unique in that they are easy to access and show a large variety of geological forms. Elsewhere in the world lava tubes can be found in Iceland, Azores, Canary Islands, and the USA.

Tree bark imprint on lava

Although some people visit the tubes by themselves, it's highly recommended to go with a professional, which is what we did. We had been asked to wear trousers and closed shoes, and he equipped us with gloves, hardhats, headlamps and optional elbow and knee pads. Our meeting point was at the nearby Vierge au Parasol: the statue of a madonna holding a blue parasol. According to legend a local farmer placed this statue in his fields, hoping his crops would be protected from destruction by the volcano. Following an eruption he found that although lava had flowed through his fields the statue had miraculously been spared.

Vierge au parasol (source)

Our guide, a trained speleologist, told us he knew of 22 entrances to the lava tube we were visiting that day; however we only used two - one to get in and one to get out!

Lava tube entrance

We opted for the 3-hour 'discovery' visit, which covers about 1.6 km (1 mile). The same company also offers a 5-hr 'classic' and a 6-hr 'sporty' visit.

Inside the entrance looking out

A lava tube is a natural conduit formed by active low-viscosity lava which flows beneath the hardened surface of a crust or roof of lava.

walking down the tube

When the supply of lava stops after an eruption or if lava is diverted elsewhere, lava in the tube system drains downslope and leaves partially empty, long, cave-like channels beneath the ground.

walking down the tube

Lava stalactites and stalagmites are known indifferently as 'lavacicles' and form in lava tubes while lava is still active inside. The formation of lava stalactites happens very quickly in only a matter of hours, days, or weeks, (whereas limestone stalactites may take thousands of years to form). A key difference with lava stalactites is that once the lava has stopped flowing the stalactites cease to grow, so if the lavacicle is broken it will never grow back.

shark's tooth-shaped lavacicles

We saw several examples of what is called perimorphosis, which occurs when an object, in this case a tree trunk, leaves an empty cast in volcanic flow.

example of perimorphosis

The lava sometimes leaves peculiar shapes, such as a dodo; at one point we even saw what looked liked a giant slice of chocolate cake!

does this look like a shark's head to you?

can you see a lion's head, complete with mane?

A rare characteristic that can occasionally be seen is lava pillars. Lava pillars are hollow inside, forming a pipe-like channel between the bottom and the top of a lava flow.

A small lava pillar

The tube was always wide, but sometimes not very high. Most of the time we could walk along it normally, but not always. I'm 5'1" and reasonably athletic so I never had to go down on my hands and knees (if necessary I moved forward using an ungainly squatting position!) but some people preferred crawling. At a few places our guide indicated alternative narrow side tubes that the thrill-seekers in our group could wriggle along.

crawling along a narrower alternative route

It was surprisingly hot inside the tube (more or less the same temperature as outside, so high 20s°C), and the humidity level was high too (100%).

wall detail

In several places we saw thin roots of vegetation hanging down.

wall detail

If it rains it only takes about 30 minutes for the rain to filter through into the tube, and it can take up to three weeks for it to stop dripping afterwards.

roof detail

One of most memorable moments was before turning back, when we all sat down and turned off our headlamps. We found ourselves in complete and utter pitch darkness, which is something you realise you very rarely experience ...

roof detail

After a fascinating morning we were nevertheless happy to be back in our natural element - with natural light and fresh air!

Bois de rempart trees are the first endemic species to colonise a lava flow after an eruption

Note that visiting the lava tubes is not recommended for claustrophobics or people with heart, breathing, knee or back problems.

Related articles:

Articles on other blogs:

The Lava Tunnels (and other tales) - Gypsy soul
Exploring Lava Tubes - Ex Chaos Ordo
Veins of the Earth - Expert Vagabond

Wednesday, 4 February 2015

The best of romance in Réunion

Whether it’s Valentine’s Day or any other day of the year, Reunion has plenty to offer when it comes to celebrating love. How about one (or several!) of these options:

1) Lux hotels have won awards for ‘Most Romantic Hotel’ several times, and LUX* Ile de la Réunion faces a shimmering expanse of aqua-blue waters, fringed by a stretch of immaculate sands. In this well-appointed hotel you can renew your vows on the beach, or enjoy a couples massage under a garden bower facing the sea…

2) Also located on the west coast, Le Cap, the restaurant of the four-star Boucan Canot Hotel, offers an intimate dinner under a gazebo, near the swimming pool and overlooking the crashing waves of the Indian Ocean… Perfect for a dinner tête-à-tête with a loved one.

3) Reunion is not just about beaches, its highlands are beautiful too. Enjoy a few nights staying at the Lodge Roche Tamarin at La Possession surrounded by 15,000m2 of tropical vegetation, or the intimate Le Dimitile Hotel at Entre-Deux, where an 18th century Creole house has been integrated into the hotel structure.

4) There’s something very passionate about volcanoes – it must be all that hot bubbling lava. Reunion has one of the most active volcanoes in the world, and while you won’t be able to visit it when it erupts, what about a champagne picnic on its summit when it’s not? Pack a bottle along with a baguette, some cold cuts and French pâtés, a little tropical fruit and you’re all set. By the way, did you know champagne has more bubbles at high altitude?

champagne at the summit of the volcano!

5) What about a helicopter flight over the island or a sunset cruise? Reunion’s two helicopter companies both offer a variety of flight tours, and Le Grand Bleu offers a 90-minute cocktail cruise daily.

6) Romance doesn’t have to cost a lot of money, but it might cost some effort! After a hard day’s hiking, waking up the next day in a comfy double bed in a Mafate B&B and seeing the whole of the mountainous cirque spread out at your feet really takes some beating. For some great views while still lying in bed try the Gite des Trois Roches in Marla!

And if you want to whisper sweet nothings in your valentine’s ear try ‘mi aime aou’, which means ‘I love you’ in Reunion Creole!

P.S. If you can't make it to Réunion what about reading one of these romance novels set on the island:

Dead Sexy by Kathy Lette (a "satire on the sex war")

Island Awakening by Lynne Martin (romantic fiction)

Second Chance Sister by Linda Kepner

A version of this post was originally published on the Welcome to Reunion Island blog.

Sunday, 14 September 2014

8 Insider Tips to Reunion Island

Want to explore Reunion like a local? Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your trip to one of France’s best–kept secrets:

1. If you’re not a hiker or don’t have enough time to trek, some lovely viewpoints accessible by car are: Le Maïdo to see the cirque of Mafate, La Fenêtre des Makes for Cilaos, and the Gîte de Belouve to see Salazie. Whether driving or hiking, if you want to make the most of Reunion’s majestic landscapes try to head for the hills as early as possible, as clouds tend to build up during the day, especially during summer. However even if you’ve arrived at a viewpoint and it’s cloudy do stick around for a short while – the clouds might lift and all will be revealed.

2. Talking about the cirques, if all that hiking/mountain-biking/canyoning (delete as appropriate) in Cilaos has made you hungry, check out the Tsilaosa hotel in the main street of Cilaos town for afternoon tea. They have scrummy home-made cakes, a wide selection of teas and coffees, and even Rooibos!

3. Still in the cirque of Cilaos, one of my favourite places in Reunion has to be Ilet à Cordes. This small village of 500 souls is perched on a plateau at 1200 metres above sea level and is literally at the end of the road – you can go no further. Buy lentils direct from the farmer, and spend a night – there are several comfy bed & breakfast places, including one with a heated outdoor swimming pool!

4. Many scuba divers visiting Reunion head to St Gilles, which has a wide choice of dive clubs and spots. But don’t forget to try out the clubs at St Leu and/or Etang Salé, which are less well-known and have different underwater life. If wreck-diving is your thing you can dive the Antonio Lorenzo, and hammerhead sharks can sometimes be spotted at St Leu’s famous Pointe Au Sel. And wherever you choose to dive between July and September you stand a chance of seeing, or at the very least hearing, humpback whales.

me & my better half, diving at St Leu

5. When you set out on a trek don’t forget raingear even if it’s sunny, and sun protection even if the weather is overcast – the weather in Reunion can change in the blink of an eye. While you’re at it, throw in a jumper and a swimsuit – with 180 microclimates and its diverse landscapes Reunion is always ready to surprise you!

6. One of my favourite Creole dishes has got to be Carri Ti Jacques. This dish mixes exotic jackfruit with locally-cured pork. Delicious!

7. Whether or not you like rum, take at trip to the Saga du Rhum at St Pierre. This fascinating self-guided museum not only describes rum-making in English but also explains all about Reunion’s history, AND you get to sample a selection of local rums at the end of the visit.

8. Don’t forget to taste some mouth-watering pineapple while in Reunion. A top French chef has called Ananas Victoria (the local variety) the best in the world. While pineapple (and bananas) can be enjoyed all year round, take advantage of seasonal fruit too: mangoes and lychees from November to January, and longan from February to April. You might also discover fruit you’ve never even heard of before: strawberry guava, ox-heart, soursop, tree tomatoes, sugar apples, Japanese medlar fruit …

This post was originally published on the Welcome to Reunion Island blog.

Friday, 2 August 2013

Reunion Multimedia interview

Following on from a short article about my blogs in a previous issue (see here), the local magazine Reunion Multimedia published a full page interview with me in its June-July 2013 issue. The theme was information and communications technology. You can click here for a larger, more readable copy of the interview (in French).

Thanks to writer and journalist Julie Marianna David for conducting this interview.

Sunday, 10 March 2013

Hiking the 3 cirques

The beginning of this month saw us hiking Reunion's three cirques (Salazie, Mafate, Cilaos) over a period of several days.

Col des Boeufs

To be honest we didn't really hike in the cirque of Salazie (this time) ;-) , we only set off from there, from the Col des Boeufs (2011 m) to be precise. From there we hiked to the hamlet of Marla (1600 m), where we spent the night in a gîte, before hiking up the Col du Taïbit the next day.

Marla church (and church bell)

This was the first time I'd been back to Marla since 2007 or 2008. There are now at least nine gîtes, two chambres d'hôtes (guest houses) and three épiceries (grocery / convenience stores)! As recently as 2003 there was only one gîte!

view of Marla from the Col du Taïbit

After a good night's sleep we set off to ascend the Col du Taïbit (2090m), which is the gateway to the cirque of Cilaos from Mafate (col means 'mountain pass').

Col du Taïbit seen from Marla

The climb from Marla takes an hour or less; the descent on the other side about 2 hours.

Piton des Neiges (3070m, Reunion's highest peak)
seen from the Col du Taïbit

To the left the Gros Morne (3019m, Reunion's 2nd highest peak)
seen from the Col du Taïbit

Tree dripping with beard lichen, Cilaos side of Col du Taïbit

road leading to Ilet à Cordes, seen from Col du Taïbit hiking path

One of the more pleasant stops when you're hiking this path is the herbal tea stand that's been set up by the Trois Salazes Association. They sell 'uphill' (ascenseur) and 'downhill' (descendant) herbal teas for €1; the ingredients depend on, and are adapted to, whether you're climbing or heading down the path! The ascenseur is made from lemon grass, marjoram and St John's wort; the descendant contains mint, cinnamon, geranium, heliotrope and St John's wort.

herbal tea stand, Trois Salazes Association

After this halt it's only about 20 or so minutes down to the Cilaos <>Ilet à Cordes road (known as CD242) which is at an altitude of 1260 m.

We then spent the next two nights at Gîte Grondin (more of a guest house really), the same gîte where we'd stayed on our two previous trips to Ilet à Cordes (see here and here).

sign outside our accommodation, Gîte Grondin

On the following day we did a short hike to picnic at the Bras de St Paul, which I visited last year (see here).

Bras de St Paul

The next morning we had an early start as we were going to be hiking in one day what we'd done leisurely over two days in the other direction (Cilaos>Col du Taïbit>Marla>Col des Boeufs).

sign at the bottom of the Col du Taïbit hike, Cilaos side

Needless to say we stopped off for an ascenseur herbal tea on the way up! Further uphill we had good views of the Trois Salazes (2132 m), three rocky pointed outcrops perched on the ridge separating Cilaos from Mafate. These geological curiosities gave their name to the îlet (hamlet) where the Trois Salazes Association is based.

the Trois Salazes

After an uphill climb of 830 metres we were back at the Col du Taïbit for our last views of Cilaos before heading back down into Mafate.

small shrine near the summit of the Col du Taïbit

view of Cilaos town from the Col du Taïbit

looking towards the Dimitile & St Pierre (from Col du Taïbit)

Looking Mafate side we had a clear view of La Nouvelle (1400 m), the largest and only village of Mafate (other places are hamlets), and the easiest to hike to from the Col des Boeufs.

La Nouvelle seen from the Col du Taïbit

We had a 470 metre descent down to Marla, where we had our picnic lunch next to the school.

crossing Marla

After Marla we still had this ahead of us (see photo below)! Marla is separated from the plain area of Plaine des Tamarins by a river valley, which means a steep climb (or descent, depending on which direction you're coming from) of about 400 metres.

Col des Boeufs from Marla

Once at the Plaine des Tamarins we could look back and see Marla. Unfortunately by this time of day the Col du Taïbit was shrouded in clouds.

Marla from Plaine des Tamarins, Maison Laclos in the foreground

Plaine des Tamarins

After the Plaine des Tamarins there remained a final climb of 250 metres up to the Col des Boeufs, followed by a 15 minute walk to the car park and our hike was finished ... until next time!