The coconut-shaped island of La Réunion is an Indian Ocean oddity. Although it lies between Mauritius and Madagascar, it’s actually a French overseas département, like Mayotte in the Comoros, and similarly a Euro-spending, boules-playing part of the European Union. Despite their baguette-buying habits, the Réunionais, whose ancestors come from France, Africa and India, are not in any way tropical Parisians. They’re a fishing and farming people who speak Créole (based on French, which all Créole-speakers understand) and are usually genial hosts to their visitors, most of whom come from France. . .
(continued on p. 347)
Links we like
Guide to Réunion Island English-language tourist info site.
Ile de La Réunion Detailed French government tourist info.
Sakifo One of the island’s best music festivals.
This page last edited 9 June 2011 © Richard Trillo and Emma Gregg
First-Time Africa: know before you go 