Robert La Bua Attends A ‘Family’ Réunion In The Indian Ocean
Why would LGBT travellers from Australia bother to visit a small island in the Indian Ocean with no tangible gayfrastructure to speak of? Honey, if you have to ask, you have to go!
La Réunion, an unhyperbolically enchanting island where the scenery is beautiful a dozen different ways, can charm the pants off any visitor willing to succumb to its delights—and there are many. Putting pouty French lips on sunny faces are fine ingredients for a holiday in a place where food is a major attraction. No one leaves La Réunion hungry; after all, this is France, where leaving appetites unsated is as criminal as the more unusual acts performed to satisfy them.
Few people outside France know about La Réunion—yet—but the island is as much a part of l’Hexagone as Bordeaux or Burgundy; the few bottles of wine produced on the slopes of this French département, rarely leave the island except perhaps in duty-free bags carried off by lucky visitors travelling home to less endowed parts of the world where lush forests, coral reefs, and benevolent volcanoes remain exotic items of curiosity.
Moonwalk across the lunar-like Plain Of Sands, float over the beach in a morning of paragliding, fly over dramatic landscapes in a helicopter, the most popular activity of all? Leave something for the afternoon, chers voyageurs, or you will have nothing but a chaise longue and a poolboy for comfort—and aren’t you saving him for the evening?
Islands attract those attracted to water, and La Réunion is no different. Beaches are only found on La Réunion’s west coast, where the coral reefs are also located and most easily accessible; the rest of the island belies its volcanic origins in steep, black cliffs with few openings to the sea. Boucan Canot is the best beach on the island; relax and enjoy one of those rum punches and a sunset to rival Cottesloe. Boucan Canot is where to find the nice places to stay like the Saint Alexis (pronounced San TalexEE), one of La Réunion’s best hotels. Accommodation prices on La Réunion are on the high side, so you may as well enjoy the good stuff while here; at Saint Alexis, rooms are spacious, and ground-floor rooms have private patios with direct access to the pool, which winds through the entire hotel and serves as a swimway when the walkway simply won’t do.
Volcanoes define the island and make for exciting excursions. Piton de la Fournaise, La Réunion’s second-highest peak at 2631 metres, is an easy ascent, unlike Piton des Neiges (3070m), where indeed snow is not unheard of. The most accessible of the island’s volcanoes, Piton de la Fournaise is a favourite destination for hikers, geologists, and others curious to explore the unusual landscape. Piton de la Fournaise is only a short drive from the coast; next to it is the Plain Of Sands (La Plaine des Sables), La Réunion’s no man’s land between the lunar landscapes surrounding the volcano and its more terrestrial counterparts, most of which are carpeted with dense, green vegetation.
The fast rise in altitude is one of La Réunion’s most noticeable features and makes it an excellent place for paragliding. Eric, owner of Azur Tech, one of the leading paragliding companies on La Réunion, says that European paragliders accustomed to bad weather can’t believe the conditions on the island, where the many agreeable microclimates create more than 300 flying days per year, with lots of updraft. Just follow the raptors, they know the air currents best. Neophytes can enjoy the reassurance of tandem flights with highly experienced instructors; for once, have the thighs of a big, strong Frenchman pressed against you in broad daylight.
Helicopter rides are La Réunion’s most popular activity; if ever there were a place to indulge in the exhilaration of a helicopter ride, it’s here. Deluxe tours cover the entire island, showing off spectacular scenery ranging from coastline to waterfalls to the inside of a volcanic crater—and it’s the easiest way to get inside the Iron Hole. If your pilot is daredevil enough to get the heart racing, a few acrobatic moves will be on the agenda.
An entire article about La Réunion without the word créole is unthinkable, so I will tell you now that the island is one of the most racially mixed in the world, resulting in an abundance of strikingly beautiful men and women of all shades of the human rainbow. Like the people, the local cuisine créole is an amalgam of African, Malagasy, Indian, and French flavours; savour them at will.
MORE INFORMATION
La Réunion is part of France and uses the euro as its currency.
AIR
Air Austral, the French airline of the Indian Ocean, offers nonstop flights from Sydney to La Réunion on Tuesdays and Saturdays—not that Western Australians are going to backtrack east to fly west. An easier connection from Perth is via Bangkok, where Air Austral also has nonstop service to the island. Visit www.airaustral.com.au or call 1300 306 365 for more information.
Once you land on the island, take off again. Paragliding with Azur Tech, a member of Réunion Paragliding.
www.azurtech.com
www.parapente-reunion.fr
A helicopter ride over the island is a must:
www.helilagon.com
LAND
Hotel Saint Alexis
When you have someone to impress, including yourself, this is the place to stay.
www.hotelsaintalexis.com
Le Nautile
For beachside accommodation on a thinner wallet, try Le Nautile in La Saline Les Bains.
www.hotel-nautile.com
Unless visiting a friend or content to stay put, a hire car is a necessity. Rates are surprisingly reasonable.
SEE
Check the Réunion Tourisme website for an overview of the island’s attractions and activities.
www.reunion.fr
HEAR
Get into the mood before you go. Listen to La Réunion’s Radio Salazes online at www.salazes-fm.com.
Robert La Bua
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