INDEPENDENT TOUR TO THE ISLAND OF REUNION – OCTOBER 2014
SUNDAY 5 OCTOBER D DAY!
Such a happy band of travelers, parents & extended families gathered at ORT this morning and everyone is so excited at the thought of visiting to La Réunion.The island boasts a wealth of geographical curiosities, with an infinite number of micro-climates, magnificent mountains, 3 unique natural amphitheatres, breath-taking waterfalls, beautiful lagoons, white & black sand beaches, a clearly defined coral reef, as well as the world’s 2nd most active volcano! This is my very first Independent Geography Tour and I am unbelievably excited to introduce the girls to all that this paradise has to offer….more later once we arrive in Saint Denis...We had such a wonderful flight on Air Austral and the food was delicious! Ms Turpin and I were especially delighted, as we had the joy & privilege of being upgraded to business class – you can only imagine how we made the girls drool!! Upon arrival we were all amazed by the humidity and we certainly knew we were on a tropical island! Our Tour Operator was waiting to meet us and we were introduced to our chauffeur/guide, Jean, who will be accompanying us on all excursions throughout the week. We are staying at the hotel Juliette Dodu, which is such an authentic, colonial building and could quite easily be deemed a national treasure. The rooms are colourful & spacious and the large swimming pool is such an added blessing! We have just had a delicious 3 course meal accompanied by fresh juices, coke and sparling water and after consuming all this we decided to take a quick stroll to the beachfront….mmm, interesting! Everyone has bonded so well and there is much laughter and great happiness! More tomorrow, when we head off to the west of the island….
MONDAY 6 OCTOBER WHAT A GLORIOUS DAY!
We have just returned from our sunset cruise and what an awesome day we’ve had! This morning we enjoyed a pool-side island breakfast which comprised delicious French pastries, fruit, cereal, yogurts, ham, cheese, eggs etc and then we said a fond farewell to our adorable hotel. Jean arrived with his coach at 08h30 and once we had loaded the cases, he ably guided us through the centre of St Denis, explaining the historical aspects of this capital city. We alighted at the Jardin de l’Etat, where we marveled at all the tropical flora, before walking down the main avenue, Rue de Paris, where many were able to purchase their first souvenirs. At 11h30 we were reunited with Jean and we travelled to our new hotel Alamanda, which is situated on the glorious west coast of the island. What joy as we were warmly greeted with welcome cocktails and what disbelief as we spotted the vast swimming pool, surrounded by comfortable loungers …a veritable paradise for the girls & chaperones! Our delightful local Tour Operator, Anne, was on site to welcome us and she accompanied us to the beach, where we all enjoyed a picnic of delicious sandwiches/thick pizza, a cool drink and a chocolate cookie, whilst surrounded by remarkable scenery. After enjoying a swim in the calm lagoon, we made our way back to the hotel via the supermarket, where we all bought water and other bits & pieces. There was then some free time (known a WIFI time!) before our TUK TUK arrived to transfer us to the waterfront and what an amazing experience for all - I’m sure that the laughter could be heard for miles, as we whizzed through the streets in this very quaint form of transport!! Our sunset cruise up the west coast was delightful, with a complimentary cocktail & snacks and it gave a very good perspective to what we had seen & discussed in the coach this morning. We will meet for dinner at 20h00 and this will be served under the stars, alongside the pool …goodness, we wish you could all join us and no need to tell you that your children are VERY happy!!
TUESDAY 7 OCTOBER VOLCANO IMMERSION ... GO WITH THE (LAVA) FLOW!
This morning, all (well, nearly all!) awoke bright & early to eat breakfast, before hopping on board the coach, where Jean greeted us with his customary warmth & enthusiasm. We then headed towards Le Volcan du Piton de laFournaise and our guide for the excursion was Antoine, an accredited ‘trekking guide’ and what a gem he proved to be! Not only was he so knowledgeable about all things ‘volcanic’, but he was a real ‘male role model’ for the girls, providing us with wise advice/counsel and himself producing the most amazing picnic lunch for us - you will need to ask you children for all the intricate details, but suffice to say, he took the ‘Personal Touch’ to new levels! On our return journey, we visited la Maison du Volcan, a newly revamped, exciting & interactive museum,designed to provide a wealth of geological information on volcanoes and this was quite simply magnificent, culminating in a spectacular 4-D movie, which had us all screeching & vibrating in our seats! In the late afternoon we returned to our hotel and were able to spend some time relaxing, before once again enjoying our group dinner alongside the pool . What a spectacular day we have had and herewith some snippets from the girls... Lucy: “A great start to the day when my alarm didn't go off and Sasha and I overslept missing breakfast!! We managed the walk down the 620 steps to the crater, but you know what they say, whatever goes up must come down, do we had to climb all 620 steps back up….goodness!!” Michaela: “An early start to the day and we passed through magnificent scenery to the volcano. We searched through volcanic ash and found species of plants that could ONLY survive there. Our hike down was pleasant, but I can't say the same about the hike back….yet we did it! Although we are all exhausted after this amazing day, we have thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and learnt so much – what an amazingly informative day!” Thato: “I never thought I'd ever see a volcano, never mind be so close to one or on/in one! Today was an incredible experience and I'm proud to say that I have walked so many steps in one day! Marlise: “What a blast! One of the most active volcanoes and we were walking to it... who could not ask for a more explosive outing! A steep descent saw us in the Caldera, walking on the breathtaking basaltic rock (well in my case, it was running and jumping from rock to rock!) and we saw evidence of the ‘lava tunnels’. After a mind blowing info session from our amazing tour guide, we went back up and 620 steps later, we were back on top and oh so ready for lunch! We had a lovely picnic by the road and we were super impressed by the delicious food Antoine had prepared! At the museum we experienced a rocking 4D movie and as the day drew to an end and our inane volcano jokes faded, we had some free time to walk around and chill…what an incredible day!” Ms T: “What an awesome experience today! We walked on volcanic ash and cinders, which looked like a lunar landscape - truly mind boggling! I decided not to climb down the 620 steps to the new cone in the crater because of the height of the steps. ....my short little legs sigh….! The kids all climbed and our local guide was amazing - a geographer with a degree and he provided a delicious picnic lunch for us....he had even baked a banana chocolate loaf! The kids immediately all fell in love with him! Then we went to the volcanic museum and the girls were treated to a 4D movie - we all were screaming and shrieking because the seats MOVE and SHAKE and at the end a jet of water splashes onto you!!! All in all a day to remember - this is such an experience and I am so blessed to be here!”
WEDNESDAY 8 OCTOBER SUN, SAND, SEA + TURTLES & KAYAKS !
After our very full day yesterday and having travelled far in a coach, today was a welcome contrast! We were able to enjoy a later breakfast and at 08h30 we hopped on board our new favourite form of transport, Olé Tuk Tuk! In 2 groups of 6, we whizzed along the beautiful west coast, marveling at the glorious sea-views and then alighted at Kelonia, which is a fascinating and world class Research Centre & Marine Turtle Observatory. We had a wonderful guide, who was dedicated to this project, which promotes environmental responsibility & spreads awareness about the need to protect these species. At 11h00 we were transferred to the beach at Salins les Bains and what an idyllic setting, with the waves breaking on the coral reef in the distance and the clear blue waters trickling onto the sand. In the company of 2 guides (and a faithful dog!) the girls were introduced to the mysteries of the lagoon in glass bottom kayaks… much laughter as they came to terms with the oars! There is such a rich biodiversity in the reef environment and they were made aware of the measures which have been put in place to preserve this unique marine eco-system. It was a wonderfully informative & fun-filled few hours and after an ‘on-the-beach’ fruit cocktail, our Tuk Tuks returned to drive us back to the hotel, where we all had some time to relax before dinner. At 19h15 we were transferred to La Marmite, which is a magnificent restaurant, specializing in traditional Creole cuisine, all cooked on open wood fires …everyone absolutely loved the evening and we all ate like kings/queens!! ... news from Ms T: “What a lovely sunny day and the turtle experience was awesome! We travelled by Tuk Tuk again and the ‘fickle’ girls forgot their undying love for Antoine, our guide from yesterday and were taking ‘fake selfies’ to get photos of the driver's eyes! Yours truly was in hysterics! Marie, the guide at the turtle sanctuary, was phenomenal, very knowledgeable and patient and her English excellent. She really went out of her way to refer to SA turtles too. After this we went to the beach for le pique nique lunch … sigh, I am going to roll home from all the food! The sun was really fierce and so, remembering my darling Mother Duck, who always told me to keep out of the sun, I decided to give the kayaks a miss! Just as well as I have rather red legs from the sun, even in the shade and with factor 50!! The kids had such fun and we all thoroughly enjoyed the fantastic traditional food served at the restaurant this evening.”
THURSDAY 9 OCTOBER THE GRAND TOUR OF THE ISLAND!
What an amazing day, as we made the grand tour around the entire island - a total of 220kms! Jean arrived at the hotel at 07h45 and once on board the coach, we travelled southwards through the Sud Sauvage, the rocky ‘wild south’, which boasts a wealth of colours and a variety of landscapes. We passed through Saint Leu, a haven for surfers and here we marveled at the magnificent blow-hole, Souffleur de Bretagne. We then made a short stop at Grand’Anse, where we all admired the beauty of the bay, fringed with coconut trees. After some having enjoyed a swim in the tidal pool, we continued on to the viewpoint at Manapany-les-Bains,where we witnessed how volcanic rocks have been placed in the sea to create a basin which is protected from waves and now constitutes a cradle for extensive marine life. We then drove through the southern-most city of the French territory & the European Union, Saint Joseph, which is situated 30m above sea level at the mouth of the large ‘Rivière des Remparts’, whose river-bed is visibly affected by floods & landslides. Thereafter we stopped at Puits d’Anglais, where we marveled at yet another remarkable blow-hole, before continuing on to see the dramatic views of the ocean meeting the magma flows of past eruptions, with incredible evidence of pillow lava. Our guide/driver, Jean, gave such detailed information on this topic and he even escorted Marlise & Janie on a short tour through the lava tunnels…not for the faint-hearted, I can assure you! Thereafter we travelled to Sainte Rose, where we saw how the lava flow which destroyed an entire village in 1977, miraculously terminated & froze around the steps of its church, Notre Dame des Laves. We then travelled through fields of sugarcane to St André, where we visite d a well-known vanilla factory, La Vanillerie and here we were made aware of the intricate process involved in the vanilla extracting process. Thereafter we headed to St Denis, where Jean offered to stop at a local hypermarket and what a popular suggestion this was - how the girls loved the experience and what good use they made of their allocated time! We arrived back at the hotel around 19h45, having had a really special day and we decided to go immediately into dinner, before hitting the WIFI…! Ms T: “We drove all the way around the island today and saw two awesome blow-holes and some spectacular waterfalls which are remarkably ice cold in temperatures of over 30 degrees. We saw/held lava that had erupted in 2007 and we were astounded to feel the ‘vent’ - like a braai fire that is just beginning to cool down. After that we visited the vanilla farm and wow that was interesting - I will never question why vanilla costs so much again! It is so ‘manual’ labour intensive and takes over 2 years to dry to selling point. We then headed home and stopped local hypermarket for the girls to ‘trawl’ a bit and everyone loved this experience – on the way home Jean taught us a local song and there was much merriment in the coach!”
FRIDAY 10 OCTOBER CIRQUE MAFATE, COOKING & SEGA DANCING!
This morning we met Jean at 07h30 and travelled to one of the 3 ‘cirques’ on the island of Réunion. These geographical curiosities are ancient craters, which were formed by the collapse of the walls of the original volcano, LePiton des Neiges and all have been dramatically affected by subsequent erosion. There were over 300 bends in the road as we climbed to the largest one, Cirque Mafate (more than 2 200m above sea level) and from the viewpoint at Piton Maido, we were amazed by the unbelievably striking scenery & marveled at the colony of people who reside deep in the bowels of this inaccessible cirque. We then stopped at a geranium distillery and enjoyed some vanilla coffee, before continuing on to Chez Aliette etParis, where we savouredla cuisine Réunionaise. Madame greeted us warmly and then she had us chopping onions & tomatoes to add to ‘la marmite’ on the ‘feu de bois’! Thereafter we all enjoyed the fruits of ourlabour and there was much laughter & banter as we said a fond farewell to our beloved Jean, who has been our constant companion, guide and friend during the week. On our way back to the hotel we stopped at the multicultural & colourful open-air market in Saint Paul, where we mixed with the locals and purchased some last minute authentic Réunionese souvenirs. At dinner this evening we were blessed with an unexpected treat, as a troupe of singers & sega dancers entertained us … wow, is all I can say and our girls (+ Ms T!) really showed some excellent moves on stage…wait for the photographic evidence & videos….! Ms T: “The food was amazing at dinner once again and what a pleasure when we realized that the hotel arranges entertainment a band with sega dancers for the guests on a Friday night … my word but those ladies can move! Our girls were looking at us with huge question mark eyes, but with one nod of encouragement from Jenny, all were up on stage trying to emulate the style of dancing .....some much better than others! Before you could say Jack Robinson, all the old fogies from the dining room were merrily filming them, with huge grins on their faces. The girls came back reluctantly to eat and then when the dancers beckoned them back, they were there like a shot! Next thing the dancers got me onto the stage and I seem to have impressed … ha ha, all great fun!!”
SATURDAY 11 OCTOBER AQUARIUM, VISOBUL & OUR FINAL EVENING!
What a joy to be able to sleep in a little longer and to eat a leisurely breakfast! At 09h30 we hopped on board the tuk tuk transfer and made our way to the Marina at St Gilles-les-Bains, where we visited the impressive, world-class Aquarium. It really is magnificent, highlighting all aspects of marine life and eco-systems related to Reunion. Thereafter we divided into small groups as we experienced a ride in a glass bottom boat, Le Visobul and we were amazed by the myriad of colourful tropical fish, underwater life and an incredible number of coral species. We returned to the hotel at lunchtime and enjoyed a delicious chicken salad, before having a few hours to relax – some choosing to relax by the pool, whilst others made their way to the beach. We met again at 16h00 and had a wonderful hour together, reflecting on the educational content of the week and recounting the many, many funny stories! We will gather again at 19h30 to go the restaurant Coco Beach which, as the name suggests, is situated right on the beach and this promises to be a wonderful ending to our glorious week on this magical island!
SUNDAY 12 OCTOBER HOMEWARD BOUND!
Our transfer from the hotel is booked for 05h00, which means that our alarms will be going off at 04h00!! All is confirmed for our return flight on UU341 and I am sure there is no need to remind adoring parents & family members that our group is scheduled to arrive at ORT at 10h25. What a glorious week we have had and the girls unanimously agree that they have learnt so much and really grown with this comprehensive programme. It has been an intense week, with early departures and late nights, so they are bound to be exhausted and the many wonderful anecdotes may not be immediately forthcoming, but they will reveal themselves in the days, weeks & months to come! To act ‘in loco parentis’ for such a long time is no mean task and Mommy T has been an amazing travel companion – always full of life & laughter, ensuring that your girls were well cared for, happy and safe at all times. Her geographical knowledge is sublime and the tour has been a great success on many levels - academically, culturally and personally. As parents you have without doubt afforded your children the most wonderful opportunity and I am truly delighted that this very first Independent Geography Tour to Reunion has been such a resounding success! It has been an exceptionally happy tour and I cannot wait to share this same magical experience with other students in the months & years to come. A la prochaine....