trip

12 Days$USD

Activities
  • 5 day trek
Accommodation
  • 7 nights hotel
  • 4 nights gite/homestay
Meals
  • 6 Dinners
  • 7 Lunches
  • 10 Breakfasts
4
Introductory to Moderate
 
 

Trip highlights


  • Spectacular walking in the regions of Cilaos and Mafate Cirques
  • Ascend the highest peak on the island, Le Piton des Neiges (3070m)
  • Explore one of the most accessible and active volcanoes in the world, Le Piton de la Fournaise (2354m)
  • Sample Creole cuisine and culture
  • Discover rugged mountain scenery and lush forests
  • Explore the Le Jardin d'Eden Botanic Garden
  • Relax in the lovely seaside town of La Saline les Bains
  • Trip escorted by Trisha Dixon & Fiona Brockhoff
  • Final night at the luxury hotel, LUX* St Gilles

Join Trisha Dixon and Fiona Brockhoff on an extraordinary trip to Réunion Island. Réunion is part of the Mascarene islands; a small archipelago of volcanic islands in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa. Unlike its closest neighbour Mauritius, with its beautiful beaches, Réunion cannot boast the same, but what it lacks at sea level it more than makes up for in its wildly dramatic mountainous interior. The volcanic mountains and gorges offer a spate of trekking possibilities so if you have enjoyed Nepal or New Zealand, you will also enjoy Réunion, which has similar high quality trekking but with a tropical twist. This trek consists of two major cirques, Cilaos and Mafate, with an opportunity to ascend the highest peak on the island - Le Piton des Neiges at 3070 metres, and to explore one of the most accessible and active volcanoes in the world - Le Piton de la Fournaise. Our trekking route reveals a virtually undisturbed wilderness with sunken peaks and scarps surrounded by steep lush walls of vines, figs and palms with a cluster of mountains that rise to almost 2700 metres. With some luck we should spot Papangue (local hawks), white-tailed tropic birds, panther and chameleon completing this superb back to nature experience. In the company of Trisha and Fiona, this is set to be a fantastic trip. We hope you can join us.

Trip Code: SOG5076

Arrive St Denis, Reunion on MK248 at 2300. You will be met on arrival and transferred to your hotel to rest for the evening.

Meals:  Nil

Today you will rest and have time to have a bit of a look around Saint Denis. You will meet your Guide and tonight you will need to pack your daypack for the next night and day. Overnight hotel, St Denis.

Meals:  D

This morning we transfer with just our daypacks to Grand Ilet then to Col des Boeufs which is the starting point for our two day trek. (Note: your main luggage will be securely stored until we arrive in Cilaos on Day 3, when you can access it for a change of clothes before continuing your trek.) The trek from Col des Boeufs to Marla is approx. 3 hours with your mountain guide. Lunch will be a picnic in the forest of Tamarin des Hauts. Mafate has 800 inhabitants but no roads! So, with your mountain guide, you will discover an another side of the creole way of life! Overnight in a Gite in Marla.

Meals:  B,L,D

Today we will trek with your mountain guide to the Cirque of Cilaos. It is the driest Cirque but also the most impressive one because of its natural remparts: more than 2km vertical! Our trek takes approx. 3 hours from Marla to Ilet à Corde in Cilaos. We enjoy a Creole lunch in Ilet à Corde before transferring to your hotel in Cilaos. Overnight in Cilaos at a Private House. (In Cilaos we will meet our main luggage again with time for a change of clothes if you wish.)

Meals:  B,L,D

Today you will trek from Cilaos to gite Caverne Dufour (2479m alt.) with your mountain guide. Enjoy the scenery as your guide explains the creole french culture, the land and its way of life! Overnight in a Gite at Caverne Dufour.

Meals:  B,L,D

Le Piton des Neiges is the highest point on the island and in fact in the whole of the Indian Ocean. You will wake up very early to go up to the summit (3070m alt.) before the sunset. Then you will walk down to Cilaos for a creole lunch. Overnight in Cilaos - Private House.

Meals:  B,L,D

Today you will have a guided tour from Cilaos to the west coast. Overnight in a hotel (Hotel Le Nautile or similar).

Meals:  B,L,D

There are many different walks in the Volcanoes area from which to choose, all with varying distances and duration. The region is full of volcanic craters which make for fascinating views and places to explore. Today you will meet one of the most active volcanoes in the world: Piton de La Fournaise, in 300 years, 300 eruptions! You will drive up to Piton de La Fournaise (2354m alt.) with your mountain guide to discover this active volcano. The program will depend on the volcano! Overnight in a hotel (Hotel Le Nautile or similar).

Meals:  B,L

La Saline les Bains is a lovely seaside town and is a complete contrast to the mountains in which we have been immersed until now. Today is free to explore the town and surrounds at your leisure or simply relax on the beach. There are numerous water-based activities that can be arranged locally such as a helicopter flight, paragliding, snorkelling and fishing. During your free time you may also like to take an (optional trip) to visit Jardin de l’Etat which is just down the road in Saint Denis. Overnight in a hotel (Hotel Le Nautile or similar).

Meals:  B

Day trip to visit Lazaret de la Grande-Chaloupe and see the Mixed Vegetation exhibition before heading to a former estate that became the Conservatoire des Mascarins Botanical Garden. Overnight in a hotel (Hotel Le Nautile or similar).

Meals:  B,L

This morning you will transfer a short distance down the road to spend your last night on La Reunion in a little bit of luxury at the LUX* St Gilles - www.luxresorts.com/en/hotel-reunion/luxsaintgilles. The remainder of the day is at leisure.

Meals:  B

Your tour ends after breakfast today. There will be a transfer to the airport after lunch on the recommended departure flight MK239 departing La Reunion at 1730

Meals:  B


Inclusions

  • 11 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 6 dinners
  • airport transfers on Days 1 and 11 only
  • 6 nights in comfortable hotels on a twinshare basis
  • 1 night at hotel LUX* St Gilles
  • 4 nights in gites and basic homestays on a twinshare basis
  • expert English speaking trek guide
  • internal and luggage transfers
  • trip accompanied by Trisha Dixon and Fiona Brockhoff

  • international flights and departure taxes
  • arrival and departure transfers if not arriving/ departing on Days 1 & 12
  • meals not specified in the itinerary
  • towel & soap for gite accommodation (4 nights)
  • Items of a personal nature such as phone calls, laundry, etc.
  • Bottled water, aerated and alcoholic drinks
  • visas
  • travel insurance
  • tips

About Your Leader

FIONA BROCKHOFF

After completing landscape design studies, Fiona gained experience with various landscape designers, worked on re-vegetation projects and designed country gardens, giving her a real insight into unique ecosystems and how plant communities had evolved to deal with Australia’s often harsh conditions. She began to design gardens that were uniquely Australian.

During twenty-five years of landscape design Fiona’s philosophy behind creating beautiful and practical gardens remains consistent, even though each garden is unique. It materialises in her designs as a strong connection with the site and surrounds, simplicity, use of natural materials, sustainability principles and plants suited to the situation, usually a combination of Australian and exotic species.

Fiona runs her own landscape design business, Fiona Brockhoff Design, and designs urban and coastal and country gardens. Her partner’s landscape construction company, David Swann Landscape Construction, builds most of the gardens, ensuring a high quality of finish.

TRISHA DIXON

Trisha Dixon is a writer - photographer with over a dozen books published, who has documented the landscape designs of Edna Walling, photographed the gardens of Gordon Ford and edited Garden History Journal for years. The National Library of Australia have acquired her photographs for their collection and have commissioned two more books.

A passionate traveller, especially for the road less travelled. Early childhood canoeing and walking down gorges with rubber tyres to go rafting along wild rivers left its imprint and somehow Trisha’s career of writing, photography and landscape design has morphed into leading tours to some of the world’s most enticing locales…. Trisha has led tours for Academy Travel, Renaissance Travel, the Australian Garden History Society, The Historic Houses Trust and the Royal Botanic Gardens as well as her specialist private tours.

When Trisha is not taking people on tours she is off either on bicycle down the canal paths of France, trying to find her way to the top of mountains or hills that intrigue her or just loving spending time on her property and large wild garden at the foothills of the Snowy Mountains.


Departure dates


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Priceper person from

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Essential Information

Ready to book? Make sure you download and read the detailed Réunion Island Private with Trisha Dixon and Fiona Brockhoff trip notes which contains all the essential information you need to know before booking. Once you’ve booked, we will supply you with a Pre-Departure document which contains a detailed gear list and other important information to help you prepare for your adventure ahead.


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Enhancing your journey with authentic experiences, genuine cultural exchange and real exploration are the focal points on all of our adventures. In 2019, we were crowned by our peers as the best in adventure travel at The Travel Awards in Sydney.

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