Réunion: A Hidden Island
One of the most interesting travel destinations in Africa, or even the world, is the island of Réunion. Réunion is an absolutely tiny island – smaller than 1000 square miles – located off the eastern coast of Madagascar. The island has belonged to France for hundreds of years and is designated as its own unique “overseas region.” Réunion is a beautiful island with one extinct and one active volcano (which actually most recently erupted in January of 2010) and three calderas, essentially collapsed former volcanoes. Calderas are notable in that most hot springs in the world are formed by being part of a caldera. Réunion is also host to various species of animal and plant life that can be found in very few places in the rest of the world.
Réunion’s official and primary language is French, although English is present as well. Culturally, Réunion is extremely diverse and manages to blend French, African, Indian, and Chinese traditions and styles. As a result, Réunion has a style of music (“Sega” music) that is unique to only a few similar islands in the world, and Réunion’s exact style is still unique from these other locations. Réunion has many other unique cultural landmarks, such as an infamous church that stands closer to the active volcano of the island than any other building. In the larger eruptions since the church was built, lava flow has actually come within just a few feet of the church’s walls on multiple occasions, but it’s never actually damaged the building itself.
One of Réunion’s most fascinating features is its ecology. As mentioned above, Réunion has a diverse ecology with many creatures that cannot be found anywhere in the world. Réunion additionally has an extremely tropical climate, and has actually set the world record for most measured rainfall over one day and over three days. However, these periods of powerful rains are mainly constrained to the rainy season that begins in March, so it’s easy to plan around these downpours.
Réunion’s tourism industry is rapidly growing as people from the mainland of France, as well as visitors from all over the world, feel obliged to seek out and explore a new and diverse culture that’s almost unlike everything seen in the world today because of its unique cultural blends, blurring of modern lifestyles with traditional, rural jungle living, and willingness to attract new visitors to learn about its rich history.
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