Reunion Island, a French department in the Indian Ocean, is located between Madagascar and Mauritius in Africa. Reunion is officially a French Overseas territory which means its residents are French citizens, the official currency is Euro, and the official language is French.

Being a part of the EU zone makes it easy for travelers to enter Reunion island, as the visa requirement for Reunion is the same as any other place in EU and Schengen area countries. In this post, we’ll talk about the top 10 reasons why you should visit Reunion in 2021.

1- Sandy Beaches

Being an island means Reunion has a lengthy coastline with stunning beaches all over the island. You even get to choose between white sand beaches or even black sand beaches. Whichever color you prefer, Reunion island is an amazing place for relaxation beside the calm waves on a beautiful sandy beach.

2- Perfect Weather Year-round

Reunion has perfect weather year-round. From December to March, you’ll experience temperatures around 80 °F (26 °C), while in the winter months (April to November), you’ll enjoy a slightly cooler climate in the upper 60-70 °F (15-20 °C).

Whether you’re looking for a summer vacation, a winter getaway, a spring break trip, or autumn cool down, Reunion island is calling you!

3- Helicopter Flights

You would not realize how beautiful Reunion is until you book a helicopter flight (usually for 45 minutes) to show you around the island. From crystal clear water, white and black sand beaches, to never-ending jungles and breathtaking mountains, you’ll be surprised how stunning Reunion is.

4- Reunion Cuisine

Being a melting pot of cultures, you will easily find the best of each cuisine in the Reunion cuisine. Indians brought samosas and curry, while Chinese people brought Chinese dumplings (with an island twist). Mainland Africans and Europeans (Mostly French) brought a lot of spices and recipes too which eventually shaped Reunion cuisine as we know it today. Try as many dishes as you can in every region because you don’t want to regret why you didn’t when you return home from your Reunion vacation!

Also don’t forget about Reunion Rum which gets produced by the local sugarcane. You can add your desired spices to make it more suitable for your taste.

5- Fresh Fruit

Tropical areas are the best places to try fresh fruits, especially in Reunion. You could try fresh lychee, banana, coconut, pineapple, mango, and guava, There are also a lot of local fruits with a limited shelf life of a day or two which cannot get exported overseas, but you’ll have the chance of trying them in your Reunion trip.

6- Endless Hiking Trails

Having a lot of mountains throughout the region, there are about 600 miles (970 km) of marked hiking trails in Reunion that would have different views like waterfalls, canyons, up volcano walls, and lush forests. The good news is that there’s no entrance fee to enter any national park in Reunion. Plus, with about 42% of the island being national parks, it would be pretty easy to find camping sites as well.

7- Three Inhabited Canyons 

During the slavery time, some of the former-slaves ran into the unknown to rescue themselves from free labor and abuse. Now, there are three villages left in the middle of Canyons that are disconnected from the rest of the places on the island. Cirque de Mafate is one of those villages that’s only accessible by hiking trails or helicopters. It has about 170 residents who built themselves some beautiful colorful houses.

The other two villages, however, Cilaos in the Southwest and Salazie on the eastern side are accessible by car thru very windy roads.

8- Scuba Diving

The bonus for whoever travels all the way to Reunion is scuba diving to spot nearly 900 species of fish and dozens of different species of coral in those crystal clear waters. However, not all scuba diving places are active year-round. The easiest dives are off the west coast near Saint Pierre and Saint Paul.

9- Abundant Nature

As mentioned earlier, Reunion is home to amazing nature where you can see tall mountains, jungles, waterfalls, and beaches. If you’re a nature lover, you want to book your flight to Reunion, right now, as you’re in for an unforgettable treat!

10- People

Reunion is home to Indians, Europeans, Africans, and Chinese people who all call this amazing island, their home. People in Reunion are very friendly and helpful if you need help. The bonus part is that you get to experience a lot of different cultures, all under one roof.