Frequently Asked Questions

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What’s the most effective way to look for information on the site?

In order to make the practical organisation of your stay even easier, the Tourism website of Reunion Island includes a search engine (click on “search”) and an area for bookings (click on “bookings”).

The search engine
The search engine allows you to look for information concerning text included within the site : the user must type in a keyword.

• "categories" allows you to select a specific type of offer (accommodation, eating out, educative....),
• the criteria called "labels" can be activated once the category has been chosen
• the criteria called "categories" enables you to better target the service you require (eg : for accommodation, this would give you the choice of hotels, mountain hostels, guesthouses…)
• the use of geographical criteria called "zones" (North, West, volcano, Mafate....) and "communes" is made clearer and easier to use with a map which can be found on the homepage

These criteria can also be cross-referenced with a keyword.
The user can then sort the results by: alphabetical order, geographical criteria, the label called Réunion Qualité Tourisme, or by classification.

The Bookings Page
The bookings page gives precise details on availabilities and rates concerning products and services sold online by tourism service providers (Floralys, Bellepierre, Case Namaste, Dimitile, Felix ULM, the IRT booking centre...).
However, please bear in mind that even if there is no more availability shown online, you may still be able to find what you’re after through other sales points.

I would like to buy a book published in Reunion. How do I do it?

You can buy books from the Indian Ocean online at livranoo.

I offer accommodation – what do I need to do to obtain the Clévacances label or the ‘Meublé de Tourism’ classification?

By downloading these documents, you will learn in detail which documents you must provide and the criteria used for the allocation of these classifications.

Can anyone go scuba-diving?

Scuba-diving is suitable for anyone aged 6 and upwards, on condition of course that you are in decent physical shape. A medical certificate permitting you to dive is strongly recommended, but not compulsory, unless you suffer from medical conditions such as asthma (especially during physical effort), epilepsy, disorders affecting lungs, ears or sinuses or cardio-vascular problems.

Exploring the world of Nemo can also be done when simply equipped with flippers, a mask and a snorkel. This is all the equipment you’ll need for the underwater guided tour of the lagoon at the marine reserve in Ermitage, which is free and an original way to discover all about the lagoon’s ecosystem.

When is the best period for fishing?

From January to March : the best period to catch marlin.

From April to May : yellowfin tuna, bream, wahoo, sailfish, shark, bonite and big marlin.

From June to August : shark, yellowfin tuna, bream, bonite.

From Septembre to December : bream, wahoo, yellowfin tuna, sailfish, shark, bonite and big marlin.

Why are white foreigners referred to as "Zoreils" in Reunion?

"Tandrimo soufigni, tandrimo soufigni !" This was the warning cry from escaped Malagasy slaves ("marrons") when the slave hunters reached their camps up in the hills, and it means "attention aux Oreilles!" or "watch out for your ears!" As proof of the number of slaves they had killed, the white hunters would slice off an ear. In today's language, it affectionately refers to any tourist or someone who is not originally from Reunion.Other theories do however exist regarding the origin of this word.

 

Question asked by: Extrait de « La Réunion en 200 questions-réponses » E.O. Rockel

Where is the driest and hottest part of the island?

St Leu.

The Commune of St Leu stretches from the coast right up to an altitude of 1600m. The average temperature in summer is 28.2°C and 23°C in winter, giving a difference of only 5 degrees between the two seasons.

The average rainfall is 138mm in summer and only 6mm in winter. The Commune has on average 3300 hours of sunshine out of a possible 4380. It is the area which stays hottest the longest. Other Communes such as St Pierre or Le Port reach highs of 36°C more often than St Leu, but this is only for shorter periods.

 

Question asked by: E.O. Rockel. Extrait de « La Réunion en 200 questions-réponses » .

What are the lowest temperatures recorded in winter in Reunion?

-3°C can be observed very early in the morning.

 

Question asked by: E.O. Rockel. Extrait de « La Réunion en 200 questions-réponses »

Why is the island called "Reunion"?

In 1793, a meeting took place to decide upon a new name for Ile Bourbon (the island’s former name). The then minister for war, Mr Beurnonville, suggested the name Jemmapes in honour of the French victory over the Austrians on November 6th, 1792. The navy minister however, a Mr Gaspard Monge, proposed a more masonic and revolutionary name : Reunion Island. This name evoked the historic joining of forces or ‘réunion’ between the revolutionary ‘Sans-Culottes’ from Marseilles (on 10th August, 1792) and the Tuileries Palace Guards, the latter preferring to lay down their arms and fraternise with the revolutionaries. The name stuck.

 

Question asked by: E.O. Rockel. Extrait de « La Réunion en 200 questions-réponses »

When is the best season for flowers and fruits?

Reunion’s summer is best, particularly from October to January. But each month does have its specialties. May, for example, is the season for goyaviers (strawberry guavas), the bushes of which line many a footpath.

What’s the ideal duration of a holiday here?

A lifetime… If this isn't possible, 3 weeks is enough to reasonably visit the island's main points of interest. 2 weeks is a minimum.

What is Reunion’s highest summit?

The Piton des Neiges at 3069m.

When is the cyclone season?

The cyclone season runs from December to March, and corresponds to Reunion’s austral summer.

Where are the beaches in Reunion?

The beaches are located all along the west (from Boucan-Canot to St Leu) and south coasts (St Pierre, Manapany....).

When is the best period for trekking?

Between the two seasons (May to June and September to October) are most recommended: it’s not too hot, it rains less often and the water is not too cold when taking a dip in the river during your walk or finishing off your day out down by the sea.

The months of June and August are also suitable, as long as you bring a fleece for those chilly evenings.

How many different seasons are noticeable in Reunion?

There are two distinct seasons: winter and summer, even though the difference is not very great; there is a little more rain and heat in summer October – April). These seasons are of course the other way round to those in Mainland France.

The months between these seasons (May and September) are particularly pleasant: it is neither too hot nor too cold. These periods have no notable differences in temperature to warrant the label "season".

 

How long is the flight from Paris to Reunion?

11 hours, if the flight is direct.

What is the time difference with Mainland France?

2 hours ahead of French summertime (March to September)

3 hours ahead of French winter (September to March)

Who is responsible for services sold via this site?

The site www.reunion.fr provides the possibility for users to book directly with companies working in tourism, according to service providers’ terms and conditions. Any contractual purchase takes place on the booking page of the company in question therefore leaving all responsibility for sales in their hands.

 

This service proposed by the IRT aims to make the organisation of your stay easier. Région Réunion and its partner Ile de la Réunion Tourisme are merely technical intermediaries.

Is it possible to accumulate reservations on the bookings page?

The aim of the bookings page is to allow the user to book directly with tourism companies (hotels, service providers, …) If the provider in question is an intermediary such as a travel agent or the IRT booking centre, accumulation of reservations is possible. If not, this accumulation is not permitted according to French law, and neither is it allowed to make group payments

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