Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Hell-Bourg - Saint-Pierre - Saint-Leu
100% customisable for you
Grab your passports – your tropical family getaway begins today. After the chaos of making sure the youngsters are packed and ready to go, head to the airport, speed through security and find some respite from the crowds in the airport lounge. Your flight to Saint-Denis will take around 15 hours, including a brief layover in Paris. Spend the night on board, enjoying some guilt-free binge watching.
Rise and shine to dreamy views across the Indian Ocean as you prepare to land in the capital city of Saint-Denis today. A member of airport staff will be waiting to meet, greet and guide you through arrival formalities before showing you to your rental car. Luckily today’s journey is just an hour, so you can take it slow, familiarise yourself with the roads (remember to drive on the right) and enjoy your first look Reunion’s beautiful scenery. Your first destination on the island is the Cirque of Salazie, an amphitheatre-shaped basin filled with some of the island’s lushest greenery. Hang up your hat for the next two nights in a traditional cottage in the Creole village of Hell-Bourg and spend the rest of today relaxing and soaking in your new tropical environment.
The town of Hell-Bourg sits at an altitude of 3,000ft and is often touted as the most beautiful village in overseas France, making it the perfect refuge to return to after a day of adventure. Make sure to fuel up during breakfast at your hotel, because in store for you today is a canoe-rafting excursion down the Marsouins (East River). The route, drifting between the banks of the river, is well-suited to families with children and offers enviable views across the verdant landscapes of the cirque.
The rest of today is yours to spend discovering the delights of Hell-Bourg. Admire the many colourful Creole huts adorned with azaleas and anthuriums and walk through the gardens of the 19th-century Villa Folio, where you can even take a tour with the owner’s grandson. You could also continue the adventurous spirit of the morning with an afternoon hike along one of the many marked trails that start in Hell-Bourg. A walk through the valley of the Mat River or to the old thermal baths are two examples of easy routes for the whole family.
Your family road trip across Reunion continues today as you hug the coast for two hours to reach Saint-Pierre in the southwest. This journey is a great opportunity to get acquainted with Reunion’s scenic sights: sugar cane fields, forests, pastures and rugged coastline. Your home for the next two nights in Saint-Pierre is an old Creole hut turned stylish guest house. The surrounding neighbourhood is a charming fishing district home to a lagoon and the small beach of Terre Sainte, as well as traditional markets and sea-fronted restaurants specialising in local delights.
After settling in and freshening up, we recommend spending the rest of today exploring the local area. We can arrange tickets for the Cite du Volcan (an interactive museum) or you can simply set out at your own pace. Discover the peaceful villages typical of the region, enjoy a picnic among sugar cane crops and geranium fields or pose for family photos in front of ocean panoramas and dramatic volcanoes. Back in the town, shop for artisanal souvenirs or head to a local spa for a flower bath and a scrub with Saint-Leu salts.
Prepare for the thrill of today’s canyoning adventure at Langevin waterfall, one of the most beautiful falls in Reunion. Tackle natural slides and small jumps, all in the company of an experienced guide. Another popular family activity is an aquatic hike, which begins with a swim in a large lagoon followed by a hike along a beautiful nature trail. Jumps, passages under waterfalls, large slides, zip lines and abseils are all incorporated into the trail and are designed to be easy for beginners and younger adventurers. An alternative option for today is a guided 4x4 adventure on the slopes of Piton de la Fournaise.
Bundle the family back into the hire car today as you make your way towards the west coast to Saint-Leu. Nothing specific is on the agenda today, which gives you the opportunity to turn the half-hour journey into a sightseeing extravaganza. Pop your head into the shops that line the Rue des Bons Enfants in Saint-Pierre, visit an old sugar refinery in Saint-Louis and stroll along the immense black volcanic sand beach of Etang-Sale.
After arriving in Saint-Leu, settle in for three nights in a colourful hillside cottage overlooking the ocean. The rest of today is yours to play with; we can arrange tickets for you to visit a sea turtle sanctuary or you can simply kick back, relax and enjoy some poolside family fun.
Your final full day on Reunion Island is all about enjoying the tropical beaches and lush landscapes that surround Saint-Leu. This Creole village is a paradise for swimmers and sports enthusiasts, especially surfers, who flock here for consistent waves and warm waters. Relax under the shade of coconut trees, dive into the local lagoon, tuck into fresh seafood and take an afternoon stroll through the Mascarin botanical gardens which is home to tropical fruit trees, coffee plants, a variety of orchid species and more.
Paragliding is a popular option for adventure lovers, while the town’s cultural sites, including buildings erected by the East India Company and a basalt church, is sure to be a hit with history buffs. We can also arrange for you to round off your trip in style with a private catamaran trip.
Sadly, the time has come to wrap up your Reunion road trip. After one last morning at your hotel, drive 40 minutes back to the airport in Saint-Denis. Wave goodbye to your hire car, whizz back through security and stock up on any last souvenirs before boarding a 17-hour overnight flight back to the UK via Paris.
Everything in this itinerary is entirely customisable, down to the smallest details. Here are some more suggestions of what could be included
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
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Our team of destination experts will get to know you and your unique requirements for your holiday
We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
All of our holidays include little extras designed to make a big difference to your trip, from fast-tracking you through airport check-in and security to our network of local Concierges
