Réunion
Most tourists who come to St-Paul visit the bright and well-kept Cimetière Marin, the cemetery at the southern end of town. It contains the remains of…
Must-see attractions in Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles
Réunion
Caffeine addicts should make a beeline for La Maison de Laurina, the owner of which grows a top-quality variety of coffee, the Bourbon Pointu. The…
Réunion
At the entrance of Grand Coude, Le Labyrinthe En Champ Thé is worth an hour or so for anyone interested in tropical flora, with an emphasis on tea and…
Réunion
One of St-Denis' most iconic buildings, the Grande Mosquée dominates the centre with its tall minaret. Its cool white-and-green interior is a haven of…
Rivulet Terre Rouge Bird Sanctuary
The North
Just north of Port Louis, bird-watchers will want to take the signposted turn-off to the east that leads to the Rivulet Terre Rouge Bird Sanctuary. Sited…
Réunion
This meticulously restored mansion dating from the 1820s is a beautiful example of Creole architecture, with its elaborate veranda and intricate…
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Victoria
This imposing cathedral is noteworthy for its elegant portal and colonnaded facade – the interior nave is long and airy with some stained-glass windows…
Réunion
This seafront park, lined by cannons facing out to sea, is a good place to catch the sea breeze in St-Denis. It has an area set aside for pétanque (a game…
The East
At Domaine du Grand Hazier, a superb 18th-century sugar-planter's residence about 3km southwest of Ste-Suzanne, you'll find La Vanilleraie, where you can…
Mauritius
Right at the end of the headland beyond Gris Gris beach, 600m further on and well signposted, La Roche Qui Pleure resembles a crying man – you'll have to…
The East
You can't help but be dazzled by this surprisingly extravagant church that was erected in 1857. The facade of the building is covered in stucco depictions…
Église Notre-Dame du Perpétuel Secours
Mahé
Consecrated in 2009, this graceful church is simplicity itself and is all the better for it. Instead of stained-glass windows, the massive windows are…
Réunion
On the southern outskirts of Salazie, along the road to Hell-Bourg and just north of the turnoff to Grand Îlet, are these spectacular waterfalls on your…
Mahé
A top-end resort lines the northern portion of this high-profile beach. The southern end is almost deserted and offers good swimming and snorkelling. The…
The East
This scenic anse (bay) is beside the sea about 3km south of Piton Ste-Rose. The water from the hills drops dramatically into the sea near a traditional…
Espace Culturel Muséographique du Dimitile – Camp Marron
Réunion
Just before the viewpoint of Le Dimitile, this modest yet well-organised museum does a good job of explaining marronage (the act of escaping plantation…
Coopérative de Vanille Provanille
The East
This working vanilla-processing plant offers an introduction to the process of producing Réunion's famous Vanille Bourbon via a 45-minute guided tour and…
Mauritius
Perhaps Mauritius' most striking modern architectural creation is the MCB Building in Quatre Bornes, an eye-like structure by the M1 motorway as you…
Réunion
Created in 1763, the attractive Jardin de l'État, at the southern end of Rue de Paris, is a good place to recharge the batteries and be introduced to a…
La Digue
Petite, picture perfect and ideal for a splash or snorkel, this boulder-framed beach sits tucked into the northern tip of the island.
Seychelles
This ribbon of white sand is the most beautiful beach on Félicité, though shallow waters make swimming difficult. It's also the least visited, simply…
Mahé
To the north of Anse à la Mouche the coast is a bit less glamorous but appealing nonetheless. If you can find access to Anse Louis, where the superswish…
The East
Between Ste-Anne and Ste-Rose is the graceful Pont des Anglais suspension bridge over the Rivière de l'Est, now bypassed by the main highway but open to…
Plage de L'Étang-Salé-les-Bains
Réunion
The generous stretch of ash-coloured beach on the northern outskirts of town is great for sunbathing and swimming, and offers excellent sunset vistas…
The East
If you're after Réunion's Vanille Bourbon, head to this small family-run operation where you can buy vanilla pods at reasonable prices (40g for €30). You…
Mahé
Worth a look if you're in the area, this lovely vivid garden, overseen by a retired Seychelles diplomat, has all manner of exotic, tropical flowers on…
Réunion
If you're in St-Pierre on a Saturday morning, be sure to browse around the joyous, thriving main market, which sprawls along the seafront at the west end…
Réunion
It's well worth exploring this quaint neighbourhood, situated to the east of the centre. Though no longer the traditional fishing village it used to be,…
Réunion
Ambling down Ave de la Victoire, you'll come across the Tuscan-style Cathédrale de St-Denis, which was constructed between 1829 and 1832. As a cathedral…
Praslin
At the island's southern tip, Anse Marie-Louise is a pretty spot. There are no facilities and no parking lot; just pull over at the side of the road and…
Port Louis
One of Mauritius' premier art institutions, this fine space is designed to increase local exposure to high-quality art, with four temporary exhibitions…
Réunion
Cap Méchant is one of the eeriest landscapes in the south, with huge lava fields, windswept black cliffs, rows of vacoa trees and the mandatory picnic…
The East
Just beyond the church towards the southern end of town is a road signposted inland to Cascade Niagara, a 30m waterfall on the Rivière Ste-Suzanne. At the…
Réunion
Visitors can see the ruins of the old baths, which were in use until 1948. They are found in a ravine a 10-minute walk west of town (walk past Le Relais…
Anse Petite Police & Police Bay
Mahé
From the village of Quatre Bornes, a road leads to Police Bay, a splendid, blissfully isolated spot at the southern tip of the island. Sadly, the currents…
Mauritius
This white Hindu temple sits on a teeny islet tenuously tethered to the mainland by a thin land bridge. The views of the dazzling bastion are best…
Réunion
About 3.5km from Hell-Bourg, Bé Mahot is a cute hamlet that's well worth visiting. With its clunky, colourful Creole houses clinging on the hillside and…
Réunion
This colonial structure dating from the 1830s was the family home of former French prime minister Raymond Barre and the birthplace of the poet and painter…
Réunion
A highlight (and a major landmark, with its big chimneys) near St-Louis is this old sugar refinery, about 1.5km west of the centre. You can tour the…
Réunion
From Îlet-à-Vidot, the asphalted road continues for about 2km to a small parking lot. From here, a steep footpath leads in about 15 minutes to the Rivière…
