In the cool air of Reunion’s Highlands, we want to snuggle up somewhere cosy. Here without further delay is our selection of tried and tested cocoon-like guesthouses!
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Vieil Alambic in Les Makes
Like a sentinel on the majestic peaks that surround it, Vieil Alambic is an oasis of peace for weary travellers. No sooner had we set down our luggage, than Edith and Pascal whisked us off on a tour of their typical Creole house! With only four rooms, we soon got to know the other guests and shared the day’s exploits with them. The evening finds us sharing a convivial meal prepared in the traditional way, over a wood fire. Pascal wants us to try his speciality, carrot fritters with kaffir lime leaves. It’s so delicious we quickly our empty plates. Before leaving the next day, our adorable hosts give us their latest tips for roaming in the Highlands and even give us some breadfruit cake to get the day off to a good start.
La Ferme du Pêcher Gourmand
Ideally located between Piton de la Fournaise and Piton des Neiges, the two behemoths of Reunion Island, La Ferme du Pêcher Gourmand is the perfect place to recharge your batteries. After the day’s escapades, we enjoy some free time relaxing in the pleasant garden and even have a siesta in one of the hammocks in the cool air of Plaine des Cafres. The evening meal celebrates the house speciality: duck. Local foie gras and smoked duck cari are on the menu. In the morning, still feeling sleepy, we enjoy fresh fruit juices and local jams before setting off on another day of exploring.
Côté Volcan
After our visit to Cité du Volcan, we decide to head to Côté Volcan guesthouse, at the foot of Piton de La Fournaise. Laurie, our hostess, starts looking after us straight away and offers to wash our clothes which are quite dusty after several hours of hiking! At dinner time the smell of the wood fire and sausage rougail wafts from the kitchen. We have a wonderful time with our hosts who divulge all their little secrets for unusual ways to discover Piton de La Fournaise. On their advice, we set off at dawn to explore the volcano in the company of a high mountain guide !
La Ferme du Kilimanjaro
In Reunion’s Highlands, nature is everywhere. And what better way to enjoy it to the full than to spend the night in a shepherd’s hut? That’s what awaits us at La Ferme du Kilimanjaro where its owner, Sergio, needs no encouragement to tell us all about the concept of his guesthouse. Our enthusiastic, environmentally aware host explains how we can sleep in two pretty shepherd’s huts on his land with breathtaking views of the ridge of Piton des Neiges. We feel all alone in the world inside these little cocoons and we love to being able to gaze at the stars from the bed. True foodies that we are, we can’t resist buying some honey produced by Sergio himself before hitting the road!
La villa Laurina
One thing we wanted to do was spend a night in the West Highlands, at Villa Laurina. Other hikers had told us all about the 180° view of the coast and the sugar cane fields. Mid-way between Boucan Canot beach and Le Maïdo, Villa Laurina is a little haven of peace. We jump happily into the warm water of the jacuzzi sipping a small glass of house punch with one word on our minds: r-e-l-a-x-a-t-i-o-n! The next day, we set off for a tour of the estate’s coffee plantation to learn all about the famous Bourbon Pointu coffee, the star of Reunion Island.
La villa Mascarine
With the waves of the Indian Ocean as a backdrop, Villa Mascarine is a charming guesthouse nestling in the midst of a lush green garden in the Saint-Leu Highlands. They have thought of everything to help us relax, with the bubbling waters of the jacuzzi and a massage service too. Once in our room, we enjoy the peace and quiet and the breathtaking view of Saint Leu bay as we unwind. We have the very pleasant feeling of being at the end of the world while feeling very much at home.
