Travel guide Réunion

With its long legs, this spider(Heteropoda venatoria), harmless and typical of the Indian Ocean islands, gives goose bumps to those who come across it. Its body measures 2.2 to 2.8 cm and its legs can reach 12 cm. It doesn't spin its web, but slips into the smallest nooks and crannies of huts and surprises with its great leaps.

You'll see a lot of them! On the one hand, these bite-sized pieces of pork or chicken meat, wrapped in a sheet of pastry and then steamed, are a local Chinese-inspired specialty. On the other, traffic jams... on the roads. The rush-hour traffic jams on the coast road will give you plenty of time to enjoy the sea view.

A benchmark dish in local gastronomy, this specialty is made from a base of white rice, accompanied by meat, fish, seafood or other ingredients, simmered with onions, tomatoes, garlic, ginger and turmeric. It is accompanied by "grains" (Cape peas, white beans or lentils), and sometimes also "bredes".

The Reunionese take a malicious pleasure in mocking, teasing and making fun of each other, in short, in moukater. If these verbal acrobatics are generally fair game, moukatage spares no one. The island is small and rumours circulate at full speed on the ladilafé (gossip). An island's hobby: everything is known.

In geological terms, the cirque is a basin formed by the subsidence of a mountain. There are three cirques in Reunion: Cilaos, Mafate and Salazie. In the heart of the island, protected by ramparts of more than 1,000 m in height, they are only connected to the outside world by a river, which runs through gorges. Real worlds apart!

Designating a language, a people and a culture, Creole is the very identity of the island. Speaking Creole is the first change of scenery tourists encounter. A varied mix, so deeply rooted in customs, Reunion's Creole identity is perpetually enriched by the specificities of the individuals who populate it.

The dodo is a large bird that has been extinct for many years. There were some in Mauritius, and perhaps also in Reunion Island, although this has never been scientifically proven. In any case, this is what the legend has always wanted, to the point that today the dodo is one of the emblems of the island, and especially of the local beer, the Bourbon brand.

That's not you napping under the filaos after a picnic, but a reptile, the best-known of which on the island is the panther chameleon. Native to Madagascar, the panther chameleon has populated the island with its variegated colors, but is now highly endangered. Its extreme slowness makes it vulnerable to cars and predators.

Named so because of its long tail, this white bird of the South Seas, spotted with black lines, is the emblem of Reunion Island, even if it is curiously not an endemic species of the island. You will be able to observe it along the cliffs of Reunion Island, or near the gullies, between two fishing parties where it attacks small sea fishes.

A gully is a natural geomorphological and hydrogeological formation created by water runoff that you will find everywhere on the island. They bear the names of historical characters, animals that are fished there, or are the mark of a romantic or dramatic story. They have a lot to tell you and bring you to life.

Zamal is a highly sought-after herb that grows in the shade of prying eyes. Probably arrived with the engagés in the ^19th century, the plant has acclimatized very well to Réunion Island and is now replacing cannabis. Don't forget that it is, of course, illegal, and the penalties are the same as in France.

Zoreil is the name given to people from France, whether they are tourists or long-term residents. Legends say that the outstretched ear of the metro that does not understand Creole turns red in the sun or that the punishment that the foremen reserved for chestnuts was to cut off the ear.