T Hiking on Reunion Island

We are planning to leave Reunion Island around Oct 2 to Oct 5 and head for Richards Bay, South Africa. It is about 1400 miles which would be approximately a 12 day passage and if we stop at the bottom of Madagascar, may be another 4 to 10 days. Will give details of passage on arrival at Richards Bay.

We just got back from a 3 day hiking trip in the mountains. The crew of Sal Darago, Jeremy and Cathy also were with us for the first day and night. We took a bus just past Celaos and then hiked to Marla for the first night. Then went by Roche Plait and stayed our second night in Ilet Des Orangers and then hiked out to Dos D'Ane for the bus on the third day. We stayed in a Gite or lodge both nights for 20 Euro's each. They give you dinner and breakfast for a extra fee. The dinners were great, but the French just can't do breakfast. They just give you a baguette and jam and coffee, tea or milk. The Gite's were also very nice though you usually share a room.

The hiking is fantastic, all on well maintained trails, though they are rugged and go through a lot of very steep terrain. The hike out from Des Orangers is stunning as you work your way down huge gorges. The money and engineering that goes into the trails is amazing, they go up near vertical mountain sides and do long traverses on them as well. They must do a lot of blasting and drilling to get across the faces. We usually hiked from 5 to 6 and half hours each day and much of that was going straight up or down and you are surrounded by tall mountains and deep gorges all day, beautiful.