Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The
tourist office
(
9am-noon & 2-5pm)
is near the
0262 52 13 54;
www.nord.reunion.fr
;
Rue du Phare;
lighthouse.
Gîtes de montagne
can be booked here.
Getting There & Away
Ste-Suzanne is served by Car Jaune (
Click here
)
bus routes F and G running between St-
Denis and St-Benoît.
TOP OF CHAPTER
St-André & Around
POP 44,000
St-André is the epicentre of Tamil culture in Réunion, and you'll see more women draped
in vividly coloured saris than Zoreilles wearing designer glasses and trendy shirts. Busy
streets transport you to a city somewhere in India with curry houses, sari shops and bric-a-
brac traders. You'll definitely feel closer to Bombay than Paris.
The mainly Tamil population in the area is descended from indentured labourers who
were brought from India to work in the sugar-cane fields and factories after slavery was
abolished in 1848.
Sights
St André's Indian atmosphere is most apparent in the Hindu temples dotted around the
town. The most imposing are the
Temple of Colosse
(Chemin Champ-Borne)
and
Temple du Petit Bazar
(Ave de l'Île de France)
. It's not possible to visit the interior, but guided tours can be arranged;
contact the tourist office.
Maison Martin Valliamé
(1590 Chemin du Centre; guided tours €3; 9am-12.30pm & 1.30-5pm Mon-Fri)
Worth a look is Maison
Martin Valliamé, a handsome colonial villa dating from 1925, northeast of the centre.
Guided tours in French are available from 10am to 4pm on the hour.
HISTORIC BUILDING
Plantation de Vanille
Roulof
( 0262 46 01 15;
www.lavanilledelareunion.com
; 470 Chemin Deschanets; guided tours €3; 9am-4pm Mon-
Sat)
If you're after Réunion's Vanille Bourbon, head to Plantation de Vanille Roulof, a
VANILLA PLANTATION
