Outfly

I've posted before about skydiving, when my husband jumped out of a plane in 2013. It's not an activity for me, but when a body-flight skydive simulator opened in Reunion last year I was more than happy to give it a try. In June 2018 I was given a voucher for two one-minute experiences but trying to get the dates  to coincide with friends who also wanted to do it, plus travel plans, plus a car breakdown meant that it took me a year to actually get round to doing it - but it was worth the wait!

With Outfly you prebook a slot online, and on arrival you are equipped with a bodysuit, googles, hardhat, and earplugs. (You are advised to come wearing proper shoes and avoid unattached long hair or jewellery). This kitting-up takes about 10 minutes.

reception area 

Then the participants (there were ten of us in our group) were seated next to the wind tunnel and thoroughly briefed on safety precautions and signs to be used during the experience.

view of the wind tunnel used at Outfly

After that we each took it in turn to "fly" for one minute, before repeating the whole experience. 

close-up of the wind tunnel

An instructor is with you in the wind tunnel, and another member of staff is outside to adjust the wind speed.

my husband

After having actually jumped out of a plane my husband was rather worried it would be tame, but he actually found the experience quite different, not least because in 2013 he did a tandem skydive i.e. he was strapped to someone, whereas with Outfly you move by yourself so have more freedom of movement.

me in the wind tunnel

It also turns out that being scuba divers is an advantage, as the position you need to adopt is almost similar to neutral buoyancy when you dive. So my husband and I managed to position ourselves fairly naturally. You can see the videos of me below:

For my second try I'd realised I needed to keep my mouth shut otherwise I was going to look like Wallace & Gromit.

The co-owner and instructor of Outfly is a former world vice-champion of freestyle skydiving who has been parachuting for 20 years, so she knows her stuff. This is her giving us a demonstration at the end of the session:

Sophie Bernier demonstrating Outfly

The wind tunnel is also available for experienced skydivers who want to train under controlled circumstances.

Further reading:

• Skydiving - getting high over Reunion

Hike Nez de Boeuf to Roche Plate (Rivière des Remparts)

Confusingly there are two places in Reunion called Roche Plate: one is a small village in Mafate (the cirque only accessible on foot), and the other is a tiny hamlet in the river valley of Rivière des Remparts. 

map showing hike route in bright green
(Nez de Boeuf at the top, Roche Plate at the bottom)

The second Roche Plate is only accessible by 4WD vehicle or on foot, and in the latter case it's either a long but easy walk from the coast, or a tough hike down from Nez de Boeuf near the volcano. We chose the tough option!

It's a hike that I'd already done in the early 2000s, but only hiking up, never down. This time we were going to be trekking down and then back up the next day.

looking at the very top end of Riviere des Remparts from hike starting point 

As you can see from the sign below, the hike begins at an altitude of 2070 metres from a place technically known as "Haut de la Riviere des Remparts".  Nez de Boeuf (which literally means 'Ox Nose' and was possibly named due to its shape) is a well-known viewpoint on the road that leads to the volcano, and is actually at an elevation 2136 metres but the hike starting point is 1.5 km further along the road.

starting point of the hike Nez de Boeuf to Roche Plate

The sign says that only 3 hours are needed for the hike down, but it actually took us a bit longer, albeit including breaks. The distance is 9.5 km but the altitude difference is 1400m - quite steep, especially at the part nearest Nez de Boeuf!

thick forest during the first part of the hike 

After a while the vegetation thins out and although the weather was cloudy (and sometimes drizzly), at the half-way point we got this view of the river valley. You can clearly see the (seemingly) flat river bed surrounded by the high cliff walls (cf. the name of the river: remparts)

view looking south from ≈half-way point

To give you an idea of what most of the hiking path looked like, here's a view taken from the same location and looking back up the way we'd came.

Riviere des Remparts hiking path

pathside wildflowers 

path nearing gîte

Having set off late morning, we reached our accommodation for the night (one of several gîtes there) in the afternoon and joined the rest of our party (some had come up by 4WD, others had hiked up from the coast). It started raining during the night and the next morning we set off in the rain but it didn't take us any longer to hike up than down the previous day, and by the time we were back at the volcano road and had reached our cars we had a cloudless blue sky.

Piton des Neiges seen from hike endpoint on arriving back

Bonus:

As we were doing this hike early June it was still goyavier (strawberry guava) season, and on the hike back up we picked lots of the fruit.

goyavier bushes and path sign at 1000m altitude 

path through goyavier bushes

close-up of goyaviers growing in the wild 

freshly-picked goyaviers 

Once we were back home we washed them and put them through the juicer, leaving us with a some lovely juice (the taste is quite tart and tangy but the fruit has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties in addition to being full of Vitamin C).

reading for juicing 

two glasses of fresh goyavier juice!

Further reading:

Hiking from Maïdo to Ilet Alcide

Hike from Le Belier to Hell-Bourg

Weekend at Plaine des Palmistes

Chateau Lauratet

Some useful words in Reunion Island

Guide book in English for Reunion: new edition

Planning a trip to Reunion? Looking for the perfect travel companion? Be inspired by the fully-updated new edition of the Insight Guide to Mauritius, Reunion & Seychelles. From deciding when to go, to choosing what to see when you arrive, this is all you need to plan your trip and experience the best of Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles, with in-depth insider information on must-see, top attractions like the volcano of Piton de la Fournaise, Réunion; Anse Lazio beach in the Seychelles and Black River Gorges National Park, Mauritius, as well as hidden cultural gems like the Musée de Villèle, Réunion, and the Vieux Grand Port of Mauritius.

· Insight Guide Mauritius, Réunion & Seychelles is ideal for travellers seeking immersive cultural experiences, from exploring nature reserves and botanical gardens, to discovering some of the best beaches in the world 

· In-depth on history and culture: enjoy special features on the cuisine of the Mascarenes, the underwater world of the Seychelles and the volcanic habitats of Réunion, all written by local experts

· Includes innovative, unique extras to keep you up-to-date when you're on the move - this guide comes with a free eBook, and an app that highlights top attractions and regional information and is regularly updated with new hotel, bar, restaurant, shop and local event listings

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· Inspirational colour photography throughout - Insight Guides is a pioneer of full-colour guide books

· Inventive design makes for an engaging, easy reading experience

About Insight Guides: Insight Guides is a pioneer of full-colour guide books, with almost 50 years' experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides with user-friendly, modern design. We produce around 400 full-colour print guide books and maps, as well as phrase books, picture-packed eBooks and apps to meet different travellers' needs. Insight Guides' unique combination of beautiful travel photography and focus on history and culture create a unique visual reference and planning tool to inspire your next adventure.

Why am I telling you all this? Because – as was the case for the previous edition – I'm the author of the Reunion part :-) 

The Insight Guide to Mauritius, Reunion & Seychelles is published today in the UK, and on 1st July 2019 in the USA & Canada.

See also:

• New guide book in English for Reunion (previous edition)