v2.webp){kind=logo}
- Vanilla vines: The sight most people come for. Green orchid vines wind up supports in the shade, and you learn why a flower open for a single morning needs a human finger to set a pod. Bourbon vanilla is the island’s signature crop.
- Pepper plants: Clusters of green berries hang from climbing stems, and you can see how the same plant produces green, black and white pepper. Most travelers have never seen it growing.
- Cinnamon trees: Crush a leaf and the scent is strong, spicy and surprisingly clove-like. The bark is the familiar spice, but the leaf is the better smell.
- Clove and nutmeg trees: These two trace back to the 18th century, when spice plants were moved across the Indian Ocean to French island colonies. Seeing the tree behind the jar in your hostel kitchen is oddly satisfying.
- Ylang-ylang:
- Vanilla vines: The sight most people come for. Green orchid vines wind up supports in the shade, and you learn why a flower open for a single morning needs a human finger to set a pod. Bourbon vanilla is the island’s signature crop.
- Pepper plants: Clusters of green berries hang from climbing stems, and you can see how the same plant produces green, black and white pepper. Most travelers have never seen it growing.
- Cinnamon trees: Crush a leaf and the scent is strong, spicy and surprisingly clove-like. The bark is the familiar spice, but the leaf is the better smell.
- Clove and nutmeg trees: These two trace back to the 18th century, when spice plants were moved across the Indian Ocean to French island colonies. Seeing the tree behind the jar in your hostel kitchen is oddly satisfying.
- Ylang-ylang: A tropical tree with drooping yellow-green flowers whose heavy, sweet scent goes into perfume. It is the most floral stop on the walk, and the smell carries on warm air.
- Vetiver and geranium: Humble-looking plants, but their roots and leaves yield essential oils that have long been part of Réunion’s agriculture. Rub a leaf and you will recognize the smell from soaps and balms.
- Lemongrass and turmeric beds: Everyday kitchen plants you will meet in local cooking all over the island. Seeing the orange rhizome pulled from the soil shows why it stains everything.
- The garden shop: Spices, vanilla pods and preserved products to take home, a much better souvenir than a fridge magnet. Prices are higher than at a market, so buy small and for quality.
Spotted a mistake or missing something? Contact us.
Best Backpacking
.jpg)
Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.