Reunion Island: Some Interesting Facts

Public Holidays

Date 2005 Occasion
January 1 New Year's Day  
March 25 Good Friday
March 27 Easter  
March 28 Easter Monday
May 1 Labour Day
May 8 Fête de la Victoire 1945 (WWII Victory Day)
May 5 Ascension
May 15 Whit Sunday (Pentecost)
May 16 Whit Monday
July 14 Bastille Day  
August 15 Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
November 1 All Saints Day
November 11 Armistice Day
December 25 Christmas Day  

Customs & Duties

All animals, plants, vegetables and vegetable products are prohibited items in order to safeguard the naïve flora and fauna. What is permitted without incurring customs duties is 200 Cigarettes, 50 Cigars, 250g Tobacco; 1 Litre of spirits, 2 Litres of
sparkling wine and up to 50cc of perfume for personal use.

Electricity

Electricity is supplied at 220 Volts at 50Hz and so electrical appliances not on compatible settings will need adaptors or converters. Power surges are frequent and can damage delicate equipment like computers and laptops. They are better off battery operated. Plugs are mainly round 2-pin, fused or unfused.

Post & Communications

IDD facilities are available on Réunion. There are no areas codes but the country code is 262. Airmail to Western Europe takes up to three weeks. Poste Restante facilities are available at the post office in the capital, Saint-Denis.

Weights and measures

The Standard Metric system is prevalent which basically means the use of litres instead of pints and gallons for liquids, grams and kilograms instead of ounces and pounds for solids and kilometers in place of miles to measure distance.

Tipping

Tipping is widely practiced and very welcome. 10% is the usual amount though the amount of gratuity depends on personal preference.

English Language Media

There is no English language publication on Réunion Island, though BBC and VOA broadcasts can be tuned into for English language programmes. Frequencies change from time to time. The two biggest dailies on the Réunion are the Quotidien de la Réunion and the Journal de l'Ile de la Réunion.