The island of Réunion lies in the Indian Ocean, about 800km (500mi) east of Madagascar and roughly 220km (140mi) south-west of Mauritius. It's just slightly smaller than the US state of Rhode Island and just a bit larger than Mauritius, but with around half the population of the latter. Just in case anyone was in doubt about its origins, its active volcano, Piton de la Fournaise, erupted in 1986, spewing lava into the sea and adding a few square metres to the island.

There are two major mountain zones on Réunion; one covers two-thirds of the island's western half. The highest peak is Piton des Neiges at 3069m (10,066ft) an alpine-class peak. Surrounding it are the three immense and splendid amphitheatres: the cirques of Cilaos, Mafate and Salazie. These long, wide, deep hollows are sheer-walled canyons filled with convoluted peaks and valleys, the eroded remnants of the ancient volcanic shield which surrounded Piton des Neiges. The smaller mountain zone lies in the south-east and is still evolving. No one lives in the shadow of the volcano, where lava flowing down to the shore has left a jumbled slope of cooled black volcanic rock. Between these two major mountainous zones are the high plains and the valley plains, and all the central plains are ringed by a coastal plain of varying width.

Réunion not only takes it from the volcano now and again, it also gets a lashing from cyclones. Cyclone Clotilde, which crashed into the island on Black Friday (13 February 1987 - a memorable Friday the 13th), causing millions of dollars of damage to crops, roads and buildings. There was another nasty cyclone in 1992. Because of the high mountains, the island's climate varies more than that of Mauritius. However, it still experiences only two distinct seasons: the hot, rainy summer from October to March and the cool, dry winter from April to September. The windward east coast is considerably wetter than the dry, brown west coast, but the wettest region is the heights above the east coast.

Temperatures on the coast average 21°C (70°F) during winter and 28°C (82°F) during summer. In the mountains, they drop to a 12°C (54°F) daily high in winter and 18°C (64°F) in summer.

If you don't want to live in budget accommodation, and intend to indulge in lots of water activities, come with a decent budget. If you intend on staying at the more upmarket hotels, it may be best to take advantage of package rates by booking from overseas. Réunion is an expensive place to visit primarily due to the lack of inexpensive accommodation, though you can head into the hills and camp or stay in mountain huts. If you stay in budget accommodation, you should be able to keep the costs down to about US$30 a day. Otherwise, a moderate budget will require closer to US$50-60 a day; an upscale one can reach the highest heights.

The main banks in Réunion are French. There's technically no problem changing major foreign currencies in Reunion - all banks offer exchange facilities - but low official exchange rates and punitive commissions on changing foreign currency travellers cheques make it sensible to carry Euros, or at least Euro travellers cheques, for your stay in Réunion. Most major credit cards are widely accepted.

Many restaurants include service charges in their prices and don't encourage additional tipping, but those which advertise

Climate should be your first consideration if you want to experience Réunion at its best. The only time to seriously consider trekking through Réunion's spectacular mountain country is during the dry season from April to September. The downside of climate-related trip planning is that everyone else has the same idea. You're strongly advised to book well in advance, especially during the peak tourist times. April, May and the French school holidays from late July to early September are the busiest times, and in August you risk being left high and dry without accommodation unless you book in advance. This is also high trekking season. The quietest times are during cyclone-prone February and March. The seasons normally change in April and that isn't too bad for a time for a visit; but, for maximum spatial and climatic enjoyment, May and June are probably the best months of all.