Chill trip on a catamaran, 100% relax
For a morning that starts off on the right foot, we recommend a short catamaran trip… on the program, breakfast, sunbathing on the nets and with a little luck, the magical dolfins’ observation.
What is a Zarlor ?
Zarlor is a creol word that means « treasure » !
But here, ” Zarlor ” are activities, recommendations (guided tours, sport or cutltural activities…) highlighted by the Tourist Office to discover or re discover the West part of the island.
Meeting point at Saint-Gilles’ harbour
We go at “Le Grand Bleu” at Saint-Gilles’ harbour in the West of the island! The weather is perfect and no wind to bother us, this morning chill trip on a catamaran looks very good. We get our places at the reception and we wait for our group to be complete. Once all there, our guides for the morning join us, breakfast in hand. Early in the morning, the good smell of croissants and chocolate breads would make us follow them anywhere!
Let’s go on the Cata Passion !
And yes, “Le Grand Bleu” has several boats depending on the outings, the Dauphin Safari, Cat Alizé, Cat Ananas, Ti Zourit… on our side, we embark on the superb Cata Passion for this chill trip on a catamaran at sea! No more than a dozen, we quietly leave the port to start this 2h30/3h outing at sea!
Port, starboard… a safety point
Before starting the trip, we are all invited to the front of the catamaran for a safety brief. And yes, casually, we are on the sea, so we need a minimum of information so that this chill catamaran trip goes as well as possible, without anyone falling overboard!
100% relax with this chill trip on a catamaran
That’s it, we’re ready! We go back to the cabin side… where we are served breakfast on the small covered outdoor terrace, how classy! At the level of the interior cabin, a bar with a coffee and tea machine to accompany our small pastries. Everyone has the papaya smile, we’re on our way to enjoying this beautiful sunny morning.
After this snack, we go back to the front to land on the “trampolines” (nets). Nicolas, our skipper brings us a loudspeaker and one of the passengers offers to put on some sound. Fortunately, good pick! This laid back playlist really fits the moment.
The dolphin show
And as that was not enough, we also have the right to a cetacean show. Several groups of dolphins are in the area and we can see some of them playing. Some get closer to the catamaran, others make acrobatic jumps in the distance… a real delight! In other words, it’s the icing on the cake of a morning that had already started more than well.
Nicolas explains a little about the different species of dolphins that we have in front of us and that we can see in Reunion. Their sizes, habits and other anecdotes. He also tells us about the approach charter to be respected for cetacean observation (respect for distances, speed, number of boats, etc.). Cool and instructive even if, it must be said, we all have our eyes glued to the show!
Aperitif time
Just to say, time flies when you feel good… we must have been enjoying every second of this trip on the boat for an hour and a half. The crew brings out an homemade punch and a large platter of fresh pineapple. We are really well looked after! Suffice to say that we could see ourselves staying there all day enjoying the sun on the catamaran.
Great view on the coast… Boucan Canot, Cap la Houssaye… with a musical atmosphere that is just perfectly fit with the moment.
Lunch in Saint-Gilles
To end this morning perfectly, it’s time to go to Saint-Gilles for lunch in a restaurant partner of the Tourist Office!
Of course, all good things come to an end and it’s already time to go home… But we’ve already enjoyed it so much, it feels like we’ve condensed a week’s vacation into half a day! One thing is certain, we will soon see us again on a Grand Bleu trip!
Pratical Infos:
This Zarlor “Catamaran sea trip” from the Saint-Gilles’ harbour, lasts about 2h30/3h for the sea trip which includes: breakfast and aperitif plus lunch in Saint-Gilles. The price is 67€ for adults and 42€ for children (1 to 11 years old).
It is also possible to do the opposite and start with lunch and then go for the catamaran trip in the sunset afternoon! In this case, the restaurant and the boat departure are not in the same place.
For all the details on this outing and to book your Zarlor Chill Trip on a Catamaran, it’s on the website of West Tourist Office.
Remember to take: cap, sunglasses and sunscreen. You can bring your swimsuit for sunbathing, but we can’t swim.
And to find all our activities in Réunion, it’s this way !
[…] we opted for the trip on a small boat, the Splash, since we recently went on a catamaran trip with dolphin watching. It is also possible to go a little longer on larger boats. For today, meet at the […]