Why I love where I live... on Réunion island

It was a job opportunity that originally brought Barry Kacher, 65, to France. 

Born in London, and having grown up in Leicester, he started his career with the French hotel chain Novotel in the UK and was transferred to its Paris branch in 1982. 

It was here where he met his wife, Miguy, who was from the island of Réunion, a French overseas department in the Indian ocean, between Madagascar and Mauritius. 

“Working in Paris was a fantastic experience for me, and opened horizons that I hadn't previously imagined,” he says. 

It was a chance for Barry to improve his French and gain a deeper appreciation for a country he had previously visited on school trips. He is still in touch with his exchange partner and credits that initial experience with helping him “warm to France and all things French”.

After several years working in London, then in northern France, Barry and Miguy moved to her home department of Réunion in 1997. 

“Coming to Réunion was made easier as we didn't have any children and Miguy had family waiting for her on the island, so we had a home to go to,” he says. 

Barry thought he would continue his career in hotels, but found the industry very different on the island. 

“It was a lot quieter, so I answered a need for native English teachers instead – and I have been teaching English to adults ever since. Fingers crossed I shall be retiring next year, or 2027 at the latest.”

Barry lives in Piton Saint-Leu, on the west coast of the island, where he built his own home. 

It is a “fast developing town” he says, helped by the completion of the Route des Tamarins in 2008, a dual carriageway linking the north and the south of the island. 

A huge draw of Réunion is its scenery, which includes volcanoes, beaches and rainforests. 

“[It is] a naturally spectacular island with an amazing landscape. There are a large number of hiking and walking opportunities,” he says. 

He enjoys the peace of the island, where outside of resort areas such as Saint-Gilles, it is quiet after 20:00. 

And while it is "evident" the island is a French overseas department, “daily life is more laid-back than that of metropolitan France”. 

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Barry has enjoyed embracing the culture of Réunion. 

“The local cuisine is delicious and the arts, music, and cultural scene is flourishing, with plenty to see and do.” 

However, there is one piece of his old life in Blighty he has been less keen to leave behind: “Thanks to live streaming of County Championship Cricket from England, life on this paradise island has become heavenly!” he says. 

The main challenge of living on Réunion, according to Barry, is its remote location. 

“It is very expensive to travel,” he says. “A return flight to Paris in the holiday season starts at €1,200, so holidays are becoming extremely expensive for many families.”

For his most recent trip to the UK, this summer, the cost of flights from Réunion to Paris, and Paris to Birmingham came to around €2,000. 

The cost of living has also risen, he says, “and the supermarket prices are higher than in mainland France”. 

Despite this, Barry is very happy on the island, thanks largely to the warmth of other residents. 

“I have always been treated with respect and there is a natural charm and friendliness in the people of the island. The cultural mix and the vivre ensemble mentality are among the island's best qualities.”