Jump to content
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT LOGGING IN ×
  • WELCOME GUEST

    It looks as if you are viewing PalmTalk as an unregistered Guest.

    Please consider registering so as to take better advantage of our vast knowledge base and friendly community.  By registering you will gain access to many features - among them are our powerful Search feature, the ability to Private Message other Users, and be able to post and/or answer questions from all over the world. It is completely free, no “catches,” and you will have complete control over how you wish to use this site.

    PalmTalk is sponsored by the International Palm Society. - an organization dedicated to learning everything about and enjoying palm trees (and their companion plants) while conserving endangered palm species and habitat worldwide. Please take the time to know us all better and register.

    guest Renda04.jpg

2020 IPS Reunion Island Biennial


LJG

Recommended Posts

Dear Members, 

Early registration for the next Biennial is now open!

From Saturday, May 23rd to Saturday, May 30th 2020, Réunion Island will welcome us for the Biennial. A small French island in the southern hemisphere in the heart of the Indian Ocean, La Réunion is located near Mauritius and the Big island of Madagascar.

The base for this eight-day journey will be the seaside resort of Saint-Gilles Les Bains on the west coast of the island. Each and every day will be dedicated to discovering palm-rich locations such as the Forest of Bélouve, the Tampon Palm Park and the Mare-Longue Forest, not to mention the Piton de la Fournaise and private gardens belonging to palm collectors.

Réunion Island is home to extraordinary palm of the genus Acanthophoenix, Dictyosperma, Hyophorbe and Latania. Organized in partnership with Palmeraie-Union, this event will be an opportunity to explore this exceptional place and its diverse palm flora. 

Pre and post tours include five different trips to Madagascar, a center of biodiversity and famous worldwide for its extraordinary landscapes, fauna and flora, and Mauritius, for a relaxing and exotic holiday. 

https://palms.org/pre-post-tours-of-madagascar/

 

Register until August 26th for early-bird special prices. 

For further information on the Biennial itinerary and pre/post tours, access 

https://palms.org/meeting-travel/next-meeting/

813B0057-39FF-42B4-A93C-B494C864E0A3.jpeg

  • Like 1

Len

Vista, CA (Zone 10a)

Shadowridge Area

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

-- Alfred Austin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for posting this Len! I looked at the registration page and the early-bird discount isn't mentioned, or I may have missed it. Can you describe the % difference in price for paying in full in the next 6 days vs. later? Or add that to the website? I didn't receive an email notification either, if one was sent to the membership, just happened to see this here.

Beautiful logo for the trip!

Thank you.

Kim Cyr

Between the beach and the bays, Point Loma, San Diego, California USA
and on a 300 year-old lava flow, Pahoa, Hawaii, 1/4 mile from the 2018 flow
All characters  in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted on IG, FB and Twitter. Posted here. Email blast was sent at around 11 this morning. 

Let me see about getting pricing clearly displayed. Ari is gone, so it might be tomorrow. Also, we are in discussions now to extend early bird a month. 6 days isn’t right to members because of the many delays along the food chain to get the biennial up and running. 

Len

Vista, CA (Zone 10a)

Shadowridge Area

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

-- Alfred Austin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kim, on web page now:

*Early Bird Rate (Available to the first 40 Registrants or to September 30th, whichever comes first):
 
Hotel Lux Twin Share ($2,350)
Hotel Lux Single Occupancy ($3,600)
Hotel Recif Twin Share ($2,000)
Hotel Recif Single Occupancy ($2,750)
 
After Expiration of Early Bird:
Hotel Lux Twin Share ($2,500)
Hotel Lux Single Occupancy ($3,750)
Hotel Recif Twin Share ($2150)
Hotel Recif Single Occupancy ($2,900)

Len

Vista, CA (Zone 10a)

Shadowridge Area

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

-- Alfred Austin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the added information! :greenthumb:

Kim Cyr

Between the beach and the bays, Point Loma, San Diego, California USA
and on a 300 year-old lava flow, Pahoa, Hawaii, 1/4 mile from the 2018 flow
All characters  in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looking over everything listed and included ( and what's not included) palm species & including pricey airfares from south Florida......this just knocked the wind out of my sails....

Jeff

Searle Brothers Nursery Inc.

and The Rainforest Collection.

Southwest Ranches,Fl.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

About $6K all-in from California 

Edited by joe_OC

Huntington Beach, CA

USDA Zone 10a/10b

Sunset Zone 24

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We are pretty far out -- 9 months -- to be confident in the airfare pricing. This early, prices are always high and may very well trend down 3 to 6 months from now.  At least I hope so... :(

Kim Cyr

Between the beach and the bays, Point Loma, San Diego, California USA
and on a 300 year-old lava flow, Pahoa, Hawaii, 1/4 mile from the 2018 flow
All characters  in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Airfare is not cheap for us in US. But as an Aussie IPS buddy said, “now we finally get a cheap location” in reference to their high cost in air travel to Colombia and Miami. 

For those looking into airfare costs, Reunion is a department (state) of France. Flights from Charles De Gaul are international and pricey, from Orlay are 'local" and far cheaper. Another option is fly into Antananarivo Madagascar - which is much less. Short flight over and you can do a pre/post trip in Mad to break it up. 

Thanks for the help again Joe!

Len

Vista, CA (Zone 10a)

Shadowridge Area

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

-- Alfred Austin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As has already been pointed out, airfares from the U.S. to Reunion for May 2020 are clearly on the high side. But keep in mind, Reunion is exactly on the other side of the planet from the U.S. West Coast! The obvious choice would seem to be to fly via Europe (specifically Paris) but another option is via Bangkok, and that can actually be considerably less expensive. The following airlines fly to Reunion (RUN):

Air France - lots of flights from both Paris CDG and Paris ORY (Orly). There is no significant difference in price.

French Bee - flights from Paris ORY.

XL Airways - flights from Paris CDG.

Air Austral - flights from Paris CDG and from Bangkok BKK.

Out of the four, Air France clearly has (by far) the most resources (read "planes") and currently has a total of 70 Boeing 777s which are used for the flights to RUN. Air France also has the advantage of being in the SkyTeam alliance (with KLM, Delta Air Lines and others).

French Bee - only three A350s in the fleet (but very competitive prices).

XL Airways - only four A330s in the fleet (with an additional Portuguese one leased in short term for the summer). Again, competitive prices.

Air Austral - three Boeing 777s and two 787 Dreamliners. The only one of the four that's based at RUN. Currently only two flights a week between BKK and RUN.

In many cases it will be most cost effective to book separate flights, whether flying via Paris or Bangkok and in such a scenario, always good to book in (at least) one night stop at the transit airport. And as has also being pointed out, this is nine months out and prices will definitely be very fluid. For instance, as of right now, Air France is showing very competitive prices for next week but all prices for May 2020 are very high. Likely to change. The question is when...

Another option is to look for flights to Mauritius (MRU). It's a very short flight from MRU to RUN.

Leilani Estates, 25 mls/40 km south of Hilo, Big Island of Hawai'i. Elevation 880 ft/270 m. Average rainfall 140 inches/3550 mm

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bo, can I post this on the FB page to inform people of what you said? This is very helpful. I’ll reference you. 

Len

Vista, CA (Zone 10a)

Shadowridge Area

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

-- Alfred Austin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello everybody

Waiting impatiently to meet all of you in our beautiful island !

For coming, the easier way i think is by Paris, and when you are in Paris, as you notice, there are 5 companies that have direct flights to Reunion - from Paris CDG or ORLY - (because of a lot of connections, as Reunion is a french territory). All those 5 companies are good ones with new planes and good standards so you can easily compare just the prices

If you travel by Paris, the better option is to go directly to Reunion island, the other options (as for example by Madagascar) are not good ones, there will be complicated, long and expensives.

On an international flight (from USA), you will necessary arrive to Paris CDG. So if you would like to take  a direct correspondance, it would be easier for you to leave Paris to Reunion island in the same Airport. If not, you will have to connect the 2 airports, so it could be quite long because you will have to cross Paris (2 hours). But if you will stay a little in Paris, never mind, you can leave Paris to Reunion whether from CDG or ORLY. 

Another options could be to come by London and Mauritius (correspondances Mauritius - Reunion are often and easy), but not sure it's easier because of one more correspondence, and less flights London - Mauritius than Paris - Reunion.

I don't know if it would be possible to come from USA west coast by the pacific way (i think it may be longer), but you have to notice that there are direct flights to Reunion from Bangkok and to Mauritius from Singapore.

An other advice, you'd better decide if you register a pre or post tour before booking your flights, because if you do it, you could whether go to Reunion and from Reunion go to the tour you choose (Madagascar or Mauritius), that is probably easier for going to Madagascar (Madagascar is probably easier to go from Reunion island than to go directly), but you can also go directly to the tour you choose (particulary if it's Mauritius) and then to Reunion (or the opposite for a post tour). If you book a pre or post tour, our local travel agency (Bourbon Voyage) could help you if you want,  to book your regional flights. Be careful for example than the different options of pre or post-tour in Madagascar are not necessary on the same airport arrival in Madagascar.

Don't hesitate if you have other questions. Maybe Palmtalk is the easier way to inform you of the different options, better than to inform each participant directly.

See you soon.

logo_biennale_2.png

 

 

Olivier
My Flickr Album
Palmeraie Union Society - Ti-Palm' Society

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, LJG said:

Bo, can I post this on the FB page to inform people of what you said? This is very helpful. I’ll reference you. 

Sure Len, perfectly OK so you're welcome to do that. A few additional comments:

French Bee and XL Airways both operate their aircraft in a high-density configuration. Example: XL Airways A330-300s have 408 seats (as a comparison, Air France has 224 in theirs...). French Bee has 411 seats in their A350s. (Another A350 operator, Thai Airways, has 321 in theirs). In other words, tight quarters for the relatively long Paris to Reunion flight. Air France and Air Austral would be the more comfortable options.

Currently, Air Austral has a price of about US$800 for the Bangkok to Reunion roundtrip.

Another option is via the Seychelles, which some people might be interested in. Unfortunately, there seems to be only one weekly roundtrip (Air Austral) between Mahe (SEZ, Seychelles) and RUN. Probably more connections via MRU.

Bo-Göran

  • Upvote 1

Leilani Estates, 25 mls/40 km south of Hilo, Big Island of Hawai'i. Elevation 880 ft/270 m. Average rainfall 140 inches/3550 mm

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

 The Chair of the IPS Committee tasked with publicity has asked me to post the following.

Note that the registration discount has been extended through September 30.

 I found some decent flight prices searching Miami to Paris and then separately Paris to Réunion, but plenty of time to decide and will mentally use my early sign up discount towards transportation.

 Don't miss this trip!

 

Dear Members,

Early registration for the next Biennial is now open!

From Saturday, May 23rd to Saturday, May 30th 2020, Réunion Island will welcome us for the Biennial. A small French island in the southern hemisphere in the heart of the Indian Ocean, La Réunion is located near Mauritius and the Big island of Madagascar.

The base for this eight-day journey will be the seaside resort of Saint-Gilles Les Bains on the west coast of the island. Each and every day will be dedicated to discovering palm-rich locations such as the Forest of Bélouve, the Tampon Palm Park and the Mare-Longue Forest, not to mention the Piton de la Fournaise and private gardens belonging to palm collectors.

Réunion Island is home to extraordinary palm of the genus Acanthophoenix, Dictyosperma, Hyophorbe and Latania. Organized in partnership with Palmeraie-Union, this event will be an opportunity to explore this exceptional place and its diverse palm flora.

Pre and post tours include five different trips to Madagascar, a center of biodiversity and famous worldwide for its extraordinary landscapes, fauna and flora, and Mauritius, for a relaxing and exotic holiday.

Register until September 30th for early-bird special prices.
For further information on the Biennial itinerary and pre/post tours, access

www.palms.org

and click on “Meetings & Travel”

Cindy Adair

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Olivier,

Would you be so kind as to tell us what to expect weather-wise.    This will  help in deciding what to pack.   Many of us are from the northern hemisphere so are seasons are the opposite.

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Tuesday October 8th  

2020 Biennial in La Réunion: palms and more!

On your free day during the Biennial week, you will have the choice between staying at the hotel and enjoying well-deserved relaxation by the pool or at the beach, exploring markets, shopping, or choosing from many opportunities for optional sightseeing and activities that will be offered. Please book these with your biennial registration: Lava flows excursion, Canoe/Rafting, Volcan Piton de la Fournaise tour, Salazie excursion, Diving Experience, visit Private Gardens of members of Palmeraie -Union, Helicopter tour of the island.  Refer to the Optional Free-Day Tours.

For further information, visit https://palms.org/optional-tours/

IMG_9136.jpeg.eaa35bea29db0bd802bbdd036e63ae2b.jpeg

                                                                Photo by L. Prieguez

 

  • Upvote 1

Cindy Adair

Link to comment
Share on other sites

155627820_acanthophoenix-rubra---plantations---saint-philippe_47966520936_ocopy.jpeg.bd700d7a4fa1c1d24eaf38ffef867d02.jpeg

                                                                         Photo by O. Reilhes

La Réunion: The Wild South


On this last day of your visit, we head to the wild south of the island. The south is the region of the island where large plantations of red palmists (Acanthophoenix rubra) are cultivated. We shall tour a red palmist plantation in a breathtaking landscape between sea and mountains. 
For lunch, we shall enjoy a menu based on hearts of palms. We shall sample the Reunion palmists as well as other palms grown for consumption: Roystonea palms and the pejibaye (Bactris gasipaes).  

Information and registration: https://palms.org/meeting-travel/next-meeting/

Cindy Adair

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Getting to La Réunion

La Réunion is an overseas department of France. Flights from Paris Orly Airport are considered domestic and ticketed as such.

Consider a stop-over in Paris before joining the IPS for the 2020 Biennial in La Réunion!

Register until November 22nd to guarantee prices and availability. 

https://palms.org/meeting-travel/next-meeting/

 

2090882689_page1image4808232.jpeg.ca0185ec9430767a7883d9db700ae0c1.jpeg

Photo by L. Priegues

 

Cindy Adair

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  Madagascar: South Coast Pre-Tour

2DA3CEEF-E85A-4894-A991-4B5C2C45800D.jpeg.dbb25903ba033ab1dc8664d116a81187.jpeg

           Photo by O. Reilhes

The forest of Sainte Luce, north of Fort Dauphin, is well known for giving its name to a very beautiful and colourful palm, Dypsis saintelucei. This reserve, managed by an NGO,is a small corner of paradise, located on a wild peninsula between fantastic beaches as far as the eye can see and lush forest. It is home to many species of lemurs, endemic birds and reptiles, as well as a very interesting flora typical of pandanus coastal forests, including many species of understory palms.

 

 To join this incredible trip, visit https://palms.org/pre-post-tours-of-madagascar/

 Register until November 22nd to guarantee prices and availability.

Cindy Adair

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Winter in La Réunion – the drycool season - runs from May to October, when temperatures vary between 28°C and 19°C (82°F and 66°F). However, showers may occur even in the drier months, so don’t forget to pack a raincoat.  

 Perfect weather to visit this small and beautiful paradise in the Indian Ocean.

 Register before November 22nd to guarantee prices and availability.

https://palms.org/meeting-travel/next-meeting/

CC88B31D-774D-44D2-94B5-3D707B3AE3F4.jpeg.55c69eb65138916cd4d40cb64cf80a67.jpeg

      Photo courtesy of Bourbon             Tourisme – Ile da La Réunion

Cindy Adair

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To enter La Réunion, a passport valid for at least three months beyond the last day of stay and a return ticket are required for citizens of the UK, Australia, Canada, and USA for tourist visits up to three months. No need for a visa! 

Please check with your embassy to make sure!

 32246DC4-BD78-4EBA-937E-8EE73F2E1589.thumb.jpeg.4ae1846880708ae01886acf6e9e059c1.jpeg

Photo courtesy of Bourbon Tourisme – Ile da La Réunion

 

Register before November 25th to guarantee prices and availability.

 

https://palms.org/meeting-travel/next-meeting/

 

Cindy Adair

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Starting to research flights. I am far from a travel agent,  but do like to go beyond the usual search options and often get cheaper and better choices.

I see round trip, one stop flights from Ft. Lauderdale to Paris for the dates of the Biennial for $492.

I also see a round trip on Delta from Ft. Lauderdale vía Johannesburg South Africa to Mauritius for $862.

Many ways to fly from Puerto Rico to Ft. Lauderdale and could be fun to meet up with fellow IPS travelers coming from FL.

This option includes  a 16 hour layover in Johannesburg to rest and possibly fewer hours flying as it seems a shorter route looking at my globe.

Timing is good for a good night’s sleep after dinner at the nice place I stayed en route to Madagascar which provided free airport transfers. And time for breakfast before the next day’s flight.

Today I see three different 45 minute nonstop flights daily for about $300 round trip between Reunion and Mauritius.

Cindy Adair

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the IPS in conserving palms and travel to La Réunion!

The International Palm Society fully supports the conservation of palm biodiversity and indigenous knowledge. The IPS-sponsored Biennial tours are important fundraising events that help the IPS further education and research-based conservation. 

 Register today! Last opportunity to guarantee advertised price! 

https://palms.org/meeting-travel/next-meeting/

The main airline to serve La Réunion is Air France from Paris. 

Alternatively, why not include a layover in South Africa?

Delta and South African Airways fly direct from the USA to Johannesburg where you can take a connecting flight to La Réunion with Air Austral.

C54D7898-020D-409F-BBC6-3E3B2FE6670B.jpeg.c3f4de503e441204df62505baf8586fe.jpeg

2014 minutes Miami Biennial Group Photo

Cindy Adair

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

You only have until January 13th 2020 to register for the IPS La Réunion Biennial and pre/post tours!

  We have managed to extend registration – but only guaranteed until 13thJanuary 2020. 

Madagascar: from Andasibe to east coast post tour:

During this tour, you will visit Andasibe-Mantadia National Park and stay at Vakona Forest Lodge (subject to availability), known for cultivating in its garden the famous Dypsis sp. Black Stem, a form of Dypsis baroniiThis clumping palm has dark-colored stems and petioles, contrasting with a white crown shaft.  

     YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS THIS         OPPORTUNITY!

 Register at https://palms.org/pre-post-tours-of-madagascar/

Madagascar: from Andasibe to east coast post tour

0C3023E9-D9DC-4CB1-AAA1-7D46AF74ED07.jpeg.3bbf171761e0891a0e4896c778a77feb.jpeg

 Photo by OReilhes

Cindy Adair

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ONE MONTH TO GO! REGISTRATION CLOSES JANUARY 13TH 2020!

 Madagascar: South Coast Pretour

North of Fort Dauphin, in the forest area of Tsitongambarika, you will discover the Mandena Reserve, a protected reserve under a mining concession. This reserve was described by Dransfield & Rakotoarinivo in 2012 as a hotspot of Malagasy diversity with many newly described species. There, you will have the chance to observe the very rare aquatic palm, Ravenea musicalis, accompanied by another amazing aquatic palm, Dypsis aquatilis. You may also have the chance to see Beccariophoenix madagascariensis, an imposing palm that has become increasingly rare in its natural environment because it is harvested by local populations for palm heart. The forest also hosts many species of small understory palms, nepenthes, beautiful and numerous species of orchids, as well as 6 species of lemurs.

https://palms.org/pre-post-tours-of-madagascar/  

FE8279B9-F5E6-41F6-912D-669B006826BF.thumb.jpeg.9f63a811b58dcf7e2540d774d87c30af.jpeg

              Photo by O. Reilhes

Cindy Adair

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/24/2019 at 5:27 AM, Cindy Adair said:

Join the IPS in conserving palms and travel to La Réunion!

The International Palm Society fully supports the conservation of palm biodiversity and indigenous knowledge. The IPS-sponsored Biennial tours are important fundraising events that help the IPS further education and research-based conservation. 

 Register today! Last opportunity to guarantee advertised price! 

https://palms.org/meeting-travel/next-meeting/

The main airline to serve La Réunion is Air France from Paris. 

Alternatively, why not include a layover in South Africa?

Delta and South African Airways fly direct from the USA to Johannesburg where you can take a connecting flight to La Réunion with Air Austral.

C54D7898-020D-409F-BBC6-3E3B2FE6670B.jpeg.c3f4de503e441204df62505baf8586fe.jpeg

2014 minutes Miami Biennial Group Photo

NOW that.....was a fun and great biennial! What a nice picture.

Jeff

Searle Brothers Nursery Inc.

and The Rainforest Collection.

Southwest Ranches,Fl.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now



  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...