IT IS an eerie and surreal landscape. Bleak but with ethereal beauty. Nothing grows, nothing moves.

Craters pockmark the surface and the dusty terrain swirls from orange to black and red to brown as we look on from above.

However, this is no excursion to a distant planet.

Click here for amazing Réunion deals

My partner Jo and I are in a helicopter above Piton de la Fournaise, a massive volcano on the island of Réunion.

In the southern Indian Ocean 140 miles from Mauritius, Réunion is renowned for its tropical beaches rather than peculiar Martian landscape.

Yet its diminutive size belies a rugged, eclectic scenery.

A helicopter tour gives us an ideal summary as we swoop over rocky peaks and lush valleys, spy inaccessible waterfalls and are dazzled by the luminous reef.

“Whales,” the pilot’s voice abruptly crackles and suddenly we are diving towards the ocean.

There are three, just beyond the reef, a mother leading two calves.

It’s delightful and strangely moving.

Back at the hotel the adrenaline is still pumping from the flight but this is the perfect place to wind down.

Part of the newly formed LUX* Island Resorts group, LUX* Ile de La Réunion is the only five-star hotel on the island.

The colonial-style architecture is formal and elegant with white weatherboard panelling and sun-bleached wooden roof tiles.

At the heart is a large, irregularly shaped pool, bordered by giant boulders.

Guests stay in two-storey villas stylishly finished in muted greys and taupes with Philippe Starck accoutrements.

A balcony offers views across the exotic gardens to the beach.

Our fellow guests are sophisticated, fashion-conscious, as elegant as the hotel and almost exclusively French.

Réunion is an overseas department of France and the outermost region of the European Union.

Even the currency here is the euro.

Click here for great Mauritius deals

Inevitably we are drawn to the beach.

All is tranquil yet in the distance huge waves smash into the reef.

It’s as if the five-starluxury extends over the calm lagoon and not even nature is allowed to disturb the serenity.

We grab snorkelling gear and immerse ourselves in a vivid subterranean garden where multi-coloured coral is a stunning backdrop to dozens of varieties of neon-hued