Cyril Maillot is a mail carrier in Réunion – in the most literal sense. On the tropical island in the Indian Ocean, some villages can’t be reached by road. So Maillot hikes to remote areas with a backpack full of mail. He travels by foot to places not accessible by car, deep into the mountainous region of Mafate.

A hike of several days over narrow paths and steep ascents – and in all kinds of weather. When it rains, the streams sometimes swell into a raging river. But Cyril Maillot loves his job. It’s his personal yoga: “You switch off completely and leave city life behind.” And for many of the local people in the mountains, the weekly visit by Cyril the mail carrier is their only regular contact with the outside world. A report by Lisa Louis.

Réunion Island, a French department in the Indian Ocean, is known for its volcanic, rainforested interior, coral reefs and beaches. Its most iconic landmark is Piton de la Fournaise, a climbable active volcano standing 2,632m (8,635 ft.). Piton des Neiges, a massive extinct volcano, and Réunion’s 3 calderas (natural amphitheaters formed by collapsed volcanoes), are also climbing destinations.