Seychelles: Truly a tropical paradise!

Sunset at Beau Vallon Beach

Seychelles Quick facts:

Capital: Victoria 

Known for: beautiful beaches, unspoiled nature and biodiversity, Coco de mer, Aldabra tortoises.

Islands: 100+; the three largest are Mahe, Praslin and La Digue.

Languages: Seychellois Creole, English and French

Currency: Seychellois Rupee, SCR (the Euro is widely accepted). 1€=~15 SCR (July 2019)

Visa policy: Visa-free but evidence of return flight and accommodation booking will be required.

Aldabra Giant Tortoise 

When you think of Seychelles, images of endless miles of Idyllic beaches immediately spring to mind but my trip to this country made me realise that there is much more to this country than beautiful beaches. This island country situated in the Indian Ocean about 1500km off the East Coast of Africa, has the smallest population of any independent African nation and the highest Human Development Index  (HDI). Having exchanged hands between French and British colonial powers, this country has now become a rich mix of cultures and many Seychellois are bilingual. The culture is also heavily influenced by centuries of interaction with the Indian subcontinent.

Arrival...

My flight landed in the relatively small International Airport (SEZ) early in the morning and the descent into the runway afforded stunning views of the nearby mountains and greenery. The airport is a short drive South of the capital, Victoria, and is served by many international airlines connecting with major hubs eg London, Dubai, Doha, Addis Ababa. 

The immigration procedure was pretty straightforward for most visitors. As a visa-free destination, most passengers with more “powerful” passports get their passports stamped on arrival with no hassle but for those with other passports, the extra checks are mandatory and I have now got used to this. The immigration officers were quite friendly and kept the jokes flowing but it took a confirmatory phone call to my hotel, proof of my return flight and several questions about my occupation and reason for visiting to get clearance. I was one of the first passengers to get to the immigration desk but was the very last to leave! At last, I had my passport endorsed for the exact number of days of my hotel booking. 

Driving in Mahe
It turned out my hotel was in Takamaka, on the southern tip of the island and even though there were public buses around the island, they are infrequent. It was more economical to hire a car as the cost of a taxi ride to my hotel was more than the cost of a car hire for a day! I strongly recommend hiring a vehicle for anyone planning to visit Seychelles-except, of course, if you intend to sequester yourself in your hotel room (which would be a shame)! If you do decide to drive, be mindful that the roads are quite narrow and in some areas, there are no barriers separating the edge of the road from the cliff edge. Drive cautiously if you don’t intend to plunge your car several feet off a cliff into the ocean! I would also recommend hiring an automatic car except if you are an expert at driving manual cars up very steep hills. The only dual carriageway is the highway leading from the airport to Victoria. Most others are narrow, winding roads. Seychelles drives on the right.

Takamaka, Mahe, Seychelles

Where to stay

My accommodation itself was good; right on the beach and the facilities were adequate. I had booked this particular place based on cost without paying much attention to its location. As I would soon discover, that part of the island was rather quiet, ideal for presumably older couples seeking a peaceful get-away. If you seek a vibrant nightlife, you definitely want to stay on the Western part of the island, particularly around Beau Vallon. I ended up making several trips to Beau Vallon but having to drive about an hour at night through those treacherous roads proved the ideal adventure! Beau Vallon has most of the touristy stuff on Mahe Island; bars, restaurants, an open air market with lots of food and souvenir stalls, an outdoor gym and so on. You also want to be there at dusk to catch a glimpse of the setting sun-a truly memorable experience. 

As for the capital, Victoria, there are a few museums, a large Hindu temple and other historical monuments including a statue of Queen Victoria after whom the city is named but one is not to miss the Victoria Clock Tower, a replica of Vauxhall Clock Tower (aka Little Ben) in London, built to mark the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria.

Victoria Clock Tower

The people...

It was quite interesting to note the rich mix of French/British/Indian cultures that is quite unique to these islands. Seychelles also has a distinctive “Caribbean feel” even though it isn’t really in the Caribbean. The French were the initial colonists who discovered the islands (there was no indigenous population) and the Seychellois creole is based on the French language. French influences can still be seen in some of the place names but almost all road signs and signposts are in English and as a result, most locals are bilingual. The majority of Seychellois are of mixed ethnic heritage and they are proud of this identity.

I found the locals to be extremely friendly and helpful. On a particular night trip back from Beau Vallon, I got my front left tyre stuck in a gutter by the side of the road and before I could say “Jack Robinson”, and without asking, a group of people (men and women) came to my rescue and literally lifted the car out of the ditch and this was done and dusted within 5 minutes of the incident and I did not even have to step out of the car! 

The food...

Street food  

I was quite keen to try out the much talked about “creole” dishes, which are often fish/seafood-based with rice and other tropical staple food items. Being a lover of fish myself, I was in the right place and I was not disappointed! The best place to try out the best grilled fish, snacks (try the sweet corn cake) and local drinks is the open market at Beau Vallon (Bazaar Labrin).

Other islands

Bicycles on La Digue 

Norte Dame Church, La Digue

La Digue Island

Having explored the many beaches of Mahe Island, I decided to take my adventure to some of the other islands. First, I stumbled on a beautiful beach with shallow waters and as I was admiring it, a young man selling fresh coconut told me that it was possible to walk across to the nearby island at low tide. I took up the challenge and returned early the following morning. I could see a few people on the island which was just under a kilometre from the main island so I started walking across. At low tide, the maximum depth was about mid-thigh. The only problem was the sharp rock bed which made walking a bit tricky. As I was approaching the other island, I saw a few blokes playing some sort of beach volleyball and I thought it was a bit unusual that there were a couple of cameras filming. Then came the real surprise. Suddenly, a huge dog came running and barking towards me. I initially thought it was being friendly but soon realised that I was about to be attacked by some aggressive canine! Fortunately, one of the guys called out to the dog and it returned to its master. Not long afterwards, there was an announcement over the loudspeaker in some foreign language that I could not decipher. I figured it was probably some sort of warning to keep off so I walked away to the other side of the island where 2 other people were sunbathing. I asked them if it was a private island and they said they weren’t sure as they were also visiting. A local boat driver later explained that there was a reality TV show being filmed on the island. A quick google search soon revealed that the show is the Russian equivalent of Love Island (UK). That was how I accidentally photobombed (or should I say, "videobombed") one of Russia’s biggest reality TV shows! 
After spending an hour on this island, I soon realised that the tide was coming in fast and had to walk back to the main island. This time, the water was about waist deep with a fairly strong undercurrent but I made it back just in time.

Mystery island where the Russian reality TV show is being filmed

One of the main objectives of this trip to the Seychelles was to visit the world-famous Anse Source d’Argent beach on La Digue Island and given the short time left on the trip, I opted for a guided tour. I personally prefer to explore places on my own terms than being herded and rushed on guided tours but I had no choice this time. 

The journey from Mahe to Praslin took about 1hr with a small speed boat. The ride was bumpy at times but it was quite interesting that there was complete mobile network coverage the entire journey.  

Anse Lazio beach

The first stop was Praslin Island and the tour included a visit to Vallee de Mai, one of the two world heritage sites in Seychelles, where the distinctive Coco de Mer grows in the wild. We were given a cursory tour and shown some Coco de Mer trees. The Coco de Mer is a unique palm tree-like plant with a very suggestive-looking fruit (see the pictures and decide for yourself)! Little wonder it is often referred to as the "forbidden fruit", the very one eaten by Eve. The  British explorer who popularised this myth also believed the Vallee de Mai must have been the garden of Eden. The Coco de Mer is so endangered that being caught with the fruit can attract severe punishment including several years behind bars! Despite it being the world’s most protected plant, it is astonishing that I had not heard of the Coco de Mer until I came to the Seychelles! 

Coco de Mer fruit 

Anse Lazio, Praslin Island

From Vallee de Mai, we were taken to Anse Lazio beach which was touted as one of the world’s most beautiful beaches. I thought it was beautiful but I was more eager to see La Digue. A short boat ride later (about 15 minutes), we arrived at La Digue and the first thing that struck me was the very laid back atmosphere on the island. There are no private cars, just a few taxis and lots of bicycles. I made for the main attraction, Anse Source d’Argent beach which is situated in a national Park with an entrance fee of about €7. There are a few attractions on the way to the beach including a small museum. 
The beach itself was as stunning as the pictures I had seen. The granite boulders provided a unique backdrop to the crystal clear waters. The water was also shallow enough to walk out for a few hundred meters but be mindful of the sharp rocks. After spending three hours on the beach, it was time to return but I wish I had much more time to explore the island. I was so enchanted by La Digue that I was already contemplating retiring to the island if I could! 

Anse Source D'Argent beach, La Digue. 

Crystal clear waters and an incredible backdrop

La Digue

There are only few places on our planet with this unique potpourri of cultures and such gorgeous scenery as the Seychelles! 

 And my travel adventure continues....