The 6 days we spent in the Seychelles Islands will always be unforgettable!
The Seychelles Islands has much more to offer than the beautiful beaches it is most well known for. Life in the Seychelles Islands is characterized by majestic seascapes, unparalleled beauty and temperate weather. The country is also home to a vibrant diversity of cultures.
We flew into Mahe, the biggest island in the Seychelles Islands very early in the morning. We were very pleasantly surprised to be given our hotel room at 6 am in the morning. The normal check-in was at 2 pm!!!
This was a brilliant start to a fantastic 6 days of fun, fun and more fun!!!! Enjoy our Ultimate Guide to the Seychelles Islands.
About the Seychelles – The Best Islands Destination
An island nation, the Seychelles Islands are located in the Indian Ocean. It is northeast of Madagascar and about 1,600 kms (994 miles) east of Kenya. The archipelago consists of 115 islands. Further, the majority of the islands are uninhabited, with many dedicated as nature reserves.
Mahé, a hub for visiting the other Seychelles Islands, is home to the capital, Victoria. It also has the mountain rainforests of Morne Seychellois National Park and many awesome beaches. Beaches include Beau Vallon and Port Launay.
The islands were discovered in 1509 by the Portuguese explorer, Vasco de Gama. It was uninhabited until the middle of the 18th century when the French colonized the islands. Much of the charm of the archipelago lies in its chequered history. Interestingly, both the French and British colonialists held sway here over the centuries.
The most unique feature of this islands paradise is its friendly people. There were no indigenous population and all its citizens are descendants of those who came to the islands over the years – French, British, African, Indian and others. They are collectively referred to as Seychellois Creole people irrespective of ancestry.
That oft-used word “paradise” often rears up in descriptions of the Seychelles, and with very good reason. Fortunately, there are no serious natural hazards, no malaria or serious diseases, and the islands lie outside the cyclone and hurricane belts. A good standard of living exists with little crime. Further, careful control of tourism-related development has kept arrivals to a reasonable level. Most importantly, unsightly high-rises are forbidden!!
Facts That Makes Seychelles Islands Travel Interesting
- Some of the rarest species of birds can be found in Seychelles, including the bare-legged Scops Owl or Syer.
- The native Coco de mer, also known as the sea coconut or double coconut, produces the heaviest (about 15 kgs) and largest seed in the world.
- Ian Fleming, the author of the famous James Bond novels and short stories, came to the Seychelles Islands in 1958 to find inspiration for the next chapter in the spy saga (For Your Eyes Only) and ended up naming one of his characters, Milton Krest, after a tonic and ginger beverage that he tasted during his stay.
- The capital of Seychelles, Victoria, is the smallest capital in the world. You can explore the entire city on foot in less than a day.
- A lot of celebrities choose to vacation in the iconic country and enjoy its stunning private islands.
- Prince William and Kate Middleton, now the Duchess of Cambridge, spent their honeymoon at the North Island of Seychelles, a spot previously chosen by David and Victoria Beckham.
Facts About The Seychelles Islands Continue
- Bird Island is home to the heaviest living land tortoise in the wild, called Esmeralda. The unique tortoise weighs about 670 pounds.
- Seychelles was the land of pirates, in particular Anse Forbans (Pirate’s Cove) on Mahé Island and Côte d’Or on Praslin.
- It is believed that Moyenne Island, which is within the Ste. Anne Marine National Park, has a buried treasure, but no one dares to approach it because they think the island is haunted by a spirit that is guarding it.
- The Miss World Beauty Pageant was held in Seychelles in 1997 and 1998, in which the media used the popular event to show off the amazing islands. Afterwards, tourists started discovering this magnificent country.
Some General Information About The Awesome Seychelles Islands
Renting a car when visiting Mahe in the Seychelles Isalnds is almost a must. Taxis are very expensive, and the public transport system is okay but not the greatest. Most importantly, it is very easy to drive around the country with hardly any traffic on the road!! But beware, you have to drive on the left side of the road!!
There are many options for eating out. Although it is almost certain that you will have to travel some distances to get to get to eating places. For information, the night life seems to be rather dull, with only a few venues offering nighttime entertainment.
We stayed at a hotel called Crown Beach Hotel, a small place with its own private beach!! The staff in the hotel led by its General Manager were outstanding. Consequently, this contributed greatly to our wonderful experience in this beautiful country.
The Beaches In The Seychelles Isalnds Are To Die For!!
The beaches in the Seychelles are to die for! The three main islands we visited, Mahe, Praslin and La Digue, are dotted with some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
The Beau Vallon Beach on the North of Mahe is the most famous beach in all of the Seychelles Isalnds. It is well patronized. Here, you can enjoy water-sports with the rental of jet skis and canoes. Further, the food is outstanding, with the pick from many beach side restaurants and street food vendors. The beach is so very wide sandy, and the turquoise blue waters so very inviting. We spent a memorable half day at this beach, swimming, snorkeling, walking and of course enjoying local delicacies from street vendors!
We also spent half day at Port Launay Beach, another awesome beach in Mahe, much less busy than the Beau Vallon Beach. It is perhaps one of the best for swimming as it is well protected by stunning granite boulders leaving the waters calm and current free. It is very unique in that it has very fine powdery white sand making it very inviting to walk on and to have picnics. We thoroughly enjoyed a swim and some snorkeling at this beach.
A Wonderful Time at Praslin Island
We highly recommend a visit to Praslin Island while you are in the Seychelles Islands. It took us about 1 hour on a high speed catamaran to get there from Mahe. Praslin is the 2nd largest island with a population of only around 7,500 people! Praslin’s rugged jungle-covered interior is home to Praslin National Park. This park encompasses Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve.
The must see Vallée de Mai is one of two UNESCO World Heritage sites in the SeychellesIslands. Also, it is the home to the iconic and endemic Coco de Mer palm tree!! The unique part of this tree is that it has a male and female tree with very interestingly shaped fruits!!! Guess which is which from the attached photos!
We spent a good one hour hiking through the awesome Vallée de Mai which is supposed to be the only natural forest in the Seychelles Islands. Thousands of years of isolation have enabled many species of flora and fauna to develop. As we wandered through the towering palm trees we were lucky to see a few endemic geckos, crabs and frogs!!! Our time in this awesome natural forest was such a wonderful experience.
A Visit To A Farm
We then visited a small farm where we enjoyed the services of a great guide. He entertained us whilst going around, and most importantly, we learnt a great deal about the way of life in the islands in the good old days. We saw some farm animals including chickens, bats and a few magnificent giant tortoises!!! All of us were introduced to many medicinal plants in the Seychelles Islands which was an eye-opener as to the possibilities of obtaining cures through plants. We were also shown how to husk a coconut and watched it being scraped the old-fashioned way.
Seeing the way houses were built long years ago with palms, mud and other materials straight out of the land was so educational. Apart from enjoying our time, this farm visit reinforced the utmost importance of conservation in all of us.
Although we did not visit any beach, Praslin is home to a few of the most beautiful beaches on the Seychelles Islands.
La Digue Island – Such Beauty!
We then visited La Digue Island which is about 20 minutes via high speed catamaran from Praslin Island. We first enjoyed a fabulous lunch at a leading resort. Next, we had the most amazing time going around this island. Our mode of transport was a small converted truck!!!
La Digue is the third largest island in the Seychelles Islands with a population just short of 3,000 inhabitants! There are very few cars on this small island. Hence, traveling by bike or by ox cart is the way to go.
We visited the famous L’Union Estate. It is a beautifully kept traditional kreol plantation which still farms vanilla and coconuts. We learnt all about how the coconut is turned into copra then into coconut oil using the age-old traditional way of making the oil. Further, adding color to this plantation is a gigantic granite boulder right in its middle. The estate is also lodgings to a family of giant tortoises. Lastly, we were taken through an old colonial mansion. Here, we were able to get a glimpse into the opulent lifestyle of the good old days!
Victoria – The Small Capital Of The Seychelles Islands
Victoria, the capital of the Seychelles Islands was about an hour away by public transportation from our hotel. A half day on foot was ample time to see Victoria. It is one of the smallest capitals in the world. Located on Mahe Island, Victoria is the republic’s business and cultural hub. At its center sits the Victoria Clock tower, a national monument reminiscent of London’s “Big Ben” that has kept ticking since 1903. Amazingly, it has not been affected by the modern development around it. We made a few quick visits to some local art galleries and craft markets. It was so great to soak up the city’s friendly charm. Victoria is very leisurely paced with only a handful of cars on the road. Further, it hardly has any pedestrian traffic!! We rounded off our short visit to the city by enjoying a hearty creole meal at a small wayside café.
Eating Out In The Seychelles Islands
There are many restaurants throughout Mahe Island affording many choices of differing cuisines. Renting a car is highly recommended if one plans to really seek out good eating places. Going by taxi is so expensive that it makes the whole exercise of venturing out too expensive!! Also, the public transportation system does not operate at night time.
The following places we ate at is only meant to give you some idea as to the available options.
Takamaka Restaurant is exclusive and mainly serving great creole cuisine. The food here was great and the service outstanding. The ambiance of this restaurant is also so very appealing. It is very pricey, but well worth it!!
The Crown Beach Hotel restaurant was great too. They offered a wide range of choices of various cuisines at lunch and dinner timer. We stayed at this hotel, and had breakfast there each day, which was quite okay!! Smaller hotels in the Seychelles seem to have their own restaurants, offering similar types of food choices to Crown Beach. It is ideal for dinner after a very tiring day out!! Of course the bigger hotels have much more and better eating options.
Maharajah Palace, as its name implies serves Indian cuisine. The food here tasted very authentic and was excellent!! It is situated in Eden Island, a small reclaimed island connected to the mainland by a short bridge. Its setting on a boardwalk is fabulous. We sat by the water where many boats, cabin cruisers and small yachts were moored – what an awesome sight!!! This Island is very upscale with many fine restaurants, a very nice shopping center, high-end condos and houses, and a host of other entertainment options.
Tasty Corner is a nice street food truck where we enjoyed a nice steak sandwich, french fries and soft drinks. We came across it at the famous Port Launay Beach. There were a few tables around the truck and the owner was a very friend guy which made this eating experience that much more enjoyable. Most importantly, the food was very inexpensive by Seychelles standards!!! We saw many more wayside cafes that offered similar food.
Kafe Kreol is a great place for authentic creole cuisine. It is right on the beach and has a very rustic setting which adds to its ambiance. The food here was great, and the service outstanding. I had a creole octopus curry in addition to a host of other creole dishes all of which were simply divine!!!
Such a comprehensive post! I love all the facts you added. It sounds like a really interesting place as well as a beautiful vacation destination. Happy travels!
Thanks for your encouraging comments! Happy Travels to you too!!
Seychelles; a beautiful place that has been on our travel list since 2004. Great read.
Thanks very much! You should visit Seychelles!!! All the very best!
Such a great post, you have actually given me something to
chew on.
Thanks very much!!!