Paradise found in The Seychelles
I was one of a very lucky group of six Travel Counsellors fortunate enough to visit some of the granitic islands of the Seychelles (there are also the harder to reach coralline islands) in December, and was impressed with not just the superb 5* star resorts that you would expect to find there but also the comfortable and homely 3* and 4* properties that put these islands in reach of more budgets.
It might not be the easiest place to get to as there are currently no direct flights, but either a short hop to France or Germany or breaking the journey in the middle via the Emirates brings you to Mahé, the largest island of the group.
Mahé boasts 65 beaches, including Beau Vallon, a 3km beach that is the only one in the Seychelles offering motorised watersports and considered to be ‘busy’ by Seychellois standards – in other words, there were maybe as many as 50 people stretched out along the pristine sand when we checked into the Savoy Resort & Spa, located directly on the beach.
It would be easy to spend a week or more here visiting the gorgeous beaches – all of which are public, by the way, so at weekends and in the evenings you can find yourself mingling with the locals having cook-outs. There are many beautiful hotels on Mahé, including some that are ideal for couples, such as the Hilton Northolme or the Banyan Tree but there are others that are perfect for families, my favourite being the Constance Ephelia, with fantastic villas offering families great accommodation with all of the benefits and services of a 5* hotel.
If you don’t fancy spending your entire week on the beach then take a day trip to the capital city, Victoria, complete with its own mini Big Ben. Have a walk around the colourful local market and check out the amazing Hindu temple nearby or, to get a sense of the history surrounding Victoria, take a walking tour of the Bel Air cemetery, where many mysterious characters have been buried, including the alleged son of Louis XVI and a 9ft giant!
It would be a shame not to check out more than one island whilst you’re there and a fantastic network of inter-island ferries and internal flights means there’s no excuse!
The Seychelles are famous for several exclusive island resorts, with North Island possibly being the most renowned as a celebrity bolthole. We stayed at Hilton’s Labriz resort, the only hotel on Silhouette Island, a 45-minute ferry from Mahé. Silhouette Island is very unspoilt and has great nature walks or just enjoy the wonderful beaches. The villas of the hotel are either mountain or ocean side and are very well-equipped and a great size so families would be just as at home as couples here.
Maximising our island-hopping, we also visited Praslin, an hour from Mahé by ferry. It’s home to the Vallee de Mai, a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring the Seychelles famous Coco de Mer trees and their indigenous and endangered Black Parrot. The tree got its name as sailors saw the nuts bobbing to the surface (they sink to the ocean floor and it’s only when the husk decays that the nut is light enough to float) and assumed the trees grew in the sea itself. A tour of the Vallee is truly fascinating and well worth the hour or so away from the beach.
Praslin has a good variety of hotels and we visited the 3* Indian Ocean Lodge; a lovely 32 room hotel with ocean views from the contemporary rooms. The hotel is owned and run by locals and has a very friendly feel to it. Interconnecting rooms make it a viable family option. We then went on to our hotel for the night and, I have to say, my favourite of the 13 we visited! Constance Lemuria has recently completed a renovation and it is a truly stunning hotel. The location is fabulous, with several beautiful beaches and the rooms were also large and of a very high standard. It does have a kids’ club and villas are available for families or groups. It is also home to the only 18 hole golf course in the Seychelles and certainly one of the most scenic ones I’ve ever seen.
From Praslin we took a 15 minute ferry crossing to La Digue. This island is famous for the Anse Source d’Argent beach – you might not have heard of it but if you have seen a photo of the Seychelles then this is probably that photo – it has huge granite boulders set amongst palm trees swaying on a beautiful white sand beach…the epitome of Seychelles glamour. It also had a dog walking on water when we were there, but that’s another story!
La Digue is tiny and has a very laid-back, almost Caribbean vibe – this, coupled with small hotels such as the 9 (soon to be 19) room Le Repaire makes it a great option for those wanting to spend a few days somewhere that takes relaxing seriously, even be Seychellois standards.
And that’s really what it’s all about. Come to the Seychelles for two weeks and visit a couple of islands; experience the beauty of the beaches and the warmth of the local people as well as learning more about the flora and fauna that call this island paradise home; pure bliss.