Stunning Seychelles

Vicky Dyer on 28 October 2019
Earlier this week I attended a Seychelles training evening at the Abode Hotel in Canterbury. Scattered through the presentations from the suppliers we enjoyed a Creole-inspired meal of red snapper, chicken and rice and for dessert we had the most delicious coconut mousse with passion fruit sorbet!

We learnt about the beautiful islands and a handful of hotels available. I actually visited the Seychelles on a work trip in 2000 so this was a great trip down memory lane for me! The Seychelles has three main languages – Creole, English and French and they make it very easy for us Brits – they drive on the same side as us and have British 3-pin plugs! The main island is Mahe where the international airport is and the capital Victoria is worth a visit with it’s vibrant and colourful daily market (except Sundays). The locals day off is Sunday so bear in mind that all beaches are public and will be much busier on Sundays than other days. The Seychelles is made up of 115 islands, some are granitic with lush green mountains and others are coral islands which are very flat. A very useful snippet to know is that the Seychelles are the only islands in the Indian Ocean that are outside of the cyclone belt!

Despite the 65 beaches available on Mahe alone, Seychelles is not a fly and flop destination – it is brilliant for island-hopping and there is a lot to do during the day. Rum-tasting and horse riding along the beach are popular as is sailing, snorkelling and diving, fishing, golf, they even have zip lining and rock-climbing available for those looking for adventure. It is a very romantic destination too so Seychelles is a great choice for that exotic wedding abroad.

A few of us asked why there aren’t any/many all-inclusive options and all the hoteliers said the same – with such amazing surroundings and so much to do outside of the hotel, why would guests want to be tied to the hotel all day? Many hire a car and during the week it is often possible on Mahe to find a near-deserted beach. It isn’t as expensive as you might think when you are out and about either, if you find a local restaurant you can have lunch for a very reasonable price and experience the local way of life.

Praslin is the second main island after Mahe and is home to the Vallee de Mai Nature Reserve – well worth a visit. Many visitors to the Seychelles stay on Mahe, Praslin and then one of the smaller islands with only one resort (such as Desroches, Denis Island or Silhouette Island), the destination is fantastic for this and it’s very easy to get between the different islands by plane, helicopter or boat.

Seychelles is also a great option for a “digital detox” – Denis Island for example has no mobile signal, no TV in the rooms and has 50% repeat business. There is one TV and free WiFi in the library only, if you really need it!

When I visited back in 2000 I stayed at the Coco de Mer on Praslin and one of the owners was at the training so it was lovely to hear about all the updates they’ve done since I went. This was my favourite hotel (and we visited quite a few!) and has a lovely boutique feel and is a 4* so more affordable than many of the 5* luxury hotels available. They also have the Black Parrot Suites available if you’d like something a little more special.

The main thing I do remember was the beaches, to date I don’t think I’ve ever seen such an amazing beach as the one at the Banyan Tree (which was being built when I went!) so if you really are a sandy beach person, you really need to take a trip to the Seychelles!

Give me a call if you are thinking about a trip to this beautiful Indian Ocean destination on 01304 897810, I’d love to help.