by Farzanah Amod
I’ve always viewed picture perfect cards
or utopia beaches and think to myself, could this actually be real? Preparing
for my Seychelles trip, I’ve browsed through numerous brochures and convinced
myself that these were photo shopped pictures. Well, needless to say I was
wrong! The days to follow was a brilliant eye opener for me and this is my
story..
“Ladies and gentlemen this is your
Captain, we will be landing in Mahe shortly, please make sure your seats belts
are fastened and your seats are in the upright position for landing, Thank you
for flying on Air Seychelles”
We landed in Seychelles on an over cast
morning in October, my over active nerves thinking the worst as all around me I
can only see water. As we touch down, I closed my eyes and prayed we make the
landing. Thoughts run through my mind “what were the safety tips again? Oh my
god, what if we crash land? Would I survive this? Would I be able to swim to shore?”
Yes! You guessed right! I am a very paranoid passenger!
Now that I can finally feel the ground
under my feet I’m ecstatic to start this exploration. I’m finally on Mahe Island;
again I can’t believe how fortunate I am to have been given this opportunity. Seychelles
comprises of 115 islands made up of 42 granite islands and 113 coral islands in
the western Indian Ocean. The granitic islands are the oldest oceanic islands
on earth. Seychelles is also home to the world’s largest raised atoll, Aldabra
Island. The whole of Mahe could fit inside its lagoon.
Immigration on Mahe runs smoothly before
we know it, we are whisked off by our ground handler to our hotel where a
scrumptious breakfast awaits us. For South African passport holders visas get
issued free of charge on arrival.
Proceeding to our hotel we are already awe
struck by the natural beauty that surrounds us. Lush mountains fill in the
backdrop, lapping water with the colors turquoise, blue and green confusing us,
small coves of secluded beaches teases us, promising us a an enchanted Island
experience, never to forget.
We visited Seychelles in October and
during this time we experienced allot of rain which according to the locals was
very unusual. Weather patterns are constantly changing; the locals were
actually looking forward to all this rain as they were going into a drought
period.
The” Seychellois” as they like referring
to themselves are warm friendly people that go out of their way to make you
feel right at home. They are a blend of Creole, French, Indian, Chinese and
British. Their local language is Creole and French, however English is spoken
widely. Their local cuisine is mainly fish, Curries and rice and anything with
Bananas. Don’t leave Seychelles without trying their breadfruit, legend has it
if you eat breadfruit in Seychelles you will definitely return.
Accommodation on Seychelles Islands
varies from Guesthouses, 3 star lodges to 5 star hotels. The Guesthouses and 3
star places are generally smaller and offer a more intimate feel where the
owners or managers get to really know their guest and interact more than the
bigger resorts.
If you would like to splurge and really
spoil yourself the 4 and 5 star options are definitely worth every cent, as they
offer exclusive facilities which accommodates to all your luxurious needs.
Mahe, homes one of the tinniest Capitals
in the world, Victoria. What a quaint little town. You can explore Victoria on
foot in less than a day. The Capital was a surprise for me as I was expecting a
very under developed town and while driving through it, it was a pleasant
surprise to come across their local markets and proper shops which made my day
as I shopped till I almost dropped. The joys of being a woman!
While on Mahe Island you can see a few
scattered islands that look a stone’s throw away. We had the privilege to stay
on St Annes and Cerf Island which are both within the Marine National park. All
I can say is wow! You can also visit the marine park on day trips, where you
can go snorkeling and enjoy the exquisite beaches.
Braving a 15 minute flight from Mahe to
Praslin Island was certainly worth it! As we drove through Praslin, which is
the second largest island, you can already feel the slow pace of life compared
to Mahe. The beauty that surrounds you is once again breath taking. Praslin is generally
visited for the Valle de Mai, which is a World Heritage site preserving the famous
Coco de mer palms. When we visited, it was like stepping into our very own paradise;
you take in the fresh air, listen to the birds call and just feel at one with
nature. We were very lucky to spot the famous black parrot bird while strolling
through some of the endemic palms to Praslin and Curieuse Islands in the
Seychelles. The mature fruit from the coco de mer can weigh up to 15-30 kg and
holds the largest seed in the plant kingdom.
A short boat trip from Praslin and we
found ourselves in a timeless oasis hidden in the vast Indian Ocean. La DigueIsland lures guest with its ageless splendor, beautiful beaches and warm
people. Some people consider La Digue, the most beautiful island because of its
palm lined beaches, crystal clear waters and enormous granite boulders. Ox and
Cart is still used as the main mode of transport, however tourist can rent bicycles
which is a great way to explore the fourth largest island. This island is quite unspoiled, and reminds
one of what Seychelles looked like before becoming a tourist haven.
Seychelles is not an island where you
book a trip and stay in your resort. You have to go out and explore the island,
go island hopping and be adventurous. You are bound to come across secluded unspoiled
beaches and picture perfect hideaways which can only be discovered through
exploring. The local people encourage tourist to go out and explore as there is
so much to see with so little time. Seychelles have many unique endemic bird and animal species due to its remote Location. Aldabra Island is home to the largest population of giant tortoises in
the world.
I will
definitely be visiting Seychelles again in the near future, not only did I eat
allot of Breadfruit to make sure that happens, but an island that holds so much
beauty has to be truly discovered. In the 7 nights I spent on the islands I
only discovered 5 out of 115 islands. I know Seychelles can be a bit expensive
for the average South African, but my advice is.. Save up.. it’s worth every
cent. Until next time, Au Revoir Seychelles.
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