Seychelles tour packages offer value for money

When it comes to island holidays, the Seychelles is one of the most recommended. The Seychelles comprises a group of 115 islands literally in the middle of the deep blue sea; the Indian Ocean. Part of their attraction is their isolation, which gives new meaning to the need to ‘get away from it all’. Cliché or not, it’s the reality of our existence today.

Seychelles hotels often offer specials in conjunction with Seychelles tour packages, so these are the ones to look out for if you want the best value for money. Expect to have a blissful beach experience, see incredible marine life, and explore captivating coral reefs. These are just some of the significant Seychelles attractions.

Described as an ecologist’s dream, because so much of the country’s land is preserved, it even has a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Aldabra. This island in the archipelago is the second largest atoll in the world, and is noted for its giant land tortoise population.

Coco de Mer is one of the Seychelles hotels on Praslin Island, which is the second largest of the Seychelles islands covering just 38 square kilometers. It is named after a rare palm tree found in the archipelago. On the subject of the sea, look out for ‘fruits de mer’ on the restaurant and Seychelles hotels menus. These promise some of the tastiest seafood you will ever savour.

Getting to Praslin Island is a fun excursion in itself, made easier if you work through a trusted tour operator. You can fly there in 15 minutes from Mahe Island or take a 45-minute ferry ride across the water. The hotel grounds cover 200 acres, adjacent to Anse Bois de Rose, a popular beach for swimming, snorkelling and scuba diving with a special section for Seychelles hotels’ guests.

For something different, ask a tour guide to show you sights like Praslin’s ‘Garden of Eden’ – the Vallee de Mai Nature Preserve with its plentiful Coco de Mer trees and vanilla orchids is worth a visit.

Take time out at hotels in Maputo

Sun, sand and sea… It may sound simplistic, but it’s one of the best prescriptions you can get for relaxing and unwinding.

You can get it all and more with holidays in Mozambique.

There is something about the salt air and the warm water of the Indian Ocean that attracts holidaymakers from around the world to these shores, which are all the more appealing for their relative isolation.

Hotels in Maputo believe their third-world location with all the luxury you could ask for, if that’s what you look for in a holiday. Mozambique has two main archipelagos – Bazaruto in the south and Quirimbas in the north.

Some say that it is the undiscovered jewels in the Quirimbas crown that make it so special. And they’re right. The Cabo Delgado Province in northern Mozambique is where you’ll find the 32 coral islands that create this archipelago as well as several top hotels in Maputo and tour guides happy to show you around.

Pemba Beach Hotel and Spa is described as the gateway to the islands as well as the Niassa National Reserve. This is the largest conservation area in Mozambique. Covering 42 000sq km, it’s also double the size of South Africa’s famous Kruger National Park. There you’ll see three endemic species: the Niassa wildebeest, Boehm’s zebra, and Johnston’s impala, which are considered rare anywhere else. Its teeming bird population includes several majestic raptor species too.

Matemo Lodge provides alternative accommodation in the Quirimbas Archipelago while the resort on Medjumbe private island is just that − an exclusive retreat par excellence. The island is only one kilometre long and 500 metres wide. For romance, it’s hard to beat. With pristine beaches, pretty coves, inimitable palm trees and magnificent marine life, what’s not to love? PS. There are only 13 beach chalets in the resort.