Seychelles
Be tempted to the Garden of Eden
Scattered like summer blossom across the
Indian Ocean, The Seychelles is a destination
well-renowned for being the ultimate in
luxury, celebrity escapes, family adventures
and the honeymoon location that dreams
are made of. The 115 islands are hailed for
their exquisite natural beauty, the peaceful
harmony enjoyed by the multi-ethnic
society, heavenly beaches, luscious peaked
backdrops and a near perfect climate where
the temperature is always somewhere
between 24 and 33 degrees Celsius, earning
the islands a reputation as ‘land of perpetual
summer’.
Out of all of the Seychelles islands,
currently only 16 have hotels, several of
which offer the most luxurious amenities
and all of which possess their own natural
charm. They offer everything from the
opulence of world-famous 5-star resorts to
the picturesque charms of affordable smaller
hotels, Creole guest houses and self.
The islands’ utopian promise has long
acted as a magnet to travellers in search of
the Holy Grail of pristine tropical beauty and
many famous travellers have beaten a path to
its shores including the likes of Ian Fleming,
author of James Bond, who visited the islands
to receive inspiration for one of his Bond
books.
After a sleepy start, the Seychelles finally
became connected to the rest of the world
in 1972, via the construction of a new
international airport, which resulted in the
creation of the islands’ tourism industry.
Seychelles, straddling the western Indian
Ocean between 6 and 10 degrees south of
the equator, is divided into 6 island groups
with the Inner Islands of Mahé, Praslin and
La Digue together with their neighbouring
isles forming the hub of the islands’ tourism
industry, the economic life of the nation and
its political and social infrastructure.
Scattered like summer blossom across the
Indian Ocean, The Seychelles is a destination
well-renowned for being the ultimate in
luxury, celebrity escapes, family adventures
and the honeymoon location that dreams
are made of. The 115 islands are hailed for
their exquisite natural beauty, the peaceful
harmony enjoyed by the multi-ethnic
society, heavenly beaches, luscious peaked
backdrops and a near perfect climate where
the temperature is always somewhere
between 24 and 33 degrees Celsius, earning
the islands a reputation as ‘land of perpetual
summer’.
Out of all of the Seychelles islands,
currently only 16 have hotels, several of
which offer the most luxurious amenities
and all of which possess their own natural
charm. They offer everything from the
opulence of world-famous 5-star resorts to
the picturesque charms of affordable smaller
hotels, Creole guest houses and self.
The islands’ utopian promise has long
acted as a magnet to travellers in search of
the Holy Grail of pristine tropical beauty and
many famous travellers have beaten a path to
its shores including the likes of Ian Fleming,
author of James Bond, who visited the islands
to receive inspiration for one of his Bond
books.
After a sleepy start, the Seychelles finally
became connected to the rest of the world
in 1972, via the construction of a new
international airport, which resulted in the
creation of the islands’ tourism industry.
Seychelles, straddling the western Indian
Ocean between 6 and 10 degrees south of
the equator, is divided into 6 island groups
with the Inner Islands of Mahé, Praslin and
La Digue together with their neighbouring
isles forming the hub of the islands’ tourism
industry, the economic life of the nation and
its political and social infrastructure.Praslin’s central location makes this island
ideally situated for holidaymakers wishing
to island hop to a handful of nearby exotic
destinations such as Chauve Souris, Cousin,
Curieuse, St. Pierre, La Digue and the Aride
bird reserve. It is also a haven for nature lovers
seeking rare endemic species such as the black
parrot for which Praslin is the last habitat or
wishing to explore the island’s network of
footpaths.
For those seeking an ‘island where
time stands still’, La Digue is situated forty
kilometres (25 miles) from Mahé and 7 km (3.
miles) from Praslin and is the fourth largest
island in the Seychelles after Silhouette. This
granite island, with its unique, languid pace
of life, receives its visitors mainly by boat at
the quaint jetty at La Passe and is a popular
destination for holidaymakers wishing for a
taste of the traditional.Here is a place where
the bicycle and ox cart still hold sway on shady
island pathways and where a distinct sense
of antiquity pervades the island’s customs,
architecture and general way of life.
Beach lovers travel from all corners of the
globe to experience Seychelles’ world-class
beaches. Anse la Source d’Argent is among
the island’s most famous and is celebrated for
its granite boulders that seem to have been
sculpted by a divine hand to adorn a beach of
breath-taking beauty while at the Union Estate,
visitors will have the chance to view some of the
traditional local industries of times past. Nature
lovers will have the opportunity to seek out the
rare Black Paradise Flycatcher, once thought to
be extinct but now protected in the La Digue
Vev Special Reserve which is also home to
two extremely rare species of terrapin. The
woodlands of La Digue are especially attractive
and nurture several species of delicate orchids.
The island is also an ideal stepping-stone for the
nearby island attractions of Grande and Petit
Soeur, Félicité, Coco and Marianne.After a sleepy start, the Seychelles finally became connected to the rest of the world in 1972,
via the construction of a new international airport, which resulted in the creation of
the islands’ tourism industry.
ABSOLUTE