Seychelles may be a tiny dot on any world map but in reality, this idyllic nation of more than 115 islands off the coast of East Africa best fits the definition of ‘paradise on earth’ — a commonly misused term in travel catalogues. We found this out, much to our delight indeed.
Legend has it that the author of James Bond novels Ian Fleming came to Seychelles in the late 50s to find inspiration for the next instalment of For Your Eyes Only. By the way, one of his characters in the film, Milton Krest, is named after a popular tonic and ginger beverage on the island!
Reaching Seychelles was much easier than we had anticipated, thanks to ignorant friends and misleading travel agents who tried to sell us a host of ‘dream’ packages to predictable destinations like Maldives, Mauritius and Madagascar. Currently, only fully vaccinated travellers are welcome to visit Seychelles.
We fell in love with the place the moment our plane began its descent through thick clouds before giving us a kaleidoscopic view of the lush green mountain ranges, endless stretches of boulder-dotted white beaches, glittering lagoons and coral reefs, and the bewitching flora and fauna.
A four-hour flight from our port of embarkation, Bahrain, to Mumbai was followed by an equally smooth journey to our destination Mahe, the main island of Seychelles. A 30-day free-of-cost Visa (for Indians) was obtained without any fuss.
Seychelles is a tiny archipelagic island country in the Indian Ocean. Mahe, home to the capital Victoria, Praslin and La Digue are the main islands. The Seychelles culture and society is an eclectic, and enigmatic mix of different influences, beginning with French, British and African at the time of independence from the UK in 1976, and Chinese and Indian in recent times.
As we already had a jam-packed itinerary, we did not waste any time at tourism counters or the hotel information desk.
First on the list, not surprisingly, was the beaches. You are spoiled for choice here as the list is almost endless, and as our local friend and guide suggested, ‘one better than the other’.
The Pink Sand Beach (Anse Source D’Argent) in La Digue and the Anse Lazio in Praslin is a photographer’s delight. While its pink sand below azure waters is the centre of attraction, the beautiful granite boulders and the native Takamaka trees form a perfect backdrop.
The Anse Lazio is also picture-perfect and, according to many travel websites, is the sixth-best beach in the world. It is also a favourite spot for snorkelers as its abundant underwater life is unmatched.
The next day was reserved for visiting historic sites and nature reserves. Seychelles is not far behind in these areas either as it is one of the leading nations to protect lands for threatened species, allocating 42pc of its territory for conservation, according to our guide and friend.
Aldabra and Vallee De Mai Nature Reserve are two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Seychelles, virtually untouched by humans, and visitors need special permission to enter these remote locations.
Aldabra, part of the Morne National Park, is the second-largest coral atoll in the world and has the largest population of Giant Tortoises. The view of hundreds of tortoises crawling all over the place is a rare sight to behold.
Next on the list was a visit to the wild Coco de Mer which produces some of the world’s largest coconuts (some weighing up to 20 kg) and is infamous for its ‘resemblance to a pert posterior,’ according to the official handout.
Fond Peper in Praslin National Park is another captivating nature reserve. The national bird of Seychelles, the Black Parrot, can be spotted here. But with only 200 of these rare species around, we had to walk for more than an hour to spot one.
In the end, it was worth the time and effort as we not only spotted one of these most colourful creators on earth but also got to hear its high-pitched whistle.
Seychelles is also famous for its scuba diving spots with some of the popular ones being Brissare Rocks, Fishermen’s Cove Reef, Shark Bank and Trompeuse Rocks. We chose the second as it was close to the other sites we had planned to visit on that day, and it was not a bad choice either as the stunning topography of coral reefs, drop-offs, wrecks and canyons amid rich and diverse marine life were a feast for the senses.
The last day was spent exploring Victoria, the smallest capital city in the world which can be, trust us, covered by foot in less than a day.
Victoria boasts of a colonial-era clock tower, incredible British and French architecture, open-air markets, museums and a vibrant nightlife scene.
We ended our tour on a divine note visiting the Arul Mihu Navasakthi Vinayagar Temple, the only Hindu temple in Seychelles.