A large number of reefs within the inner granitic islands of the archipelago of Seychelles could be entirely lost, unless concerted action is taken soon to control crown of thorns, warns Dr. Udo Englhardt, the expert on on the management of crown of thorns in a...
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For sure, you will be overwhelmed with the multiplicity of the destinations you can visit, each with a promise of an experience you will never forget. Among others, however, one of the best would be Seychelles, which has gained a reputation in the past for being frequented by high profile celebrities, not only for family vacations, but even for honeymoon. For many people, Seychelles is chosen because of having plentiful of beautiful and secluded beaches, unique culture, attractive flora and fauna, and world-class cuisine. For some, however, they simply want to visit Seychelles because it has been visited by many of the celebrities they idolise, including those mentioned below.
If you have been to Seychelles before, it is easy to understand why many celebrities have chosen such for their vacation. If you have not, the famous people who have fallen in love with Seychelles should give you sufficient reason to book a plane ticket now and enjoy the experience it has to offer.
When George Clooney and Amal Clooney got married recently, the international media have been interested in learning about the private details of the event, such as where their honeymoon will be. Many were no longer surprised when they learned it was in Seychelles since it has been a common choice for many high-profile couples in the past. According to several reports, George paid for a luxury villa with a cost of $5,000 per person, per night. Different travel magazines have called the resort where they stayed to be the most expensive hotel in the world.
Seychelles has also been the place of choice during the honeymoon of Kate Middleton and Prince William. Although the location was initially kept as a secret, details have been revealed through research by people from the media. In a private villa in Seychelles, the couple spent 10 days, not necessarily away from the eyes of the public since a couple of paparazzi shots have been also released showing how the two are enjoying their supposed to be private island getaway.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have been also seen vacationing in Seychelles, along with their kids. During their vacation, they also held a pretend wedding to grant the request of their children to see them marry. The couple has enjoyed Seychelles a lot and in fact, they were the one who recommended the island to their friend, George Clooney.
With all of these celebrity visitors having had the chance to enjoy Seychelles, you are now most probably convinced how beautiful the place is. By simply going online and looking at the pictures of this tropical hidden gem, you will also surely end up drooling and itching to travel soon.
The Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands scattered across the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa some 1600km east of Kenya. The only international gateway to the Seychelles is the International Airport, near Victoria, the capital of Mahé, the main island.. All flights within the Seychelles arrive and depart from Mahé.
Photo by Aero Icarus 
Airlines serving the Seychelles include Emirates (6 flights weekly), Etihad (4 flights weekly), Ethopian (3 flights weekly), Air France, Thomas Cook/Condor (once per week direct from Frankfurt), Air Seychelles (3 flights weekly to Mauritius, 2 to Johannesburg and 1 weekly flight to Singapore via Chennai, India), Transaero (from Moskow), Meridiana, Air Mauritius, Air Austral (twice a week from Paris), and Kenya Airways. Blue Panorama plans flights from Italy.
From Prague (Czech Republic) to the Seychelles via Abu Dhabi on Czech Airlines 3-4 times weekly.
Once you arrvie on Mahe, you can easily go from this island to other islands by some ways, such as…
a) by speed ferry: it runs between Mahe and Praslin (with onward connections to La Digue). The trip takes only 50-60 minutes.
Between Praslin and La Digue there is a ferry which crosses in 15-30 mins.
b) By plane: Mahe – Praslin costs about 105 € o/w by plane and although the hop with a Twin Otter or Short360 lasts only about 15 mins., you may end up spending hours at the airport, if you are unlucky and there’s a lot of demand. Most of the time, they are roughly on time, though.
c) By helicopter: You’d have to charter a helicopter to La Digue, which costs about 820 €.
Getting around the islands is not too difficult since they are all pretty small and can be explored by car, bus, taxi, bicycle, traditional ox-cart or on foot! You can also hire a car or boat and explore everything at your own pace.
Seychelles has an excellent selection of good value accommodation in all price categories. Here are some of the best places for your choice:
Anse Reunion, La Digue, Seychelles
There are just four villas on L’Union Estate, right on the beach, among gardens and coconut palms. Each has two air-conditioned double bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, a large sitting/dining room, fully equipped kitchen and a balcony, from which you can look west across to Praslin, or watch the sun set over the Indian Ocean. The estate is closed to the public at night, so it’s very peaceful.
Anse Louis, Mahé, Seychelles
The resort’s 30 villas are set among tropical flowers and palms in the undulating grounds, which give them the maximum privacy. Generous terraces with panoramic views include dining areas, day beds, outdoor baths and private, infinity-edged swimming pools that seem to merge with the Indian Ocean below.
Pointe Cabris, Praslin Island, Seychelles
Located among mango and coconut trees with spectacular views of the ocean, the Château de Feuilles has nine rooms divided between the château and various thatched bungalows built of local architecture. It is a member of and offers activities such as sailing, fishing, diving, snorkelling and trips to nearby islands.
Petite Anse, Baie Lazare, Mahé, Seychelles
Designed in the style of a village, the 67 villas resemble private residences, spilling dramatically down a forested hill on the southwest coast of Mahé. Some are perched high up in the hillside, others nestle closer to the beach, all offer the utmost privacy, giving the impression that you are totally and blissfully alone.
Frégate Island, Seychelles
Frégate Island Private was the pioneer among these nature reserves combined with resorts. It’s large enough to ensure that even if you stay a week you can take a different walk each morning, through dense forest, over bare upland terrain with thousands of seabirds wheeling overhead, along the coastline above the island’s seven beaches or through groves of coconut palms beneath which the tortoises graze ceaselessly.
Bel Ombre, Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles
Located on the southern tip of Beau Vallon, this well-established Mahé hotel was restored in 2004 and features granite walls, thatched roofs and a maze of fountains. There are 68 rooms and suites, decorated in contemporary or Creole style.
Anse Patates, La Digue, Seychelles
Located at the northern tip of La Digue island, Patatran Village offers good accommodation at a slightly lower cost. Each villa is detached, with a bright air-conditioned double bedroom, bathroom, and fridge, plus large sliding windows on to a private balcony overlooking Anse Patates.
Cousine Island, Seychelles
The hotel buildings are exquisitely pretty in the Seychellois French-colonial style, with steep-pitched roofs, white-painted wood, trellising and frilly fretwork along the eaves. There’s an excellent chef, nice and motherly waitresses, and a spa in the old plantation house overlooking the beach.
You are looking for inspiration for your honeymoon or your holiday? Then such ideal places in Seychelles will be the main draws:
Listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, Aldabra is the world’s largest atoll. In this place, you can see giant land tortoises (there are about 150,000 tortoises in all). Recently, some tortoises have been exported to Curieuse, now a reserve for giant tortoises. Aldabra consists of 13 islands which make up about one-third of the Seychelles’ land mass.
Rated as one of the best beaches in the world by Giorgio Armani, Ansense Lazio deserves a special mention. Without any doubt, the powder-white sands fringed with large granite boulders are truly the place to kick back and enjoy the peace and views. The clear, warm turquoise seas are an invitation to snorkel.
Other amazing invitation is Ansen Major, which is only accessible on foot or by boat. If you don’t fancy the trek, seek out one of the island’s other 70 white-sand beaches, fringed with lush vegetation and coconut palms. It’s an amazing experience.
With countless hatching sites, you’re in with a good chance of watching a hawksbill turtle lay her eggs here. Just imagine how exciting it is when you see the turtle upping her flippers to shovel sand into the hole with the eggs, she lies exhausted before dragging her enormous bulk over the sands and disappearing into the turquoise sea.
Coming this Islands, you will easily take photograph of the rare species on Cousin. The brush warbler, the Seychelles toc-toc and the fairy tern are among 1.25 million birds that nest here during April and May. However, remember to be part of an organised tour to see them. On Bird island, millions of sooty terns breed between May and October, while colonies of seabirds visit Aride from October to April.
This Robinson Crusoe island is home to the almost extinct magpie robin and many other bird species. Considered as the most easterly and isolated of the granitic islands, Frégate is an unspoilt vegetation and you must also have seen some picture-postcard beaches such as Anse Victorin or Anse Macquereau.
A trip to the Seychelles is never complete without a visit to Mahé island, where you will take in the market, the Botanical Gardens (with Coco-de-mer, giant tortoises and orchids), and the replica of London’s Vauxhall Bridge Tower Clock in Victoria, before setting off around the island to visit colonial-style mansions in graceful decline and plantations of cinnamon and vanilla.
This park has been declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You may know that Vallée de Mai is the unique place in the world where you will find the rare coco de mer palm. This palm produces the largest nut in the world. The place is also home to some rare birds such as the Seychelles bulbul, fruit pigeon, and the black parrot.
While travelling to Seychelles, you will have chance to enjoy some of the world’s most delicious cuisines that is actually a fusion of flavours from African, French, Chinese, Indian and English cooking. For a long time, spices have been combined to create an unique flavour.
Grilled fish or octopus basted with a sauce of crushed chillies, ginger and garlic are national favourites as are a variety of delicious curries lovingly prepared with coconut milk and innovative chatinis made from local fruits such as papaya and golden apple. As may be expected, seafood dishes feature predominantly in the local cuisine, appearing alongside the national staple, rice.
Some restaurants specialise in Indian, Chinese or Italian food and many feature popular international and specialist dishes.
Palm wine or calou is an alcoholic beverage that is locally made from coconut sap. It is also used in the preparation of many Seychellois dishes. Bacca is another alcoholic beverage that is made from sugarcane liquor and used for ceremonial events. Coco d’Amour is a tropical coconut liqueur that is made with coconut extract. Local beer includes Ekyu and Seybrew.
The variety of tropical fruit in Seychelles is huge with varieties of bananas. There are also citrus fruits such as grapefruit, oranges and limes. The Jamalac is a cone shaped fruit that has soft skin and tastes like an apple. There are plenty of mangoes, pineapples, jackfruit, papaya and custard apples. These are made into fresh salads, juices or chutneys.
Seychellois cuisine is unique because it is the mix of the flavours of many different ingredients that were brought to the islands over the centuries. With their own coconut and breadfruit base as well as the abundant fresh seafood, the Seychelles people have created something new. The main flavours are rich, hot and spicy combined in a hundred ways to make each dish flavourful and special. It is worth looking for traditional, local food to experience the true flavours. Hotels often use the word fusion as a blend of French and Seychellois cuisine, but the local restaurants and cafes will give the real thing.
Enjoy your Seychelles cuisine experiences!
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