Seychelles is where dreams of a tropical paradise become reality. Bluest sky, topaz waters of Indian Ocean, powder-soft beaches with clusters of palm trees and granite boulders, lush tropical flora and fauna, gorgeous mountains, and it feels like summer is perpetual here. This is my second visit to the islands of Seychelles, the best getaway I’ve ever been to, and already dreaming of going back.
The Seychelles are a group of 115 islands which lie off the eastern coast of Africa, northeast of Madagascar. Only few islands are inhabited with total of 90,000 citizens. The Seychelles is the smallest African country by size and population. Islands were disputed between France and Great Britain during the age of colonialism, that’s why French and English are official languages along with Seychellois Creole, which is primarily based upon French.
I stayed on the three most popular islands: Mahé, Praslin and La Digue. The start of my trip was from Seychelles International Airport, located minutes away from the country’s capital Victoria on the island of Mahé, the largest island of this archipelago. Victoria is the smallest capital I’ve seen. There are beautiful colonial buildings, churches, port. Since the main attraction of Seychelles is world-class beaches, I skipped its capital and headed directly from the airport to the shore. To have a car is a big advantage for me on this trip, so I can go to any direction, any beach, any time.
I went to the trendiest beach on the island – Beau Vallon, where I had dinner at a lively Wednesday evening market. Stalls were selling local food and drinks. Beau Vallon attracts not only tourists but as well locals. Next day I had a delicious lunch with sea view at a highly rated restaurant named Del Place. When it comes to the food there are many options from budget friendly takeaways to exclusive fine dining experiences. Local cuisine has been influenced by African, French, British, Chinese and Indian cuisines, which makes a unique fusion of exotic flavors.
There are plenty of beaches on the Mahé island, some are even without a single soul, but to enjoy better kind of beaches I catched a ferry to the island of Praslin, second largest island of the Seychelles. It takes one hour to sail between the islands by high-speed catamaran. Praslin is home to The Valée de Mai Nature Preserve, and number of famous beaches such as Anse Lazio, Anse Georgette and Anse Volbert. During the day I was never tired of going from one beach to another, exploring the island’s hidden corners and enjoying this tropical dream destination. On the second part of the post from Seychelles I will tell you about the best island of all – La Digue.
