Seychelles

Seychelles: What You Are Actually Paying For

Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean, 1,500 kilometres east of Nairobi. The islands divide into two types: granite islands (the inner group around Mahe, Praslin, and La Digue) and coral atolls (the outer islands, mostly uninhabited). The granite islands are unusual in the Indian Ocean; most islands in the region are coral formations. The rounded boulders of Precambrian granite that appear on the beaches – stacked, fractured, and draped in tropical vegetation at the water’s edge – are responsible for most of the photographs that establish Seychelles as a visual reference for expensive beach holidays.

Seychelles is expensive. A mid-range hotel on Mahe runs $200-400 per night; the luxury island resorts ($800-2,000 per night) are what most international media coverage focuses on. Budget travel is technically possible but requires research and compromises on the most desirable beaches. Understanding what you are paying for is useful planning.

Mahe

Mahe is the largest island (27 kilometres long) and holds the capital Victoria, the international airport, and the majority of the population. It has the most infrastructure but is not the most photogenic island. Victoria is a functional small town of around 28,000 people with the Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke Market (fresh fish, tropical fruit, spices), the Clock Tower (a miniature Big Ben, gift from Britain in 1903), and Indian Ocean Character.

The Morne Seychellois National Park covers 20% of Mahe and has hiking trails through cloud forest to the summit of Morne Seychellois (905 metres). The summit walk takes 4-5 hours return and passes through different vegetation zones. The view of the island and the surrounding ocean from the top is clear on mornings before the clouds build.

Anse Intendance on the southeast coast is one of Mahe’s better beaches: wide, backed by forest, with strong enough surf (when the swell is up) to make it unsuitable for children in some conditions but impressive in others.

Praslin

Praslin, 45 minutes by fast ferry from Mahe (approximately $100-120 return), is the second-largest island and is where the best-known beaches are. Anse Lazio on the northwest is consistently named one of the best beaches in the world. The granite boulders, the palm trees, the colour of the water in the bay – the photographs are accurate, which is unusual. Go on a weekday morning before the day-trip boats from Mahe arrive.

The Vallee de Mai, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the centre of Praslin, is a palm forest containing the endemic Coco de Mer palm, which produces the largest seed of any plant on earth (a double coconut that can weigh 25 kilograms). The forest is also home to the Black Parrot, found only on Praslin. It takes 2-3 hours to walk the trails through the palm grove. Entry is around $25.

La Digue

La Digue is reached by a 15-minute ferry from Praslin. It has no cars except a few trucks; ox carts and bicycles are the transport. The population is around 2,700. Anse Source d’Argent, accessible through a copra plantation on the west coast, has the boulder-strewn beach that appears on most Seychelles postcards. Entry requires a fee (around $10) paid at the L’Union Estate plantation.

The island takes about 3 hours to cycle end to end on the main road. Grand Anse on the southeast coast is a wilder, swimming-unfriendly beach with powerful surf and dramatic cloud-covered peaks above.

Eating

Creole cuisine is the baseline of Seychellois cooking: curried fish, grilled octopus, ladob (coconut milk and banana dessert), fresh tuna prepared multiple ways. Most restaurants serve similar food; the difference is the setting. Eating at a restaurant on the waterfront in Victoria costs less than eating at a resort restaurant and is often better. Takeaway Creole food from the market in Victoria or from local snack bars (called takeaways) runs $5-10 per meal.

When to Go and Getting Around

The northwest monsoon from November through April brings calmer seas and better snorkelling on the east coasts of the islands. The southeast trade wind from May through October makes the west coast seas rougher and the east coasts ideal for swimming. Praslin and La Digue are reached by Cat Cocos or Inter Island Boats ferries from Mahe; schedules and bookings are available online.

Within Mahe, hiring a car is the practical approach (roads are narrow and buses are infrequent). On Praslin, bicycle or car rental works; on La Digue, bicycle is the only sensible option.