We want to share with you our travel story of Seychelles. Seychelles another island destination but still very different from the rest. Seychelles is a jewel in the beautiful Indian Ocean. A group of 115 islands and only 3 of its islands are inhabited. Mahe the largest island , La-Digue , Pralin . Seychelles is very close to the continent of Africa .The capital of Seychelles is Victoria. It is a destination that can be visited round the year but the best months being April/ May and October/ November. The currency here is the Seychelles rupees .The languages spoken here are English, creole and French

Seychelles

We stayed at Coral Strand Smart Choice hotel and Banyan tree in Mahe. Both the properties are very close to the airport. Coral strand hotel being in the Beau Vallon area in Seychelles which is a very popular area and has a fantastic and picturesque beach. The food in Coral Strand hotel was excellent and it also has a very popular Indian restaurant called Mahek which is known for its Indian food buffet, 4 course set menu meals and biryani . Mahek is one of the best Indian Gourmet restaurants on Mahe island. We tried it on the last day of our stay and thoroughly enjoyed the Indian meal. The property also has a tortoise enclosure. The restaurant where breakfast and dinner is served is beach facing. It has a fantastic beach bar with great views of Beau Vallon .

Coral Smart Strand Choice Hotel in Mahe.

Other places we visited in Mahe were Anse Inter dance beach. It is a very beautiful beach which gives you the feel of a private beach. Banyan Tree resort in Mahe island is a luxurious resort. It is expensive but for the beach views, the rooms and the location, it is indeed worth the money. The property has a lovely infinity pool soaking the fantastic views of inter dance beach. We made the most of the infinity pool during our stay and spent several hours enjoying the view from there. The food and hospitality here is exquisite . It is a lovely beach to enjoy the views but dangerous for swimmers and divers. Huge waves bang against the massive rocks at the beach .

Banyan Tree , Mahe 

Banyan Tree

Eden island Lookout point from La Misere road is the best place to get amazing views of eden island and spectacular views of sunrise. The 2nd  day of our stay We headed straight there. Exclusive Eden island is a development project which consists of many luxurious villas, stylish  apartments .The developments also boasts a deep water marine with private moorings. The island also has private swimming pools , world class shopping centre, gymnasium, private beaches , restaurants , bars  and all other amenities. 

Eden Island Lookout

We also visited a local night markets to experience local life here, very close to Coral Smart Strand hotel which had all the local specialities and lots of  Creole music and dance was done by locals. The next day we wanted to just take it easy so we tried snorkelling at few places here ,favourite places to snorkel in Mahe are Anse Soleil, Anse Major , St Annie marine park with shallow lagoons it is a lovely place to snorkel.

Anse Inter Dance Beach.

Next day was the island hopping day for us .We Visited the island of La Digue by high speed transfer ferry that we took from Victoria jetty from Mahe island Cat Coscos fast ferry leave 7.30 am to pralin and the last ferry from pralin to Mahe leave at 6 pm every day except Wednesday and Thursday, which leaves at 5.30 pm. First we reached Pralin island and then we changed our boat to get to La Digue. When we reached there we decided to see the island by foot. It is such a small island that you can see the entire island just under few hours of lovely walk. Those who do not want to walk can rent a bi-cycle to get around the island. As we walked around the lush green trees, we crossed a few trees on which animal skulls, lanterns , shells and unique objects were displayed telling us about the creole culture .we also saw vanilla plantations, colonial houses and coconut processing .

Cat coscos Inter – Island Boat

What really caught our attention were some museums on our way to the beach that had paintings done by locals . Big tortoises were roaming all around the islands. We then reached Anse Source D’Argent beach which has white sand and granite boulders making it one of most beautiful beach in the world. Its tranquillity draws a lot of tourists around the world making it a perfect spot to find peace. There is a small café by the beach which serves local coconut drinks and cola and some snacks. Lots of tourists also kayak on the. There is a small market area for souvenirs and essentials.

Museums , Creole Culture

Anse Source D’Argent Beach

Cycle around the island

Giant Tortoises.

Next on our list was the pristine island of Pralin. We visited Vallee De Mai National park to see the flora and fauna of Pralin, most important to see Coco De Mar ,the biggest nut in the world. This park is a UNESCO World Heritage site . Also has some unique varieties of birds and reptiles.  Coco de Mar is a very rare fruit. The folklore says , the male and female plant embrace each other on a stormy night to produce this seed. The nut can actually weigh up to 30 kgs and grow up to 20 inches in diameter. It takes many years for the fruit to be produced, around 60-80 Years being a normal period. So if someone plans the tree, that person may not live to see the fruit of that tree. In India a female tree produced the nut after 123 years. It is a rare specimen and special measures are taken in Pralin island to preserve this national park. We trekked the entire park and took a comprehensive tour of the park with a guide and also got to see the fruit.

Coco da mar fruit 

After that we reached Anse Lazio another beautiful beach. It is the best beach in Pralin. This beach also has granite boulders and crystal clear water. We spent a few hours there and then had lunch at a beach side restaurant. It was a typical creole lunch with spectacular views of Anse Lazio . We spend good time lazing around the beach before we headed back to Mahe with a bag full of memories.

Traditional Creole Lunch

We were surprised to know a fact about Seychelles culture .While we were in Seychelles the local guides told us that generally locals here don’t like to get married as they don’t believe in the institution of marriage . They do have children with many partners and the government still looks after the citizens and children. We were surprised by this revelation since Seychelles remains a favourite place for honeymoon and a destination for many overseas wedding, what an irony!

Relaxing outside Coral Smart Beau Vallon

We also learnt the government of Seychelles provides the citizens free education till 18 years of age, free medical care and also homes and plots of land at subsidised rates. The locals are really happy with the government and quality of life in Seychelles. Currently the population of Seychelles approximately  98,000 and almost 95% is the literacy rate!

That was our experience of this beautiful paradise called Seychelles . We recommend you spend at least 4 to 5 days in this ideal beach destination .