Seychelles

Overview

Introduction

Although travel to Seychelles might be considered a luxury, it is without question a spectacular destination. The Seychelles islands are filled with physical beauty—distinctive granite rock formations, white-sand beaches and clear blue waters surrounding Seychelles' beaches.

The Seychelles (pronounced SAY-shells) may be the only country described exclusively in hyperbole. "Paradise," "Garden of Eden" and "spectacular" seem to be among the most common terms employed. The hyperbole is well-earned, but this has as much to do with the people as with the scenery. In addition to a beautiful setting, the society's attitude toward tourism is remarkably healthy.

It seems to have avoided the atmosphere of mutual exploitation that exists on many Caribbean or South Pacific islands whose economies also rely on tourism. In the Seychelles, the gap between rich and poor is not striking: Local residents are as likely to be managing well-run properties as making beds. Pride in their islands is near universal, and resentment toward visitors is, though not entirely absent, seldom expressed.

Of course, this may change as the government continues to develop the islands for increased tourism. More cruise ships are visiting and new roads cart boatloads of people to once-isolated beaches. New luxury resorts open every year, and older hotels are being refurbished to ever-higher standards. Residents have been turning their homes into guesthouses. Travelers who seek "paradise" may want to go sooner rather than later.

There is one factor, however, that will always limit the number of visitors: cost. It's expensive to get to the Seychelles, and food and hotel prices are also high.

Geography

The country is composed of 115 islands, which lie about 1,000 mi/1,600 km east of the African mainland. The three largest, and most populated islands are Mahe, Praslin (pronounced Pra-lin), and La Digue. Some 75 are coral, but the main islands are all made of granite.

The Seychelles are the only midoceanic granite islands in the world, remnants of Gondwanaland, an ancient continent that disappeared when the Indian subcontinent split off from what is now southern Africa. This unique topography means that Seychelles has dramatic scenery like no other place on earth, spectacular flora and an array of rare birds.

History

The Seychelles' history as an inhabited land is rather short—French spice planters, together with their slaves, began settling in 1770, though there's a firm local belief that Arab traders used the islands centuries before the French laid ownership in 1756.

After the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century, the Seychelles became part of the British Empire, first as a colony administered as a dependency of Mauritius then, in 1903, as a separate Crown Colony. Independence came in 1976.

The population is made up of a diverse mix of people of European, African, Chinese and Indian descent.

Snapshot

The foremost attractions of the Seychelles are beaches, sailing, bird-watching, snorkeling, scuba diving, big-game fishing, tropical scenery, windsurfing, surfing and local cuisine.

The romantic setting of Seychelles has made the country popular not just with honeymooners but also with couples wanting to tie the knot. Many tour operators specialize in "Weddings in Paradise."

Any beach or watersports enthusiast will love these islands. There's little else to do, however, so don't expect wild nightlife (though a number of hotels have live music). The only other restriction is self-imposed—visitors may feel intimidated by the high cost of goods and services.

Potpourri

General Gordon of Khartoum (in 1881) was convinced that the Seychelles islands were the original Garden of Eden and the coco de mer was the "tree of knowledge of good and evil." Of the many myths surrounding the erotically shaped coco de mer nuts, a local fable tells that when the moon is full, the trees make love. Should you be a witness to this phenomenon, however, you will instantly be turned into a black parrot. Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor (1552-1612), promised to pay everyone who'd bring him a coco de mer the astronomic sum of 4,000 golden florins (probably more than US$200,000 of today). Today, the coco de mer has become somewhat of a symbol of Seychelles with souvenirs and jewelry displaying the unique nut.

The trees of Fregate Island are the only known home in the world of a strange giant beetle that has wing cases but cannot fly.

Vanilla is cultivated on the islands. Vanilla planifolia, an orchid, is a creeping vine that clings to a host tree. Each flower has to be hand-pollinated. The long, bean-shaped pods are later picked by hand and dried on racks in the sun for four months. Pure vanilla essence is distilled on La Digue.

Early Seychelles stamps are collector's items and fetch eye-watering prices.

Nature preserves cover 40% of the country.

Giant Seychelles tortoises have survived for 150 million years, since the age of the dinosaurs. Some of those seen today on La Digue are more than 90 years old. They have no teeth, drink water through their noses and their biggest threat is the sun.

The Seychelles Islands are home to several species of bats, including a fruit bat on La Digue Island with a wingspan of more than 3 feet. These bats can be seen flying over the island in the early evening and can be mistaken for birds of prey until a closer look reveals the featherless, leathery wings.

Moyenne Island in the Ste. Anne Marine National Park is known for its buried treasure, ghosts, the House of Dogs—built in the early 20th century as a home for stray dogs—and an English man who lived there for 30 years in a Robinson Crusoe-like existence among the giant tortoises.

By official decree, no hotel can be taller than the palm trees.

Be careful not to overpack. Those interisland planes are small, and if they're overloaded, you may have to leave part of your luggage behind.

According to local legend, anybody who eats breadfruit in Seychelles is sure to return. Breadfruit is served in a variety of ways. One of the best ways is to grill it.