12 Oct |
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Just minutes after our jet had dropped out of the night sky onto Mahe’s surely-too-short runway (all built on reclaimed land) we were whisked into a waiting vehicle and bundled – with the inimitable courtesy and care of the Seychellois, of course – into a speedboat and we were off across the warm Indian Ocean.  A full moon refracted in the spray off the bow as an island appeared out of the starlight; an atoll of jumbled granite guarded by rustling palm trees. The breakers hissing across the white sand that was stretched around the island like a welcoming smile. Off the starboard bow, Moyenne Island lay quietly in the darkness as one of the crew sat down next to me. “Just one man, an old Englishman, lives on that island,” he murmured. “Well, one man and lots of tortoises. They say there’s treasure, pirate treasure, buried somewhere there too!” With images of gold doubloons and Jolly Rogers fluttering through my mind, the rumble of the boat’s engine slowed to a growl as we pull up at a wooden jetty. “Welcome to Sainte Anne. Bienvenue!” came the voice out of the darkness; a lilting Creole with a soupçon of French. Pirates, private islands, Creole cuisine, calm seas… it was a warm welcome to the Seychelles indeed! But if this nation of 115 islands is mysterious and alluring by moonlight, it is all the more irresistible in the glow of soft tropical sunshine. White beaches lifted straight from a brochure, water the colour of Bombay Sapphire and lush peaks rising from a canopy of rainforest. As one erudite writer recently put it, the Seychelles is often described as a little piece of heaven, but it’s not. It’s better, because you get to go home and make your friends jealous. Sainte Anne Resort & Spa was the slice of ‘heaven’ I chose to call my Seychellois home from home. Situated on a 200-hectare private island a few kilometres off the main island of Mahe, the Villa-only resort is surrounded by one of the largest Marine Parks in the Indian Ocean. Although the El Niño phenomenon took its toll on the shallow corals, the surrounding seas still abound with life and great snorkelling is possible right off the beach. There are four restaurants and 87 villas on Sainte Anne – many with private pools, complimentary Wi-Fi and luxurious outdoor showers – yet the spacious grounds ensure you’ll never feel crowded. The gentle whirr of golf carts whisking guests around the resort is about the only noise you’ll hear. That, and the tinkling bell of an approaching bicycle… each villa has its own bikes to allow you to explore the resort. The scent of frangipani trees follows you as you wander, while colourful bougainvillea and hibiscuses flowers invariably end up behind the ear of a blissed-out tourist. In a quiet corner of Sainte Anne you’ll find the ‘Spa by Clarins’, recently revamped to offer a range of treatment rooms along with a balneotherapy room, yoga rooms and separate-sex hammams. Under takamaka and casuarina trees nearby you’ll find the dive shop and activities centre, with complimentary kayaks, sailing dinghies and snorkelling equipment on hand for active holidaymakers. And active you should certainly be. Delightful as resort living is, one of the beauties of the Seychelles is that it’s easy to get out and explore. A complimentary shuttle-boat runs from Sainte Anne to Mahe throughout the day, and from Victoria the islands are your proverbial oysters! A good place to start your island hopping is in the capital of the Seychelles, Victoria. Home to just 22 000 people, Victoria is the second-smallest capital in the world and feels more like a quaint country town than the seat of government! Ruled by both the French (1770-1814) and the British (1814-1976) it’s a curious hangover from empires in the tropics. The Sir Selwyn Selwyn Clarke Market (no, that’s not a typo!) is one of the highlights of the capital and offers a taste of daily Seychellois life on Mahe. Long concrete tables overflow with the day’s fresh catch, while lazy herons roost in the rafters, keeping a beady out for scraps. Stalls of fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as tables of tourist trinkets are worth browsing before hitting the road to explore the island. The Seychelles is famous for its outstanding beaches and Mahe is home to some of the nation’s most famous strips of sand. Follow Chemin St. Louis out of Victoria and a short drive will bring you to Beau Vallon; Mahe’s iconic beach and home to a strip of ever-popular hotels. The sand is flour-soft, the water’s warm and turquoise, but it can also get crowded. If you like the buzz of holidaymakers then this is the place for you. For something a little quieter, you’ll need to backtrack and follow Chemin Sanssouci over to the western edge of the island. Anse Souillac (Anse means ‘bay’ in French) is a delightful cove where local kids sneak away after school to frolic in still, warm waters. And don’t be surprised to see a super-yacht or two moored a few hundred metres off the beach. These quiet coves have become the playgrounds of the rich and famous. Heading south down the west coast, Grand Anse is a popular surf spot, while the narrow Anse Boileau offers great swimming and is home to local fishermen. Anse à la Mouche is ideal for families, with sparkling waters that remain shallow even at high tide. Mahe is about more than beaches though, and a delightful midday stop is the hillside Jardin du Roi (Royal Garden). There’s been a tree and spice garden here since 1772, supplying ships and local settlers with the fragrant spices you’ll discover nightly in the region’s Creole cuisine. Jackfruit and Durian hang heavily from trees, while cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper trees are all harvested for the kitchen of Mrs Micheline Georges, whose family have owned the garden for 150 years. The Jardin’s Coco de Mer trees are also, obviously, a star attraction. Coco de what, I hear you ask? Well, for the story of the Coco de Mer you’ll need to hop on over to the nearby island of Praslin. High-speed ferries run regularly from Victoria, or it’s a short hop on Air Seychelles. While Praslin certainly has its fair share of excellent beaches and resorts, its claim to fame is the legendary Vallée de Mai. This lush UNESCO World Heritage Site is a stunningly beautiful ancient forest home to 6000 Coco-de-Mer palms. Considered to be among the botanical wonders of the world the male and female seeds are the largest in the plant kingdom, weighing up to 15-kilograms, and bear a striking resemblance to the human form; a curvaceous, heart-shaped seed for the female and a long tube for the male. One can only imagine what love-struck sailors made of them after months at sea! Praslin is also a short ferry ride from the lost-in-time island of La Digue. La Digue is what the Seychelles would have looked like before tourism arrived in the early 1970s. Cars only made it to the island 20 years ago, and today most visitors get around by bicycle or ox-cart. Resort hotels are few and far between and you’re more likely to find a laid-back beach bungalow where meals are enjoyed with the local family. Apart from simply enjoying the remarkable scenery, it’s worth heaving yourself out of the deckchair to explore the island’s L’Union Estate. Now government owned, the estate offers tours of the palm plantation and copra mill used to produce coconut oil, a vanilla plantation and horse riding. The enclosure of giant tortoises, the oldest over 90 years old, is also a hit with families. It’s laid-back with few frills and makes a wonderful change from the busy tourist bustle of the larger islands. Whether you visit on a day-trip from Mahe or decide to play Robinson Crusoe for a few days La Digue is certainly worth a visit. It’s the place to wiggle your toes into the sand of Anse Patates, sit back under casuarina trees with a chilled coconut and simply slip into Seychellois island-time. A piece of heaven on earth? I can’t wait to tell my friends… FOR MORE INFO
First published in Explore L'Afrique magazine, Spring 2009. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites            |