As a frequent global traveller there’s one rule I try never to break: do not laugh at the immigration officials. But when a burly Seychellois man in uniform takes his stamp and pounds a provocative set of feminine hips into my passport. Well… it’s hard not to giggle.
 The ‘hips’ in question is the outline of the seed from the Coco de Mer palm and while the plant itself is nothing to write home about, the seed – with its suggestive bulges resembling a voluptuous woman’s hips – has driven lusty sailors to distraction since the 1700s. It’s since become the icon of the Seychelles; a symbol as exotic and sensual as these sun-kissed islands themselves.
This string of paradise islands – a stone’s throw from the Equator – is scattered across hundreds of kilometres of ocean, but most visitors stick to the Inner Islands close to the capital Victoria. Unless you’re feeling especially adventurous the islands of Mahe, Praslin and La Digue offer everything a sun-seeking visitor could ask for.
It’s always good to start at the beginning and, as you’ll be jetting into the international airport in Victoria, Mahe will be your first stop.
If you need to wash off those travelling blues you’ll find the island is home to some of the best beaches in the Seychelles. Beau Vallon is Mahe’s iconic beach and is home to a strip of ever-popular hotels; the sand is flour-soft and the water’s warm and turquoise, but it can also get crowded.
Over on the West coast, Anse Souillac (Anse means ‘bay’ in French) is a perfectly picturesque cove ideal for lazy days on the sand. 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.
If you’d rather be active Grand Anse further south is a popular surf spot, while Anse à la Mouche is a family-friendly beach with shallow current-free waters.
It’s well worth stopping off for a wander around Victoria though; home to just 22 000 people it is the second-smallest capital in the world and feels more like a laid-back country town.
For a taste of local life make sure you wander through the Sir Selwyn Selwyn Clarke Market where local fishermen flog their catch, and fresh fruit, vegetables and spices lie waiting to be turned into delicious Creole cuisine.
A wonderful place to learn more about the local way of life is the hillside Jardin du Roi (Royal Garden), which was first planted in 1772 to supply passing ships. Today it’s tended by Mrs Micheline Georges, whose family have owned the garden for 150 years, and she runs a wonderful restaurant in an old plantation-style house.
Mahe’s smaller cousin is La Digue, an hour away by high-speed ferry or an easy 15-minute flight. Where Mahe is bustling and busy, Praslin is all the more laid-back and you can easily spend a day or two meandering around the island. Stop off at for lunch at Bon Bon Plume; a delightful toes-in-the-sand restaurant on Anse Lazio. Well-fed, make sure you leave time to visit the legendary Vallée de Mai; a UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s home to an ancient forest of 6000 Coco-de-Mer palms.
From Praslin it’s another short ferry hop to La Digue, where the pace of life is slow and cars only arrived some 20 years ago. Accommodation here is all about low-key beach bungalows and tourists are more likely to hire an ox-cart to get around than hail a taxi. It’s perhaps too quiet for some, but is worth visiting for the day to enjoy the stunning Anse Patate and wander through the coconut and vanilla plantations of L’Union Estate. The enclosure of giant tortoises, some over 90 years old, is also a hit with families. In all, La Digue is laid-back with few frills and makes a wonderful change from the busy tourist bustle of the larger islands.
With easy ferry and flight connections it’s simple to hop between the islands, so a good bet is to base yourself at a resort you enjoy and spend your days exploring. When you can escape the clutches of the deckchair, that is.
For a five-star castaway experience you certainly can’t go wrong with the Sainte Anne Resort & Spa a short boat-ride from Mahe.
Situated on its own 200-hectare private island this Villa-only resort is slap-bang in the middle of one of the largest Marine Parks in the Indian Ocean. To help you make the most of the warm azure waters the Activity Centre offers complimentary kayaks, sailing dinghies and snorkelling equipment. There’s also a dive centre on hand for exploring the local reefs.
If that sounds altogether too strenuous then best you take a turn past the ‘Spa by Clarins’ in a quiet corner of Sainte Anne. The entire spa has recently been revamped to offer a range of treatment rooms along with a balneotherapy room, yoga studio and separate-sex hammams.
With all that exercise and pampering you deserve to splurge a little. Luckily the resort offers four restaurants, from family-friendly buffets at L’Abondance to island-style fine dining at Le Mont Fleuri. My favourite though is the appropriately named Le Robinson; a tables-on-the-beach, waves at your feet kind of place where the inventive European-style cuisine would have made Mr Crusoe proud.
In fact, if I had to be shipwrecked somewhere I think Sainte Anne would do quite nicely. Spacious villas, pristine beaches, a lush island to explore… and at least I wouldn’t need that passport stamp!
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Originally published in Indwe Magazine, the in-flight magazine of SA Express
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