Are you sick and tired of the gloomy and cold weather? Let me take you virtually to discover and enjoy the sceneries of the Seychelles.
A country made of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, the Republic of Seychelles offers beautiful beaches, virgin jungles, and thriving coral reefs. You can hike mountain trails, relax on the stunning beaches, rock climb, and dine on mouth-watering Créole cuisine, not to mention the fantastic diving, snorkelling, surfing, and sailing activities.
Seychelles were initially colonised by the French before being taken over by the British. It was only in 1976 that Seychelles acquired independence and became the Republic of Seychelles. I had the privilege in visiting one of its larger, granitic inner islands, Mahé, then Curieuse, Aride, and Moyenne and islands.
Mahé is home to the small capital, Victoria and is the largest island. You would love to relax along the white-sand beaches or look down upon the dense rainforests from hilly areas. You will find an mysterious resemblance between the Clock Tower in Victoria and London’s Big Ben. This has been a significant landmark since the early 20th century and has been famous since one of the governors of Seychelles, Sir Ernest Sweet-Escott, ordered it to be built as a copy of the Big Ben, due to his fascination with the structure.
Once known as Île Rouge due to its russet-toned earth, Curieuse Island is now home to a breeding program for giant tortoises, which roam freely around the sandy coves and you can pictures with those gigantic creature. Most of the island is covered with takamaka and casuarina trees, which shade the white-sand beaches.
A visit to Aride Island is an essential part of the itinerary for any visitor to Seychelles to discover what the islands were like 250 years ago before human settlement. Aride hosts one of the most important seabird populations in the Indian Ocean with more breeding species than any other island in Seychelles. The island is managed as a nature reserve.
Moyenne Island is home to 16,000 plants and trees, mahogany, palm, mango, and pawpaw that attract the native birds from neighbouring islands. You can find as well a roughly 120 tortoises roaming freely on the island. It is now safely regulated as the smallest national park in the world, and also holds the distinction of having more species per square foot than any other national park in existence.
Beautiful travelogue.