The people are a mix of European, African and Asian. They all speak English, French and Creole. Tourism is the main industry of the islands and, with their relaxed and friendly attitude, we could have easily stayed a while. Our three islands in three days was a wonderful taste of this paradise.
Mahe
We started our first day in the Seychelles with a bus tour of this, the largest of the three islands that we visited. The first stop was the Botanical Gardens, a place where native plants are shown off. We were also treated to a show by fruit bats, a large bat that flies around in the daytime. They inhabit one of the large trees in the garden. The symbol of the islands, the Coco d’Mer is an erotic shaped coconut, proliferates in the garden. After the garden, we were taken to an overlook built for Queen Elizabeth to use when she took tea while visiting the island. On to the white sand beaches and a tea plantation for tea and a snack then to the local marketplace and back to the ship.
In the afternoon, we wandered into town. Traffic on Mahe is busy and the city now has two stop lights. Cars drive on the left side making street crossing a challenge for those of us who are right-side conditioned.
The history of the islands is of European settlement, slavery, benevolent colonialism, and independence. The small History Museum graphically told the brutal story of slavery, then the history of independence and, briefly, amusing tales of treasure seekers looking for buried pirate loot.
Along with some nice local crafts, there are some excellent artists on the islands. We visited a wonderful gallery where, had we the space, we would have added to our own collection.
The local market was filled with colorful produce, fresh fish and aromatic spices.
Le Digue
We cancelled our ship tours of Le Digue and Praslin, electing to venture out on our own. La Digue is a tourist resort with many self-serve cottages. Transportation is by bicycle or ox cart. We boarded an ox cart for ten passengers and bounced along a mildly bumpy tour of the area. After passing through the small town, we entered Anse Source D’Argent, a former plantation with a spectacular beach. Granite formations, eroded by sand and sea, climb from the shallow waters. The beach slope is gradual and the water are warm and clear as a bath. The blues vary from aqua, to turquoise, to deep blue, all accented with tufts of white. The area is popular for snorkeling but we spent our time wading and photographing, cooling off with a local Sey Brew.
After a brief stop at an artists shop, we returned to town and wandered up the road past a very lush new resort and into the local cemetery. The tide was heading out when we waded on Anse Severe Beach.
Praslin
We waited on the ship for the morning rain squall to pass and then joined another couple on our “wild cab ride.” Riding in the back of the taxi is a bit harrowing reminding one of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. Drivers speed, seem to play chicken and pass swiftly on roads with sharp drop-offs, yet the cars are in excellent shape with no dents or scratches. We enjoyed our tour through the national park with photo stops at beaches and shopping stops in small towns.
Were they closer, we would gladly return to the Seychelles for a holiday, especially the quiet paced and gorgeous La Digue. Unfortunately, it was back to the ship and an exerting two days of sailing to the next port.
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