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| The Anse Source D’Argent beach is one of the many lovely beaches |
Shangri-La — too clichéd, Eden — too prosaic, Paradise on Earth — not even close! Frankly, I don’t think the words exist in the English language to describe Seychelles. An archipelago of 115 islands, nestled in the Indian Ocean, off the eastern coast of Africa, the country is the ideal getaway if you are looking for sun ’’ sand and a place to get away from it all.
How exotic is it? I had a tough time getting through immigration at the Bangalore airport as the official in charge hadn’t heard of the islands and there was no visa on my passport to boot (conveniently available on arrival). After explanations and confirmation from other officers, I finally boarded a plane to join my friends at Dubai. We arrived at Mahé, the largest island in the Seychelles, via a four hour flight from UAE.
I’ve never seen clearer waters anywhere else in the world. It’s like the sun playing tricks on you, the ocean changes colour every few metres into every conceivable hue of blue and green. I actually researched why that occurs — due to changing depth and the presence of corals.
Victoria in Mahé is the capital of Seychelles and is a quaint little town. We made it the base of our operations since we were staying with friends. That was quite fortunate since hotels there are exorbitant.
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| A young Seychellois poses with her father |
Meals are expensive too (I’d budget 15 euros per person per meal) and mostly nothing to write home about, even in large, popular restaurants. Stick to sea-food — it’s fresh and tasty. Do try the local Creole food (at the numerous take-ways that line the streets in Victoria).
Mahé is not large and you can drive around the whole island in a few hours. But everywhere you go, the beaches are spectacular with crystal clear waters, a few idyllic fishing boats anchored near the shore and not a living soul in sight. The most popular beach on the island is Beau Vallon, with golden sand and clear waters. It was also the site of our diving school.
After we spent the first couple of days lolling about the beach, our hosts arranged a trip for us to a resort across the bay called LaBrize on Silhouette Island. The thousand euros a night resort is also popular with day tourists who come to enjoy the food, the beach and the solitude away from the relative hustle bustle of Mahé.
And trust me; the beach is phenomenal — the softest powdery white sand that emerges from a tropical rain-forest and ends kissing the blue lagoon. And finally a restaurant with succulent meat.
The next day we began our diving course at Beau Vallon. An Open Water Diver Course takes about four days to complete and costs about 300-350 euros per person.
I’d wanted to learn diving ever since my trip to Hawaii but even I was not ready for what was in store. Putting on the wet-suit, strapping on the cylinder and taking the first breath of air through the regulator isn’t an experience one can forget. My first dive was spent imitating a yo-yo because I couldn’t control my buoyancy under the water.
But once you master it, there is nothing quite like it in the world. We went as much as 22m-25m under water (officially you’re not allowed to go under 18m during training), getting the chance to see turtles, eels, octopus, lobsters, eagle rays, psychedelic-hued fish and even a white-tip reef shark.
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| The Anse Source D’Argent beach is one of the many lovely beaches |
We spent the next four days diving, lying around the beach drinking cocktails (mostly prepared from the local Takamaka Rum), and if we still had some energy left at the end of the day, hopping across to a popular bar to enjoy the local house or Creole music.
After mastering the course, we realised we still hadn’t seen the most beautiful beaches in Seychelles. Anse Lazio and Anse Source D’Argent are two of the most photographed beaches in the world and a staple of most swimsuit shoots. Unfortunately, we didn’t bump into any supermodels.
We took a flight on a small propeller plane to Praslin island, from where we took a catamaran for a ride to the island of La Digue. A lot more secluded than Mahé and definitely less touristy, it serves as a popular holiday destination even for locals, with even a touristy ox-cart ride.
The Anse Source D’Argent beach is easily the most picturesque. The large granite boulders straddling the shore make for quite a picture but no photograph can ever do the view real justice. After spending most of the morning soaking up the sun, we headed back to Praslin, home to the Vallee de Mai Nature Reserve. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this forest has quite a few exotic palm species, the most famous being the coco de mer plant. It has the largest seed in the plant kingdom, weighing more than 15kg. In the evening, we stopped at Anse Lazio, to enjoy its azure blue waters and the perfect sunset.
Now before you pack your bags, a word of caution. Seychelles is not for the conservative or the squeamish — a holiday destination popular with vacationing Europeans, topless sunbathing is quite common. Considering the expensive hotels, the islands are frequented more by honeymooners and retired couples. I can hardly think of a better place to enjoy the summer.
Ready reckoner
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Getting there: Emirates has one-stop flights between Mumbai and Mahé. Qatar Airways also has one-stop flights that ply between Mumbai and Seychelles.
Best time to visit: It’s always a good time to visit Seychelles with its warm tropical climate.
Currency: 1 Indian Rupee = 0.17914 Seychelles Rupee
Where to stay: A wide range of affordable hotels and charming Creole guest houses can be availed of, in addition to the existing 5 star hotels and exclusive island retreats.
Web watch: www.seychelles.com.