Turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean, snow-white sand, tropical forests and mountains – this is an amazing nature in the Seychelles (what to see on the islands, besides the natural beauty: national parks with relict plants and endemic animals, small museums and galleries). You can hike, taste Creole food, enjoy sunsets and go kayaking.
Location of the Seychelles
Seychelles is a state in the Indian Ocean. It is 1,600 km from the mainland of East Africa. You can get here by a direct Aeroflot flight from Moscow. Also to the Seychelles fly with a connection in Ethiopia, Israel or the UAE.
Useful information about the Seychelles
Tourists need to be prepared for the hot climate. You should not go to the islands for those who can not stand the heat. Be sure to bring insect repellents and antihistamines.
Seychelles is full of exotic bugs, mosquitoes, and spiders, whose bites itch and can cause an increase in body temperature. Because of the insects should not sit long in the sand, especially near the algae.
Required documents to enter the Seychelles
Russian citizens can freely visit Seychelles for tourism purposes. You do not need a visa if the planned period of stay does not exceed 30 days.
A valid passport is required for entry. Tourists need to bring a hotel reservation or an invitation from the host, return tickets. Fill out a migration card before the passport control.
If a minor crosses the border with one of the parents, a notarized consent of the other is required, as well as a copy of all pages of his internal or foreign passport.
It is advisable to take out medical insurance before the trip. You may also need a certificate of a negative PCR test (in English).
What to see on the island of Mahe
On the main island of the archipelago is the capital of Seychelles – Victoria. There is a commercial port, an international airport, and a university.
Places to go on Mahe:
- Mount Morne Blanc, to the top of which there is a hiking route.
- The National Botanical Garden, where all the plant species found in Seychelles are collected.
- Mission Lodge Lookout is a missionary community ruin museum.
- Anse Takamaka Beach, Anse Royale.
- The main street of the capital of the archipelago, on which are the market, the “monument with three wings”, a small copy of Big Ben.
Beau Vallon Beach
Beau Vallon Beach is the most popular beach vacation spot in the Seychelles for tourists and locals alike. Even at night there is a lot of life: the bars and restaurants play live music and exciting dances never stop. There are always a lot of people on Beau Vallon. For those who want privacy, it is better to go somewhere far away.
The beach is located in a picturesque cove. Even its name literally translates as “beautiful valley.
Here the fine white sand and amazing sunsets. Not far from the shore, small rocks peek out of the water – a great place for a photo shoot.
The beach is suitable for recreation with children: the descent into the water is gentle, there are no corals and sharp rocks on the bottom, underwater currents. There’s plenty to do for active vacationers, too: Beau Vallon has some great dive sites.
Morn National Nature Park
There are interesting hiking trails through the park. For example, at the end of the walk along the Mission Lodge trail, you can explore a historical landmark, a school that was opened by missionaries to educate the children of freed slaves. On the way there are relict trees that are more than 200 years old.
Along the Mare Aux Cochons trail, which winds through the valley of the same name, you can see the ruins of old distilleries and an essential oil factory. Most of the way tourists are surrounded by a humid tropical forest with cinnamon and many exotic species of flora, such as the carnivorous lily of the valley.
Royal Botanic Gardens
The main attraction of the Royal Botanical Gardens is the endemic coco-de-mer nut with erect-shaped fruits that have pronounced sexual characteristics. In addition to the botanical garden, such palms grow on Curiosity Island. You can’t find them anywhere else in the world.
Aside from the coco de mer, you can see here:
- exotic orchids;
- Asian araucaria;
- mango trees, jackfruit, durian;
- rose of Venezuela;
- sugar cane;
- plumeria with fragrant flowers of different shapes;
- an unusual tropical fruit – a sour apple, the pulp of which has a strawberry-pineapple flavor.
On the territory there is an aviary with giant turtles, some of which are more than 100 years old. To his right towers a tree on which bats often hang. You can also find rare lizards, frogs and insects, white-tailed tropical birds and blue pigeons in the park.
The botanical garden has a cafeteria where tourists are treated to local fruit and herbal drinks, salads, sandwiches, and ice cream. Nearby you can buy souvenirs, including. coco-de-mer palm fruit, and nursery plants.
Craftsmen’s Village
In the southeast of Mahe, on O Cap Beach, there is an artisan village, an open-air ethnographic museum. On a small area there are 12 houses-workshops, in which local craftsmen make souvenirs.
The largest building is the old Colonial-style Grand Caz Mansion. Another interesting structure is the Rosa Kaz, a twentieth-century house where workers lived.
There is a restaurant with traditional Creole cuisine on the territory of the artisan village.
Travelers should definitely try it:
- Jambalaya (something between pilaf and paella);
- Cajun tasso (flavorful pork steak);
- bénier (traditional Creole doughnuts with an unusual shape).
La Digue Island Attractions
La Digue is the most beautiful island of the archipelago. Tourists are attracted by beaches with fine white and pink sand, clear water and clear seabed, picturesque locations for diving. There are all conditions for a relaxing holiday away from civilization.
Silver Coast
The Anse Source d’Argent Bay on the island of La Digue is the place whose photos have gone around the world. The beach is flanked by rocks rising out of the water, and just beyond the shoreline is a tropical forest. The strip of white sand stretches for almost a kilometer. You can walk to the beach through Union Estate Park.
Reunion Cove
Reunion is a popular stop for cruise ships and sailing yachts. It is better to get to the bay by boat. It is a remote place, the hiking trails to which run through a forest of dense tropical vegetation. Dolphins and seahorses live in the waters of the bay. The ocean here is almost transparent and the beaches are snow-white.
Praslin Island
The second largest island of the archipelago is suitable for a beach holiday. Here tourists will not find outstanding architectural monuments, there is no rich cultural program. But there are wide beaches with white sand, palm trees, sloping over the warm waters of the ocean, delightful sunsets and sunrises.
Entertainment is not limited to relaxing under the scorching equatorial sun and swimming in the Indian Ocean.
You can go scuba diving, taste the local cuisine, take a boat trip. A walk through the Vallee de Mai National Park and a hiking trail up Mount Zimbabwe are a must.
May Valley
Not far from Baie Ste Anne is the May Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The main attraction of the park – more than 700 sea coconut palms (coco de mer). To protect them, they even planted a fire barrier of fire-resistant plants.
You can walk around the protected area in 2-4 hours.
On the map of the valley marked five specially paved routes. Walking along the central trail, tourists can see blooming pandanus, exotic birds (black parrots, which are found only in the Seychelles, nectarbirds, blue pigeons), geckos, chameleons and flying foxes in their natural habitat.
Lazio Beach
The large beach of Anse Lazio with fine sand and turquoise water is located in the harbor of Chevalier Bay. Stingrays can swim right by the shore because there is no reef at the entrance to the bay. Sometimes strong waves rise for the same reason. The beach is suitable for swimming, surfing, diving, snorkeling and sailing.
Capital Victoria in the Seychelles
In the mid-nineteenth century, the British established a port in the northeastern part of the island of Mahe. A small settlement grew around it, and the area received the status of a city. It is now home to one-third of the entire population of Mahe.
Modern Victoria attracts with its identity: almost every building is a monument in the colonial style. Interestingly, it is forbidden to erect buildings above the palm trees in order to preserve the natural landscape.
Market Street
Victoria’s 10 km long main street is one of the busiest places on the island. On weekends, musicians hold open-air concerts here; on weekdays, tourists rarely stroll down Market Street, many locals do.
The main attractions of downtown Victoria (Market Street and neighbouring streets):
- Selwyn-Clark Marketplace. You can buy fresh fish, tropical fruits, traditional handicrafts from local merchants.
- Vinyagar Hindu temple. The temple building is striking in its unusual appearance. In October, there is a sacred ritual that symbolizes the wedding of the Hindu gods. The action is accompanied by offerings of flowers and fruit, and loud national music.
- The Bicentennial Monument is a landmark whose name translates from Creole as “the monument with three wings”. The three wings symbolize the unity of the Seychelles people as representatives of ethnic groups from 3 continents: Europe, Africa and Asia.
- Lorloz Little Ben. A small replica of Big Ben is installed in the Seychelles in honor of the 75th anniversary of Queen Victoria.
- The bulk island of Eden, created on the site of a dead coral reef.
Clock Tower
Lor Loz, or Clock Tower, has been a symbol of the small capital of the Seychelles for more than 100 years. The clock is not ranked as a national monument because there are few landmarks on the islands.
The tower witnessed the territory’s transition from being part of the British colony of Mauritius to limited sovereignty and then to independence.
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Selwyn Clark Market
Along Market Street there are many stores where you can buy national handmade clothes, unusual spices, jewelry. But the main shopping destination is the market, named after the governor of the Seychelles (Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clark served as governor and commander-in-chief in the mid-twentieth century).
The market sells fruits and vegetables, fish, there are several souvenir shops. From Seychelles you can bring natural coconut oil and soap, spice blends.
It’s worth a try:
- coconut coco rouge;
- the fruit of the breadfruit tree;
- jackfruit;
- sugar apple;
- rambutan;
- dorado fish.
Turtle shells, coral, shark jaws, and sea palm fruit are also available at the Selwyn-Clarke Market, at a lower price than the stores, but you shouldn’t buy them there.
Local sellers do not give a certificate for items of natural origin and a receipt of purchase. When boarding the plane such souvenirs can be taken away, and the tourist – fined.
Mount Morne Blanc
The most recognizable landmark on the island of Mahe is the peak of Morne Blanc. You can climb to the observation deck, located above the treetops, on foot or by elevator.
The duration of the walk is 45 minutes. The road is steep, but there are no difficult sections, and the elevation gain is constant. You can climb the Morne Blanc on your own or with a guide.
St. Anne’s Marine Park
The nature reserve was created to protect and preserve the marine flora and fauna of the islands. During the tour, travelers visit all six small islands, the territory of which occupies the park, as well as take a boat trip through the straits between them with a transparent bottom.
Underwater you can see reef sharks, dolphins, colorful tropical fish, sea turtles, granite rocks with coral growing on them, and sandy plains.
On the islands, tourists are invited to observe the life of rare tropical birds and giant turtles, explore the ruins of the houses of the first settlers and the graves of pirates.
The islands of the archipelago are a great location for scuba diving. Equally popular are such activities as snorkeling and diving, allowing you to enjoy the vibrant underwater world of the national park.
Natural History Museum
In the center of Victoria, the capital of the Seychelles, there is a science museum. It is a two-story colonial-style building with 2 memorable sculptures at the entrance: an extinct Nile crocodile and an endangered sea cow.
The exhibit includes a rare collection of butterflies and moths, endemic birds, the skulls of extinct Nile crocodiles, and stuffed bisected turtles. Also on the first floor of the museum you can see the upper jaw of a sperm whale, stuffed striped sea urchins and tropical fish.
Among the rare exhibits are fragments of granite rock, referring to the ancient continent of Gondwana, and objects recovered from ships that sunk off the coast of the archipelago.
Tourists will see the world’s smallest statue of Queen Victoria, the oldest map of the islands and the “stone of possession” installed here by the French as a sign of their domination.
On the second floor of the Museum of Natural History is a collection of reproductions of the British traveler and artist Marianne North, who lived in the mid-19th century.
Many of the Seychelles’ endemic plants had not yet been studied at the time, so her illustrations were often part of important botanical works. The detail of the depiction of flora and fauna in an era when photography was not yet available makes Marianne North’s work valuable to modern scientists as well.
Three Brothers Mountain
From the top you have a view of the coastline of white sand and rainforest, as well as the neighboring islands of Mahe. The slope is gentle, so to conquer the mountain Three Brothers tourists with basic physical training.
Hindu Temple
Arul Mihu Navasakti is the only Hindu temple in the Seychelles. The multicolored facade of the religious structure is decorated with figures of deities and characters of local legends.
The complex architecture, richness and density of the composition allow you to view the temple for hours. Particularly interesting will be those who are interested in Eastern culture and religion.
After seeing the temple from the outside, travelers can go inside and admire the interior of the Hindu shrine. It is imperative that you take off your shoes. Women should wear a skirt below the knee or pants. It is forbidden to enter the temple with uncovered shoulders, sunglasses, and headgear.
Union Estate Nature Park
It is a large park with an ancient granite mountain, vanilla and coconut plantations, dense palm groves and open-air ethnographic monuments. There are several planter’s houses (one of them was used to shoot the movie “Goodbye, Emmanuelle!”), an oil mill, and a rookery of giant tortoises.
The park is home to Source D`Argent (“Silver Coast”), one of the most beautiful beaches in the world according to National Geographic magazine. You can get to it not only through the park. It is worth observing the locals: they walk to the shore, bypassing the central gate, where they charge 100-150 rupees to visit the park.
Grand Anse Village
It is worth a visit to the village of Grand Anse to see the African way of life. The locals live in small huts with roofs of dried palm leaves. The houses have no facilities (but tourists are offered rooms with bathroom, air conditioning, satellite TV).
Cape Barbie
On the north side of La Digue Island is a cape surrounded by the bays of Severra and Loquena. On Cap Barbie, there are ferns with giant leaves, breadfruit trees and palm trees. There is also a large ancient cemetery where the first colonizers who came to the Seychelles from Reunion Island were buried.
Cap Barbie offers a panoramic view of the coast. And the cape itself is studded with granite blocks, which play different colors – from pink to gray (depending on the angle of the sun).
Not far from this picturesque place you can enjoy wild beaches, swim with turtles and see the amazing underwater world of coral reefs.
Attractions of other islands
Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands (only 33 are developed). On Mahe, Praslin, La Digue, there are chain hotels, comfortable beaches, bars and restaurants. Those who want solitude go to small islands.
Kuzin
Cousin Island is located 6 km off the west coast of Praslin. You can get here by boat or helicopter from the capital of Seychelles Victoria. There are several five-star villas on the island. If you wish, you can rent Cousin completely.
The landscape of this island-reserve consists of low hills and piles of boulders. A well-groomed path leads to the top, with views of neighboring Praslin and Mahe.
On Kuzina you can observe in a natural environment representatives of many species of tropical birds, unusual animals and insects. The island (the only one of the Seychelles archipelago) does not have a single artificially introduced mammal.
Other activities for tourists: swimming, diving and snorkeling. Swim in the ocean, preferably in special shoes that will protect you from cuts on sharp corals.
Do not swim too far, because. There are strong currents around the island. There are no predators in the immediate area (sometimes there are reef sharks, but they avoid contact with people). For diving it is worth choosing calm weather.
Aldabra
At the base of the second largest atoll (the archipelago surrounding the lagoon) in the world is the extinct crater of an underwater volcano. Inside the lagoon can fit the entire Mahe – the largest island of Seychelles, and the area of the Aldabra group is equal to one-third of the land of the entire island state.
Aldabra is home to the largest colony of turtles in the world – about 150 thousand. Also on the island there are large flamingos, red-footed boobies, kukals, white-eyed bulbul, snails Aldabra, flying foxes. Because of this diversity of endemic animals, Aldabra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
To get to the atoll, you need a special permit. There are also problems with transport accessibility, because. The construction of helipads and landing strips is prohibited on Aldabra. It is not possible to visit the island on your own. Tourists get there only as part of the expedition, the cost of participation in which – several tens of thousands of euros.
Curiosity
A small island 1.5 km from Praslin. This place used to bear the French name Ile Rouge because of the unusual color of the soil. Then the island was renamed in honor of the schooner under the command of the navigator Marion-Dufresne, who declared the territory a French possession.
For a long time, the sick were brought to Curiez. There are still the ruins of the medical buildings on the island and the doctor’s house, which today houses the information office.
Tourists visit the island of Curiez to get to the turtle farm, swim in the marine park and go to a small museum. The trail to it goes through a third of the swampy terrain.
On either side of the road, studded with black shells, are dead trees with bony roots peeking out of the ground. Another part of the road goes through a forest of sandy soil riddled with red crabs, and the last third is between rocks.
Arid
Arid Island is home to rare birds and endemic plants. For example, Wright’s gardenia grows here, and after it blooms, it leaves an inedible lemon fruit that attracts nesting birds. This plant was once found on other islands in the Seychelles archipelago, but for some reason disappeared.
Arid can only be visited with a guide. During the monsoon it can be difficult to dock, so you should put your documents, money and electronics in a waterproof case or bag. Tourists are not allowed to collect or take away anything, damage plants. This is carefully monitored by the staff of the reserve.
How to intelligently plan a route
Travelers planning a trip on their own should plan their itinerary based on hotel availability and ferry schedules for travel between the islands.
Stay on Mahe, Praslin or La Digue, which have good transport accessibility and a developed tourist infrastructure.
The islands of the Seychelles archipelago are small in area. You can see each one in one day. All attractions are within walking distance. If necessary, you can rent a bicycle or scooter.
Best tours in Seychelles
In the Seychelles, you can book sightseeing tours, hill climbs, go hiking in the rainforest with a guide, take a boat ride.
Top 5 best places and activities:
- Takamaka Rum Distillery is a small rum distillery on Mahe. Tourists are invited to tastings.
- Diving in the vicinity of Le Mamel Island, where a British tanker sank in the 1970s.
- Fishing from a sailing yacht. Sea bass, tuna, dorado can be hooked in any season. Then you can roast the fish over an open fire on the ocean.
- Sea kayak safari with a transparent bottom in St. Anne’s Nature Park.
- Baird is a small coral sanctuary island that is home to about 1 million different birds. It is more convenient to get here by plane from Mahe.
Locals offer tours right on the street. But to be safe and not to overpay, it is better to find a professional guide on an aggregator site (GetYourGuide, Tripster, WeGoTrip, etc.). Tourists who go to the Seychelles on an all-inclusive basis can contact a representative of their tour operator.
