December — the Island Issue
– by Megan Bryant
DECEMBER 2009
December is always the island issue. This idea is ringing in my head this winter as I see more and more gleaming island magazine articles while even Florida becomes cooler.
On a routine stroll through the bookstore recently, I stumbled across the travel magazines. Naturally, so many December issues were bedaubed with bright blue water and exotic palms, featuring myriad tropical and island destinations, from the Caribbean to Thailand.
I was impressed to see that AFAR Magazine had the words “SEYCHELLES Real Life in Paradise” plastered on its cover atop an image of a local boy climbing a palm tree. What could be more fitting for a publication that touts experiential travel than to write about a locale so teeming with culture and pulse!
The Republic of Seychelles is located about 1000 miles off the east coast of Africa, seven degrees south of the Equator and in the warm, blue Indian Ocean. It’s a long haul, averaging about 20 hours in flight from the US. It’s expensive, with all things priced in Euros. But it’s just about perfect with temperatures in the 80s year-round, little to no risk of cyclones or other natural disasters and an unparalleled exclusivity, privacy and closeness to the local life with a variety of islands and settings with which to become one. It is an experience, and it is far more than a beach vacation.
I returned to Seychelles in September 2009 with the partnership of Qatar Airways and the fabulous company of 7 top North American travel professionals. We visited such a variety of islands and habitats and experienced everything from sand cays to granitic mountain jungles; from local Creole cuisine to free-roaming tortoises; from completely un-peopled, prehistoric beaches to lively Saturday markets in Victoria.
What follows are some of my thoughts and highlights of my experience in Seychelles, one of my favorite destinations.
Mahé Island: Best of Ebb and Flow
Mahé offers the best of both worlds with bustle and tranquility. We enjoyed a lively Saturday morning market visit in Victoria, the tiny capital, where we bought vanilla, crafts, textiles and exotic fruits and watched fish market vendors chop and sling their catches to the local Seychellois shoppers.
Mahé is the largest and most populated Seychelles island, and it has great draws. Culture, for one, is prevalent on Mahé. Seychellois life abounds with a distinctly African feel. Natural beauty is accessible, with boulders of granite lining the beaches and rising up high into the mountains, as portrayed in the most iconic Seychelles photographs. And while life can seem busy from the street, there is certainly repose in the sequestered hideaways hugging the pristine coastline.
Maia Luxury Resort & Spa was my group’s favorite. Having seen every 4- and 5-star hotel on Mahé, I would have to agree. With a Balinese ethos and style, and fabulous spa to match, Maia is a restful haven of only 30 great-big-beautiful villas. One restaurant and one bar in fact equate to several dining options, from a private beach dinner to wine cellar canapés, villa dining or lively barbeque. The setting is unimaginable and every opportunity is special and unmatched by the typical chain hotel. Thatched retreats, with every possible amenity — private pools, open-air baths, butlers and outdoor kitchens — slope up the mountainside with most amazing views. It’s all about serenity.
We all agreed that the common thread among the staff was passion! Our hosts felt every word they said. The sommelier, Sebastian, was elated to share very special wines with us that were not for sale, only for friends. It was like a family, and every guest is a part of it.
Getting off the main island has its perks for those who like to explore the natural world and get away from the business of real life. Seychelles is home to many private islands as well. Hopping over to Frégate Island Private on a STOL (short take-off and landing) aircraft was quite the adventure, especially since the winds had shifted early this year, making the landing more of a dive-and-stop motion — most guests typically fly in by helicopter. Just a 20-minute flight, it was well worth it to see the staff there to greet us in their tall white socks and Panama hats on the grassy airstrip below this mountainous private island.
I am convinced that Frégate is set in another time. The elegant colonial style reclaims a bygone era, sure, but the free-roaming Giant Aldabra tortoises, colossal cliff-hung beaches and rustling palm forests make you feel truly immersed in paradise lost. It’s quite a large (and tall) granitic island with 7 secluded beaches, including one private beach with maybe 100 dramatic steps (I lost count) down through thick jungle. Romantic, yes. Fit for families, absolutely. It’s an island perfect for exploration with only 16 villas, including a few two-bedroom villas, each like a luxury home overlooking an open inspiration of sea.
We walked about 10 minutes down a grassy path to Anse Parc (or Park Cove), which had an eerie but beautiful lack of any human element. An empty beach with waves crashing, crabs scurrying and hermits scuttling, I can think of no accessible place more exclusive or untouched. Except perhaps Anse Macquereau, which sits pretty at the base of a staggering cliff. There is a dainty wooden sign at the entrance so that you can indicate the beach is in use and enjoy pure privacy.
Other highlights were exotic tropical birds at breakfast, the “tea cart” (a cart of fresh tea herbs to choose from) and a light fish lunch with the chef in the setting of the vegetable and herb garden. Every element is like your very own.
Island Hopping by Day
The great thing about Seychelles is that day trips to other islands are quite easy and, in fact, recommended. You don’t have to stay on Mahé to visit Victoria, and the same goes for La Digue and Praslin islands — you can see all the “classic” sites of these three main islands while staying on any one of them or on one of the nearby private islands.
My favorite day trip, which scored very high with my recent group, is to La Digue Island a short ferry ride from Praslin Island. It is the Seychelles we see in glossy magazine pictures…dramatic boulders on virgin, tropical beach. It is idyllic. Anse Source D’Argent is the most famous beach, and it really does exist, barren of buildings, concrete and cars. Access is on foot by sandy trail.
We enjoyed an amazing Creole lunch of curried fishes and Seybrew (the local beer) before starting our walk along the beach. You can dip into the water at any point, it’s all very beautiful, but most people walk as far as 20 minutes or so down the trail to find the perfect spot. With boulders on both sides of you, there are alcoves all along the water where you can hop on and off the trail, taking swimming or photo breaks along the way. It’s a playful retreat to the fast pace of real life, inviting the natural rhythm of the human spirit to come out again.
– Megan Bryant
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Explore our Indian Ocean journeys at coxandkingsusa.com.
Seychelles: Jewel of the Indian Ocean
Desroches: Seychelles' Outer Islands
Frégate Island Private, Seychelles
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