Seychelles Hotels and Travel Guide
Seychelles Hotels and tourist information
The Seychelles are particularly well geared towards travellers, with a highly developed infrastructure complementing the islands' natural attractions. While this destination is on the pricey side, the quality is exceptionally high. The crime rate is low, and visitors - who make a substantial contribution to the economy - are welcomed everywhere.
Divers and honeymooners, nature lovers and hedonists, gourmets and sports aficionados, gamblers and sailors - they all come to the Seychelles and find it little short of perfect. Set four degrees south of the Equator and spread over some 400,000 square kilometres of the Indian Ocean, the Seychelles is endowed with natural beauty, ancient wonders and awesome man-made attractions.
Much of the charm of the archipelago lies in its chequered history. Both French and British colonialists have held sway here over the centuries, and immigration from both sides of the Indian Ocean has added to the eclectic mix of the population.
That oft-used word "paradise" often rears up in descriptions of the Seychelles, and with very good reason. There are no serious natural hazards, no malaria or serious diseases, and the islands lie outside the cyclone and hurricane belts. A good standard of living means there is little crime, and careful control of tourism-related development has kept arrivals to a reasonable level and forbidden unsightly high-rises.
The pirates who used to make the Seychelles their lair have long departed, leaving behind legends of buried treasure waiting to be unearthed by diligent explorers. However, it soon becomes apparent to most visitors shortly after arriving that they won't have to do much digging - the treasures are all around them. |
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From island resorts that practically sing "bling" to more modest Creole-style guesthouses providing bed and breakfast, the Seychelles' accommodation scene is expanding in all directions. Some 16 of the Seychelles' 115 islands currently offer somewhere to stay, and more islands are being developed. In the upper echelons, guests can expect a private island with a palatial villa to themselves, gorgeously designed with the most modish of mod cons. Fregate Island - La Digue Island - Mahe - Praslin |
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Of the horde of glorious beaches on the main island of Mahé, Beau Vallon, on the northwest coast, is very much the most popular. Backed by hotels, it also hosts plenty of watersports operators (paragliding is especially popular) but its chief attraction is that there are no strong currents, rocks or corals, so it's ideal for families. |
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The Seychelles is divided into Inner and Outer Islands. Mahé is the largest of the Inner Island group, and lies to the south of its nearest neighbours, Silhouette, Praslin and La Digue. The Outer Islands are strung out to the southeast.
Every island in the archipelago boasts stunning beaches, though not all are safe for swimming, and there are numerous opportunities for sporting types, bird-watchers, hikers, bikers and pure ultra-violet hedonists to indulge their particular passions.
Most islands are linked by swift ferry and air services. However, chartering a yacht and pottering about the archipelago - in the manner if not the style of explorers of long ago - is perhaps the most idyllic way to take in this Indian Ocean utopia. |
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Air Seychelles operates a shuttle service between Mahé and Praslin, averaging 20 return flights a day.
Helicopter Seychelles specialises in island transfers, excursions and chartered scenic flights throughout the Seychelles, while The Islands Development Company (formerly the tiny Seychelles Air Force but now a government-owned corporation) operates fixed-wing flights to the Outer Islands.
An inter-island ferry service offers a choice of travel by motorised catamarans or sailing schooners. |
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The Seychelles are particularly well geared towards travellers, with a highly developed infrastructure complementing the islands' natural attractions. While this destination is on the pricey side, the quality is exceptionally high. The crime rate is low, and visitors - who make a substantial contribution to the economy - are welcomed everywhere.
Tempting though it may be to do little more than shuttle between hotel bed, brunch, beach and bar, the great outdoors is nowhere greater than in the Seychelles, which offers a plethora of activities that can be either strenuous or not, but are always fun. |
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When "fusion" cuisine came into vogue many Seychellois could have been forgiven for raising an eyebrow at such faddishness. The tables of the archipelago had long been enlivened by the likes of curries from India, explosively chili'd and smoothed with coconut cream; Chinese stir-fries and grilled or steamed fish; and aromatic blends of garlic, ginger and herbs from La Belle France. Added to the abundant seafood of the Indian Ocean, and a cornucopia of tropical fruits and vegetables, Creole cuisine is fusion without the fuss - simply gorgeous fresh produce, cooked in a myriad mouth-watering ways. |
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Few restaurants in the Seychelles stick to a single cuisine, and most sport menus that include Creole and International dishes. Adding lustre to the bill of fare are some simply amazing seaside locations that can add more than a little romance to a dinner à deux, or enthuse a party of friends meeting for a celebratory supper. Many of the Seychelles' best restaurants - but by no means all - are located in hotels. |
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Shopping in the Seychelles is deliciously refreshing. There are no megamalls, nor are there swathes of international chains and designer labels. Instead, the islands' retail operations are truly therapeutic, selling genuinely local items, and business is carried on in a laid-back fashion with courteous and informed chatter surrounding buying and selling.
Some galleries and boutiques cluster together in Victoria, but in general they are scattered about the rest of Mahé as well as Praslin and La Digue. |
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The Seychelles are particularly well geared towards travellers, with a highly developed infrastructure complementing the islands' natural attractions.
While this destination is on the pricey side, the quality is exceptionally high. The crime rate is low, and visitors - who make a substantial contribution to the economy - are welcomed everywhere. |
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