The "True" "Paradise
on Earth"
by Phil Carta
I've always thought that calling a place "Paradise on Earth" was
just a little too hypey for me . . . at least until I visited
the Seychelles. Seemingly forgotten out in the middle of the Indian
Ocean, a thousand miles from Africa, this archipelago of more
than a hundred islands stretches for hundreds of miles. The warm
waters, high standards and friendly people draw many year after
year to these Jewels in the Ocean that are the Seychelles. Whichever
way you turn, there is a lovely beach and upscale dining. And
for honeymoons, the romance of the Seychelles has everything else
in the world beat, bar none.
Seychelles is a nature lover's dream, made up of
both granitic and coral islands. The granite islands are the visible
tips of mountain peaks that were originally located on the giant
continent of Gondwanaland which contained Africa, India, Australia
and Madagascar. As these parts drifted apart over the eons the
islands of Seychelles remained in isolation, enabling their plant
and wildlife to develop unaffected by outside influences. This
protective isolation - in effect until only just a few hundred
years ago - combined with the ecological stance of the Seychelles
government, has enabled this unique environment to survive and
flourish.
The finest natural wonderland lies not on the islands
but in the surrounding clear, warm waters. Water temperatures
average over 78F year round and visibility often extends to 100
feet. More than 200 species of fish and 250 types of coral are
found on the reefs of Seychelles. Invertebrate life exhibits an
amazing range of form, size and color with an incredible variety
of shells. Giant sting and manta rays, whale sharks, tuna and
other pelagic visitors are common.
Seychelles is much more than beautiful beaches
and great diving. Hiking the many trails through the jungles,
to the hilltops and to isolated beaches where it will seem like
you are the first ever to visit, is one of the great pleasures
of the islands. For many of the hikes you can obtain excellent
booklets that describe the flora, fauna and other sights along
the trails. There even are helicopter tours of the islands.
The islands are densely populated by land and sea
birds, some of them so rare that they are found only on specific
islands. So day and overnight trips to other islands such as Cerf,
Silhouette, North, Bird, Denis, Cousin, Cousine, FÈlicitÈ and
FrÈgate are quite popular.
The Main
Tourist Islands.
MahÈ
(MAH-hay) The main island of the country is one of the granite
islands resulting in a backbone of mountainous hills surrounded
by innumerable coves and bays with white sand beaches and upscale
facilities. The most popular bay, Beau Vallon, has several hotels
along it's six or seven mile length with every type of activity
imaginable, including just relaxing in solitude. Two National
Parks, Morne Seychelles in the hills and Sainte Anne Marine NP
help the Seychelois to keep much of their environs as pure as
they ever were. MahÈ boasts Creole restaurants, craft shops, art
galleries, and colorful fruit and vegetable markets.
The city of Victoria, on MahÈ, is the capital of
the country. Outside Victoria, MahÈ is simply loaded with coconut
palms and towering peaks which offer unparalleled views of neighboring
islands.
Praslin
(PRAZ-lin) The largest nut in the world, from the Coco-de-Mer
Palm (photo) is found only here. The central portions of the exotic
island are almost primeval and a nice little National Park has
excellent annotated walking trails. There is a lot of rare animal
and plant life, almost as if nobody has ever visited.
La Digue
(La-DEEG) With something like only two dozen motor vehicles, but
innumerable bicycles and ox carts, La Digue is even more remote
than Praslin. It is a spectacular place, with lowering boulders
strewn around the white sand beaches and gorgeous waters. Much
world class fashion photography takes place here as wherever you
turn there's another spectacular setting. This is a place to get
away from it all.
With its combination English, French, African and
Indian heritage, the Seychelles is a fantastic oasis of upscale
civility. The hotels are uniformly clean and well kept (well,
most of them at least!) and the food everywhere is awesome. I've
probably had a greater percentage of terrific meals there than
most anywhere else. When people ask about a memorable destination
for their honeymoon, the Seychelles is always my first thought.
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Phil Carta is the owner of Phil
Carta's New Adventures, a travel firm specializing in tropical
islands and destinations around the world. Originally a specialist
in scuba diving travel (Phil is a NAUI, TDI and PADI scuba diving
instructor) New Adventures provides both tours and vacation packages
primarily to places Phil has personally visited. In the Indian
Ocean and South Pacific that includes the Seychelles, Fiji, Vanuatu,
New Caledonia, Micronesia, the Maldives and Egypt and the Red
Sea. In the Caribbean you may see Phil almost anywhere, although
his favorites are Aruba, Bonaire, CuraÁao, Dominica, Jamaica,
Antigua, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, and the
islands of Belize and Honduras. New Adventures has an excellent
and informative web site at http://www.newadventures.com
and Phil can be reached at phil@newadventures.com
