History

 

Although known and visited by traders from the Persian Gulf area and East Africa in earlier times, the Seychelles Archipelago first appeared on European maps at the beginning of the sixteenth century after Portuguese explorers sighted the islands during voyages to India. The name “Seychelles” honors the French minister of finance under King Louis XV. Settlement began in 1778 under a French military administration but barely survived its first decade. Although the settlers were supposed to plant crops only to provision the garrison and passing French ships, they also found it lucrative to exploit the islands’ natural resources.

Possession of the islands alternated between France and Britain several times during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic wars.

The first European settlers were French who had been living on Mauritius, Reunion, or in French settlements in India. Many lived in conditions of poverty quite similar to those of their African slaves, who from early on greatly outnumbered the remainder of the population. After the abolition of slavery in the islands in 1834, many settlers left, taking their slaves with them. Later, large numbers of Africans liberated by the British navy from slaving ships on the East African coast were released on Seychelles. Small numbers of Chinese, Malaysians, and Indians moved to the islands, usually becoming small traders and shopkeepers.

 

Transportation

 

Cars and buses are the principal means of transportation. Road conditions on the island of Mahé are for the most part excellent. 

Mahé has an international airport and a good harbor. A government ferry service links Mahé to the nearby islands of Praslin and La Digue. Private vessels serve some smaller islands, but in the more remote islands, service is less frequent and is primarily for loading copra and delivering supplies.

Seychelles has several airports or airstrips, some with hard-surfaced runways. The state airline, Air Seychelles, was converted from an interisland to an international carrier in 1983 to offset the effects of termination of air service by British Airways. In addition, international carriers serve the airport of Mahé.

 

Attractions

 

Aldabra Atoll

680 miles/1,100 km south-west of Mahé 

This atoll, one of the world’s largest, is often called a “living natural history museum.” It can only be visited with permission of the Seychelles Islands Foundation. Aldabra is reached by chartered boat or on a tour, generally in conjunction with scientific expeditions.

It’s not really suited for tourists - it’s mostly for those interested in watching the large population of giant land tortoises and the white-throated rail (a cousin of the dodo). The nearest airstrip is on Astove Island.

 

Amirantes Group

 

200 miles/320 km south-west of Mahé 

These islands have a number of resorts. Many of the hotels have their own landing strips. Desroches, d’Arros and Marie-Louise Islands have airports (Air Seychelles has several flights to Desroches each week). Poivre Island also has a resort, but it can only be reached by boat.

 

Aride Island

 

35 miles/55 km north-east of Mahé 

This island, purchased for a conservation group by chocolate-maker Christopher Cadbury in the 1970s, has an enormous colony of seabirds. Aride can be reached only during the austral winter months (summertime in the northern hemisphere). 

 

Bird Island

 

70 miles/115 km north of Mahé

 

Bird Island, small enough to walk around in an hour, is home to an amazing number of creatures - more than 2 million birds nest there. Among the species we’ve encountered are sooty terns, mynahs, cardinals and fairy and noddy terns. After hearing the tremendous squawking that goes on, you’ll never think of nature as peaceful again. Birds aren’t the only draw - the island lies on the edge of the Seychelles Bank (which drops nearly 6,000 ft/1,825 m), and there’s excellent big-game fishing (marlin, sailfish, bonefish). This perfectly flat island is easy to reach because of its seashell coral runway. Overnight visitors stay at the island’s informal hotel, Bird Island Lodge. A resident of the hotel grounds is a huge 150-year-old tortoise named Esmeralda - who was discovered to be male not too long ago. Most visitors will enjoy at least a one-night stay.

 

Cousin Island

 

25 miles /40 km northeast of Mahé

 

You’ll need an appointment to visit Cousin Island, a haven for several endangered bird species (including the brush warbler, whose only natural habitat is this tiny island). Visitors are only acepted on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays with a limit of 20 visitors per day. Early booking is therefore necessary through a tour operator. Owned and run by the Birdlife International, Cousin Island is generally visited as a day trip from Praslin Island. Nearby privately owned Cousine Island may look intriguing, but it is closed to visitors.

 

Curieuse Island

 

35 miles /55 km northeast of Mahé

 

This former leper colony is now the centerpiece of the Curieuse Marine National Park. The island has excellent reefs as well as abundant bird life. There are no accommodations on the island, but you can visit on a day trip from Praslin.

 

Denis Island

 

65 miles /105 km north of Mahé

 

Denis island is home to giant land tortoises, which lay their eggs in the sand. The island is great for three or four days of relaxation, lying on the beach, snorkeling and diving around the reef and deep-sea fishing (for dogtooth tuna and bonito).

 

Farquhar Group

 

500 miles/805 km southwest of Mahé

 

These islands are an excellent destination for yachts. There is an airstrip on Ile du Nord, and Goelette Island is a bird sanctuary.

 

La Digue Island

35 miles/55 km north-east of Mahé

 

La Digue, a small but spectacular granite island, is undergoing great change. It now receives cruise-ship passengers. Most of the activity is near the dock and the one road leading from it to the old coconut plantation. The rest of the island is still quite relax - if there’s no ship offshore, you’ll find La Digue a very pleasant place. The attractions are quite low-key - you can climb to the top of the mountain in the middle of the island for spectacular views, ride bikes to secluded beaches, visit the (tiny) black paradise flycatcher reserve hoping to see one of the rare birds, or tour the plantation. The giant granite boulders along some of the beaches (especially Anse Source d’Argent) are very photogenic - you may well run into a fashion shoot. Plan at least two nights.

 

Mahé Island

 

A ride around Mahe passes tea, vanilla and cinnamon plantations (a very long day of sightseeing). The sunset cruise, which departs Victoria and lasts between two and three hours, is highly recommended. It sails north along the coast, offering a sensational view of the island. Other island activities include excellent deep-sea fishing (wahoo, dogtooth tuna, marlin, bonito and others) and horseback riding.

 

Praslin Island

 

The main attraction on Praslin is the Vallee de Mai, home to the extremely rare coco-de-mer palms that produce the world’s largest nuts - they can weigh as much as 40 lb./18 kg. The nuts got their name - “fruit of the sea” - hundreds of years ago when they washed up on the islands. When its outer shell is removed, the nut looks amazingly like a woman’s pelvis, both fore and aft, which explains the nut’s status as collector’s item. (The “male” part of the tree looks appropriately phallic, leading to predictable iconography to signify ladies’ and mens’ restrooms.)

Praslin is also home to some of the world’s rarest birds, such as the black parrot, fruit pigeon and Seychelles bulbul. Take the self-guided walking trail to tour the Vallée de Mai (in the south-central part of the island), allowing at least two hours for the stroll (it can take a full half-day if you walk every trail).

 

Silhouette Island

20 miles/35 kms from Mahé

 

This mountainous island, so spectacular when viewed from Mahe, is a wonderful place for a hike and a view of the sunset. Granite peaks are interspersed with forests, and the whole place is enveloped in bird song and a riot of tropical color. There are no roads on the island, which can only be reached by boat (under optimal conditions, Silhouette is a 2- to 3-hour trip from Mahé).