The EA guide to Seychelles holidays
Set off the coast of Africa, the Seychelles conjures up images of beach beauty, lush vegetation, vibrant blue waters warm to swim and swaying palms in the breeze. There is so much to see and do on the Seychelles’ 115 islands including swimming, snorkelling, diving, fishing, sailing to hiking, trekking, climbing and even cooking lessons.
Regardless of the islands you visit, all Seychelles holidays begin on either Mahe or Preslin.
Both islands showcase the Seychelles’ architecture well which is distinctively colonial and practical to island life and climate. Mahe runs 27 kilometres long and 7 kilometres wide, the largest in the archipelago and the gateway to Seychelles with the international airport and budget to five star accommodation options. Whilst the most populated, it’s spectacular with beaches, mountains, national parks, great restaurants, shops, craft markets and more.
Seychelles has a wonderful art scene that features local writers, poets, painters, sculptors and more. Visiting a local gallery or artist studio provides insight into the creative industry in the Seychelles.
Music and dance here is rooted in imported tradition from mainland Africa, Madagascar and European cultures. Drums are popular and simple string instruments. There is the lively Sega dance that dates back to slavery when it was the only outlet for prisoners to express sadness and discontent. It is an elegant shuffling of feet and hip swaying motion that is still popular. If you enjoy music, a moving experience is listening to a local choir singing traditional hymns with the repertoire sacred, secular, gospel and folk influenced.
We can create a luxury Seychelles holiday package that takes in as many or as few islands as you wish to explore depending on your time and budget.
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Top five Seychelles highlights
- Find a piece of paradise on Mahe island – the most beautiful beach on the island has to be Anse major, only accessible by boat or on foot. Granite rock faces merge into endless beaches creating the picture perfect paradise.
- Incredible birdlife and natural beauty. Take a half day hike though these Jurassic lands to get a feel for its natural wonder and take in some incredible bird life.
- Take a stroll through the capital city Victoria and discover it’s secrets.
- Marine safari fun, so head out sailing and jump overboard for some stunning snorkelling or diving.
- Soak in a beautiful Seychelles sunset from a different location every day!
Images courtesy of Blue Safari Seychelles
Seychelles is synonymous with…
The beach of course, it is what beckons visitors to the Seychelles. Venture a little further and discover Seychelles rare wildlife, outstanding scuba diving, hiking and parasailing not to mention the culinary delights of a fiery local cuisine.
Diving and snorkelling is fantastic with some of the best sites in the world, calm and safe waters and over 850 species of fish and 100 species of shells. Every dive centre is a member of PADI so you are guaranteed qualified dive masters and safe equipment. Minimum age for Seychelles diving is 12 years. Nothing beats diving in azure warm waters and seeing reef fish, manta rays, green turtles, tiger sharks and more.
Seychelles fishing is synonomous with marlin, barracuda, sail fish, wahoo, tuna and dorado. It is a popular fishing holiday destination for professionals and amateurs.
Fishing is governed by trade wind seasons so May to September is great for Big Game Fishing whilst November to February is great for bottom fishing.
Our favourite Seychelles fishing months are October and April with calm seas and clear sky. Wherever you stay on your luxury Seychelles holiday, expect great food because it will be a rich assortment of flavours thanks to the cultural diversity of its population.
Creole cuisine features nuances of French cooking, piquant flavours from the Orient with spices from India and the grand elegance of colonial influence. Seafood plays a major role with octopus and fish the favourites and the national staple, rice.
Conservation in Seychelles
Seychelles is a global biodiversity hot spot and with its 115 islands and low lying geography, the country is susceptible to climate change and the impact of rising waters and storms. Did you know the marine waters of Seychelles’ are 3,000 times larger than its land area? More than 50% of the land is now protected, yet not even a few percent of the ocean has been formally protected.
Back in 2016 the country completed an innovative debt-for-nature swap that enables conservation and climate adaptation goals to be successfully reached through an innovative debt restricting coinciding with a comprehensive marine spatial plan. This plan commits to increasing the marine protection 30%. The year 2021 is significant – when marine protection will total more than 400,000 square kilometres of ocean to ensure they are protecting the valuable marine life.
If only more countries used their debt to save their oceans and wilderness areas.