The Seychelles: a Barefoot Luxury

There they are – the Seychelles, hidden in the midst of turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean, – one of the most luxurious destinations for true relaxation.  Today only about 30 Islands – out of 117 – are inhabited, and 12 of which serve as  Hotel Islands each , with villas scattered within  the greenery of the tropical forest. These heavenly sites are especially popular among various celebrities because there is something that can only be found in a few places on Earth – a luxurious retreat.

 Mahé – the Gates to Eden

The country’s international airport is located on Mahé, the largest of Islands, not far from Victoria, the Seychelles capital. All private and scheduled flights land here.

There, in the capital, you can buy some souvenirs, have a look at the traditional local market with an incredible selection of fresh fish, visit the Cultural Center and the Museum of History, call into the Catholic Church and see the main attraction — the mini Big Ben Clock Tower (at left). It was built in 1903, in honor of proclaiming the Seychelles a part of the United Kingdom.

The most beautiful beaches are located in the South of the Island. We recommend you stay at Constance Ephélia Seychelles (www.constancehotels.com/ephelia.html). It is the largest hotel in Seychelles. It stretches for 3 km along the Island coast and offers about 300 villas and rooms of different categories. From cliffs the Villas provide absolutely stunning views of the Bay. Each Villa comes with a separate Butler, bicycles and buggies. And the Spa Villas also offer Hammam, sauna and terrace massage facilities.

Desroches Island – a Paradise Lost

This 6 km long and 3.24 km² small coral island is in a 35 minute flight from the airport of Mahé by a charter plane with another 20 passengers, or you can order an individual shuttle service.

The Desroches Island Resort (www.desroches–island.com), which is one of the Forbes Top 10 most isolated destinations in the world, consists of a few dozens of bungalows, villas and retreats. It is sunk in pristine tropical jungles and is belted by a 14 km long white sandy beach around the whole island, where your neighbors will be only funny little crabs.

By the way, on Desroches there is the most expensive Villa in the Seychelles. It is Madame Zabre Spa Retreat, priced from € 12000 per day. Guests of the Villa will enjoy services of a professional Butler, a Chef and a masseuse. Absolutely everything from massages to meals is included.

Near Desroches there is – and it is not an exaggeration – the best place for fishing in the world – St. Joseph Island, home of huge Tunas, Marlin, Swordfish, Dorado, Barracuda, and many other enormous creatures of the ocean and any of them can become your trophy. These are the waters where Jacques-Yves Cousteau filmed his famous movie The Silent World  about the underwater life of the Indian Ocean.

Praslin – a Divine Abode

The second largest island of the Seychelles offers a secluded vacation just in an hour ride from Mahé Island by a speed boat or in 15 minutes by plane.

The Island is famous for its beach of Anse Lazio – one of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world. On the Island there are only a few five-star hotels, but the best is the Constance Lemuria Resort (lemuriaresort.constancehotels.com).  This is the only Seychelles hotel that offers its guests to play golf on the 18-hole golf course. This golf course, especially the hole number 15, is considered to be one of the most beautiful in the world.

The Hotel restaurants deserve your special attention. Make sure to try a national Creole dish – the Bat, to which the Sommelier will offer you a perfect wine from their international collection.

The main attraction of the Island is the Park Vale de Mer, where the famous, called the Seychelles Gold, Coco de Mer grows. The cost of a double coconut – or it is also called a sea coconut – is more than $ 100 apiece. And for an illegal attempt to export one will face the risk of imprisonment.

It is noteworthy that coconuts of erotic shape ripen on female plants. Male plants blossom clusters are more than1 m long and have an unambiguous phallic shape. The Creole legend says that at night the male plants visit the female ones, but anyone who will see their love games, will immediately turn into a stone.

Whether you believe it or not is up to you. However, everybody who has visited the May Valley, recognize that you can feel there the distant past of the Earth: neither mammals or songbirds nor deciduous or coniferous trees.