Take the veil-white beaches of the Maldives and combine them with the greenery of Hawaii and you're some way to picturing what holidays to the Seychelles are like.
The Seychelles’ charm lies in its isolation. The archipelago’s 115 idyllic islands are scattered all over the Indian Ocean. They’re 500 miles from their closest neighbour, Madagascar, and 900 miles from the shores of the African mainland. Thanks to this seclusion, its beaches and forests are virtually untouched and rarely crowded. It’s probably why it’s a favourite with honeymooners, celebs and even royalty – William and Kate flew here after their nuptials.
You can identify a Seychelles beach with one look – the porcelain-white sands and sky-blue waters are a given, but it’s the huge, granite boulders that set them apart from the rest. Anse Lazio, on Praslin Island, is a prime example – it’s considered one of the world’s best-looking stretches. And, from giant rocks to giant tortoises, wildlife blossoms on these islands. Blue pigeons and endangered black parrots swoop around the jungle canopies on Praslin, while the remote Aldabra Atoll’s home to more wild tortoises than people.
There are plenty of places to blow off the cobwebs – or confetti – in the Seychelles. That’s because Mother Nature gifted this place a lot more than beaches. On the biggest island, Mahe, you can climb the archipelago’s highest peak in Morne Seychellois National Park. Praslin Island – which is just a short boat ride from Mahe – is home to the UNESCO-listed Vallee de Mai nature reserve. Meanwhile, the third-biggest island, Silhouette, has mountains galore and its waters are protected by a Marine National Park.
