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Enjoying The Surf and The Turf

     For most North Americans, unless they happen to be on safari in East Africa, Seychelles is too far from home to visit merely for two weeks of sunbathing on idyllic tropical beaches. You go to Seychelles for what you can't do nearly as well in one place anywhere else in the world; snorkeling and scuba diving, bird-watching, and tropical hiking.  The hotels in the islands offer just about any sporting diversion, ranging from martial arts to canoeing, paragliding to deep-sea fishing, from windsurfing to aerobics, from squash to tennis to water- skiing and golf.  Of course, if you are more inclined to be sedentary while on holiday, then perhaps just swinging in a hammock strung between two palm trees would be the ideal relaxant for body and soul.

Scuba and Snorkeling 

     The reefs and the enormous underwater plateau (literally a microcontinental shelf) surrounding the granitic islands of Mahe, Praslin, and La Digue offer some of the best snorkeling and diving in the world.  There are more than 200 species of fish and 150 types of coral in the strictly protected reefs, and the underwater flora is equally abundant.  Visibility at depth never falls below 66 feet and on calm days runs to an astonishing 165 feet or more.
     The best snorkeling is in the marine national parks-- Ste. Anne in particular-- just beyond Victoria Harbor on Mahe, and along the coast of Sihouette and Curieuse.  But you can wade into the water anywhere on the west and south coasts of Mahe and from any beach on Praslin, La Digue, Fregate, Desroches, Bird, or Denis Islands and instantly find yourself in world-class snorkeling waters.  Don't worry about sharks.  Although you're likely to see several of the smaller species, no attacks have ever been reported in the area.
     Mahe has numerous diving schools and bases.  Four of the best are: Marine Divers, Blue Lagoon Watersports, Seychelles Underwater Centre, and Big Game Watersports.
     On the outer islands, try the facilities at the Praslin Beach Hotel and on La Digue check out Watersports at the La Digue Island Lodge.

Bird-Watching
         Of the 23 species of land birds in the Seychelles, 17 are found nowhere else.  Most of these are on only a few islands outside Mahe: Praslin, where you might glimpse one of the last 26 black parrots in the world; Fregate, where the last of the magpie robins reside; La Digue, where the gorgeous black paradise flycatcher (called the veuve, or widow) can be seen; and Cousin Island, where you might see one of the worlds 300 remaining brush warblers.

GO TO: The Birds of the Islands

         You don't have to be a professional ornithologist, or inconvenience yourself too greatly, in order to see these rare birds - all of the above islands are located within day-trip striking distance of Mahe, by either plane or inter-island ferry  (Ref: Getting Around), and the birds have been protected here for so long that most of them are surprisingly tame.  Just bring your binoculars and buy a copy of 'The Birds of the Seychelles and Outlying Islands, by Malcom Penny, at the SPACE bookstore in downtown Victoria (Box 205, Victoria, Mahe; 24-531; $25).
         There are also seabirds in the millions, especially in the protected, virtually uninhabited islands of the distant Amirantes and the Aldabra Group, 750 Miles southeast of Mahe.  These tiny, low coral islands are much more difficult to access, essentially without accommodations, and thus more likely to be visited only by the professional ornithologist who is willing to charter a boat or plane from Mahe and make a long term excursion of it.  Even so, you can see a wonderful variety of seabirds - sooty terns, fairy terns, noddies, frigate birds, sandpipers, and plover - along the shores and shallows off Mahe and the inner islands, in particular Bird and, to its north, Aride and Cousin.
         On the subject of fauna: Make an attempt to see the last of the giant land tortoises (Testudo gigantia) that once thrived all over the Indian Ocean and were slaughtered by the millions for their meat and shell.  In the Seychelles, many have been penned in hotel yards and even in the Botanical Garden in Victoria, Mahe (happily, 150,000 of these antediluvian creatures still live in their natural wild state on Aldabra).  The single oldest land tortoise in the world - aged 150, over five feet wide and long, 470 pounds in weight, and named Esmeralda (she is a male) - resides on Bird Island.

Hiking  
        If you are bird-watching,   you're likely to end up hiking anyhow, but it's not a bad idea to make hiking the whole point of your trip.  There are 52 marked and carefully mapped trails on Mahe, Praslin, and La Digue, with more coming on line every year.  Some of these are strenuous hikes into  the interior mountains of Mahe - all day adventures for the fit and hardy - and some are light cruises along the endless beaches of La Digue or Praslin.  All provide the walker with solitude, spectacular views of land, sea, and sky, and the strange, abundant beauty of equatorial flora.

Sailing and Big Game Fishing

         The Seychelles Islands are one of the prime locations for sailing and deep-sea fishing.  Short sailing cruises from Mahe to the neighbour islands are available.  Big game fishing in Seychelles waters is a year-round possibility.  A look at the IGFA (International Game Fish Association) will show that the Seychelles is one of the worlds hot-spots for professional anglers and game fish enthusiasts.  Fully equipped boats belonging to the Marine Charter Association (Tel: 322126, Fax: 224679) are available half a day, the entire day, or for a week.
Charter rates are from a low of SR 900 for a half day, to a high  of SR 4000 for a full day.

Links to:
Sunsail Worldwide Sailing
IGFA (International Game Fish Association)

When To Go

         Climatic conditions in Seychelles barely change year-round but vary enough to take note of when planing your visit.  The annual mean temperature is 80 degrees F. and remains wonderfully constant.  Humidity varies slightly, and, except when the monsoon shifts direction - around April and November - there are cooling breezes day and night.  Generally, if you want it cool and dry (relatively), go from May through October: if you like it hot and humid and don't mind some intermittent rain, go from December through March.  If you want the hotels and restaurant all to yourself and don't mind flattened waters and deathly still equatorial air, go in April or November, when the monsoons reverse.

Getting Around

           Besides Air Seychelles inter-island service, there is regular inter-island freighter service that also carry passengers between Mahe and Praslin.  Departures on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
The crossing takes about 3 hours.  Buy your ticket ($5, no reservations, so come early) at the ferry pier in Victoria.  There are also regular boats to La Digue from Victoria (three and a half hours) and daily between La Digue and Praslin (30 minutes) on the schooner 'Silhouette', so you can make the entire three-island circuit by boat if you want.  It's a lot cheaper than flying, more comfortable, and very sociable - it's how the locals travel.  To charter a boat, whether for a day-trip or a two week cruise to Aldabra, contact the Marine Charter Association in Victoria (Box 204, Victoria, Mahe, ; Tel: 22126).
            Rental cars are available on Mahe and Praslin.  The most popular vehicle is the MiniMoke, a vehicle like a miniature jeep with a canvas top.   Gas is expensive compared to the price per gallon in the US.

Avis, Hertz, and Europcar have agents in Victoria, on Mahe.  Prestige and Praslin Holiday Car Rental are the car rental agencies on Praslin.  Taxi fares are set by the government and are rather expensive.  
            On La Digue, the primary mode of transportation is via shank-mare, by foot.  Bicycles are available for rental for about $5 a day.  Two of the local hotels provide free transportation via oxcart.

Diving Schools:
     Marine Divers, Northholme Hotel, Box 333, Mahe, Tel: 47-222
     Blue Lagoon Watersports, Blue Lagoon Chalets, Box 442, Mahe, Tel:71-197
     Seychelles Underwater Centre, Coral Strand Hotel, Box 384, Mahe, Tel: 47-357
     Big Game Watersports, Plantation Club, Box 437, Mahe, Tel: 71-588
     The two Best Western Berjaya Hotel Resorts on Mahe each offer a 5-Star PADI Diving Center.
     Praslin Beach Hotel, Anse Volbert, Praslin, Tel: 32-222
     Watersports, La Digue Island Lodge, Anse la Reunion, La Digue, Tel: 34-233

Just Taking it Easy   

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