five-star Who said luxury had to be f lashy?
Alice Beer finds paradise in the Seychelles – and there’s not a bit of bling to be seen
IHAVE been ruined. After visiting the North Island resort in the Seychelles, I never want to go anywhere else. It was a holiday that changed me, my husband Paul and our 14-year-old twin daughters for the better, and at the same time we contributed to making the island just that little bit better for the locals.
We travelled there during the October half-term. Yes, it’s a long way to go for a week, but the 11-hour flight via Abu Dhabi was less painful than we anticipated. From the capital Mahe, the easiest way to get to North Island in 15 minutes is by helicopter. Of course it is!
The island, which measures just five square miles, has beautiful white sand and the bluest seas you could ever imagine. There are only 11 villas here, so this place is fivestar luxury plus. But here’s the wonderful thing: there is nothing fancy or flashy about it. No unnecessary in-room gadgets, just simplicity that enhances the natural beauty of the island.
The bad news is that it is eyewateringly expensive. However, this is no ordinary holiday – it is the combination of luxury within an exquisite wilderness sanctuary, laden with experiences and immersive learning about the environment that makes it unforgettable.
On our second night, we had eaten dinner on the beach and were heading back to our villa when, in the dim headlight glow from our buggy, we saw the outline of a magnificent giant tortoise. What a beautiful creature, almost prehistoric. And there it was, just a couple of feet from us. There are between 80 and 100 giant Aldabra tortoises on the island, a breed endemic to the Seychelles. The one we were now crouching down to admire was about a metre long and 90 years old. The next day we were invited to discover more about these beauties from the passionate environmentalists and scientists who live and work on North Island.
Not only did we learn so much but we also became adoptive parents to a baby tortoise called Corona. Maybe one day my greatgrandchildren will visit the island and see Corona fully grown.
One night we slept with a telephone next to our beds so we could be woken if the baby turtles, protected within their eggs at several points around the island, hatched and needed help heading down to the sea. Alas it wasn’t to be on our watch.
In 1997, when The Wilderness Group bought North Island, it was a wasteland where feral animals and alien plant species were choking and destroying all indigenous fauna and flora.
The company set out to reverse this situation, and it has since established a sanctuary where natural beauty, and threatened flora and fauna, have been saved.
Children throughout the Seychelles come to stay and experience the island, and there is a constant effort to help locals improve the environment.
I suspect I could have spent my week doing very little but because everything is made so easy (and, importantly, you have paid for it), we ended up doing things we would never normally do. I learned to scuba-dive along with the girls, Phoebe and Theodora – something Paul has been pleading with us to do for years.
One afternoon we also went fishing, trawling from a boat, while Paul and I enjoyed a beer. We caught so many fish that I barely had time to finish my bottle.
The chef was waiting to take our catch straight to the kitchen and an hour later we were eating sushi by candlelight on the beach, still in our swimwear and sharing laughs about who panicked most when they had a beast on the end of their line (I think it was me!).
Each of the 11 villas stretches out on to powdery white sand and the properties feature a plunge pool, indoor and outdoor bathrooms, and a kitchen filled with goodies requested in advance.
One villa is set slightly apart and is a notch more luxe, if that’s possible. Its visitors’ book includes the names of Prince William and Kate Middleton, George and Amal Clooney, and David and Victoria Beckham.
MEALS on North Island are what you want to eat, when you want to eat and, more or less, wherever you want to eat it. You pay (a lot) to stay here but then forget about money completely for the week.
On our last night, the team prepared a surprise for us and led us up a hillside jutting out into the ocean. As we rounded the hilltop, we found cushions scattered on the rocks, a fire pit, and tray containing all of our favourite drinks over the past week.
It was the most beautiful gesture in the most amazing spot, overlooking the sea as the heat faded from the day – the kind of ridiculous personal service you get on North Island and why the people lucky enough to go there once will return if they are able to.
And one day, when my metaphorical ship comes in, I will return to this heavenly place.