See shells in the Seychelles
Super-sized tortoises & lazy Sundays
Most of us dream of a tropical holiday on the water – and I think we’ve found the best place on Earth to do it. There’s a little cluster of islands off the coast of Africa where the sand is so white and the water so turquoise blue you will think you’re on another planet.
A place where everything is on a grand scale. The coconuts grow to 30kg, and giant tortoises reach 350kg.
The Seychelles is a tropical paradise to rival the likes of the Maldives and Tahiti. And the best way to explore it is by yacht.
Silhouette Cruises offers a week-long trip around six of the islands, with up to 18 guests. And you do it in serious style – aboard a luxury all-inclusive yacht.
Our comfort took on a whole new level, when we discovered there were only three other guests – and 10 crew to look after us!
After leaving Victoria, the country’s capital of just 30,000 people, we headed straight for Beau Vallon – considered one of the best beaches on Mahe, the main island. There it rained and, ominously, looked like a storm was brewing. I was beginning to wonder if the magic of sailing the Seychelles would actually happen.
But that magic emerged the next morning, as we cruised under full sun to a secluded cove. Anchoring near the beach, we were greeted with a huge expanse of ultra-clear light blue turquoise water – so clear we could see schools of fish, even deep down.
The captain had a knowing glint in his eye: if you thought that was good, wait till you see what I’ve got for you tomorrow. And he was right. The next day we headed to the country’s second biggest island; home to a beach consistently named one of the best in the world. Anse Lazio has incredible powder white sand, lined with granite boulders and coconut trees. It’s famed for its turtles, and we found two swimming in the shallows.
There was even better to come. Our next island was home to Anse Source d’Argent.
It isn’t just rated as one of the best beaches in the world – it often tops the list.
But it isn’t all about the beach and water sports. We also had time to explore the island of Praslin; its thick jungle home to the biggest coconut on earth – weighing up to 30kg.
They are rare and fiercely protected, with a $600 price tag to buy just one! You even face a five-year prison sentence if you’re caught trying to take one directly from the tree.
We also visited the island of Curieuse, a sanctuary for giant tortoises. The Seychelles variety are known as the ninjas of the tortoise world, because they can raise their huge bodies – up to 400kgs – on just their hind legs in search of low hanging leaves to eat.
It’s a risky business, because if they flip over and can’t right themselves they risk death.
We were greeted by a huge tortoise on the beach, which has clearly
worked out where the tourist boats arrive and decided it’s much safer to simply wait there and let visitors pick the leaves for him.
It was an incredible week cruising, which came to an end all too quickly.
I’ve always been a bit reserved about multi-day boat trips. They seem to be either floating retirement villages, or party boats.
Our trip was neither. It was a floating hotel, where the focus was purely on the incredible surroundings. Just as it should be.
❚ Last year Brook Sabin and his partner Radha Engling quit their jobs and sold everything to travel. They started a blog onflightmode.com and now call themselves fulltime travellers, making a living selling travel photos and video all around the world. Each week Kiwis in Flight will take you on their adventures. ❚ The writer was a guest of Silhouette Cruises.