Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
See shells in the Seychelles
There’s a lot more to these paradise islands than lazing on the beach... although that’s perfectly okay too
TSquinting through the shafts of sunlight filtering through the canopy, I looked around with the excitement of a hunter stalking its prey.
But all I saw were rocks.
Granite boulders are a prominent feature on Mahé, the main island of the Seychelles, but I’m here for something even more unique to the atolls.
Other than the breeze rustling the trees, the only sound I heard was a quiet hissing.
Straining to identify the source,
I realised it was coming from a rock about three meters away.
As I edged closer the rock moved, and I realise with a squeal that I’ve found what I’d been looking for – a giant tortoise.
As my eyes adjusted and I looked around again, I counted one, two, five... seven more. The grey piles I had written off as lumps of granite were all 2ft-high tortoises, resting inside their 550lb shells in the afternoon sunshine.
Called Aldabra tortoises, these giant reptiles can live to more than 150 years old and are only found on the Indian Ocean’s Seychelles and Galapagos Islands off Ecuador. Cap Lazare in the south of Mahé, one of 115 atolls that make up the former British dependency, has the largest colony of tortoises on the island.
The nature reserve these 40 call home is a secluded corner of paradise. The whole archipelago has lush jungle rolling into pristine white beaches and clear seas – but the untouched hideaway of Cap Lazare is a cut above. The place made me want to kick off my shoes and bask in the barefoot bliss of its wild beauty.
The private retreat is owned by a Seychellois family who have opened Cap Lazare up to a hotel – the Hilton Northolme Resort and Spa.
Visitors can take day trips to the estate and swim in Cap Lazare’s beautiful shallows, enjoy Creole food and learn about the flora and fauna.
There is much to cover as the Seychelles is home to the biggest nut (the coco de la mer) and the smallest frog (Gardiner’s) in the world.
Holidaymakers usually shun Mahé
in favour of the surrounding smaller atolls, but the island has its own unique appeal.
Once a route for pirates, hiking trails through the highlands pass spots where legendary loot is said to be buried – although much of the island is protected national park, so don’t start digging.
Other treasures lie in the coral reefs ringing the island. Snorkelling in the shallows reveals a vivid underwater world where manta rays swim alongside neon fish.
You can see the creatures swimming below from the balcony of Northolme’s 39 wooden villas.
The hotel’s 007 bar – Ian Fleming was inspired by this view in novel For Your Eyes Only – is also a great lookout point.
Sadly global warming has not left the Seychelles unscathed.
The reefs that were once a riot of colour are being bleached as sea temperatures rise, with some areas already losing up to 90 percent of its coral.
But efforts are being made to restore the reef to its former glory, and it is promising to see hotels like Northolme supporting the growth of coral nurseries in their own back yard.
Conservation in the Seychelles has always been a priority, but the hotels are turning their attention towards it more and more.
The Hilton’s Labriz Resort and Spa on Silhouette is also working towards going totally plastic-free an apt choice from a resort that is built so in harmony with the 200 acre nature reserve it sits in that the spa is built into the rocks.
The resort is made up of two rows of villas hugging the shoreline and backing on to the vibrant national park behind.
Each one is luxury personified: four-poster beds, free-standing baths, private pools and outdoor rain showers.
Guests can either reach the resort, which is the only one on the island, by a 40-minute boat ride or
by helicopter from Mahé’s international airport.
Arriving by air allows you unparalleled views of Silhouette’s dramatic, jungle-covered granite peaks and the coral barrier reef surrounding it.
The rough and wild energy of the island’s tropical beauty gives it a distinct Jurassic Park vibe, and the fruit bats flying overhead could easily be mistaken for mini pterodactyls.
From the ground, the best way to explore the island is hiking up Silhouette’s highest mountain Anse Mondon and descending to a secluded beach.
Although the humidity can make even a twomile hike an ordeal, the views of the Indian Ocean and the other islands make it worth it.
For those not wanting to spend their holiday hiking, there are plenty more relaxing pastimes on offer, from beach yoga to sunset cruises.
Or you can unwind at one of Labriz’s seven restaurants and cafés.
There is so much to explore on both Mahé and Labriz that it is easy to rush through it all.
But enjoying the tranquillity of these stunning islands requires a more unhurried pace.
I took my inspiration from the tortoises...