I have already touched briefly on the Seychellois theme. And today I will tell you about these mega-islands in more detail. And, at the same time, about some of my favorite hotels that you can keep in mind every time you are going to relax in the Seychelles …
First, a few words for those who do not know what the Seychelles are (although I’m sure everyone knows, but just in case): so, this is a group of islands in the Indian Ocean north of Madagascar. Unique nature. Paradise on earth. For many centuries, the only inhabitants of the islands were pirates, who made the Seychelles their transshipment base (the place was ideal for attacking ships sailing from India to Africa and back). Legends say that pirate treasures are hidden here, so treasure hunters come here, and gold coins left on sunken ships are periodically thrown ashore.
But the real treasure is on the surface. The beauty of nature, the unique flora and fauna and the friendliness of the locals (creoles, Indians, Chinese and Africans live in harmony here, and, combining their traditions, create the unique flavor of the Seychellois culture). Some of the islands are coral (it’s exactly like the Maldives). The other part is granite (and this is not like anything else – the beaches, for example, on the island of La Digue, are an incredibly beautiful sight precisely thanks to the giant granite blocks turned by the sea and the wind, sparkling in the sun, like the darkened icebergs of the Arctic …
My last trip to the Seychelles was especially memorable. And her memory is truly dear to me.
I flew to the island of Mahe (here is the capital of the Seychelles, the city of Victoria, which is adjacent to the international airport). I spent 1 day and 1 night on this island. I managed to drive around in an old Volvo, which, through an acquaintance, was lent to me by my friend Misha, who has been working in Victoria for several years, the main attractions of the island (mostly various pirate places and beaches, as well as a turtle farm where you can chat with giant turtles, the smartest creatures on the ground). Spent the night in one of two pleasant Victorian hotels – had dinner at his restaurant “Tek Tek”, and in the morning – was like that.
Namely, I rented a yacht through the ANGEL FISH company (attention, as it turned out, this was not the best choice, but I didn’t have another at that time, try better ) and set off on a leisurely voyage between the islands, stopping at some of them, snorkeling and enjoying the peace of the surprisingly quiet throughout my Indian Ocean voyage.
First I looked at Praslin Island, a favorite holiday destination for Europeans. This island is famous primarily for the fact that the Coco de Mer palm tree grows here, a sea nut, one of the symbols of the Seychelles. The palm nut looks like some parts of the female body, there are legends about it, here it is:
Rare birds Black Cockatoo and Bulbul also live on Praslin. The island is included in the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List. There are the most beautiful beaches in the world – Enns Lazio and Enns Georgete. And on the Ense Kerlan beach, all the same turtles lay their eggs, the giant shadow of which usually haunts me in the Seychelles relentlessly! So they even became a kind of iconic phenomenon for me …
One night at the hotel . The name of the hotel speaks for itself, because Lemuria is a surviving piece of paradise. In fact, the hotel, of course, is not bad, but there are cooler options in the Seychelles, I probably won’t stop in Lemuria again.).
And now I’m sailing on. To Cousine Island.
About Kuzin separately. It is a private nature reserve with a hotel marked by colleague Andrew Harper as one of the best in the Seychelles. The hotel can only accommodate 10 people (4 villas decorated in French colonial style, 30 meters from the beach).
On the island everything is arranged with only one purpose: to create the feeling that you are the owner of this island. Almost a master. The fact is that there are only 9 people here besides you (and, after all, you can arrange it so that these nine will be your friends, whom you, for example, invite to celebrate your DR or, say, NG). Plus – service staff 15 people. And that’s it! There are no more people at all. You know what I mean, right?
After staying in this paradise for three days, I sailed on. On the legendary . This private island has been a place of pilgrimage for the French elite since the early 1980s. Catherine Deneuve, Romy Schneider, Jean-Michel Jarre liked to spend time here. It is also called the “Island at the end of the world.” 350 acres of tropical vegetation. Each villa has its own beach. And luxurious villas, where they bring you luxurious food!
But the main thing was in the final. Island , a true masterpiece. A couple of years ago I read in some travel magazine a detailed history of this island. And even then I became very interested. And soon already – visited there. The island was once a coconut plantation. Then it was abandoned, completely overgrown, it was teeming with animals that were completely uncharacteristic for it (traces of human presence here – rats and cows). In general, the island was dying. And then it was bought by a company I knew from African trips . Which, by hiring scientists to conduct detailed research in a variety of areas, completely restored its ecosystem and turned it into an incredibly pleasant hotel with 11 villas (there should be 12 or so by now, I know that more were going to be built).
One of these villas captivated me so much that for a long time I did not want to sail away from here at all. Wanted, I confess, to stay here forever. Because I’ve never felt so good before. However, this pleasure is not cheap, and therefore for more than five days I decided not to abuse the hospitality of the North Island.
I mentioned that I have special memories associated with this trip. And here’s why: this is where I took the PADI diving course (it’s included in the price there, however, like almost everything else – for example, ingenious food that you can order at any time of the day and at the same time using all your imagination, and an extensive map wines, only the rarest wines and spa treatments are not included, which I don’t recommend skimping on there, because it’s a very, very good spa, I’ve been completely renovated!). So, I took diving courses, the instructor was just what I needed … And since then I plunged into the world of diving, became a real fan of it! But this is a different story.
