10-01-2004, 04:02 PM
10-01-2004, 04:08 PM
15-01-2004, 11:56 AM
21-01-2004, 11:36 AM
27-01-2004, 10:42 PM
09-02-2004, 10:18 AM
Quote:Originally posted by PAV
Found it on the www
Any tips on things to do??
we have a book on the island and we are planning to hire a car to drive around and maybe pop across to a couple of the islands
will not be able to do much water activities due to wife's recovering from ops but any ideas would be welcome
Cheers PAV
PAV, I'll specify my recommendations for each of the islands that I've visited:
MAHE
A trip on the glass bottomed boat to the Marine National Park is a must. On the boat you climb down into the hull & sit on little benches with windows on either side of you. It's like travelling inside a fish tank! This is a fantastic alternative to snorkelling or scuba diving.
There are various day trips to the smaller uninhabited islands just off Mahe, including one to see the giant tortoises.
If you're not going to be visiting Praslin, then I'd recommend that you visit the Botanic Gardens where you can see the Coco De Mer growing. This is a most unusual looking plant that is indigenous to The Seychelles. The male & female plants look distinctly different & strongly resemble human male & female genitals in appearance! In fact, many establiments use the Coco De Mer to indicate Ladies & Gents loos!
When I was there, I hired a Mini Moke. It was small & inexpensive to run. It also adds to The Seychelles experience! But be warned that the roads are very narrow & windy & the local drivers have nerves of steel! :eek:
Victoria, the capital of The Seychelles, is not terribly exciting. I'd recommend a visit to the market, but be warned that it is rather smelly & you'll notice that the meat & fish on sale is not kept refridgerated & are crawling with flies - ie. be careful what you buy! However, it is very interesting to see. This is also the main place for buying any gifts or curios.
LA DIGUE
This is a very interesting island to visit in that there are no motorised vehicles at all. The main mode of transport is either bicycle or ox-cart - you can get an ox-cart taxi. The island is also pretty small so you can walk from one side to the other in about an hour. The main local industry on La Digue is coconut & vanilla. We travelled from Mahe to La Digue by boat. It was a 2 hour trip into open sea on a rather small boat. The day I went, the sea was very rough with waves breaking over the boat & most of the passengers were sea sick. If I had to do it again, I'd fly to Praslin & then take a boat from Praslin to La Digue. If I remember correctly, the flight was not much more than the cost of the boat trip. You can also fly to La Digue by helicopter.
PRASLIN
I got to Praslin by boat from La Digue. This island was my favourite of The Seychelles islands as it is quieter & less developed. An absolute must if visiting Praslin is a trip to Vallée de Mai nature park. It is a forest that you'll never see the like of anywhere else. Here the Coco De Mer grows in abundance alongside the insect-eating pitcher plant & vanilla orchids. The smell of All Spice is very strong & you'll hear & see black parrots, which are very rare.
I spent a lovely few hours on Côte D'Or Beach, situated on the North East coast, definitely the best beach I've ever been on. Long white beach with turquoise water & palm trees.
I'd recommend spending at least one night on Praslin. The Paradise Sun hotel was right on Côte D'Or Beach. There are other hotels, but they are all new & weren't yet built when I visited. We flew from Praslin back to Mahe. The flight was breathtaking as you get to see an aerial view of the islands & the coral reefs.09-02-2004, 01:15 PM
Venus this is great stuff many thanks PAV
13-02-2004, 08:41 AM
Quote:Originally posted by PAV
Venus this is great stuff many thanks PAV
You're welcome, PAV. I hope you have a wonderful holiday. You sure deserve it!
14-02-2004, 12:37 PM
Quote:Originally posted by Venus
You're welcome, PAV. I hope you have a wonderful holiday. You sure deserve it!
Hols on hold at the moment although I have provisionally booked flights and hotel