The Seychelles: Paradise Found
Written: Jun 11 '00 (Updated Jun 11 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Spectacular scenery, Reasonable, The Adventure of a Lifetime
Cons: A long trip to get there, two monsoon seasons (plan ahead to miss them.)
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| happy2000usa's Full Review: Seychelles |
Milton may have lost paradise, but I found it. Found it? I stumbled across it quite by accident. It was left lying about 65 million years ago when an underwater plateau separated from the Indian continent and drifted toward Africa. The 100 plus peaks that break the surface of the Indian Ocean are now known as the Seychelles. My name for them is paradise.
The Grand Discovery
I was working in Africa. My assistant and I traveled to London for a meeting. Our plan was to attend the conference and then go home for a few weeks before returning to Ethiopia. It was not to be. We were told that we could have some time to ourselves, but we were to remain close and on call. In short, “Have fun, but have it in Africa.”
My assistant was on his first overseas assignment. He suggested Nairobi. I declined. The last time that I stayed there, I found myself banned from the main restaurant and bars because the hotel required “black tie.” He then suggested a safari. I liked the idea, but our masters would be unable to contact us. A British friend who, among his other enterprises, owned a travel agency, suggested the Seychelles. I’d never heard of them. He assured me that I would love it. I gave in when he told me that his agency had some customers who had bought an unrefundable tour package for two and now had no need. They would sell them at a discount.
A small alarm sounded and I asked why they weren’t going. He explained that they had called off their marriage. A louder alarm sounded. I had visions of "Mikey," my assistant, and I staying in some honeymoon suite. My friend placed some calls and assured me that we would stay in the same hotel, but in separate rooms.
The flight from London was unique in two respects. First, the Air Seychelles aircraft was filled with couples. There were few exceptions. The couples were oblivious of any of the other passengers. The champagne flowed and I had not been treated to that kind of “people watching” since my last visit to a drive-in movie. Two women who announced that they were “virgins” explained. (I was only able to regain my composure after these women explained that the term referred to their employment. They were flight attendants for Virgin Atlantic.) It seems that the Seychelles is a very popular “honeymoon” destination for European newlyweds.
The second significant aspect of the flight was the delay. We landed in Cairo to refuel and there was a question of payment. We were delayed for hours while the Captain and the fuelers reached an agreement. I was amazed. They kept us on the aircraft at the request of Egyptian Customs. It was hot. It was miserable. The champagne continued to flow and no one complained. In fact, I was probably the only one on the aircraft who was grumbling. Everyone else was happy and enjoying themselves.
Paradise Found
We arrived early in the morning. I expected to pay my way into the country. I didn’t. I was told that there was a departure tax, but all customs required was a passport, an airline ticket out of the country, and proof that I had enough money to pay my bills. (A credit card satisfied that.)
The hotel picked us up and drove us over some rather spectacular roads to Victoria, the capitol. (I say spectacular because they were narrow, winding, and heavily traveled. I suspect that the one requirement to drive a bus in the Seychelles in keen depth of perception. The gap between the bus and oncoming traffic was measured in microns.) We continued around the main island, Mahe, and finally arrived at the hotel. It lay on the opposite side of the island from Victoria and the airport.
The hotel proudly announced that it was part of a large American chain, but it was nothing like the Howard Johnson’s in Detroit. The lobby décor was fans and bamboo. The hotel, built on a hillside, was tiered. The upper level was lobby. The second level was restaurants and shops. The next level was the pool. It was on a bluff overlooking the ocean. The beach was at the lowest level. It fronted a shallow lagoon of lime green water. The outer portion of the lagoon was a series of small isolated “islands” which were nothing more than coral outcroppings.
I was beat. All I wanted was a shower and some sleep after our long flight. I walked into my room and was amazed. It continued the “colonial” décor of the lobby. The veranda sat some fifteen feet above the surf. What struck me was the privacy. Surf and trees. That’s all that could be seen from my perch. My neighbors were hidden. The beach and its sunbathers were around the corner. I couldn’t see them. They couldn’t see me. (I later found that all of the rooms had similar amenities.)
I took my shower, stretched out on the bed and closed my eyes. The telephone rang. I grumbled. I knew that it was someone calling me to return to Ethiopian “cup-of-soup” and candy bar existence. It wasn’t. It was “Mikey,” my assistant. It took some time to slow him down to coherence. When he did, I found that he had discovered that the beaches were topless. I hung up and went to sleep. While I drifted off, I contemplated the young lad from Montana who had discovered topless beaches and would probably not sleep for weeks. I also wondered whether my lack of excitement about his discovery was due to age or my extensive world travelling.
Water Wonderland
When I awoke, I was pleased to discover that my hotel room included a catamaran. I went to the lobby and was escorted to the marina. There, after proving that I understood tacking and had no suicidal tendencies to ram the local fishing fleet, I was given my small sailing boat and started exploring. It his point, I must apologize. My command of the language is insufficient to describe the beauty. Isolated white beaches sparkling in the sun. Rugged rocks. Small coral islands. Spectacular tropical birds, multicolored fish and everywhere, that shimmering green water. Returning from my sail, I met Mike and we ate dinner.
The Seychelles were not populated until the mid-1700’s when the French brought in slaves and built plantation. During the Napoleonic era, the French commander would strike his colors whenever a British ship showed on the horizon. He did this twelve times before the British finally landed and took control of the islands. It remained part of the British Empire until the 1970’s. As a consequence, the islanders speak English and French. They also grow a wide variety of spices and fruits on the old plantations. When you add their other large industry, fishing, you have the makings for a culinary delight.
Fresh seafood, fruits and vegetables are the standard fare. The French influence in the preparation is obvious. I’ve had meals like that in Paris and paid mightily for them. The prices for such cuisine in the Seychelles fall more into the same bracket as Denny’s. The food is great and the prices reasonable….I did not see one set of Golden arches.
Gaining weight might be a problem were it not for the ocean. Every visitor, even non-swimmers, try snorkeling. (The shallow lagoons allow those who are “swimming impaired” to participate while wading.) You can go deep sea fishing. You can scuba, though if you’ve never done it, you are required a short course. What I truly loved was that the seas around the Seychelles were unlike those around Djibouti. They were not heavily populated with sharks and sea snakes.
There are ferries and air service to some of the other islands. To go to even more remote islands, you have to charter a boat. All main islands have places to stay. Some of the remote islands have small resorts and “bed and breakfasts.” You pick. Our $35 a night rooms are now $50. You can have more luxury for more money. You can have less for a smaller amount.
We intended to start visiting some of the other islands. It was not to be. We were recalled to Ethiopia after three days. It was another two weeks before Mike recovered from his sunburn, having spent hours-upon-hours on the beach. It was a month before he could talk coherently.
Perhaps the most amazing aspect of my visit was the lack of a "tourist" atmosphere. There is a decided lack of souvenir shops and memorabilia stands. The people are friendly and helpful. You are treated like an honored visitor and guest, not a tourist.
We Shall Reurn
I am going back to the Seychelles. This time, I'm not taking "Mikey." I am taking my bride, and it will be a second honeymoon. I have warned her about the fruit bats, which appear to be large and evil creatures, but are harmless. They only attack the fruit. She's excited about seeing the large tortoises, but her greatest concern remains the topless beaches. I assured her that monokinis are optional and many wear full bathing suits. She looks at me, smiles, and says that she understands, but remains concerned. She’s worried about my health. She is afraid that I might suffer whiplash.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
happy2000usa
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 - Top 1000 |
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Member: Wayne Arnold
Location: Tracy, California, USA
Reviews written: 97
Trusted by: 171 members
About Me:
Writer, editor, beta tester, pilot, traveler. I'm an easy mark, always evaluating new software.
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