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 Anse Intendance, Mahe © Angelo Cavalli / STMA The breathtakingly beautiful Seychelles islands are surely the
most romantic destination there is. They cast a siren-like spell
over everyone who experiences its crystalline turquoise sea washing
the pristine coral reefs and the powdery beaches that encircle the
vast granite pinnacles which emerge from the verdant green
rainforest. The islands stretch like an array of jewels across
nearly one million square kilometres of the Indian Ocean east of
Kenya, and even have their own unique suggestively shaped fruit,
the famous 'coco de mer' double coconut, to emphasise their
seductive charms. Only a few of the 115 islands are inhabited, most
of the local population (known as Seychellois) being gathered on
the main island, Mahé, around the capital city of
Victoria.
The Seychellois are an alluring mix of freed African slaves,
Arab, Indian and Chinese traders, and British and French settlers
and seafarers who go about their business speaking a Creole patois.
The multi-party democratic Republic was once a thriving pirate's
haven but today it serves as a refuge for sunseekers, honeymooners
and nature lovers who congregate in the top quality hotels and
resorts on the main island shores. Whether you come to dive among
the more than 800 species of fish in the island waters, marvel at
flocks of colourful birds flitting among rare jungle trees, soak up
the equatorial sun on silver sands or to cement your marriage vows,
the Seychelles archipelago will impress as being just about as
close to paradise as it is possible to get on earth.
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