When nature calls
As arresting a setting as this is, it is easy for one’s eyes to drift across the sand in the hope of spotting one of the island’s elusive turtles. A green turtle laid her eggs here in December, and it is hard not to spend the entire holiday in constant hope of seeing one (unfortunately, you most likely won’t see any: there is a member of the hotel staff who has never seen one, despite living on the island her whole life).
The giant tortoises you can see shuffling around the botanical gardens in Victoria, Mahé’s capital, and in the wild on the Aldabra atoll, look prehistoric, almost otherworldly. Further contributing to a sense of the fantastical for visitors is the rare and mysterious coco de mer, which grows only in the Seychelles (and can be seen in the botanical gardens). Its palm tree has male and female variants that can take 50 years to reach sexual maturity; it is only the female plant that produces the valuable, suggestively shaped nut.
It is easy to see why Gian Paolo Barbieri and other artists over the years have been so captivated by the island and its natural wonders. It is another version of paradise that is impossible not to fall in love with.
How to do it: Mango House (00 248 4 397000; hilton.com) offers doubles from £597, including breakfast
Covid rules
All travellers must have a Health Travel Authorisation (seychelles.govtas.com) and valid health and travel insurance. Those aged 12 and over must also show proof of full vaccination, or a negative PCR test taken within the past 72 hours, or a rapid antigen test taken within the past 24 hours, or proof of recovery.
This article is kept updated with the latest information.
Have you visited the Seychelles? Do you think it’s a worthy rival to the Maldives? Join the conversation in the comments below
Source link : https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/africa/seychelles/seychelles-paradise-island-rivals-maldives-less-tourists-holiday-hotel-2022/
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Publish date : 2022-09-26 07:00:00
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