Seychelles Travel Guide
Introducing Seychelles
A Living Museum of Natural History
Sitting between 4 and 10 degrees south of the Equator, 115 granite and Coral islands, known as the Seychelles, attract millions of visitors every year. The Seychelles are divided into two groups, the Inner Islands and the Outer Islands. There are 43 Inner Islands which are made of granite, although two of them are coralline. There are 72 coralline Outer Islands that sit anywhere from 120 miles to 700 miles beyond the main island of Mahe.
The pristine world of these Outer islands is a combination of sand cays, and lonely rocky outcrops and nothing more than sand splits, but they are home for a diverse collection of wildlife found nowhere else in the world. Only two of the Outer Islands, Alphonse and Desroches, offer tourist accommodations, but they are luxurious lodges that offer guests fishing, diving and sailing adventures that are incredibly unique experiences. Tourists that want to get away from the crowds and enjoy a secluded holiday on what some consider a living museum of natural history is waiting on the Seychelles Islands.
There is no other place on earth where endemic species like the Coco-de-Mer palm tree grow. It’s both male and female and you can tell its sex by the shape of its seeds. These seeds are the largest tree seeds in the world. The Jellyfish tree, which only has eight surviving examples, can be seen up close on the island of Mahe. The Seychelles Paradise Flycatcher and Seychelles Warbler are two other species that are only found on the islands. The heaviest land tortoise, the smallest frog and the only flightless bird in the Indian Ocean, are also part of this fascinating collection of wildlife that inhabit the islands. Over 50% of the Seychelles land mass is now National Reserves and Parks, which protect and preserve one of the most sensitive and varied ecosystems in the world. The Seychelles prides itself on its dedicated conservation policies and the results are obvious.
The Seychelles in a Few Words
The Seychelles Islands is what’s left of the Super continent Gondwanaland that was a land mass above the sea a half a billion years ago. The islands have a mystical quality about them that is truly unique in form and character. This Indian Ocean hideaway is the land that time forgot. The exquisite beaches, the lush tropical plant life and unusual wildlife make the Seychelles one of the natural wonders of the world. It leaves tourist wondering why they bought a round trip ticket to this wonderland where turtles and palm trees define the word beauty in surreal terms. After making one trip to the Seychelles the word tranquility has a completely different meaning. After two trips tranquility means peace filled with the happiness. After three trips, tranquility is your middle name.
