A strange, unfamiliar feeling came over me on the distant Seychelles. I decided not to write about these islands, and I won’t even tell anyone about them. Let as few people as possible know about them. Let no one come here. Let all this beauty - as I saw it - belong to me alone. Otherwise, God forbid, greedy crowds will trample and litter my one and only, my unique Seychelles... In short, it’s some kind of madness.
And how could one not go mad! One would have to be an unfeeling blockhead not to lose one’s head upon letting in these hundred shades of emerald and two hundred shades of blue - ocean, sky, jungles, lagoons, lakes, crystal waterfalls, inspirationally mixed on the divine palette of the archipelago.
Oh, how I rejoiced when, upon returning, I became convinced: few people have any idea where the Seychelles are. Some placed them in the Pacific Ocean, some in the Atlantic. And that treasured corner where they actually are - above Madagascar, below the equator - the geographical acumen of my acquaintances passed by. But gradually joy gave way to anxiety: recently too many have been praising the Seychelles - in the press, in guidebooks, and in travel agency advertising. Truly, no one who has visited the Seychelles remains disappointed. And everyone enthusiastically tells everyone they meet: “Paradise, paradise.” Charter flights take off, hotel places are snapped up, more and more eyes are fixed on the incomparable turquoise and blue... One consolation for me, poor thing, is that the treasured archipelago is not that small. Of the 118 islands, only 20 are inhabited so far. And for every hundred meters of prime beaches, on average, there is hardly more than one swimmer. And all because the Seychelles were discovered quite recently - both in the tourist and geographical senses.
How Ships Are Seen Off
The next stage of our route is a short cruise around the nearby islands. It can be done on one of the yachts of the Coco de Mer hotel - Charming Lady or Summer’s Days. They have only six cabins each, so you can charter a yacht for a warm company of friends. But the cruise catamaran Pearl of Seychelles cannot be chartered privately. This brand new, spick-and-span ship has five decks and more than 30 first-class cabins with luxurious chandeliers and lamps, elegant furniture. In essence, it is a floating hotel belonging to the well-known international chain Le Meridien.
Every morning, passengers of the Pearl of Seychelles open their eyes to see a new island. Right after breakfast - a foray onto an unexplored shore. The forays are organized with all possible comfort. Onshore, excursions, swimming, fishing, and a barbecue-style lunch are planned. For those wishing to swim on their own along the beautiful shores, plastic kayaks are lowered from the deck. Paddle in hand - and off you go. For those wishing to admire the colorful life of the reefs, fins and masks can be found on the ship. Dinner on board is accompanied by a cheerful exchange of impressions. And then - a cup of coffee in a deck chair on deck under the insinuating lapping of waves in the velvet darkness.
Native Tricks
The first settlers appeared here a little more than two centuries ago. And before that, the most beautiful place on earth was uninhabited! But at the end of the 18th century, it was as if a dam had burst. The Portuguese, French, and English wanted to make the flowering and fruit-bearing islands their territory. And here’s the curious thing: for a full fifteen years, both the French and the British were convinced that the islands belonged to them. All because the cunning governor of the Seychelles at the time, upon spotting an English frigate, would raise the English flag. And when a French ship entered the bay, from its deck they would contentedly see the French flag flying over the island.
Interestingly, not so long ago, the current President of the Republic of Seychelles, Albert René, managed to “belong” to the USSR and the USA simultaneously, allowing strategic radar stations of both superpowers onto his territory - naturally, not disinterestedly. Moreover, the American radars were disguised as a weather station, and the Soviet ones as an oceanographic vessel. When this proximity was discovered, both the Russians and the Americans approached Albert René with reproaches, demanding their exclusive presence on the islands. “And what, exactly, are you doing here?” the crafty president asked. “We observe the weather,” the Americans replied without blushing. “We study the ocean,” said the Russians without batting an eye. “Well, then your interests do not intersect at all,” the president summed up with a smile.
What Is Beauty Made Of?
If you ask what is so captivating about the Seychelles, it would be extremely difficult to explain. One could talk about the snow-white coral beaches, so level and smooth that the coastal palms are reflected in their wet sand. One could tell of the huge, whimsical rocks resembling fantastic sculptures that waves and wind have carved from pink granite. One could try to describe the completely unreal view from above, from an airplane: above the round atolls, echoing their shape, float necklaces of little pearl-like clouds. One could admire the living carpet lying on the bottom, made of thousands of multicolored starfish. But how can one combine all this into a single sensation, a single mood, a single continuous stream of pure, natural pleasures?
The Seychelles have everything the heart expects from lush, luxurious tropical beauty. And at one wonderful moment you realize that you have yearned all your life for this beauty, yearned for our common ancient homeland - the lost Garden of Eden.
And these islands are, in a certain sense, merciless. For many who have visited them, all other beach vacation destinations are “killed” once and for all. For any other place - by the bluest sea, under the gentlest sun - can only evoke a bitter sigh: no, this is not the Seychelles! And it will always turn out, as Yesenin wrote: I will say, no paradise needed, give me my homeland - the Seychelles.
Creole Truth
The Seychelles are home to exceptionally charming natives - Creoles. Their veins carry a true cocktail of European, African, and Asian blood. Creoles are not necessarily dark-skinned - completely white, red-haired individuals also sometimes consider themselves Creoles. In general, racial problems are alien to Seychellois society. And if, say, on neighboring Mauritius there is a certain distance between whites and dark-skinned people, then in the Seychelles - nothing of the sort. Although on Mauritius the main population is also Creole. The explanation for this should be sought in the relatively recent past. Slavery on the islands was abolished only in the mid-19th century. But on Mauritius it was cruel, while in the Seychelles it was more humane, as it happened. So no trace of genetic animosity stretches from the past.
The main trait of the Seychellois character is carefreeness. For example, here they believe that a "private property" sign near a house is quite enough - why else fences, locks on doors? And if curious tourists inadvertently wander onto someone's territory, they are greeted not with abuse but with a smile and a question - whether they need anything. How many times, photographing local residents, I embarrassedly lowered my camera and only then realized that they were waving in my direction not angrily at all, but welcomingly.
It is also true, however, that the Seychellois life creed is "never do today what can be put off until tomorrow." Therefore, for high-class hotels, managers prefer to hire more diligent Mauritians as staff, or even bring in personnel from Southeast Asia.
But every Seychellois is at heart an artist, or at least a disinterested connoisseur of beauty. It is not upbringing that makes them so, but their natural habitat. The homes of local residents - even very modest ones made of corrugated iron - are brightly painted and buried in flowers. After all, here it is enough to stick any root into the ground, throw any seed, and flowers and fruits will not be slow to appear. "God plants, Seychellois harvest," is another local saying. Indeed, how easy it is to be carefree and good-natured when you don't have to worry about food or clothing, when nature itself around you suggests: "Be content with little, don't fuss, don't strain, enjoy life." This is not our principle, alien... But why do Seychellois have more happiness and peace in their eyes than any visiting European - quite successful, since he could afford an expensive trip here?
The Seychellois are also carefree in love. Tourist weddings in the Seychelles happen more often than the marriages of fickle local residents. Moreover, almost two-thirds of children on the islands are born out of wedlock. They are called "children of the wind." Those around them don't care who "pollinated" another young mother, and no one would ever think of looking at her with condemnation. The charm of the island women is irresistible, like the aroma of tropical flowers that comes from everywhere. The cocktail of Creole blood gives them the charm of French women, the good manners of English women, the sensuality of Asian women, and the temperament of African women. They are open, naive, and not averse to flirting with visitors (on Mauritius or the Maldives there is no trace of this!). Therefore, even a lone traveler will not feel lonely. Although, of course, the ideal trip to the Seychelles is a trip with a beloved woman.
How to discover the Seychelles?
Since you have come this far, you need to take a good look at everything here. Of course, it makes no sense to sit in one place, lie under the same palm tree, gaze at the water of the same lagoon - even if it is unimaginably beautiful. You need to work out your own route - especially since travel agencies sending people to the Seychelles treat all tours there as individual, and are always ready to meet your wishes. The main thing is that you yourself know what you want.
Therefore, for orientation, I will suggest a route that I myself took - one of many possible ones.
So, having arrived in the Seychelles, it is advisable to immediately plunge into the beautiful exotic, to taste the sweetest highlight of a holiday here - the luxury of carefree seclusion in the bosom of "exclusive" nature. And if you want all this to be harmoniously combined with exclusive service, I advise you to go to a small private island, Anonyme (Nameless). Twenty minutes by speedboat from Mahé airport - and you are settled in a separate spacious villa and hurry to dive into the warm waves. Moreover, it is not at all necessary to take swimsuits out of your suitcase, this beach is yours and only yours. On Nameless Island, whose diameter is no more than a kilometer, there is everything the Seychelles are famous for. Granite rocks tower over the blue lagoons and white sand of the beaches...
By the way, about the rocks. When we hear this word, we imagine something sharp, angular. The granite giants of the Seychelles are rounded and friendly. At times they seem soft and do not give the islands any severity; on the contrary, they make them especially romantic, playfully hiding many secluded coves, bays, and beaches. Almost a third of the islet is occupied by a giant three-hundred-year-old banyan - a tree with a thousand trunks. Beneath it spread emerald, flowering jungles with loud-voiced birds, nimble geckos, and huge slow-moving tortoises...
By the way, about tortoises. It is hard even to imagine that they can be so big. The first time I saw them, I hurried to the most impressive tortoise with my camera at the ready. Suddenly, next to it, a huge black boulder stirred and crawled away - at first glance I simply could not take it for a tortoise.
Two or three days on a comfortable island hotel will firmly make you fall in love with the Seychelles, and you can proceed to deepen the acquaintance. We set off for the island of Praslin, famous for its unique coconut valley. Such coconuts as here do not grow anywhere else in the world.
Utter disgrace
It seems I have found indisputable proof that it was here, in the Seychelles, that the Garden of Eden was located, and, accordingly, the workshop where God created the first people. Because first he trained on coconut nuts known as coco de mer (sea coconut). Nothing else can explain the striking resemblance of these largest seeds in nature to certain parts of the human body - both in shape and size. Lest we be suspected of being "obsessed," let us quote from a scientific report two hundred years old. "Upon a detailed examination of this remarkable nut, one can see that on one side it resembles the buttocks. The cleft separating them recalls the natural part of a woman's body... And the hairs surrounding it reproduce vegetation." Moreover, besides the fruit-bearing female palms of this species, there are also male ones, with inflorescences of a very unmistakable shape. Need we say what exactly they "reproduce"?
The valley of amazing palms is a natural botanical garden, where excursions are organized. The entrance fee is $10. For locals it is free. But they prefer not to visit the protected valley, especially in the evenings. There is a belief that at these hours the palms engage in carnal pleasures - and what else would they need all those "likenesses" for? And one must not spy on this sacred act, it threatens misfortune.
In fact, coco de mer palms are remarkable in themselves. Their leaves sometimes reach a length of ten meters. Such a leaf could, for example, completely cover a passenger car, like a tarp. Botanists claim that the giant palms of Praslin Island live up to a thousand years and during that time can grow to eighty meters.
Where to stay on Praslin? Naturally, at the Coco de Mer hotel. The curious nut is reproduced on the hotel sign so meticulously that an elderly English couple almost turned back. "Where have you brought me," the lady protested, "there must be only nudists staying here!" However, the lady was deeply mistaken. This hotel is exceptionally respectable, with cozy, well-equipped rooms and a lovely veranda restaurant hovering over the waves.
Sharks - Within Reach
Now let us again fly over the blue expanses of the Indian Ocean. This time - to the distant Alphonse Atoll. The runway is "cut" across the island through coconut groves. On the shore stand five-star huts on stilts - with air conditioning, Jacuzzis, and open-air showers in special courtyards.
Alphonse is not called the Mecca of divers for nothing. The underwater world here is truly stunning, and the work of the local dive center is organized with exemplary precision. But to fully enjoy underwater excursions, it helps to be aware of the Seychelles seasons. The ideal time for diving is considered to be the second half of spring and the second half of autumn. During these periods the sea is calm, plankton multiplies less actively, and the transparency of the water seems truly fantastic - visibility up to a hundred meters! During the rest of the year, the dry or wet monsoon stirs up the coastal waters, and the pleasure of the underwater spectacle is not the same.
The underwater safari in the Seychelles is exciting and diverse. The small marine life on the coral reefs is like a colorful mosaic; you can admire it without scuba gear - a mask and snorkel are enough. But divers hungry for impressions are drawn by the quite probable encounter with something bigger. For example, with giant sea turtles, with rays gliding in the depths, and, of course, with whale sharks. These huge, harmless, and unhurried creatures let divers come within arm's reach.
From Alphonse one has to return to Mahe - the stay in the Seychelles is coming to an end. But on Mahe, too, you can spend a few wonderful days, visiting a few of the best beaches, strolling along an alley of bizarre dragon trees, in whose trunks and branches red "blood" flows, and buying souvenirs at the village of Creole craftsmen, Craft Village.
You can stay on Mahe at the Plantation Club hotel. There is a spacious area, several restaurants, and a wide beach where it is so pleasant to collect miniature shells washed up by the surf.