Seychelles, your seduction started years ago and I am happy I accepted to be seduced. Perhaps it was the images of your clean clear waters, white sandy beaches, couples holding hands as they walked into the sunset or maybe learning that Seychelles citizens are called Seychellois and not Seychellians that sealed the deal. Even though I didn’t have a Mr. Wangechi to walk with me into the sunset, I decided I would dance to your music and be lost in your beautiful crystal clear eyes, you would be my Mr. Wangechi. I truly had a great time in all the dates we had as shared below.
1.Hanged out with fishermen
Fishing is a major part of the peoples culture and major form of employment. I took time hanging out with some of the fishermen and enjoyed hearing their fishing escapades. I chose the easier way out, thus only assisted them in freeing the fish from their nets. Maybe next time I will go out fishing with them.
Learning how to release fish from the fishing nets in Mahe Island, Seychelles
2. Walked around the town
Victoria is a small town, very clean and can easily be covered by foot. I would advise you pick a free map at the airport or at the tourism office which will act as a guide.
3. Visited the beaches
The beaches here are exquisite as the water is crystal clear, the sand fine, white and super clean. I thus now understand why it is famous for its beaches. I experienced several beaches in Mahe Island; Beau Vallon, Anse Royal, Takamaka, Anse Soleil among others and each revealed something different from the next. Some were all sand, others mainly rock and others a good mix of rocks and sand. The waters are also crystal clear that one doesn’t necessarily have to snorkel in order to see the fish, I could easily view them from a top the waters.
Some of the beaches had few people, making it secluded and super private. I see why Seychelles is famous for couples especially honeymooners *wink, *wink
4. Got an Island named after me
Yes, I got my own Island now, thanks to Seychelles. I was in Anse Royal and there were hardly any people -my kind of scene. As I walked along the shores, I came across this area that was hived off from public viewing by the colossal rocks that litter Seychelles beaches and it had green palm trees and a white sandy beach. Like Christopher Columbus would do, I claimed this area and named it “Sheshi Island”. Sheshi is my nickname and blends so well with Seychelles.
5. Botanical Gardens
I liked this place as it is not only a beautifully landscaped garden for one to relax in, but has lots to see. It has the Coco De Mer plant, which is a rare species and native to Seychelles as well as being home to the Aldabra Giant Tortoises.
Aldabra Giant Tortoises are one of the largest tortoises in the world. They have beady eyes and their huge shells seemed to be quite heavy.
6)Visited Eden Island
Eden Island is a luxury residential marina development that was created via land reclamation. The first thing I saw is that the marina comprised of high end yachts, sail boats and cruise ships.
It felt like visiting a luxury show room, every single one looked beautiful, with some even having helipads with helicopters aboard.
The Island also has luxury accommodation and a shopping plaza, that will meet all your luxury needs.
7: Visited Queen Victoria Market
This market is quite vibrant and has lots to offer. The shops have a wide array of bright coloured beach clothes, fresh fish from the ocean is available at the fish market, they have shopping malls for all budgets and the buildings here are brightly coloured.
8: Made friends with the locals
Seychellois are really friendly and warm. I had the privilege of making friends with one lady who welcomed me to her home and thereafter a party/ function that gave me a true taste of Seychellois culture. I listened to people speak Creole, and listened to Creole and Sega music and indeed danced the night away, Seychelloise way.
9) Rock climbing
Rocks, rocks, beautiful rocks are everywhere. Seychelles is an Island that seems to be surrounded/covered in large rock boulders. These rocks are a sight to behold, they are beautiful, they are magnificent and they provide rock climbing escapades-even if not planned.
10) Went in search of Coco De Mer
Coco De Mer is a rare species of the palm tree that is native to Seychelles and the seeds are believed to be the largest and heaviest seeds in the world. It is also called a double coconut and the shape can be described as, well, like a piece of art, it is open for interpretation :-).
11) Tasted the delicacies
The staple food seemed to be aquatic animals and fruits. I sampled a few and really enjoyed.
12. I threw causion to the wind
I am usually a conservative person, serious in some cases and I tend to overthink things, don’t ask how I became an adventurous backpacker. Seychelles chose to convert me into an Islander, to relax, take it easy and just enjoy the moment. In one instance, on my last day, after having packed all my belongings, I decided to go say goodbye to my new friends-the beaches. I ended up being seduced by the waters to say a proper goodbye, to give a big fuzzy hug in way of a swim, which means I ended up swimming with all my clothes on. When it was almost time for my flight, I shrugged off my wet clothes and placed them both on a beach chair and on myself to dry faster. Scream-still can’t believe I did that.
Enjoying the Indian ocean as I waited for my clothes to dry at the beach in Seychelles
13. Went Partying:
The party scene has various establishments to suit different needs. Go out and enjoy.
14)Accomodation:
Seychelles has accommodation for all budgets, do not be disheartened by the illusion that they are all luxury accommodation. I was hosted by friends which made my stay even more fun.
15) Getting Around
There are diverse options for getting around in Mahe, buses, taxis, boats, ships and walking. I specialized in walking and buses as they are affordable, scheduled, always on time and flexible to visit almost every part of Mahe.
16) Getting there
There are several airlines that fly into Seychelles or you can use cruise ships and private yatches .
Seychelles, thank you for having me and providing me with such amazing Island life. I not only got to have a self titled island, but discovered that your beauty is more than just beaches. It was also great to discover that Seychelles isn’t only for the elite as I had previously stereotyped it, but has something for all budgets. I will definitely have to return to explore the other islands like Praslin and La Digue as well as learning to deep sea dive.For more on Seychelles escapades, check out:
Busted in Seychelles: http://wangechigitahi.co.ke/busted-in-seychelles/
Seychelles 101: http://wangechigitahi.co.ke/seychelles-101/