Hello Seychelles

Arrival 

Our flight from Madagascar arrives in Victoria on Mahe Island in the Seychelles at about 10:00pm. It is an hour ahead of Madagascar time. 

Our Emirates plane stops here for an hour and will then continue on to Dubai after loading up with passengers leaving the Seychelles. The plane was less than half full for our segment and only about 30 of us get off at this stop.

So we go through immigration & customs very quickly and get a stamp in our passport that is highly reminiscent of a woman’s butt. The stamp is actually an image of the Coco de Mer nut, a rare palm tree found only in the Seychelles. 

Our flight arrived early and we went through customs and got our luggage so fast that our prebooked driver is not here yet. We call and he is a half hour away but says he is fine if we leave now and pay for one of the taxis already there as it’s the same price. The air is very warm (28 C) as we leave the air-conditioned airport.

It’s 11:00pm by the time we get to our accommodation, a small family run hotel. We are only staying here one night. Reception is closed but we have a code to let ourselves in.  We have   a large and attractive suite and go directly to bed.

Morning at Hilltop Boutique Hotel

I am awake at 5:00am sharp. A view of a bay with hilly volcanic islands and boats greets me. There are so many flowering bushes, trees and plants outside. The island is so lush. A bright red bird flies from tree to tree but refuses to stay in one place long enough for me to get a picture.

Mahe is the main island in the Seychelles and contains the international airport and Victoria, the capital city. 

A man is organizing fresh floral arrangements in the lobby as we head to the poolside dining area for breakfast. He seems quite pleased when he sees me taking a picture of the bowl of floating flowers. In the dining area there is a big framed board that says, “One thing I want to do before I die”. Lots of people have written their hopes and dreams ranging from getting married, being king of the world, swimming in every ocean, getting a dog, writing a book, quit their boring job, see the pyramids etc. It is really quite beautiful. There is no room on the board for John and I to write anything… if there were, what would we write …hhhmmm.

Ferry to Praslin Island

Today we are leaving Mahe for the island of Praslin. We will return to spend time in Mahe at the end of our trip. The driver we were supposed to have last night picks us up at 9:15am to take us to the ferry jetty. He offers the ride for free because of last nights mix-up but we were not inconvenienced and still pay him. 

The ferry dock is busy. John prepurchased our tickets but we still stand in line to check our luggage for the one hour ride to Praslin. Knowing from experience what these interisland ferry rides can be like, John and I both take half a Gravol.

The Cat Cocos ferry is large, well run with lots of staff. As the ferry leaves the dock, staff hand out barf bags to anyone who is interested… a sign of what’s to come? About twenty minutes into the ride, the big guy next to me is not looking too well. Someone quickly hands him a bag. Staff walk around the cabin, eyes expertly honing in on anyone looking the least bit queasy. A few make quick dashes to the washroom. The sea looks calm but the swells are such that it brings on a nauseous feeling. Fortunately John and I are fine and the guy next to me holds it together.

Getting our Bearings

Upon arrival, we collect our luggage and grab our rental car. Thanks to the British, they drive on the wrong side here.

Seychelles was a colony of France from 1756 to 1814 when it was ceded to the British in the Treaty of Paris after the defeat of Napoleon. Seychelles became independent in 1976. English is widely spoken as is French and the indigenous language is Creole. 

Praslin is not that big so it’s a short drive to our accommodation at the Mango Lodge. Compared to Madagascar the roads are a dream though the concrete access road to the Lodge is steep and curvey.

We are thrilled with our self-catering apartment (I can cook again. Yeah!). It is comfortable and the view just blows us away. I can easily stay here staring at the ocean for the next five days.

I’m starving so we drop off our luggage and head down the hill to one of the recommended lunch spots. And that is where the sticker shock kicks in. We are definitely not in Madagascar anymore. We have a take out lunch of seafood (me) and beef curry (John), noodles and a small bit of coleslaw with water for $40.00 CAD.

It was good though.

We stop at the small grocery store nearby. There is not much of a selection. They have run out of eggs. Food is very pricey because most things need to be shipped in. John pays $12 CAD for a small bag of ground coffee. There are hardly any vegetables available but shrimps are priced about the same as in Canada. A single serving container of greek yogurt is the equivalent of $3.70 CAD. I don’t care, I want my yogurt and I am really looking forward to cooking again.

We quickly check out the beach and head back up, up, up to our lovely balcony with the great view.

Rare Parrot Sighting

I am very excited to spot the endangered Black Seychelles Parrot (also known as the Praslin Parrot), while sitting on our deck. Praslin is the only place in the world where this parrot is found.  This parrot is the national bird of Seychelles.  Click here for more information on the Parrot-.

Evening at Mango Lodge

I make a seafood supper which we eat on our balcony. We will probably eat suppers here most nights because driving up the steep, windy road after dark would be stressful…and I feel like we have the best view in town.

We stay on the balcony till we go to bed.