Seychelles Day 7 and 8 - Mahe, It's a Wrap

We arrive in Mahe early Saturday morning. This is the last full day of the cruise and we're off to see Victoria, the capital of the Seychelles.  We wander around the small downtown and into the market; it's not too big but it is lively and colourful and the catch of the day is plentiful.  We are allotted much more time to visit the market than there is stuff to see but eventually we carry on to visit the old Mission.  Up and up we go to the top of a very high mountain (not a hike, this time it's on a tour bus).

Feels like the top of the world when we arrive; there are remnants of the old mission which was built by the British, who liberated slave children from the Arab slave trader ships and brought them here to school them until the age of 16.  We sit for a while at the lookout, taking it all in and reflecting back on the last few days.  The tour ends with a visit to the Botanical Gardens; yep, you guessed it: giant turtles and coco de mer.      

Late in the day we go on a ride in the Wider, the champagne is poured and we are off on a fast boat ride.  It's fun and all to soon it's over.  Tonight we had a fabulous dinner at the Yacht Club with Allan and Tom from Santa Fe, and then some time with Mark at the piano, singing some good tunes and stealing a dance or two on the dance-carpet (private joke).  

Tomorrow we disembark and spend a long day at the Eden Bleu hotel, our flight home doesn't leave till very late at night.

Till the next time; in the meantime, safe travels to all.  

 

 

Seychelles Day 6 - Aride and Big Sister Islands

There are birds here, lots of birds; and where there's birds and hot humid tropical forest, there are mosquitoes.  Once we've learned our share of endemic ornithology and flora we pretty much escape to the trail and start the climb to the top.  Yes, you guessed right; we're on yet another hike, this one up the mountain on Aride Island.     Aride is a small, uninhabited granitic island privately owned by the Cadbury family and is a Unesco nature reserve. We arrive on the island's own zodiac (the conservation authorities don't allow anyone there if not on an organized tour); it is a fun ride and a bumpy wet landing.  Our guide is good and knows Aride's flora and fauna like the back of his hand.  In fact, he is so familiar with them that he is able to pick up a chick from the nest to show it to us. After a somewhat demanding climb we arrive at the craggy top.  The view is great; we stand there for a long while looking down at the soaring frigate birds in search of a meal in the turquoise waters below. After a while we're ready to trek back down and make our way to the ship.   

 

In the afternoon we go to Big Sister Island.  We are told that the beach on the other side from where we get dropped off closes to the public at 3:30 (this island is also privately owned) so we make our way there -a three minute walk- and find the most magnificent, pristine swimming beach we've ever seen.  The pictures simply don't do it justice; the white powder sand and the crystalline, warm water, framed by palm trees and granite boulders could not have been more beautiful.  We spend a blissful hour in the water, tropical fish swimming close by. I hope the go-pro pictures and videos I took turn out nice. 

 

The cruise is coming to an end. Tonight we sail for a few hours back to Mahe for a last overnight before we start our long, long trek back home.

 

 

 

 

Seychelles Day 5 - Curieuse Island

Today's a special day.  We anchor off of Laraie Bay and by 9:30 we're off on the zodiac to our first adventure of the day, this one -what else- a morning hike.    This hike is really more of a stroll through the mangroves and then on to the Turtle lagoon. There are many land turtles here, they roam free but there is a program to protect the baby turtles until they are safe from their predators.  We spend some time with the turtles and then return to the ship.  

After lunch it's time for our much anticipated submarine ride; Mark gives us the safety talk and soon we're off on the zodiac for our rendezvous with the sub.  The dive is a 30 minute exploration of the reef five metres down and begins with us hoisting ourselves down through the hatch and listening to the pilot go through its long dive list with the ship-side operations team.  All of a sudden we're underwater and looking straight at a spotted stingray.  Fish are sparse for a couple of minutes but then we're caught in a yellow swirl. There are many species of fish in all colours and sizes around us and the time goes by fast.  It is peaceful and quiet; the only sounds we hear are the humming propellers and the pilot's regular checkups: depth, oxygen and many other readings.  The pilot offers Blake the controls and for a good while he turns into the proverbial boy with a toy maneuvering us around with care.   Much too soon the dive is over and we climb out and over to the waiting zodiac.

It was really great but the day is far from over; at four o'clock we're taken down to gorgeous Laraie Bay for a beach party of caviar and champagne in the surf.  This is the quintessential Seychelles beach framed by striking granite boulders; the water is bathtub warm and we just have a good time.  

Seychelles Day 4 - La Digue

The thing about this cruise is that there's barely any cruising involved.  The distances are so small that most times moving from one island to the other takes mere minutes.  This morning we've "relocated" to La Digue, a stone's throw away from Praslin.

Despite the nearness, the feel is very different.  Whereas Praslin has a population of about 8,000, there doesn't appear to be a heart to the community, more like a sprawling mix of holiday villas, resorts and a "village" stretching for a few blocks and sporting a bunch of shops.  Praslin is quite famous for its beaches or "anses" and there are many of them around the island, recognized as some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

La Digue by contrast, has a quaint village feel, with a wide paved main road shared by bikes (about a million of them), pedestrians, well-mannered dogs and small vehicles. Cute as a button.  But we didn't start our day at the village, we took a snorkelling excursion to Coco Island and Felicite.  This turned out to be just fabulous; we burned our backs and arms to a crisp but the beauty of the islands and the profusion of tropical fish are breathtaking. Downloading the underwater pictures will have to wait until we get home.

We return to the yacht for lunch and a short nap and return to La Digue for a stroll along main street.  Soon it is sailaway time and we enjoy a few drinks with friends, a fabulous sunset, and cruising for about an hour to our next destination: Curieuse Island. Today felt like we are really in a distant and exotic land. We had a fabulous dinner and a super fun Liar's Club before calling it a day.

Seychelles Day 3 - Praslin

Today we go on a hike.  A big hike.  We are in Praslin Island and are driven to Fond Ferdinand, a natural reserve that serves as a showcase for something unique and found only on Praslin and Curieuse islands - Coco de Mer.

This type of coconut does not have water in it, only the meat inside or "kernel" is used both as foodstuff (but only while the coconut is very young and tender enough to eat) and for beauty products.  The kernels have historically been exported, principally to China, but a law enacted just a few days ago will ensure the Coco de Mer stays in the Seychelles and is processed here into soaps, creams, etc, and then exported out. The hike is pretty strenuous, uphill all the way to the top of the mountain, mostly under cover of the tropical forest but hot hot hot nonetheless.

Along the way we spot some bird species indigenous to the Seychelles and the ubiquitous Coco de Mer palm trees, male and female, their large fronds reaching up. The reward is at the top, with gorgeous views of the island, as well as a couple of great shots of the elusive Black Parrot. As if we were not tired enough, after the hike we walk into the small village and go to the gym we spotted yesterday - Valley Fitness - for a drop in session.

It is tiny, crammed with old, malfunctioning weight lifting equipment which almost made a widow out of me. Hot as hell, I just stand under a cranky ceiling fan waiting for Blake to finish. From there we make a beeline for the yacht, escaping the heat and sun for a bit, in favour of a cool beer and some good creole food.  The demanding hike has taken its toll and by early evening we're done. No leisurely dinner, no entertainment, just the cool sheets awaiting us.