Despite a sense of ambiguity (or perhaps because of it), and a far-flung location, the Seychelles remain one of the most sought-after destinations in the world; an untouched island paradise, where white talcum powder beaches and vividly blue seas are married with a colourful heritage and some of the region’s most luxurious resorts.
Text by Nick Walton | Photo courtesy of North Island’s West Beach Bar
It’s nearly midnight as my Air Seychelles flight descends towards the international airport on Mahe, the largest island in the Seychelles. Outside there is nothing but inky darkness, testament to the Indian Ocean archipelago’s distance from virtually anything. Yet, despite a sense of ambiguity (or perhaps because of it), and it’s far-flung location, the Seychelles remain one of the most sought-after destinations in the world; an untouched island paradise, where white talcum powder beaches and vividly blue seas are married with a colourful heritage and some of the region’s most luxurious resorts.
My Seychelles experience begins blissfully as soon as I step down from the plane onto a tarmac still warm from the day’s sun. A representative from Select Seychelles, the islands’ top concierge service, is waiting and fast-tracks this tired traveller through immigration and out to a waiting SUV, for cold towels and a quick ride over the mountain range that runs down the island’s spine, to the island’s west side. In a country where Creole and French are most common, and where “island time” means regular delays, it helps to have a little expert assistance on the ground.
From the peak of Mount Blanc, the island’s highest point, I can see little of the postcard-perfect coastline I know lies far below. The main “highway” is a tiny route that winds down the back of the mountain like a writhing snake, and the air outside is spiced with the cinnamon trees and tea plantations that grow alongside the road.
Ephelia, one of the newest resorts in the Seychelles, having only opened in February, floats in the darkness like a piece of glowing amber, its villas and restaurants flanked on one side by a national park populated by impossibly steep peaks, and by pristine coastline on the other.
