Seychelles: photos and reviews of tourists. Where are the Seychelles located? Seychelles map in Russian Seychelles inland on the map

The Seychelles is an island nation consisting of 115 islands of granitic origin and coral atolls. The largest island is Mahe (142 km²), it houses the capital of the state - the city of Victoria and the international airport. Other islands popular with tourists are Praslin, Silhouette, La Digue, Bird.

Mahe Island

There are about 70 beaches on the island of Mahe, the most famous of them are: Beau Vallon and Grand Anse (rather big waves and excellent conditions for surfing); Anse Intendanse (part of which is nudist); Anse Forbans and Anse Royal (protected by a coral reef, a good place for diving). For lovers of secluded relaxation, the remote beaches of Anse Soleli and Anse Petit Polis are suitable. Victoria is the only major port in the archipelago. The city has many restaurants with Creole cuisine, souvenir shops and shops, fruit and vegetable markets, as well as art galleries. Victoria is a very beautiful green city with traditional Creole architecture, spread among the hills of Signal, Crave Coeur and Niols. Nearby is the mountain "Three Brothers" (699 m). From all sides the capital of the Seychelles is surrounded by cinnamon plantations. Mahe Island is the largest island of the Seychelles archipelago, its area is 150 square meters. km. The island has a mountainous landscape, cut by rivers and covered with lush tropical vegetation. Here is the capital of the state of the Seychelles - one of the smallest capitals in the world - the city of Victoria. Seychelles International Airport is located 9 km from the city.

On Mahe, it is worth visiting the Seychelles Morne National Reserve, the Royal Spice Garden, the Mont Fleury Botanical Garden, the National Historical Museum, the workshop of the artist Michael Adams, and the village of artisans. Not far from the island of Mahe is a group of 4 small islands, declared in 1973 as a National Marine Park with unique marine flora and fauna.

Praslin Island

Praslin Island is the second largest island in the Seychelles, located 37 km northeast of Mahe. The landscape of the island is mountainous, the coastline is indented by large and small bays, there are wide sandy beaches. Praslin does not experience strong waves, as the island is surrounded by a coral reef. The small size of the island allows you to explore it on foot or on a rented bike, and you can also get to any part of the island by bus. The village of Grand Ance is the main settlement, it contains 2 monuments crowned with images of the fruits of the sea coconut palm "Coco De Mer" - the symbol of the Seychelles, which is even present on the coat of arms of the state.

Silhouette Island

Silhouette Island is the third largest island in the Seychelles archipelago. There are no roads on this island - only paths for hiking. The highest point of the island - Mount Dauban (740 m) - dominates the island. The island is surrounded by a ring of living coral reefs, the underwater world of which attracts lovers of diving, snorkeling, and fishing. There is only one hotel on the island - Labriz Silhouette 5 *, considered the most beautiful hotel in the archipelago.

La Digue Island

La Digue Island - very popular with tourists, the fourth largest island of the archipelago - 5 km long and 3 km wide, which is located 43 km from Mahe and 6.5 km from Praslin. The highest point is Mount Ni d'Aigle ("Eagle's Nest", 300 m). The island is famous for its magnificent landscapes and the opportunity to relax in seclusion. Bullock carts are the only mode of transport, and bicycles are also popular and can be rented at the pier and in hotels. Tourists are attracted by the beautiful bay of Source d'Argent and Cape Turcy. The beaches in the bays of Petit Ari, Grand Anse, Anse Coco, Reunion, Sever, Palat, Goulette, Gros Roche, Banana and Fourmi are also very good. The capital of the island is the village of La Passe.

The main attraction is the house where the film "Farewell Emmanuel" was filmed. The most famous hotels on the island are La Digue Island Lodge, L'Union Beach Chalets and Gregoire's.

Coastal waters are ideal for diving and fishing. The island is home to the world's largest elephant tortoises and the only surviving state-protected paradise flycatcher colony.

Felicite Island

Felicite Island, located 4 km from La Digue Island, is one of the most beautiful islands in the archipelago, its picturesque granite rocks are the hallmark of the Seychelles. The coastline is intermittent, cut by cliffs, you can swim only in secluded coves with white sandy beaches, which you need to get to by swimming or on foot, crossing low mountains.

The only large beach on Felicite is La Penice, and the only hotel is Felicite Private Lodge 4 *, consisting of 2 small houses with palm leaf roofs. The concept of rest in the hotel is such that guests, even booking only one room out of 8 available, find themselves completely alone on the island - no other bookings are accepted.

Alphonse Island

Alphonse Island is the southernmost of the islands in the archipelago. This is a private property, which is incredibly popular among divers. The island was named after Chevalier Alphonse de Pontives, an adventurer and treasure hunter whose frigate landed on the island in 1730.

Alphonse has the shape of a regular triangle with sides of 1200 m. It is a coral atoll that borders a large lagoon. The most popular form of transport is a bicycle. Tourists go to Alphonse to relax on 3.5 km of well-groomed beaches, get acquainted with the underwater life of coastal waters, which are inhabited by sea turtles, giant crabs, fish of various colors. In October, sperm whales, bronze and humpback whales and killer whales come to the island. The Alphonse Diving School and Fishing Center are so popular that it is recommended to book the course and services in advance.

Anonymous Island

Small island Anonyme (Anonyme Island) with an area of ​​1300 sq. m lies to the west of Mahe, it was named after a sailing ship that sailed between the islands of the Seychelles archipelago. Anonymous - private property, it belongs to the daughter of the President of the Seychelles. The island is very picturesque: there are palm groves, emerald hills, caves and cozy bays with white sand, framed by heaps of huge granite boulders of gray and pinkish color.

The island has an exclusive resort Anonyme Island Resort 5 *, consisting of 4 villas. This hotel is unique in that it can be rented entirely for one family or company. For the duration of the lease, in agreement with the hostess, it is even possible to close the island for any outside visits.

Bird Island

Bird Island is the northernmost of the Seychelles. Its dimensions are 1500 m long and 650 m wide. The eastern and southern parts of the island are surrounded by a coral reef. A few kilometers from the island, the continental shelf ends, on which the Seychelles are located, and a deep ocean trench begins - the best place for deep-sea fishing. Bird Island got its name in 1776, when European travelers passing by saw "countless birds" on it. So the name appeared - Bird ("Bird"). Bird colonies that had left the island when cotton and papaya plantations appeared on it returned in 1967 - new owners began to restore the Byrd ecosystem. Now in October-November and April-May you can watch birds choosing Bird Island as a resting place during bad weather. Here you can see black terns, martins, swifts, white-tailed phaetons - about 100 species of birds in total.

Another attraction of Bird Island is the world's oldest tortoise, Esmeralda. She is about 170 years old, she is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the heaviest in the world: her weight is 304 kg.

After sunset, all the lights on the island are extinguished. This is done so as not to disturb the birds and turtles: disoriented by the light, the turtles may not find their way to the water.

Today Byrd is a member of the Green Globe International Ecotourism Association, and in 1994 he received the prestigious Tourism of the Future Award established by British Airways. On the site of an old plantation, a small cozy hotel Bird Island Lodge was erected. The only inhabitants of the island are hotel guests.

Denis Island

Coral island Denis (Denis Island) is quite small - 1.8 km long and 1.3 km wide. The runway crosses it from end to end, rising above sea level by only 3 meters. Denis was named after the French traveler Denis de Trobriant, who officially discovered the island in 1773. In Trobriand's logbook, there was an entry that, allegedly, a bottle with a document was buried on the island, according to which the island belongs to the French crown. The bottle has still not been found, but this mystery gives the island a romantic flair.

The main and only settlement of the island is a small settlement with 50 inhabitants. The only hotel on the island is Taj Denis Island Lodge 4 *, many celebrities choose it for their vacation.

The flora and fauna of the island has been preserved in its original form. Denis is an ideal place for lovers of deep-sea fishing: it was in its waters that 5 world records for catching dogfish were set. In addition, tuna and marlin are caught here in May, October, November and December.

Cousin Island

Cousine Island is an island of granite origin, its landscape consists of gentle hills and heaps of huge boulders. A wide beach with fine white sand stretches along the perimeter of the island. Kuzin is a private property, its owners strive to preserve the pristine nature of the island. Since 1992, the island has actually turned into a private reserve for many species of birds and plants. The island is home to the rare song robin and tailed warbler; here you can see a white-tailed tropical bird, which is a symbol of the island of Mauritius. Cousin Island is overseen by the International Committee for the Protection of Birds. Today, more than 40 environmental and scientific projects are deployed here.
Two old turtles, George and Georgina, also live on Cousin.

Coming to rest in the only Cousine Island hotel on the island, guests, thereby, contribute to the maintenance of the local ecology - all funds go to the Cousine Environmental Fund. Tourists on Kuzina should be prepared for the fact that it is forbidden to smoke, have picnics and collect shells here: nothing should violate the primordial nature. Today, the owners of the island are trying to implement a project to transfer the provision of the hotel to power from solar panels, in the future it is planned to transfer the entire island exclusively to solar energy.

Sainte Anne Island

The small island of Sainte Anne (Sainte Anne Island) served as a staging post for pirate ships and whaling ships until the 18th century. The first settlers-planters appeared on the island only at the beginning of the last century. The landscape of the island of Sainte-Anne is made up of beaches with white coral sand, lush tropical vegetation, and picturesque granite rocks.

The pride of the island is the National Marine Reserve, located in its coastal waters, created in 1973, one of the first in the Indian Ocean. More than 150 species of fish and other marine life are protected in the reserve. In the waters off the island of Sainte-Anne, the use of any motorized watercraft is prohibited, so as not to disturb the fragile ecosystem of the natural park.

In addition, Sainte-Anne is a luxury resort that occupies a leading position in many international hotel ratings. Here is the only luxury hotel on the island Sainte Anne Resort & Spa 5 *, belonging to the well-known hotel chain Beachcomber.

Frigate Island

Fregate Island, which is privately owned, is small in size: its length is 2 km, its width is 1 km. In the Middle Ages, the island was a haven for pirates. Pirate maps with the designation of treasures were allegedly found on Frigate by Ian Fleming, the author of the James Bond novels. Treasures have not yet been discovered, and the island remains surrounded by a halo of mystery.

The frigate is located in the easternmost part of the archipelago. There are no roads and vehicles here at all: you can only move on foot or by bicycle along the paths. The nature of the island is unique: rare plants grow here (takamaka, filao, banana, mango, Indian almond trees and century-old baobabs) and unique birds live: Seychellois dials, coconut doves, song magpies, petrels and, of course, frigatebirds.

The landscape is dominated by gigantic, bizarre granite boulders surrounding 7 pinkish sand beaches. The best beach - Anse Victorine is located directly in front of the island's only hotel Frégate Island Private 5 * - one of the most expensive hotels in the world, built in 1998.

Aldabra atoll

Aldabra Atoll is the second largest atoll in the world, belonging to the Seychelles archipelago, located in the Indian Ocean, 420 km northeast of Madagascar. Entry into the territory of the atoll is carried out strictly by passes, the presence of a person is reduced to an absolute minimum, since there is a unique natural reserve Aldabra, in 1982 included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The territory of the atoll and the islands in its lagoon is about 186 sq. km. Like other isolated islands and groups of oceanic islands, Aldabra has a high percentage of endemic plant and animal species. Aldabra is home to the world's largest population of giant tortoises, with an estimated 100,000 individuals. The coastal waters of the atoll abound in marine life, which attracts divers here. The Aldabra Natural Park has its own website.

What to watch

An excursion program on the island of Mahe will not do without a walk around the capital of the Seychelles - Victoria.

The main street of Victoria is called Market Street, and in addition to numerous shops, souvenir shops and markets, there is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (early 20th century), the Clock Tower (1903), a natural history museum and a small historical museum, the largest Seychelles supermarket , the size of which actually does not exceed the size of an average store in a small European town, as well as the only two traffic lights in the entire archipelago.

The buildings of the Bank of Seychelles, the National Library and the Parliament, a small Anglican church, a blue and white Hindu gopuram temple, a modest mosque and the Sir Selvin Selvin-Clark market may seem interesting.

The northern part of the island of Mahe, consisting of high hills of volcanic origin, overgrown with tropical forests, is part of the Seychelles Morne National Reserve, named after the largest hill that rises in the center of its territory. The eastern border of the reserve runs 1 km from the city of Victoria, the western border stretches from Port Loney Bay in the north to Grand Anse Bay in the south. There are many hiking trails in the reserve, relict species of trees and shrubs grow.

If you head from Victoria to Port Glaud Bay on the west coast of Mahe Island along one of the few asphalt roads, then, before reaching 2 km from the coast, you can find the Morne Blanc hill (667 m). On its slopes is the only tea factory in the Seychelles, founded here in 1962. Most of the tea produced is flavored with vanilla, sometimes lemon, orange, mint and cinnamon are added. You can climb the hill along the path past the tea terraces to the actual premises of the factory, where tourists will be shown all the stages of tea production. In the souvenir shop at the factory, for 10 rupees, you can buy various types of tea or a bag of citronella, a local plant whose properties can be compared to the invigorating properties of coffee. There is also a tea tavern at the tea factory, where you can taste all types of tea before buying.

The Royal Garden is located next to the Royal Bay, 18 km south of Victoria on the island of Mahe. The garden was founded in 1772 by French colonists who started growing spices here. The garden, exhaling spicy exquisite aromas, still exists, it is a private property, the owners of which have restored the estate in the center of the site and invite tourists on a tour. The estate has a small restaurant of Creole cuisine, a souvenir shop, a small museum of the life of the Seychelles planters of the XIX century. Each visitor to the garden is entitled to a small present - a seedling of one of the plants: avocado, patchouli, ginger, clove, pepper, nutmeg or vanilla.

The artisan village is located just north of King's Bay, next to Au Cap Beach on the island of Mahe. The village in the traditional Creole spirit was erected specifically to acquaint tourists with Creole crafts, architecture and cuisine. In the center of the village is a large restored colonial-style manor house (Grann Kaz) dating from 1870. It is surrounded by 12 huts turned into craft workshops and souvenir shops, where you can buy historically accurate models of frigates, paintings, crafts from coconut.

In the Blue Hens Bay on the island of Mahe, there is a gallery of the most famous artist of the Seychelles - Michael Adams. He managed to achieve recognition not only in his homeland, but throughout the world. The small traditional chalet houses a studio, an art gallery and a shop selling colorful silk paintings, watercolors, postcards and author's calendars. The cost of work is from 10 to 8,500 rupees.

The botanical garden of Mont Fleury was founded on the island of Mahe in 1901 by Mr. Dupont as an experimental plantation on which tropical plants brought to the island were grown. Today, about 200 species of exotic and local plants grow on the territory of the garden of 6 hectares. The main place is occupied by palm trees, of which there are several dozen species in the garden, among them is the famous sea coconut palm, which has been under state protection since 1978. In the garden, everyone has the opportunity to plant their own coconut palm, receiving a sprouted nut for a small amount.

Less than a kilometer from the village of Baie Ste Anne on the island of Praslin begins the territory of the famous May Valley - Reserve of sea coconut palms, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The May Valley is a European idea of ​​heaven on earth brought to life; in the 19th century it was even called the Garden of Eden. A lot of endemic plants grow on the territory of the park of 19.5 hectares, the main wealth of the May Valley is the largest plantation (about 7,000 palms) of the sea coconut palm (Coco-de-mer) - Lodoicea maldivica, the fruits of an interesting form of which (distinguish between the fruits of female and male palms) considered a symbol of the Seychelles.

You can get around the May Valley on foot in 2-4 hours: 5 routes marked with arrows follow specially laid paths. The reserve is also interesting for ornithologists: lovers of birds can see the Seychelles nightingale, falcon, Indian myna, salanga, blue dove, rare black parrot (coracopsis nigra barklyi) here. The fauna of the May Valley is represented by geckos, chameleons, turtles, Seychelles flying foxes (huge bats, whose wingspan reaches 1 meter).

This attraction of Praslin Island is located on the Gold Coast beach. In the gallery you can get acquainted with the work of local artist George Camille , which has gained wide popularity in the Seychelles since the end of the last century, and has visited many European capitals with exhibitions. The paintings of George Camille are distinguished by a riot of colors of tropical nature, imbued with the festive spirit of the Creole worldview. The gallery features watercolors, pencil, pastels, silk-screen printing, engravings, acrylics and relief collages. Many works can be bought. The cost of work is from 300 to 10,000 rupees.

On the west coast of Praslin Island, near the local airport, in the village of Amitie, there is a Black Pearl farm. where black pearls are grown. Clams Pinctada margaritifera, producing black pearls (its shade may vary), were brought to the Seychelles 10 years ago as an experiment, and they have taken root well in warm tropical waters. Tours are conducted on the farm, during which tourists are introduced to the process of growing pearls, there is a jewelry store where you can buy black pearl jewelry set in 18 carat gold.

The Black Pearl Farm also breeds the giant multicolored clams Tridacna maxima, which are very popular with European and American aquarists. The Tridacna maxima clams are unpretentious, on the farm they feel great in four outdoor pools in the vicinity of tropical fish, turtles and other inhabitants of coral reefs.

Union Estate Park, in the village of Union on La Digue Island, is the main tourist attraction on the island.

The park was built on land that belonged to the aristocratic Hossen family in the 19th century. The master's house is still the central building of the complex; it is one of the oldest colonial buildings in the archipelago. Tourists are attracted by the fact that it was here that Francois Leterrier filmed some episodes of the famous film Farewell Emmanuelle. Today, this wooden building with a palm-leaf roof is the private property of the former President of Seychelles France, Albert René.

The natural landmark of the park is a granite mountain dating back 75 million years, it was formed by magma flows, which led to its bizarre shape. At the foot of the cliff there is an enclosure with giant land tortoises brought to La Digue from Aldabra National Park.

Attractions

Museums and galleries

Where to eat and drink

Parks and recreation areas

Leisure

Transport

Shops and markets

Things to do

Seychelles is located in the Indian Ocean northeast of Madagascar and is an ideal place for diving and underwater photography. It is in the Seychelles that SUBIOS, an annual festival of films shot underwater in the Indian Ocean, is held. In addition to diving, fishing is held in high esteem in the Seychelles. No less popular in the Seychelles are other water activities - snorkeling, water skiing, windsurfing, kiting, information about which can be obtained at any hotel. Here we will focus on diving and fishing in more detail.

Diving

A huge number of rare marine inhabitants live in the coastal waters of the archipelago: butterfly fish, razor fish, Picasso fish, stone fish, pterios rapiata, hammerhead shark, mademoiselle shark, nosed shark, blue marlin, cardinal fish, 17 varieties sea ​​urchins, swordfish, yellowfin and toothy tuna, brown and green moray eels, the oldest and largest turtles in the world.

Most dives are from boats and most dive sites are 10-40 minutes boat ride from shore. Diving centers employ professional instructors who speak several languages, it is possible to rent the necessary equipment.

Visibility in the open sea reaches 30 meters,

Water temperature+24-30С.

diving season limited by the monsoons, as the transparency of the water is significantly reduced. The underwater world of the Seychelles is presented in all its glory during the periods April-May and September-October.

Dive sites there are about 70 in the Seychelles, but the most popular and most frequently visited are those listed below.

It is possible to rent boats, catamarans and yachts in the Seychelles. This is mainly done by Charter Seychelles, Interya Chtcharter, Charter World.

A complete list of water transport rental companies is presented on this site.

Buses

SPTC buses run on the islands of Mahe and Praslin with an interval of 15 minutes on the main routes, and from 30 minutes to an hour on all others. On Mahe, bus service is carried out daily from 5:00 to 20:30, on Praslin - from 5:45 to 17:45. The schedule for both islands is usually available at the hotel reception. The fare is 5-10 rupees.

Taxi

Fixed fare taxis are available on the islands of Mahe and Praslin. Taxis are comfortable, operate 24 hours a day, and their stands are located near each hotel. The fare for the first kilometer is 15 rupees, then - 5 rupees per km. The fee for 1 piece of luggage is 5 rupees. Fares at night are higher than during the day. The taxi rank in Victoria is located on Albert Street, behind the post office.

Car rental

To rent a car, the driver must be over 22 years of age, an international driver's license and a credit card are required. Car rental costs from 40 euros (640 euros) per day. The cost of 1 liter of gasoline is up to 15 rupees. There are few gas stations: on about. Praslin - 2 gas stations, Mahe - 6. They all work on their own schedule, so gas stations in Victoria are open from 5:00 to 23:00.

The maximum speed in the city is 45 km/h, outside the settlements - 65 km/h, on the highway to the airport - 80 km/h. The local population does not follow the rules of the road. Driving in the Seychelles is on the left. Roads are mostly in poor condition.

One of the most convenient means of transportation on many islands (Praslin, La Digue) - rented bike. Bicycle rentals are usually located in hotels. Its rent will cost from 50 rupees per day.

Communication

You can communicate with the inhabitants of the Seychelles in English, which is the official language (it is spoken by 4.9% of the population) or in French, which formed the basis of the local Creole language (91.8% of the population), the so-called Seselva Creole.

culture

The culture of the Seychelles is multifaceted, it was formed under the influence of French and English colonists, as well as immigrants from Africa, India, Madagascar.

The applied art of the archipelago is represented by products made from palm fibers and tortoise shells, as well as products from the famous Seychelles coconut "sea palm" and its nuts.

The islands are famous for their colorful festivals, the most interesting and beautiful of which are the "Creole Language Week" and the "Creole Festival" held at the end of October. At this time, representatives of the Creole diasporas come to the Seychelles for a big holiday dedicated to all aspects of French-speaking Creole culture: literature, music, dance, theater, crafts, cuisine.

Kitchen

Seychelles cuisine is based on Creole culinary traditions, the main components of which are rice and seafood. The most popular dish is "pwason ek diri" - fish and rice. The menu always features typical fish delicacies such as the juicy red snapper (bourzwa), tuna steaks - the king of fish, shark shatini, and you can even find a rare parrotfish fillet. Smoked sailboat is the most common snack.

The local prawns are also excellent - either curried in a sweet sauce or fried in garlic butter. Also, tourists respect tektek soup, octopus, banana kat-kat, breadfruit stew, giramon puree, boiled cassava, coconut nougat, candied bilimbi, stewed banana Saint-Jacques. Another local delicacy is curried fruit bat (chauve-souris), which is quite bony but definitely worth a try.

Remember that Seychelles cuisine is very spicy. When ordering them, you can ask to add spices "in moderation". Seychelles restaurants also serve European cuisine.

The main alcoholic specialties are: "dite zitronel" - a tincture of lemon mint, "kalu" - fermented coconut juice, reminiscent of young wine, "baka" - fermented sugar cane juice, strong enough. The local beer is called Seybrew. Connoisseurs of good wines are advised to try South African wines, which are available in Seychelles bars.

Food in restaurants at hotels in the Seychelles is not cheap. In small cozy restaurants on the shore or in settlements, lunch or dinner will cost much less - 200-300 rupees.

Mahe Island Restaurants

An international restaurant with a pleasant interior and a chic terrace overlooking the ocean. The restaurant, in addition to dishes from various cuisines of the world, offers a large selection of cocktails for every taste. The cost of dinner - from 35 euros, each visitor - a glass of champagne.

The Creole restaurant is set in a large orchard by the ocean. The interior is designed in the style of a Creole village, using local natural materials - palm leaves, bamboo, granite boulders and large shells. The restaurant often hosts Creole themed evenings, weddings, and appointments. The restaurant is open from Monday to Friday from 10:00. For dinner, you need to book a table in advance - at least a day in advance.

A restaurant with stunning panoramic ocean views that serves Creole and international cuisine using the freshest, highest quality ingredients. In addition to the main menu, a buffet and entertainment programs are offered on weekends. The cost of lunch or dinner is from 70 to 1200 rupees.

The Indian restaurant is popular with guests of the island: here you can try Indian dishes such as Tikka chicken, kebabs, Naan bread, Biryani chicken. There is a vegetarian menu. The cost of lunch or dinner is 125-225 rupees. The restaurant is located on the territory of the Berjaya Beau-Vallon Bay Resort & Casino.

Le Canton Chinese Restaurant

Chinese restaurant located at the Berjaya Beau-Vallon Bay Resort & Casino. The cost of lunch or dinner is from 100 to 400 rupees.

The pizzeria serves Creole, Italian and international cuisine. This small and inexpensive restaurant in the center of Victoria is well-deservedly popular, as the main dishes are cooked in a clay oven. The cost of lunch is 80-140 rupees.

Praslin Island Restaurants

Located in the Petit Les Lauriers hotel, this restaurant offers a wide selection of salads, curries and other Creole gastronomy. It also serves freshly caught grilled fish. Large selection of exotic cocktails. On Sunday evening, guests will enjoy a cultural program - national dances performed by local groups. The interior is decorated in a Creole style.

Small family run restaurant serving Creole cuisine. Most of the dishes are prepared from fish with the addition of breadfruit and vegetables. Account - from 250 rupees. Open from Monday to Saturday 11:45-14:30 and 19:30-22:00. Closed on Sundays.

Creole and international restaurant with a large wooden deck overlooking Curieuse Island. The menu is very varied, a large selection of coffee, refreshing and alcoholic drinks. The cost of lunch is 180-420 rupees.

La Digue Island Restaurants

Villa Authentique is the best Creole restaurant in La Digue. Here you can have an inexpensive breakfast, dinner and lunch, enjoying a cozy atmosphere, good service and a large selection of local dishes. It is better to book a table in advance by phone. The cost of lunch is about 300 rupees, the children's menu is about 200 rupees.

This restaurant specializes in Creole cuisine. The interior of the room is made in the national style: wooden furniture, sandy floor, a roof covered with palm leaves, a large outdoor terrace with stunning views of Praslin Island and, of course, magnificent sunsets. The cost of breakfast (buffet) - 180 rupees, lunch or dinner - 250 rupees.

Purchases

Prices in stores in the Seychelles are quite high, the assortment does not differ in variety compared to the European one. You can buy clothes made of light cotton fabrics, leather sandals, sportswear and shoes.

Schedule

The shop hours are usually as follows: on weekdays from 8:00 to 16:00 with lunch from 12:00 to 13:00, on Saturday - until 12:00. Sunday is a day off.

Souvenirs

You can bring a lot of interesting things as souvenirs from the Seychelles: men's straw hats and other wickerwork, local works of art (for example, the work of Seychelles painters), spices (Creole curries and chili), tea from the islands, local music CDs, jewelry, coral and mother-of-pearl boxes.

Coco de Mer

But the main present is the fruits of the Coco de Mer coconut palm, which cannot be exported without a special certificate. The most famous Seychelles endemic is the Maldivian fan palm (Lodoicea maldivica), or Coco de Mer, its fruit weighs about 20 kg and is considered the largest in the plant kingdom. Up to 3000 nuts are harvested per year in the Seychelles (one palm tree brings a maximum of 30 nuts). Each fruit is numbered - marked with a special sticker with a number, this number is indicated in the certificate when buying a nut from an authorized seller. The walnut is not cheap (from 150 to 250 euros, large specimens are more expensive), but the price includes the cost of an export permit. Caskets are also made from a whole walnut, and so-called "Praslin faience" - scoops, bowls, plates, flasks and other rather elegant crafts from small parts.

It is also impossible to export from the Seychelles without a certificate of official purchase of shells, corals, hawksbill turtle shell products. Prices for goods, especially for souvenirs, are fixed in the Seychelles, bargaining is usually inappropriate.

Currency and payment

In the Seychelles, the Seychelles rupee (SCR) is in circulation, the rate of which is approximately as follows: $ 1 ~ 12.5 SCR, 1 euro ~ 16 SCR.

Currency can be exchanged at banks, official exchange offices, at the airport, in hotels. Hand-held currency exchange is prohibited by law. Reverse exchange of rupees is possible only upon presentation of a certificate of currency exchange from the bank. Banks are usually open from 8:00 to 14:00 on weekdays, on Saturdays - until 11:00.

Major hotels and some shops accept MasterCard/Access and Visa credit cards. Less common are American Express and Diners Club. Traveler's checks can be exchanged at any bank, their exchange rate is more favorable compared to cash. The hotel can pay in both currency and rupees. Excursions and car rentals, as a rule, are paid only in international currency ($ and euro).

Connection

Telephone

You can call in the Seychelles from pay phones, which are located in settlements, they work with magnetic cards (sold at kiosks and post offices). In some places, old-style pay phones have been preserved, working on coins (3 minutes of conversation - 1 rupee).

Cellular communication is the GSM 900 communication standard. Roaming is available to subscribers of the main Russian operators.
The telephone code of the country is 248. To call the Seychelles, dial: 00 - 248 - the subscriber's number.

Internet

On the larger islands (Mahe, Praslin) there are several Internet cafes, most hotels usually provide paid or free WIFI c. rooms, conference rooms or in the lobby. The cost of a paid Internet connection in hotels is approximately as follows: 1 day - 10 euros, 3 days - 25 euros, 5 days - 50 euros.

Mobile Internet is also available on the islands, the conditions are from local operators AirTel and Cable & Wareless.

When buying an Internet SIM card, AirTel will not immediately have a network, since the access point (APN) must be configured at the operator's offices. Experts can try to do it themselves according to the parameters: name - Airtel, APN - airtelgprs.com, everything else is by default.

Safety

In general, the Seychelles are safe for tourists. It is recommended to follow basic safety rules: do not take valuables with you to the beach, since the beaches are not guarded. Large sums of money and other valuables are best kept in a hotel safe.
Tap water on the islands of Mahe and Praslin is drinkable, on other islands it is better to use bottled water.
Although doctors recommend that tourists traveling to the Seychelles get vaccinated against hepatitis A, special vaccination is still not required, but only desirable - a certificate of vaccination and a health insurance policy are not required.

Be sure to use a sunscreen with a high degree of protection (from SPF 30), a hat, in the first days of your stay on the islands it is recommended to swim in a T-shirt so as not to get burned. Be sure to bring insect repellant with you.
While swimming in the sea, you should be careful: there are sea urchins, there are fragments of coral and granite.

Seychelles is considered the most medically developed country in the region. The central hospital is located in the city of Victoria, there are also clinics on Praslin and La Digue. An ambulance can be called around the clock from any hotel.

P. O. Box 632, Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles

Embassy:
Phone: (8-10-248) 26-6590, 26-6122
Fax: (8-10-248) 26-6653

The Seychelles meet you at the airport with an original visa (it is issued upon arrival). This is a seal depicting the coco de mer nut, the fruit of the Seychellois palm tree, which grows only here, like many other plant and animal species. Coco de mer is simply inseparable from the Seychelles: it is a symbol of the state, it is depicted on the coat of arms, on a visa, on most souvenirs and postcards.

There are no tolls. The border crossing procedure is simple. If you have a printout with return tickets and hotel reservations, there will be no questions upon entry. If you are coming by invitation or visiting, you may have to talk a little more with customs officers. Although no one is going to seriously interrogate you. In general, the Seychelles do not like to be nervous and overstrain. You can often hear the phrase It's OK, which very well reflects the worldview of the islanders. This is the universal answer to all questions.

It is forbidden to import raw meat, any seeds and plants, narcotic drugs into the country.

The visa is valid for a maximum of 30 days. But you can stay for a longer period. The day before departure, I handed in a return ticket, only then realizing that my visa had expired and that from that moment on I remained on the islands illegally. In this case, on the next working day, you need to go to the migration center, which is located in the city of Victoria on the island of Mahe. There is only one migration center in the Seychelles, as well as the city. The building is reminiscent of Soviet buildings of the 70s, inside the same atmosphere.

I decided on the number of days that I still want to spend on the islands, took cash with me at the rate of 20–30 USD for 1 day and an old letter of invitation, which I showed upon arrival. This turned out to be quite enough.

I calculated the money "by eye". Nobody told me the exact amount of dollars that a person needs to have for a day in order to extend his visa. Instead of cash, you can present a statement with the amount of the balance on your bank card. There are ATMs in Victoria in working order (mainly Citibank), although they did not give out the balance on the card when I was there.

At the center, I was given a small questionnaire to fill out with formal questions. Then I had to sit in line for 30 minutes. The presence of grandmothers in line created the feeling that I was in Russia. Although Seychelles grandmothers are more friendly and carefree.

Then I was called by an employee of the migration service, whose actions remained a mystery to me. He filled out my details for a long time and diligently. Then, apparently, he made a mistake, took a new sheet and began to fill it out again. And ... obviously, again I was mistaken. After that, he crossed everything out with a straight face and threw it away.

I waited with interest for the next attempt, but no: it didn’t work out, it didn’t work out that way. He marked with a pen in my passport near the visa that I was leaving on such and such a date, and with a smile he let me go. It's OK.

How to get there

From Russia to the Seychelles can only be reached by plane. From other countries it is also possible by water transport.

By plane

You can fly only with a transfer. Locals say that once there was a direct flight of Aeroflot here. Moreover, it was so profitable that the Seychelles flew to Europe through Sheremetyevo. Now it is most convenient to travel with Emirates via or Etihad Airways via.

A good ticket can be found in the region of 35 thousand rubles (620–650 USD). You can view offers on well-known aggregator sites or. The net flight time from Moscow is about 9.5 hours, from St. Petersburg - 11 hours. There are two airports in the Seychelles: on the island of Mahe - the main airport, and on the island of Prali (Russians usually pronounce "Praslin") - with rarer flights.

The atmosphere of the holiday begins on the plane. Create it, without knowing it, good-natured happy newlyweds. A lot of them arrive, the Seychelles is a fairly popular honeymoon destination.

It is better to buy tickets so that you can fly to the Seychelles during daylight hours, because the view of the islands from above is worth it. We flew in early in the morning. I woke up to strange sounds. It was an Egyptian sitting in front of me - he never ceased admiring and whistling, as one whistles after an attractive girl. Everyone got ready and took out their cameras.

In the middle of the dark blue ocean suddenly appeared a motley spot of all shades of blue, mint and azure. Then islands with palm trees and snow-white beaches began to look through. A wave of delight went through the cabin. Someone clapped. No, not the pilot, but the view from the window.

The airport on the island of Mahe is right on the coast next to Eden Island - a man-made island with ideal hotels and villas that seem even more ideal from the plane.

The landing strip is literally ten meters from the water. The location of airports when the plane lands "as if in the sea" is not uncommon. But when a plane lands in such a sea, it's really impressive.

On a yacht

In theory, if you are a professional yachtsman and are not afraid of the ocean, you can sail from Madagascar or Sri Lanka. However, I did not meet such travelers in the Seychelles.

Most of the yachts here are charter ones that do not leave the waters of the Seychelles.

Cruise ship

There is a seaport on Mahe, where huge cruise liners call from time to time. The stop is usually for 1 day, during which tourists only have time to see the national park, take pictures with Big Ben in the center of Victoria and swim on the beach.

The routes are different. For example, a cruise - - Egypt - - Jordan - Seychelles - - - South Africa (for 25 days, costs from 1,900 USD).

Tourist regions

There are three inhabited islands in the Seychelles: Mahe, and.

Mahe is the main one, the majority of the population lives here and the capital is located. Praslin has a lot of centers for yachting and diving. La Digue has the most popular beaches. I will tell you more about the large islands below. The remaining 112 islands are divided into:

• private,
• island hotels,
• uninhabited.

Among the owners of private islands there are also our compatriots. For example, many sources attribute the Severny Island near Mahe to Mikhail Prokhorov. There are a lot of islands entirely devoted to one or two hotels. Basically they are separate villas. These include Denise, Silhouette, Bird, Alphonse, etc. Basically, service personnel and guests live here.

But the most interesting are the remote uninhabited islands-reserves, which can only be reached by an individual plane or a yacht. For example, the world's largest atoll-reserve "Aldambra". There is only a research center that serves two people at most. You can’t stay overnight in the reserves, so a yacht for such trips is ideal. You can spend the night on board, and in the morning go to the next island.

Most often, I look for hotels on Booking -, you can also get acquainted with the choice of hotels in the Seychelles in the travelask section. Those who like to immerse themselves in the local flavor can look at the offers of apartments from private owners -.

Top cities

As I said, there is only one city in the Seychelles, it is also the capital of Victoria.

Islands

Mahe

This is the main and largest island. My acquaintance with Mae was quite comical for me. Friends met at the airport. On the way home we had to pass through Victoria. I was looking forward to when we finally enter the city. But the city did not appear. Outside the window flashed only suburban buildings and palm trees. When I asked “well, where is Victoria?” Everyone laughed. Suburban buildings in the trees were the city.

Mahe has a very well developed transport network (more on this below). Therefore, you can get to any sights without problems.

On the eastern part of the island there are magnificent long beaches. To my surprise, they were quite empty.

Dogs bathe in the sea instead of people. For example, here are these three dogs that found a pipeline that goes into the water, and had fun walking along it one after another from the shore, then back to the shore.

The bright colors of the ocean here echo the bright colors of the houses and clothes of the inhabitants.

Interestingly, each district here has its own school uniform color. And the shape is very stylish. Sometime in the afternoon, the children begin to return home, so if you are on the bus at this time, every now and then the colorful students enter it. For example, in this place the shape is light pink.

And next to Victoria is blue.

As for the southern part of the island, when the weather is right, surfers appear here. Although surfing in the Seychelles is not very developed. This is a dangerous activity due to the sharp coral reefs that surround all the islands.

You can go to the waterfall. It is located to the west in the Port Glaud area.

Not far from the bus stop there is a Catholic church. It is the main landmark, behind which begins a small hiking trail deep into Morne Park, leading to the waterfall. You can swim, the water is cool and clean.

The only danger here is slippery stones and small seychelles falling from above like plums. They climb high into the trees and jump into the lake doing somersaults.

For them, this is an analogue of our bungee from childhood somewhere in the village with their grandmother. True, much more dangerous. And another chance to get a dollar tip for your tricks from an enthusiastic tourist.

The Port Glaud place itself is also worthy of attention. There is a good beach and a small uninhabited island is located very close by. At low tide, tourists wander back and forth to it. Who is in a bathing suit, who is right in clothes, taking the same photos with a littered horizon, as the sun reflects off the white sand and blinds the eyes even through sunglasses.

North along the coast behind Port Launay, the motorway ends.

But, if you like adventure, you can go further on foot and stumble upon an abandoned old school. And then go out to a closed bay, where the water surface is more like a lake than an ocean.

Between Victoria and the west coast are mountains and rainforest. At the highest point there is something like an observation deck, from where a striking view opens.

It’s definitely worth coming here not even because of the view, but to feel like a forest gnome next to the giant roots of old trees that grow on the way to the site.

On the way up, you can collect clean water from the "mini-waterfalls".

The Seychelles believe that it is better to live in the mountains, so here the prices for houses are much higher than those on the coast. This is due to practicality: the closer the sea, the faster the building is destroyed by salt and wind. The ocean views are beautiful.

You can also visit a tea factory in the area.

Let's go back north. In any small seaside town there is a street "along which everyone walks back and forth in the evening." In the Seychelles, this is the promenade of Beau Vallon beach.

There are many hotels, hostels and restaurants here. This is the most popular beach among locals and tourists. In the morning, here you can watch how the fishermen lay out their nets.

And in the afternoon flocks of bathing children, black as coals.

Victoria itself is several streets with a cinema, a bank, a vegetable market, a bus station and a Pirate Hands cafe.

The clock tower, or "Big Ben", is considered the center of the city.

School trips are even taken to him (I note that in the photo the uniform is again of a different color).

Praslin Island

On Praslin is the Vallee de Mai National Park with thickets of the famous Coco de Mer palm tree. This is a must-see for most tourists. The fruits grow high, so it’s not good to see or touch them. Although there is a specially plucked fruit on a separate table - for photographs.

It was much more interesting for me to visit the flying foxes. I noticed these animals on the very first day: I was admiring the evening sky, when “Batman” suddenly flew over my head. It turned out that this is a flying fox, and there are a huge number of them. They are active in the twilight, call unpleasantly and often fight.

It has always been a mystery to me why fruits are everywhere on the road, even if there are no fruit trees anywhere near. Then I found the reason: flying foxes eat sitting on trees. At the same time, they manage to fight and divide the territory at the same time. Therefore, if you are standing under a palm tree and suddenly a mango falls from above, do not be surprised. The clumsy fox just dropped his dinner on you.

In the center of the island, one of the inhabitants keeps a "hotel" for them.

He first set up cages to make it look like a zoo. But he failed to catch them. The foxes themselves found and took a fancy to the cage. Now every day they come here to spend the night. Of course, it is safe here, and even fed. And tourists have the opportunity to take a closer look at them. It turned out that these animals are more like winged toy terriers.

Their front paws are very specific, it is not surprising that they often drop food.

And no one closes the cage, you can visit the foxes.

La Digue

Impressions from this island are like from the good old fairy tale by Paulo Coelho. “If you want something, the whole Universe will contribute to it” - it seems that it works here.

Even Mahe seems noisy and densely populated compared to tiny La Digue. The area of ​​this island is only 10 square kilometers. However, it has its own school, church and a small branch of the bank. And, of course, hostels, hotels and hotels of all kinds. People move around the island on bicycles, which I will discuss in more detail below in the Transport chapter.

In the southwestern part is the Union Estate Park (L'Union Estate).

Entrance costs 7.5 USD (100 SCR, Seychelles rupees) for the whole day.

Here you can look at the house where the famous "Farewell Emmanuel" was filmed, meet the traditional bull, which used to be the only mode of transport on the island.

Or find a small shipyard (which, by the way, works).

And also see vegetable gardens and an old ruined ship with pirate symbols.

The ship, of course, is relatively modern, and the picture was applied for entourage. Although in the same park there is a real old pirate cemetery and, according to the stories of the descendants of the first settlers, there was once a pirate base here.

Also, L’Union Estate has access to the coast to the beaches of amazing beauty. In general, two things must be done on La Digue without fail: to see the turtles and walk along all the beaches, including hard-to-reach ones.

Moyen Island

This is an island-reserve with a beautiful history. In 1962, the Englishman Brandon Grimshaw bought it for 8,000 GBR (pounds sterling). At that time, the island was in a deplorable state, but gradually the new owner turned this place into a beautiful nature reserve. He brought plants, trees, birds and giant tortoises here and lived on the island alone with his assistant until his death in 2012.

Something like a story about Robinson Crusoe and Friday. Although, unlike Robinson, Brandon was extremely sociable and gladly met tourists. But, most importantly, he refused the 50,000,000 USD offered to him by a private investor in order to buy the island and build a hotel here.

A Seychellois friend told me that he met Brandon in 2007 and was amazed that an 80-year-old man was running up and down the island like a boy.

You can see what package tours are offered to the Seychelles and find out about prices at this.

Top attractions

Turtles on La Digue

It was on La Digue that the turtles left me in a state of delight, both land and sea.

For land turtles in the center of the Union Estate Park, a separate area is fenced.

Animals can be fed, tables with piled branches are specially placed nearby. The fence is low, you can easily get over it. It's forbidden, but if you just take harmless pictures, no one will say anything.

Although, when you see a century-old turtle with a shell of more than a meter, the obsession with climbing it does not go out of your head.

The main thing is to control yourself and remember that this is strictly prohibited. I was struck by the fact that they are not at all afraid of people. I picked up more branches and climbed into the aviary.

After a while, the turtles just surrounded me. The two even quarreled. When all the food was eaten, I stroked one “behind the ear” as a joke. It turned out that they really like it, the turtles squint pretty and stretch their necks like cats.

I wouldn't be surprised if they could rumble. As a result, the cluster of turtles around me remained the same, only already waiting not for food, but for attention.

Another funny thing: turtles don't like to get around anyone. If you are photographing her walking towards you, be careful because the turtle will most likely not swerve. Tested by experience.

Sea turtles made me even more delighted. They are, of course, smaller than land ones, about 40–50 cm long, but more spectacular. The easiest way to get to know them is to take a sea snorkeling tour from La Digue.

Guides have their own places where lured turtles are not afraid of people. For half a day, we stopped at four locations, in each of which we were sure to find a turtle.

The underwater camera takes amazing pictures.

There was a funny incident when our guide took one of the tortoises as a small child and began to lull to sleep under the general emotion. When he let go and swam further, the turtle swam after him and began to ask to be returned to his arms.

The hard-to-reach beaches of La Digue

Another value of La Digue is the coast.

It is believed that the most ideal and often photographed beaches in the Seychelles are located on La Digue. There are about twenty of them on the island, and in order to understand which beach is the most beautiful for you, it is better to go around them all.

The map shows that roads on La Digue are far from being everywhere. To the beaches, to which there is no entrance, in fact, there is no approach. Along the entire Southwest and East coast there is a conditional "tourist trail". Although, as a trail ... it's just tropical thickets and huge boulders, on which white arrows are drawn every 10 meters, where to go next. The path is dangerous, sometimes there is also this: two boulders, between which the distance is more than two meters and a deep crevice at the bottom ... and an arrow “you go to the next boulder”. It's OK. Even a person with good physical fitness will find it difficult. Therefore, it is better to go with a guide who knows all the options for detours.

Conductors are different. There are boring "whites" with a pure English accent on pre-booked excursions. And there are locals. You can also find a local guide yourself.

We found ours on the beach at L'Union Estate on the advice of friends.

At first he scared me. When asked if he would give us a tour, the guide, who looked like a rastaman, thought, muttered something like “the moon is normal tomorrow” and said to come the next day early in the morning. After looking at our beach “outfit”, he added that this would not work: “We need comfortable shorts, closed sports shoes. We will walk waist-deep in water, it is better to take a backpack with a zipper for personal items, so that it is convenient to carry it on your head.” This is something I didn't expect at all.

Nevertheless, we set out the next morning. The conductor's name was Ronald. It turned out that he was not even a rastaman at all, but ... a herbalist. Bush-doctor, as he called himself. He told us a lot about animals and plants, which one is used.

We even found baobabs. At first, the path really went along a tourist trail. Ronald helped us through all the difficult places. In some, where the crevices between the stones were too wide to jump over, Ronald somehow went down, "fixed" in the crevices and put his hands up ... And we passed through them. Even men. The herbalist himself moved through the tropics quickly and silently, like a panther.

Sometimes he joked with us. For example, let's go down the path. Ronald last. The path is simple, but there is a rock on the left, and a cliff on the right, so it is unrealistic to get around the person walking in front of you. After some time, the path leads us to a viewing stone. Ronald is sitting on a stone (apparently for a long time) and pensively admiring the view of the ocean. How and where he managed to overtake us is unclear. It was like a trick.

As promised, part of the way we walked on the water: we went around the rocks that go into the ocean, which are very difficult to climb on land. All the warnings about clothes and a backpack with a zipper turned out to be correct. No need to meddle with a beach bag and flip-flops on this hike.

We made a couple of stops to swim. Views of stunning beauty. Near the end, when everyone was tired, Ronald took us to the stream to have a bite to eat. It is still hard to believe that on a small lost island in the ocean, the purest mountain springs beat. But it is so. The herbalist brought huge wide palm leaves, deftly made a tray out of them and laid out the standard set of Seychelles fruits: mango, starfruit, golden apple (golden apple), passion fruit (as they call passion fruit). He handed out knives and taught how to clean and eat them properly. At such moments you feel like a real Mowgli.

In two or three hours we went to the more or less inhabited Grand Anse beach, to which a normal road was laid. This was the end point of our journey.

The herbalist remembered us and treated us like his own. A couple of days later, we accidentally met him on the beach. He got us coconuts from a palm tree, and we sat very sincerely for several hours, philosophizing about life and sipping coconut milk.

Ronald told us the story of his family, how his ancestors came here from Madagascar. Shared my plans. It turns out that he bought a piece of land in the forest on La Digue, he dreams of organizing a camp there to go on multi-day hikes and meet amazing sunsets with a guitar by the fire.

It's good that our bards haven't mastered this island yet.

Sunsets are really impressive, as the color of the sky changes very quickly in a short time, it shimmers like a mother-of-pearl shell.

In general, one of the main points that I noticed in the Seychelles is how willingly people here share their dreams and how closely they are connected with nature. What seems magical to us is life for them.

For example, already at the nth hour of sitting on the beach, the phrase “I wonder what time it is now?” Ronald calmly answered us: "Half-five." I took out my phone, and indeed, half past four. He didn't look at the clock. Moreover, I noticed that he did not have a watch at all and asked: “How did you guess?” Ronald did not even understand the question: “I mean, how? By the sun, of course.

Market in Victoria

It is worth going to the market to admire the bright colors and colorful sellers.

The most popular items are small bananas, coconuts and mangoes.

Some sellers even have something in common with their products in terms of colors. Including fishmongers.

I saw some vegetables and fruits for the first time. For example, the bread fruit or the delicious golden apple fruit, which looks like a dirty, unpeeled potato.

The market has a second floor, where a mysterious staircase of all colors of the rainbow leads. There is a small cafe, from which, to tell the truth, no one is delighted.

It is in the market that you can meet the indigenous Seychelles, the descendants of pirates and English colonizers. You can see them right away. This fisherman, judging by my observations, enjoys special authority.

The fish sold is the most diverse, depending on how successful the catch was: from colorful rainbow fish to stingrays and sharks. Usually for a tourist a bunch of 5 medium fish costs 7.5 USD (100 SCR). I suspect that for locals the price is lower.

Not frightened little herons walk around the stalls in search of prey. Besides tourists, no one pays much attention to them.

For 2.5 USD (35 SCR) your fish will be cleaned immediately. True, sometimes you need to wait in line, since there is only one cleaner for the entire market.

Cinema in Victoria

Cinema is one of the few cultural entertainments in the Seychelles. The cinema building is located on Albert Street. It is old, built in the 70s, with a Soviet atmosphere. Although the picture and sound are good.

The cash desk works as it wants, that is, not in accordance with the schedule. The choice of films here is small. But the premieres come out simultaneously with Moscow, sometimes even ahead of it. This surprised me. Tickets cost 2–3 USD. Films are in English.

I was interested in going in the first place to see the people. For evening sessions on weekends, the Seychelles often dress up and gather at the entrance, as before a performance.

The schedule or information that the film is in 3D format can be viewed on A4 sheets glued directly to the posters. Sometimes lizards crawl out here.

During the day it is quite empty. And there is also a cool air conditioner, which is also important. If you are suddenly tired of the heat and are standing in the middle of Victoria, you can go to the cinema, take a nap and watch some action movie out of the corner of your eye.

Concert Hall in Victoria

Victoria has its own concert hall. Sometimes world-famous stars go there. I managed to go there and catch the president congratulating and giving words of parting words to the athletes before leaving for the ninth Games of the island of the Indian Ocean. This is an analogue of the Olympic Games for small island states, they are also held every 4 years.

The event usually showcases the sports that will be competed in and the national uniform.

General photo: President James Alex Michel (2nd row, 7th from left) with athletes representing each team.

Most of the athletes are not professionals, but simply the strongest representatives in a particular sport on the island. But still, amateurs.

Active training usually starts a few months before games. But not everyone has enough space. For example, I found a football field that was combined with a pasture.

Weather

According to statistics, the weather in the Seychelles is the same both in summer and in winter - + 26–28 ° C. The best time for locals is from March to June.

The first thing I thought about when I saw the Seychelles on the map is that if there is a tsunami, the wave will pass through all these 115 islands and will not even slow down. But I was quickly reassured by the locals, who claim that there will never be a tsunami in the Seychelles, because seismically active zones are far from here. Large storms also bypass the islands, as a calm current flows in this area, it protects a small defenseless country. I will believe them.

Moving around the country

Mahe Island

It's hard to believe, but on Mahe, whose area is only 155 square kilometers, the bus network has 82 routes (as of 2015).

The bus station is located near the center of Victoria. The waiting areas are very comfortable - snake-shaped benches. So you don't stand in line and there is never a hustle. The fences also serve as a horizontal bar for local children.

You can ask the employees for a printout with the schedule (their office is located in the center of the bus station), at the same time consult on directions. You can also view information. Oddly enough, the schedule is often respected, this is not at all in the spirit of the Seychelles.

Buses depart from here to all corners of the island. There is a scene in the Harry Potter movie where a crazy double-decker bus drives around London. It's about the same here, only the buses are not red, but blue, and instead of safe streets, there are serpentines without barriers.

There are places in the south where two oncoming buses cannot pass because of the narrow road. Then both stop and one of them backs off until there is a wider space. After that, they slowly, literally a dozen centimeters from each other, disperse. And again I remember the London double-decker bus, which crawled between two buses.

The fare is 0.4 USD (5 SCR) for any bus in any direction. To get off at a stop, the driver must be warned in advance by pressing the exit button. The exit buttons are something like the old light switches at the top between the window openings. Sometimes the same old fans hang nearby, and they are different. But they don't work.

I lived a few stops from Victoria. An indescribable feeling when a crowded bus turns almost 90 degrees without slowing down.

You are leaving the market with complete food packages. Suddenly, the sharp fin of a fresh tropical fish still tears the bag, and ripe mangoes are already rolling on the floor like billiard balls. Behind them joyfully falls out the fish. Seychellois around you kindly help and catch your purchases as cleverly as the balance in the bus, which, meanwhile, turns 90 degrees at speed in the other direction.

There are no good beaches for surfers in the Seychelles, but why have beaches when there are surf buses.

La Digue Island

La Digue is an island of bicycles. I saw only one normal car here, a police car. There may be a few more hiding somewhere, but no more. Also, a small trolley-styled truck with an open trunk drives around the island, into which tourists fall.

The historical mode of transportation here is mule carts.

Now the mules don’t really carry anyone anymore and earn money in an easier way: they stand and chew grass in the national park. But the tradition remained, and the tourist truck is the prototype of those same carts. There are also small electric cars that take tourists with heavy luggage from the pier to the hotel, but there are also very few of them. Everyone else is run by bicycles.

Children get used to it from an early age. Even the elementary school has a whole bunch of little two-wheeled "friends".

As soon as the tourist gets off the ferry, he is offered to take a bicycle for 20 USD per day. If you sailed with a large flow of tourists, it is better to take a bike right away so that there is more choice. All the same, everyone will have to take a bike.

You can get to the national park, to the famous Sant Ance beach, and finally to your hotel. Hotels have long adapted to the fact that vacationers come on bicycles, so there are many places where there are special parking lots. Without fear, the bike can be left near the beach, the main thing is to be able to find it later.

It should be noted that there are almost no streetlights on La Digue. Therefore, it is better to return home before the onset of total darkness.

Returning a bike is easy: leave it at the pier in the place where you picked it up. Even if no one is around. And calmly get on your ferry. But if you decide to stay an extra day, be sure to find the person you rented the bike from. Otherwise, he will find you. You can't get away from the island.

With me there was such a case. I once decided to extend the lease and came to agree on this only in the evening. There was no longer a soul on the pier. Made a couple of laps and went home. Indecently late in the evening there was a knock on the door of my bungalow. From the pitch darkness, the bicycle caretaker was looking at me, who completely blended into the background around. I still don't know how he found me. To my words that I came to him, but did not find it on the spot, he mysteriously replied: "Yes ... they told me ...". But who said if there was no one on the pier? I became uncomfortable. It felt like I was being watched.

In general, after this incident, he clearly disliked me and on the last day he tried to charge me for an extra day. Our argument was overheard by a man passing by. He joined in the conversation, the conversation switched to Creole. As the Creole accelerated and the words "cuyo" (Seychelles curse) appeared in speech, the opponents began to shout at each other and waved their arms like Italians.

A crowd of onlookers gathered around. I was terribly embarrassed, but there was nothing left to do but observe. Victory was on my side.

Then it turned out that the guy who stood up for me was the owner of all these bicycles. That is, the boss defended the interests of his own client from his own subordinate with the use of hands and curses. Almost got into a fight. And that's okay. It's OK.

Praslin (Praly)

In Praslin, it is better to rent a car right away. Buses run there, but rarely and not quite on schedule, like on Mahe. Many complain. Therefore, it is better to immediately take the car. You can see what rental offers are available, for example.

Moving between islands

How to get from Mahe to Praslin

Small planes (for about 20 people) ply in this direction. Very beautiful and interesting if you have never flown a corncob. It is better to take seats in the first row, since there is no partition between the cockpit and the cabin.

You can look directly into the windshield and observe the work of the pilots. Quite interesting. Fly on the strength of half an hour.

For about the same money, you can get on the Cat Cocos high-speed ferry. The ferry is relatively new and comfortable, sailing for an hour. Ticket price:

• 50 USD - economy,
• 55 USD - economy on the upper deck,
• 67 USD - business class.

You can book tickets at seychellesbookings.com.

How to get from Mahe to La Digue

It's already more difficult. There is no airport on La Digue. There are only helipads that are used for private purposes or when someone from the Seychelles needs to be urgently transported to Victoria (for example, to a maternity hospital).

Tourists get first to Praslin, and then on a smaller ferry to La Digue. Travel time - half an hour, tickets can be bought immediately dual: Mahe - Praslin - La Digue. The cost of these tickets:

• 65 USD - economy,
• 70 USD - economy on the upper deck,
• 81 USD - business class.

If you are on a yacht, the problem of moving between any of the islands disappears by itself.

Connection

In the Seychelles, there are two identical telephone operators who are constantly competing. The competition between them is fierce. But clients only benefit from this. In order to lure new users to itself, one or another company periodically sends SMS with promotions from the series: put 20 USD on your account in the next three days, and this amount will triple. It really works.

To apply for a local SIM card, go to the office with your passport (the office is located in Victoria). You really have to wait in line.

The balance can be replenished at the office of the mobile operator or at the checkout of the supermarket (oddly enough, the money is deposited without a commission).

Language and communication

The national language of the Seychelles is Creole. This is a wild mixture of English and French, which the Seychelles adopted from the former colonialists. They speak very quickly and distort words, it is quite difficult to understand speech. Usually I snatched out some pieces of phrases and already thought out the general meaning from them.

Communication in the Seychelles is a separate issue. The Seychelles love to talk about themselves and hear about your life.

When I first arrived on the islands, one local Russian told me the story of his acquaintance with the islands. He came to the Seychelles to his dad, who lived here for a long time. They were walking along Victoria, when suddenly a man approached them and suddenly started a conversation with his dad. They discussed the weather, some news, then said goodbye, and each went his own way. My friend thought that they were old friends, but still decided to ask who it was. To which the answer was: "I don't know."

It turned out that this is normal. An unfamiliar Seychellois may come up to you and begin to tell how he is doing. No, he's not crazy, he doesn't want money from you, he's just bored and decided to chat. In turn, a detailed response is expected from you. For the Seychelles, this is really interesting. And you will be listened to carefully. And perhaps they will give philosophical life advice, by the way, really useful.

Upon arrival, I would not have believed in that story if I had not immediately got into an even stranger one. I stood near the entrance to the market and tried to catch something interesting in the lens.

Suddenly, some Seychelles approached me and started asking about the lens settings. The questions were quite professional, which surprised me. But that was only the beginning. Then, as expected, this man began to tell something about his life, namely, that he likes to swim for a long time with a mask, snorkel in the ocean and sing. At the same time, two homeless people started cursing next to us.

Upon learning that I was from Russia, Varren (that was the name of my new acquaintance) said that he adored Prokofiev, especially the Dance of the Knights from the ballet Romeo and Juliet. He loudly, not embarrassed by anyone, began to hum this piece. It should be noted that he really hit the notes very well.

In the meantime, the homeless were already raging in earnest. I was waiting for someone to splash a bucket of cold water on them. This is how they usually separate fighting cats that cannot be disengaged. I was prepared for the fact that absurdity reigns in the Seychelles. But the contrast of the fight of the homeless, fighting to the singing of Prokofiev's "Dance of the Knights" somewhere on an island lost in the Indian Ocean, will drive anyone to a standstill ...

Further more. Paying no attention to the combatants, Varren continued to finish me off with his musical outlook. I never thought that my musical education would be useful in a conversation with a local Seychellois. He began to argue that Mussorgsky's "Night on Bald Mountain" in the bass part has something similar to Prokofiev's "Dance of the Knights". Therefore, to his shame, he used to think that it was Prokofiev who wrote Night on Bald Mountain. By the way, they really overlap somewhere.

The homeless were already surrounded by curious observers who looked more like fans. My interlocutor was almost pushed, only then he calmly offered to move away from the fight. And then a control shot sounded: “What, in your opinion, is the main idea in Chekhov's play The Cherry Orchard”? I always wanted to know what the Russians themselves think about this.”

The desire to fight back with general phrases disappeared when I saw that they were listening to me attentively and with interest. The exam in literature, as well as in the history of music, was passed.

Features of the mentality

Greetings

In addition to the fact that the Seychelles love to talk, they love to say hello. The fact that you are walking and the Seychellois is passing by in a car will also not prevent him from saying hello by beeping loudly. At first, I thought that this was a typical manifestation of male attention. But when an elderly Seychellois woman beeped and waved to me from the car, I stopped thinking like that. I waved back at her and she drove on.

At first I could not get used to it and did not react. But if you ignore the Seychelles, they don't understand it. They think that you just didn't notice their greeting, and they say hello again more noticeably. Just say hello and they'll leave happy. You quickly get used to it, and you yourself are the first to say hello. This is another bad habit that is better not to bring to Russia. You will not be understood, it is verified.

A family

Matriarchy reigns in the Seychelles. The woman is the head of the family. As soon as the husband is guilty of something, she easily kicks him out. Children stay with their mother, and the state pays benefits for them.

Often there are several children in the family, and all from different dads. And the current husband is not very worried.

Marriages are mostly civil. Relationships are rarely officially registered, because all relatives and friends must be invited to the wedding. But since a typical Seychelles has one half of the island - all sorts of relatives, and the other half - friends, it is very expensive to play a wedding.

Family ties are a different story. The beauty of island life is that everyone knows each other like in a big village. Therefore, the probability of finding the right person is very high. If you are looking for someone, you can just go for a walk and stumble upon him.

When I flew to the Seychelles, for some reason I thought that it would be interesting to talk with the Minister of Tourism of this country. I thought and forgot. And so a week later I am faced with a surprising situation. The last ferry from La Digue to Mahe, where I live, leaves at 17:00. Today, for some reason, he left at 16:30. Everyone knew about it. Except me. As always.

Five o'clock in the evening. I am standing on the pier with a package of souvenirs, on which I spent almost all my money taken on La Digue. It's getting dark. Not fun. But something tells me I should have just stayed here.

As a result, I stayed overnight, got into a conversation with the owner of a small hotel. It turned out that this is one of the oldest inhabitants, whose ancestors "discovered" this island. We talked until late in the evening ... about everything: from the competition to catch the biggest marlin to the idiocy of the idea of ​​marriage contracts. And then he says: “Here is the number of my brother, you would be very interested to talk to him. He's the minister of tourism here."

The next day, I got to Mahe with a sin in half. And then I needed to interview the coach of the Seychelles yachting team. But first we had to find him. By that time, my logic had already turned off. But some kind of magical intuition turned on.

I came to the bus stop, looked at the buses. She sat down in the one on which the eye stopped, and drove off. An unknown bus (as it turned out, route number 13) brought me to the other side of the island.

I get out at the end, look around and just go in the direction I wanted.

A teenager is following me. According to the good old Seychelles tradition, for no reason at all, he begins to tell how he is doing. Namely, that he goes after school to his aunt to fix the light bulb in the garage. Then the conversation somehow smoothly turns to a hobby, and I say that I am interested in yachting. And, finally, I hear what my instinct has been leading me to all day: “Oh, my relative is the coach of the yachting team here.” A little intuition, a few buses - and you go out to any person.

Holidays and parties

You might think that since the Seychelles are so friendly, their holidays are similar to the Brazilian carnival. This is not entirely true. The usual celebration in their house goes according to the following principle: treats are put on the table, the guests who come pick up food, disperse in different corners and just eat. Everyone eats one, maximum two people. No toasts and songs. No unity. All in different directions. They are a bit like animals that don't like being touched while eating. But after eating, you can talk.

Nightlife in the Seychelles

On a Friday afternoon, the smell of the approaching weekend begins to hover in the air. Everyone is getting livelier. You can stumble upon unrestrained fun when they put a tape recorder on the ground and dance incomprehensible dances with African motifs. No matter where: on the sand, in the yard, at the bus stop.

But again, these are small companies. More or less large discos also take place. But they have their own unspoken rules. There is too little population in the Seychelles for some parties to take place in several places at the same time. Therefore, the week is distributed approximately like this: Monday and Tuesday - everyone works, Wednesday - Food Festival on Bouvalon Beach, Thursday - on Taka-Maka Beach (this is the south of the island), Friday - Eden island or Tequilaboom club near Bouvalon Beach after midnight, at Saturday club Katiolo near the airport, on Sunday - picnics.

Of course, you can come to Katiolo on a different day. For example, Wednesday. Everything will be open here too, but most likely you will see only tourists and a few dull Seychelles who do not want to have fun. Because everyone knows that you should come to Katiolo not on Wednesday, but on Saturday.

So, Wednesday is the Feast of Food in Bouvalon. You can come here to eat and watch muchcha dancing around the fire. On the embankment there are tents with knick-knacks and food (take away).

It is safe for tourists here, they roam and are touched by exotic fruits, which you can immediately buy and try. Locals come here rather to see others and show themselves. They come by cars in separate companies, turn on music and communicate.

You can meet and complete despondency, especially among young people. Once I saw a youth company that came to “hang out” in an SUV with an open trunk. They turned on the club music at full power and sit. In the trunk. Silently. Listen to music with boring faces and smoke. Ten meters away is the same car with the same picture.

I admit that the reason for the complete apathy lies in the fact that they smoke too much and not cigarettes at all. In general, according to locals, in recent years, the number of drug addicts has begun to increase on the islands, and more and more illegal drugs are being imported. Young people do not go to school, but earn money for drugs by picking coconuts, buying multi-colored straws and selling fresh coconut to drink on the beach for 7 USD (100 SCR).

When it gets completely dark, at the Food Festival they kindle a pioneer fire and start dancing. Finally, there is some kind of unity.

At other local events, there are not many tourists. You can come for the sake of interest, but better with a company. Girls need to be accompanied by men. Especially fair-haired, since this is the standard of beauty for the Seychelles, and you will be noticed everywhere, whether you like it or not. Although men also need to be on the alert. My friend (of Slavic appearance) told me that once in a bar an elderly woman tried to “pick up” him. She looked at him for a long time and languidly, then nevertheless came up with the words: “Do you want me to ... buy a TV for you?”

National holidays

Once a year, almost the entire population of the Seychelles gathers in one place. The island celebrates Independence Day on June 29, which takes place at the sports arena near Victoria. Next to the arena there are sports buildings and a lot of “just free space” - land with half-dried grass. In the morning, exhibitions of the national economy open in some buildings. Somewhere they set up separate tents. The semi-dry grass becomes even more trampled, as many tents with street food and all sorts of knick-knacks grow on it.

All day long, crowds go to exhibitions and cafes. You can buy a lottery ticket and get a chance to win a car.

In the evening, when it gets dark, the parade begins.

The president arrives with a lot of security. I didn’t manage to get into the arena itself purely physically. All beat up. There are local amateur performances, children's sports sections and, of course, the military. There are many military men, the uniform is beautiful and different.

Through one of the entrances, I still managed to photograph the backs of the children with ribbons preparing for the exit and a piece of the stands.

Those who did not fit into the stands continue to festivities outside the arena.

The next morning, it is better not to come to this place, as the garbage after the festivities will be removed all day.

By the way, Russia Day (June 12) is also celebrated in the Seychelles. As a rule, the holiday takes place either in the Russian embassy or in one of the hotels.

Religion in the Seychelles

The Seychelles has everything: Catholic churches,

and a Hindu temple

and the mosque

and even an Orthodox "club" (there is no church yet, there is only a room). And yet, the vast majority of the Seychelles are Catholics.

But they are not ordinary Catholics. Still, the sound of African tom-toms lives deep in their subconscious.

It turns out a kind of mix: Catholic sermons end with noisy tribal dances and general fun. You might think that this is gospel - we often see this in American films - when the church choir in multi-colored robes sings cheerful, incendiary songs. So, in the Seychelles - not gospel, here they went even further. But first things first.

You can go to the service in the church, or you can go to the “local church” at the invitation of someone from the Seychelles. There are a lot of them in the Seychelles, that's where all the fun happens. An invitation is needed because it is difficult to find such a “church” on your own. On the surface, it's just… a house. Therefore, it is better to go with one of the residents.
Our morning began with the fact that the Seychelles, who invited us, slept well. He sent a text message about this only when we had already arrived at the bus station in Victoria and had been waiting for him for some time. Seychelles and time management are incompatible concepts. Fortunately, we immediately met another friend in line for the bus and went to work with her.
The local church is like our old houses of culture, only on a smaller scale. Stage, hall, heavy curtains. Only on top there are still TVs with karaoke, and near the stage there is an unexpected synthesizer with drum kits.

There were many parishioners, about fifty. All are dressy. As the only "whites", we immediately caught a bunch of puzzled looks. But then we got used to it.

Then a gloomy pastor came on stage and ... began to sing into the microphone in an amazingly pleasant voice. I think he looked like Frank Sinatra. The karaoke TVs turned on and flashed. Moreover, the flying space was the background on the screens with the text.

On the third song, people were already singing along, got up from their chairs, raised their hands and began to sway to the music. Some cried and repented aloud.

I realized that I had fallen into a sect and that I had to quietly disappear from here. But since we were in the middle of the hall, it was problematic to do so. A security guard approached me imperceptibly and politely showed that we should also dance.

The songs are over. The sermons began. Perhaps I was affected by the atmosphere of general madness, but the pastor's sermons seemed to me very sensible. The main idea is a serious attitude to the institution of marriage. For freedom-loving and loving Seychelles, this is what the doctor ordered.

An hour after the start, an official entered the hall with a wife who looked like Michelle Obama. I provisionally named him mayor. The official part has begun. The "Mayor" said something life-affirming and that everyone did well. And then the question was asked: “Are there people among us who are here for the first time today?”. We did not expect such a trick. The parishioners at once turned their heads to us, "aliens". There was nowhere to hide. The "mayor's wife" ran up, kissed me several times and handed me a heavy envelope. It probably contained a profile of a new parishioner and church literature. I never found out the exact answer, because I accidentally threw it into a donation bag.

Immediately after the “conversion of us” to the new faith, people with packages began to walk around the hall. Parishioners put money in small envelopes in advance, and then throw them into a common bag. When a person with such a package approached me, my brain, which had gone nuts from everything that was happening, was no longer working. But suddenly the herd instinct worked: this is a package, you need to throw an envelope here. In the end, I never found out what the woman who looked like Obama told me.

After that, a new test awaited us - preachers. This is a group of young guys in identical shirts, who deftly divided the hall into groups of eight people and began classes. It turned out that the parishioners also had textbooks with them. The sermons are Catholic, but also with a Seychellois accent. Phrases slipped through that drove me to a dead end. For example: "We are all brothers, we must be tolerant of each other and love each other, but we must not forget that the Jews are the servants of Satan."

The break is over. The day was approaching its culmination - the speech of the parishioners. At the end of the service, everyone can come out and sing, dance, say words of gratitude, talk about their thoughts. No one is shy here, so performances drag on for several hours. Most of all I remember a man dressed in long dark trousers and a closed black jacket with leather inserts. On his hands - a massive gold watch, on his feet - winter boots. Probably a local fashionista. Ever since the beginning of the service, I have watched with regret how he suffers from the heat, but endures. Finally, his hour has come.

The man turned on the soundtrack “like from the Matrix” at full volume and began to dance. Number, I assume, he put himself, after watching enough clips on MTV. Attempts to make a "wave" with the whole body on the floor and figures from break dancing were wildly ridiculous, but sincere and inspirational. The speaker clearly considered himself the God of dancing. The most interesting thing is that everyone else thought so. It was he who deserved the loudest applause. The number ended, but the show continued. People from the audience rushed onto the stage: someone to sing, someone to dance.

One of the preachers started right there learning new moves with a dancer "from the Matrix".

In short, chaos ensued. Only the pastor stood calmly in the corner and watched his parishioners with approval as if they were little children: people are having fun, which means they are happy.

We left there tired and squeezed like lemons, eventually spending about five hours in the service. Five hours of absurdity ... but there is something to remember.

Attitude towards tourists

The Seychelles are a small but proud people. Despite the fact that the islands are geographically part of Africa, they are not Africa. And no one here considers themselves Africans. Except for drug addicts. There is a saying that tourists there are considered walking ATMs: the harder you hit, the more money you get.

The first time I took public transport, I was afraid because I didn't know what to expect. But here tourists are treated more like guests. Yes, they can greet you, talk to you. Young children may look open-mouthed as an alien if you have blond hair, as this is a novelty for them during the day. Elderly Seychelles look askance like a helpless summer resident who came from a large metropolis to the village. But no one will attack you for sure.

Interestingly, the Seychelles are not particularly prone to any commercial activity at all. Again, with the exception of drug addicts, who sell coconuts almost everywhere. This is especially noticeable when you go on a sea excursion for the whole day. I took excursions from different islands, and they were all, in principle, the same.

The first part of the day you watch the lagoons from a boat or catamaran, swim with a mask and fins in open water.

After lunch, you are dropped off on some wild beach for a few hours. A couple more of the same pleasure boats with tourists sail with you. At first, you bathe in absolute delight. Then, finally, you freeze and begin to observe all this beauty from the shore. Then there comes a moment when no one bathes anymore. A bunch of tourists are sitting on the beach, someone is thirsty, someone is starting to want to eat. Everyone is staring hungry to see if the boat has arrived.

And at this moment “x”, a person necessarily appears in each group who begins to argue that it would be nice to put at least a tiny tent here with drinks and food. And every time I think how right he is.

There are quite a lot of such wild beaches in the Seychelles, where tourists are brought every day, who, after swimming and starving, are ready to buy literally everything. But apart from the tourists themselves, there is no one there. Even junkies with coconuts. Although you can drive up from the shore.

When we asked a burning question to the locals who came for us, they answered without enthusiasm from the series “it pollutes nature, and there is no need.” Nimble Turks would probably build rows of cafes and souvenir shops there. But here such a question is perceived even somehow with resentment, because the Seychelles do not believe that their main goal is to make money on tourists. Well, they are pretty lazy.

Food and drink

If I was asked what I did for so long in the Seychelles, the first thing that came to mind was "I ate." In two directions: fresh fish and fruits.

I stopped being interested in snorkeling after I saw that the rainbow-colored fish, for which people come to dive, are on the shelves here and are considered ordinary food.

At first, I simply did not raise my hand to buy them. But after some time I went to the market specifically for this in the morning. Flavored with herbs that you can buy here, this fish is one of the most delicious memories in my life.

5 dishes worth trying

1. Any fresh fish cooked in any form (including shark).
2. Smoked marlin with mango. In restaurants, smoked marlin is simply called smoked fish (without specifying that it is marlin). Sliced ​​strips of sweet juicy mango are wrapped in a piece of smoked marlin - a very tasty and interesting combination.
3. Chips from breadfruit.
4. Octopus in curry sauce.
5. All kinds of salads from unusual vegetables and fruits. In the Seychelles, the locals prepare a salad like this: they rub any raw vegetable or fruit on a grater, add pepper and salt. Salad ready. For example, even mango salad is prepared this way. I can't say it's delicious. But for the sake of interest, you can try.

shopping

What you need to know about shopping in this country

In addition to souvenir shops and shops, there is nowhere to go here. First of all, you need to know that shells and fruits of coco de mer are prohibited from exporting. But that's in theory. Seashells are debatable. When I bought a huge shell in Victoria, I was even offended why the seller did not warn me that my souvenir could be taken away at the airport. I decided to shame him and asked:

Can I take this shell out of the Seychelles?

What country are you from?

From Russia.

The seller waved his hand.

Then take it easy!

Oddly enough, I calmly drove her, no one asked anything.

The best places for shopping

On the island of Mahe, you can go to the main market for original spices and tea. Souvenir shops are located along Elbert street.

In addition to souvenirs, there are several jewelry stores on the same street.

Although the shops in La Digue are much prettier, the choice is larger and the goods themselves are more interesting.

What to bring from this country

On La Digue, you can find many crafts made from bamboo and the taka-maca tree (which is said to grow only here). All kinds of boxes, bowls, even notebooks.

Jewelry stores leave a double impression. On the one hand, they are full of products in the form of a coca de mer nut from the “I want to buy everything” series. This is the perfect gift from the Seychelles. On the other hand, the composition of these products remains a mystery to me. I looked at the pendant and when asked if it was silver or not, they answered me:

Yes, it is pure silver, but do not soak this pendant in water for the first year.
- Why?
Because it's an alloy.
- Alloy?
- Yes, an alloy of gold and silver.

In the end, I found out that my silver pendant consists of gold, silver, and yet “some other metal”. But that didn't stop me from buying. In water, the products really darken, but this makes them more interesting.

At the market in Victoria, be sure to buy local tea, as it is one of the few products that is not imported, but grows here. There is a tea factory in the mountains on Mahe. By the way, you can visit it. The tea itself has an unusual vanilla flavor that you quickly get used to. On cold winter evenings, it helps a lot to remember summer with a smile.

All spices are imported, mostly from India. You are not going to buy them, but only until the moment when you come to the counter and start looking at ...

But I would call the local newspaper the most original souvenir. Moreover, the articles are interesting precisely in the printed dailies, which are sold on the streets of Victoria.

Just one interview with the minister in this vein:

What is your favorite actor?

Keanu Reeves.

What is your favorite animal?

first drove me into a stupor. But then the excitement knew no bounds. The newspaper flew with me to Moscow.

Vacation with children

The Seychelles is more of a honeymoon resort. I rarely met tourists with children in the Seychelles. There are no noisy animation programs and an amusement park. And thank God. This does not fit into the lifestyle of the islands at all. But if children love nature, they will remember the Seychelles for a lifetime: huge turtles, stingrays and flying foxes - that's for sure.

As well as familiar animals in unfamiliar surroundings.

Safety

It gets dark in the Seychelles suddenly. Outside of hotels, there are few lanterns. If you did not have time to get to the house and go somewhere along a country road, you can get into such darkness that you have to move almost by touch. Even the flashlight on the phone does not help much.

When I told that I often found myself in such a situation, my Seychelles acquaintances were shocked. According to them, with the onset of dusk, it is better for a tourist not to walk alone outside the hotel. They are primarily afraid of the Indians, who are very numerous in the Seychelles. Almost all builders and road workers are Indians. In the morning and in the evening they can be seen driving to and from work ... in the back of trucks.

Unlike the Seychelles, they are not at all so open and friendly. Rather, even gloomy. From the sight of cars filled with sad Indians, it becomes uncomfortable. And you begin to understand why the Seychelles are afraid of them.

The more prosperous keep grocery stores here: from small shops to supermarkets. For example, I was very pleased with the name of the Krishna Market supermarket on the outskirts of Victoria. Most products in the Seychelles are imported from India. It is logical that most of the grocery stores on the islands are owned by Indian families. But such Indians are already much more benevolent than workers.

You also need to be very careful with Africans who came from the mainland (, Congo, etc.). They differ from the local population in aggressiveness and a larger complexion. The Seychelles are very peaceful and harmless compared to them.

One evening we stood on the pier of the island and watched the ferry leave with tourists, among whom was a group from Kenya. What they did every five minutes was to take pictures of everything they see with old multi-colored flip-phones. Finally, they sailed away, and the island became quiet and calm. I never thought that I would meet these people again, but I was wrong.

As is usually the case in the Seychelles, in the evening it was completely dark, and we moved to the house with some difficulty. Suddenly (as usual, blending into the darkness) a couple of frightened and out of breath Kenyans caught up with us with the question: “You were at the pier, did you happen to take anyone’s mobile phone?”. We (a little shocked either by their question, or by how they got here) said that we definitely didn’t take it. It turned out that halfway on the ferry, one of the Kenyans found out that he had lost his phone.

Not finding him on the ferry, they panicked and ... forced everyone to turn back to. By the way, this was the last flight on. And most tourists buy a “double” ticket in advance so that upon arrival at the airport they immediately transfer to the next ferry (in our history, too, the last flight) or a plane to Mahe.

How many people at that time were late for a transplant and "hung" on Praslin, one can only guess. But I definitely understood the fact that it is better to stay away from such “travelers” as far as possible. Fortunately, the Kenyans believed in our innocence and ran further into complete darkness to look for a phone around the island.

Popular types of scams

The only case of scam that I have come across is when sellers in souvenir shops say that the jewelry on their shelves is pure silver. And five minutes later they refute themselves.

They said that drugs could be planted in the car. And after a hundred meters you will fall into the arms of already warned traffic cops. But this happens rather among the locals, nothing is known about similar cases with tourists.

5 things you definitely shouldn't do

1. Do not touch marine animals and plants. In addition to sea turtles, which are usually caught by guides on snorkeling trips for tourists. In particular, you need to be wary of curious stingrays, which themselves are not very afraid of people.
2. Do not touch any insects. In the Seychelles, you can often meet, for example, palm-length scolopendra. But the most insidious creatures are caterpillars falling from trees. Once I came to the NSC (National Sport Council) sports center to see how our doctors work here. By the way, young specialists in sports medicine from Sechenov Moscow State Medical University are periodically sent here to work. On the way to the building, I saw that there was some kind of evacuation going on. Everyone goes out, brushes themselves off, examines the clothes. It turned out that it was on that day that caterpillars attacked the NSC building. They are simply called: Caterpillar.
   Caterpillars are fluffy. The area of ​​​​the skin on which their hairs fall turns red and begins to itch. The main rule is not to comb or touch this place with your hands. The hairs are microscopic, after they get into your palm, you are more likely to spread them further along the body. Doctors say that some kind of ointment with steroids should be applied to the affected areas. It is also good to immediately go to the hospital, where they came up with a vaccine against these caterpillars and are vaccinated.

   If you are lucky enough to get to the Seychelles, you should not combine this trip with a trip to some other countries. For example, to the closest or East Africa.

   Hotels- do not forget to check prices from booking sites! Don't overpay. It !

   Rent a Car- also aggregation of prices from all distributors, all in one place, let's go!

Where are the Seychelles located on the world map? The Republic of Seychelles is located in East Africa and is an island nation. The Seychelles are located in the west of the Indian Ocean, south of the equator and 1600 kilometers from Madagascar. The capital is the city of Victoria. The Seychelles also includes such islands as: Silhouette, La Digue, Praslin and many small islands of coral origin.

You can find out the flight time, airfare prices, as well as about the main Seychelles airport if you read additional information: How long does it take to fly to the Seychelles from Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities of Russia?

You can find a map of the beaches of the Seychelles on Google and you will see that this region is simply created for tourism. The main tourist islands of the state are: Mahe, Praslin and La Digue. Also on the map you can find many islands - hotels Frigate, Deroche, Cerf, Silhouette, St. Anna and the private island of Deniz.

A detailed map with the resorts of the Seychelles in Russian is located on our website. Here you will find Cousin Island, which is a nature reserve, home to several endangered species of fauna and a place where birds and turtles live. Bird Island is known as a haven for black terns and turtles. And on the island of Arid is a haven for pink terns, red-tailed tropical birds. The Seychelles is a wonderful beach holiday and enjoyment of rare natural representatives of flora and fauna.

Seychelles with confidence can be called a real fairy tale for tourists. Mirages that sparkle with bright colors, a delicate Creole aroma and crystal clear water with white sand will please the eye of absolutely any vacationer. In addition, the Seychelles are famous for the most modern, exotic places to stay, a wonderful climate and delicious gourmet cuisine.

Seychelles on the world map in Russian

The Seychelles are located in East Africa. It is not difficult to find the Seychelles on the world map, since the most famous and noticeable landmarks are Africa, Madagascar, the equator and, in fact, the Indian Ocean. The Seychelles make up one large archipelago, in which 115 islands have managed to settle down, each of which is a separate cozy place for a calm, relaxed holiday without the noise of cars and the bustle of city life.

Detailed map of the Seychelles with cities and islands in Russian

Almost all Seychelles on the map are suitable for human settlement. There are only a few islands on which it will be difficult to locate your home due to the coral origin.

Treasures of the Seychelles

Mahe is the largest granite island. It is here that you can see the greatest relief of the mountains, the highest point of which is about 900 meters, and the dense greenery that envelops the entire area. The capital of the Seychelles is the city of Victoria, which on a global scale has the status of the smallest capital.

The main city provides quite unusual opportunities:

• see the mini tower Big Ben;
• try non-standard food and walk along the only street in the city.

In this resort place you can find a lot of unique corals and shells, and also, not far from Mahe, a nature reserve has recently been created, where thousands of visitors come with excursions to admire the variety of aquatic inhabitants, meet huge turtles, a jellyfish that looks like a tree, snakes , which will never bite a guest, and much more. Here a person will not feel far from civilization, but at the same time he can plunge headlong into all the delights of the exotic atmosphere of the tropics.

Note! From the island of Mahe, you can quickly get to any point through the services of the international airport.

Main city of Victoria

The next one is Silhouette Island, which will be appreciated by lovers of dense and wild nature. There are no roads on which cars can drive, there are only a couple of trails that lead the tourist into the untouched jungle. This place breathes with freshness and peace, there is no greater pleasure than being in contact with juicy, bright, emerald and quite unusual for a simple person trees. According to legend, it was in these dense forests that Jin Hodole hid his treasures. On the Silhouette for tourists who love comfort and wild greenery at the same time, all conditions have been created. Hotel Labriz Silhouette is able to envelop even the most demanding visitor with its comfort.

Seychelles on the map has another wonderful island that should be honored with your attention, called Denis. This place fell in love with famous personalities and movie stars of France. In addition, if a tourist has at least minimal knowledge of fishing, then a big catch awaits him here, because marlin and tuna live in huge numbers on this island. In addition to fishing, there are many activities such as diving, windsurfing or hiking through the splendor and riot of thickets.

Note! In addition to those listed above, there are many other places to stay in the Seychelles, for example, the islands: Praslin, Frigate, La Digue, St. Ahn, Bird, Desroches, Cousin, Cerf and Felicite. On each of them, the tourist will be able to find something to do and relax in the Seychelles atmosphere.

Places for rest

Resorts and beaches of the Seychelles on the map

If excursions are tired and you want a real vacation, then the Seychelles on the world map have saved wonderful sandy beaches and exquisite resorts. All beaches are located in the so-called bays (French anse) and have some features that distinguish them from the usual resorts. For example, on all beaches, people are allowed to sit on sunbeds and use an umbrella absolutely free of charge. And this is the first indicator that all guests are equal in their actions, regardless of the level of the hotel in which they live. Of course, if there is a desire to be in a less dense environment of people, then before flying to the Seychelles, it is recommended to book accommodation away from the activity of the population. In this case, the resort will be attended by the number of people settled in the same hotel.

On the world map of the Seychelles, the following beaches and resorts are distinguished:

• Anse Intendance. One of the most beautiful beaches in the island state, located on the southwestern side.
• Port Lawn. Perfect for a good rest with children, as this resort has a lot of entertainment for both adults and children.
• Anse Lazio. It is believed that this is the largest and most popular beach in the north among tourists. Thoughtful tourists come here on weekdays so as not to jostling with a bunch of other people.
• Côte d'Or. Also an interesting place to stay, located in the east of the island.
• Anse Consolidation. A resort for those who wish to retire and spend time with their soulmate.
• Source d'Argent. A magnificent beach that is famous for its granite boulders and wonderful sunsets.
• If you want romance, then you should visit the beaches of Anse Petite, Anse Grande or Anse Cocos, because it is on them that you can see, touch and lie down on the unusual pink sand.

Yandex and Google maps of Seychelles

There are two most common types of representation of the satellite map of the island state of the Seychelles: Google Maps and Yandex.

If you look at the big picture that develops when viewed from a height, then the difference is not noticeable. But, if we take a closer look at such an interactive map, then with the naked eye you can see that Google's data transfer is noticeably higher in quality and the interface is more intuitive. In addition, for Russian citizens, Google will automatically determine the native language and will translate all requested streets, cities, and any other geographical feature into Russian.

So even with the help of satellite maps, you can admire the views of the Seychelles: dense jungle and the blue of the Indian Ocean.

Map of the Seychelles with neighboring states

In order to better understand where the Seychelles are located on the map with certain island states, you can follow the link to Google maps goo.gl

Advantages and disadvantages of the geographical position of the state for the development of tourism

Seychelles is a fairly convenient and comfortable option for relaxing on the island. Here, the climate is predominantly warm, bright sun rays will warm every tourist who wants to swim in the clear water of the ocean.

Note!

Every international tourist knows about the Seychelles, because everyone dreams of getting here. This is due to the peculiarity of these places - pristine beauty, beautiful nature and comfortable solitude.

It’s enough just to figure out where the Seychelles are located on the map, you just have to imagine our globe a little.

This paradise is located at a distance of about 1.5 thousand kilometers from the coast of East Africa in the Indian Ocean near the equator, retreating south of it only a few degrees.

In the district there are such geographical objects that almost everyone knows about:

• Mauritius;
• Maldives;
• Reunion;

The country itself is called the Republic of Seychelles, which includes more than 100 of these same islands, while a small number of them are inhabited - 33. The uniqueness of this earthly corner is just beginning. So, the only city is Victoria - the smallest capital in the world, located on Mahe, the largest of the Seychelles. An international airport has also been built here.

The following islands are also known and impressive in size:

• La Digue;
• Silhouette;
• Praslin.

When you study where the Seychelles are located on the map, you can see that all landmasses can have 2 natures:

• granite;
• coral.

Those islands where people live belong mainly to the first type. In such areas there are even forests with palm trees and ferns. But the islands of the second type make up atolls, their height is small and the vegetation is sparse, since moisture is poorly retained in limestone.

And yet, most of the total 455 square kilometers is characterized by a rich and marvelous flora, harmoniously combined with amazing landscapes. The islands are also known for a huge number of birds that lived and changed here regardless of external ecosystems. A special representative of birds is the frigate, which has a three-meter wingspan, it can also remain in a state of flight for a whole week.

In addition, this is a place where migratory birds flock from many corners of the earth, so their numbers here are record-breaking.

Another holiday in the Seychelles will be remembered for huge turtles, which in some cases can weigh more than 200 kilograms.

And the whole European world learned about these wonderful lands for the first time in the 16th century, when the Portuguese plied the oceans around Africa with might and main in search of the cherished path to India. Although the human foot has stepped here before, what became known thanks to the graves and rock paintings belonging to Arab sailors who left them somewhere in the 10th century.

Officially, these islands began to be mapped by a team sailing here in 1502. The main island of Mahe was then called Ilya Gana, and the Amirant Islands were called the Admiral Islands.

Now it is no longer a problem to find out where the Seychelles are located on the maps, it is much more important to decide why it is worth going on vacation there. And it's really worth it!

Those who dream of a paradise vacation come here, this place is ideal for this in all respects:

In the Seychelles, you can peacefully admire the water surface, resting from worldly turmoil, or you can immerse yourself in the local flavor, since the local residents are friendly and hospitable. In addition, they especially appreciate the nature they have, therefore, with pleasure and awe, they show natural sights and all the inhabitants.

Many have fallen in love with these islands for their excellent conditions for water sports:

• diving;
• surfing;
• fishing;
• sailing trips.

Such tourists choose spring and autumn for a trip, because then dry weather sets in with pleasant temperatures (up to 25 degrees Celsius), which is provided by the Southeast Southeast Monsoon.

Divers choose to rest in the Seychelles because the local water inhabitants are full of variety, while their visibility is excellent, because the sea surface is transparent, like a tear. All these outlandish inhabitants look especially impressive against the backdrop of white sand and various corals.

Surfers rejoice at waves reaching two meters, and fishermen enjoy rich and unusual catches. So finding something to your liking here is simple and easy. Even idleness here is perceived as relaxation and filling with energy.

You should also pay attention to the national parks that occupy most of the archipelago:

• St. Anna National Park - known for all possible types of corals, occupies 6 islets;
• Cousin Island - home to endangered seabirds and turtles;
• Bird Island - famous for its inhabitants, one and a half million black terns live here, as well as the oldest huge tortoise Esmeralda;
• Curieuse Island - here, in addition to the National Marine Park, giant turtles live;
• Arid Island - only here on the planet the lemon tree blooms.

Whatever holiday you would prefer in the Seychelles, the holiday will definitely be imprinted in your memory and soul for a long time, as this place in the east of Africa is truly a paradise.