Endless Shades of Blue
Arriving in the Seychelles is a little like arriving in paradise: that is what we had always read and heard, and naturally, that is what we expected. But every experience is different, and the same thing may not appeal to everyone in quite the same way.
The dense forest welcomed us at first light, shrouded in what looked like a faint mist. By the time we reached the jetty, however, the sun had already begun to climb into the sky and the heat was making itself felt. The islands are covered in thick rainforest and rise suddenly from an ocean that can sometimes be turbulent, never missing an opportunity to remind us of its power.
Praslin
Praslin welcomed us with its lush vegetation and the vivid splashes of colour from ylang-ylang and other colourful flower species. Anse Volbert (Cote d'Or) was right in front of our accommodation (Cote D'Or Chalets): a long stretch of white sand, also ideal for lovely walks.
We booked a boat excursion to Curieuse Island, the realm of giant tortoises: a unique experience not to be missed.
The following day, we had reserved entry to Anse Georgette through the Lemuria Resort: the beach is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful on the island. Surrounded by a verdant golf course and never excessively crowded, it allows you to listen to the powerful voice of the sea as it washes the sand in turquoise and roars against the black rocks with its mighty waves.
Anse Lazio, which is much larger and busier, is also well worth a visit. Framed by imposing granite rocks, it is best suited to experienced swimmers, as the undertow makes getting into and out of the water rather difficult. The waves meet and collide at the shoreline in a foaming embrace that carries you several metres, but with a little care, it is great fun!
Praslin also offers the chance to visit Vallée de Mai, a nature reserve that I would describe as unique in the world. Various types of palm, including the endemic coco de mer, create an enormous natural canopy that allows you to explore the park even in pouring rain without getting a single drop on you.
The islands are very humid, even during the so-called dry season: at least 2 metres of rain fall in the Seychelles every year!
La Digue
We left Praslin and arrived at La Digue after about 15 minutes. Even at the harbour, the sight of the water makes you realise that the island is hiding secret, wonderful beaches.
And indeed it is: there are so many of them, all accessible by bicycle, from peaceful Anse Severe, with its clear water ideal for snorkelling, to enchanting Anse Source d'Argent, dotted with small coves and natural pools; from tiny Anse Patates, secluded and hidden away, to Grand Anse, with its thunderous, immensely powerful waves. Each one conceals a mystery; each one seems to have been painted by an extraordinarily skilful hand that scattered different shades of blue across them, making every beach unique yet leaving them all seemingly suspended among the clouds, in an almost unreal dimension.
The sunsets we enjoyed on La Digue are also unlikely ever to fade from our memories... Leaving La Digue breaks your heart a little, as it is difficult to imagine ever seeing anything quite so beautiful again.
Mahé
But within a few hours, the large island of Mahé had soothed our melancholy, revealing unexpected and breathtaking scenery, incredible views from above and endless wild beaches. The mountains provide a privileged vantage point from which to admire the little islands around Mahé: up there, only one word comes to mind, ‘blue’.
The west coast welcomes you with tranquil Beau Vallon, ideal for long swims and peaceful naps, and lively Port Launay North Beach, bustling with people. But as you head south, you find yourself in another world, more secluded and untamed, with beaches where you can be completely alone and imagine yourselves the only living beings, so far from civilisation and so close to paradise.
I am thinking above all of Anse Intendance, where the shades of turquoise are endless, where the sea and sky merge into one breathtaking whole, and where every thought fades away except one: I do not want to leave this place...
It was here, on the final day of our journey, that a sea turtle came to visit us, as though it wanted to say goodbye and offer us what we hope was not a farewell, but a ‘see you again’.
And so the time came to leave these wonderful, unspoilt and untamed islands, where every direction surprises you with a blaze of blue, where people of many ethnicities and colours welcome you with their carefree spirit, and where the soul grows lighter before filling with infinity.
