A Little Closer to Heaven

Having escaped the cold, grey routine of everyday life in Germany, we spent five days at the Hilton Labriz Resort & Spa on Paradise Island. Silhouette Island is the third-largest island in the Seychelles, 93% of which is protected – one of the reasons why we chose this particular island. You naturally arrive by boat (or, if you feel like treating yourself, by helicopter). Check-in takes place on Mahé, so once on Silhouette Island, all that stands between you and your dream villa is a ride in a golf buggy. We booked a private beachfront villa – No. 252. We opened the villa door… our pulses quickened, we were screaming inside, our hearts were pounding… we jumped straight onto the bed and let all our excitement out. Our joyful bouncing came to an abrupt halt when we caught sight of the dreamy, breathtaking view. Within seconds, our clothes were off and our swimwear was on. Savouring the moment, we opened the large double glass doors, strutted down three small steps, skipped another ten paces across the powdery white sand and plunged into the cool, crystal-clear blue water. Ouch! What was that? Wait! Really? Coral! Daaaarling, get the snorkel out! And indeed, at high tide we could snorkel for what felt like forever. Admittedly, it was more suitable for beginners without particularly high expectations (so of course we simply had to book a dive… but that is a story in itself. The short version: the scenery underwater looks exactly the same as it does on land, only much fishier…) Swimming on Silhouette Island – or anywhere in the Seychelles – needs to be timed carefully, because at low tide you are more or less sitting in a puddle resembling a large bathtub. For us, the timing worked perfectly with sunrise, so every day began at 6 in the morning with a forward somersault into the sea Sundowner. We made use of the ‘bathtub’ in the early afternoon, when it offered an incredibly beautiful view across the seemingly endless resort, North Island and Mahé. But low tide also brought a wonderfully positive side effect: rocks (known as boulders)! What the sea concealed at high tide revealed endless beauty at low tide (for reference, the difference between low and high tide in the Seychelles is quite considerable – around 3–4 metres, I would say – and lasts for several hours). But thanks to the low tide, I can say with complete sincerity that I discovered the most beautiful beach in the world on Silhouette Island! ‘Picture-perfect’ is the only way to describe it Dream beach. An artistic feast for the eyes, flawless perfection, an endless orgaxxxxm for the eyes! We spent our days being the laziest people imaginable. Thanks to the half-board package we had booked (highly recommended, as there are no other options on Silhouette outside the resort), we were thoroughly spoilt when it came to food. Everything the heart – or stomach – could desire: from Creole to Mediterranean and Asian cuisine, there was nothing they did not have. The resort itself also left nothing to be desired. An enormous pool complex, spa, diving school, cultural centre, every imaginable sporting activity and so on. But by far the cosiest and most relaxing place was simply our villa. And then something very special happened on Silhouette Island – but I am keeping that memory to myself (for now). The dress...