Okay so this blog post is going to be less of “this is what’s happening” … and more of “this is where I want to be … right here … right now”.
The Seychelles are very special. Once you have visited them they will forever hold a place in your heart. Certainly. I am especially drawn towards them during the mid-winter months.
The islands are a paradise on earth, and whenever I am asked where the best beaches I have seen are, I find it difficult to think further than the Seychelles. Although there may be are a number of other equally beautiful tropical-sea destinations, the Seychelles’ achingly beautiful beaches are second to none.
This week, as I have talked to clients looking for a tropical escape, the Seychelles appear larger than normal on the Nomadic Thoughts’ world map.
Numbering 115 granite and coral islands in the heart of the Indian Ocean, they stretch over an area between 4 and 10 degrees south of the equator. Found between 480km and 1,600km east of Africa, they are truly an archipelago of timeless beauty and tropical tranquillity.
I can smell the breeze, see the glare off the sand and feel the warm azure ocean. From the moment you appear over the blue horizon and catch a glimpse of the first white sand atoll, your heart-rate drops in unison with your shoulders.
Trust me – the combination of pure powder-white beaches, gigantic green jungle interiors and never-ending sapphire blue waters will melt even the most stressed of travellers. The hammock beckons at the same pace as the surf crashes on the outer reefs.
The islands are home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Vallée de Mai on Praslin Island, where the world’s largest, and most majestically shaped seed Coco-de-mer grows; and Aldabra home of the world’s largest raised coral atoll.
The right time to visit is ‘right now’. Whatever time of the year you are reading this blog … just drop everything and get out there. The Seychelles islands are blessed with a welcoming year-long warm, tropical climate with a stronger emphasis on winds than rains.
The two opposing trade winds kiss up to the island at different times of the year. The 8 to 10 knot north-westerly trades blow from October to March – and the more constant 10 to 20 knot south-easterly trades from May to September. You can enjoy them both.
You simply have to go one day – if only because legend has it that the Vallée de Mai, where the Coco-de-mer grows, is THE Garden of Eden. Where Adam and Eve frolicked – forbidden fruit and all.
