The Seychelles: Granite Boulders, Turquoise Lagoons, and the Coco de Mer

Overview

This video covers a week-long exploration of the Seychelles, highlighting its iconic granite boulders, turquoise lagoons, and the unique Coco de Mer. It provides essential travel information, including flight times, island geography, top attractions like Anse Source d'Argent and Vallée de Mai, local cuisine, and accommodation options.

In this video

• Anse Source d'Argent on La Digue features white sand and six-meter tall pink-grey granite boulders, smoothed by a hundred million years.
• The Seychelles comprises 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, located 1500 kilometers east of Kenya, with Mahé, Praslin, and La Digue being the three main islands of granite-rock origin.
• Direct flights to Mahé from London take ten hours on British Airways, while flights from Dubai take four hours on Emirates and from Doha take eight hours on Qatar.
• Visitors to La Digue, reached by an 8 euro, 60-minute ferry from Praslin, can rent bikes for 8 euros a day, as no cars are permitted.
• Anse Lazio on Praslin, an 800-meter crescent beach, allows free snorkeling 50 meters offshore to observe parrotfish, angelfish, and occasional reef sharks.
• Vallée de Mai on Praslin, a UNESCO site since 1983, is the exclusive habitat of Coco de Mer palms, whose seeds are the largest in the plant kingdom, weighing 15 to 30 kilograms.
• Curieuse Island, a day trip from Praslin for 60 euros, is where Aldabra giant tortoises, some weighing 200 kilograms and living 150 years, wander freely.
• Seychelles Creole cuisine features dishes such as coconut-curry octopus, breadfruit chips, grilled bourgeois fish, and bouillon brèdes, often paired with SeyBrew lager for 3 euros.
• Accommodation options range from luxury resorts like Constance Lemuria Praslin at 600 euros per night to chambre d'hôtes guesthouses on La Digue for 80 euros per night.

Frequently asked questions

What are the main islands of the Seychelles?

The three main islands of the Seychelles are Mahé, Praslin, and La Digue. These islands are of granite-rock origin and are a hundred million years old.

How do I get to La Digue and what can I do there?

La Digue is accessible by a 60-minute ferry from Praslin, costing 8 euros. There are no cars, so visitors rent bikes at the harbor for 8 euros a day to pedal to attractions like Anse Source d'Argent.

Where can I see Coco de Mer palms in the Seychelles?

Coco de Mer palms are found only in Vallée de Mai on Praslin, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983. This is the only place on Earth where these palms grow.

Can I see giant tortoises in the Seychelles?

Yes, Aldabra giant tortoises wander freely on Curieuse Island, located off Praslin. Some of these tortoises weigh 200 kilograms and can live for 150 years.

What kind of food can I expect in the Seychelles?

Seychelles offers Creole cuisine, including dishes such as coconut-curry octopus, breadfruit chips, grilled bourgeois fish, and banane plantain. Bouillon brèdes, a green-leaf stew, is also popular.