Plan your trip to Seychelles

MAHE : Capital Island!  


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 MAHE : Capital Island!  SATELLITE ISLANDS
 SITE VISITS  LEISURE
 BEACHES: OUR SELECTION  SHOPPING
 WHERE TO SHOP ?   EATING OUT !
 USEFUL ADDRESSES

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Walks & Trails
ON FOOT: Don't be lazy lying around on the beaches in front of the hotels all day! One of the fascinating ways of getting to know islands, high grounds, inland forests and secluded bays is by walking. Keep in mind taht the land in the Seychelles presents no dangers: its only a question of organization and working out times and distances so as not to be caught out by the lightning equatorial sunsets. All the excursions we have listed have a starting point that can be reached by bus, and seeing taht one doesn't end up where one started off, a bus is the best idea.

Wear gym shoes or other practical footwear, take a sunhat and an umbrella, still the best way to protect yourself from sudden tropical down-pours. Don't forget to take a waterflask on longer walks and drink regularly.Calculate the gradient differences when doing mountain walks.
A good rule is not to go alone, but rather with friends for easier walks and with a guide for more difficult ones, especially in the mountains. For more information please Contact The Survey Division at Independence House Near the Stadium in Victoria.

NO.1 DANZIL - ANSE MAJOR

Take the road from Victoria to Belombre and follow the coast as far as you can. The road turns inland and becomes narrow. Follow it for a short distance up the hill to the Auberge Club Des Seychelles at Danzil. The trail signboard is on the road close to the hotel.

NO. 2 FROM ANSE ETOILE TO GLACIS

Take a bus to Anse Etoile. Continue on foot until you reach Emilia's Guest House. From there take the tarmac road going up on the left which ends at the water reservoir for Victoria and Mahe North. About a hundred metres before the end of the road take the road that climbs up steeply on the right: after about tewenty minutes walking you reach the "pass". From there the gravel road descends once more towards the west coast. When you get to the church at Glacis, you will find yourself on the coastal road again.

NO. 3 FROM MARE ANGLAISE TO SIGNAL HILL AT POINTE CONAN

From Mare Anglaise, near to the Panorama Guest House, the road climbs up to Signal Hill. There is a clearance tower on the top of the hill from which the movement of ships in the bay of Victoria can be observed. Then you continue through Mon Plaisir and on to Pointe Conan.

NO. 4 FROM BEL OMBRE DANZILLES TO ANSE MAJOR

Take a car or public transport to Auberge Club Hotel (if you prefer, its a thirty minute walk along the coastal road which from Beau Vallon leasds to the hotel in an eastern direction). From here a steep path leads you up above the coast and granite rocks overlooking the sea, and after forty minutes walk you come to Anse Major.

NO. 5 FROM BEL OMBRE TO PORT LAUNAY

At Bel Ombre, near the Fisherman's Cove Hotel, the road turns inland and shortly afterwards turns into a pahtway. Continue on through Vingt-Cinq-Sous, onwards to Mare aux Cochon until you reach Port Launay, one of Mahé's most beautiful beach.

NO. 6 TO THE TOP OF TROIS FRERES AND LE NIOL

Take a bus to Sans Soici and then continue down the road for about a kilometre. When you reach the indicaton to the Forestry Department, turn down the road to the right leading to a view-point. From here a pathway winds up the mountain becoming very steep; when you get to the pass you will reach the top of Trois Frères (699 metres). From there take the pathway going west towards Beau Vallon Beach, and after about an hour of steep descent you will come to the road that comes out at Le Niol. Its better to leave early in the morning.

NO. 7 CLIMBING MORNE BLANC

The "Tea Tavern" on the Sans Souci road is the "base" for this excursion. Enquire there about the path leading up the mountain (it starts about a hundred metres from the tavern). You walk along through tea plantations that go up steeply, then you walk along high ground and up again through a thick damp forest. The pathway ends at the top of Morne Blanc (667 metres). It is advisable to do this climb when the weather is good, although it is not difficult: when it is foggy or wet the paths are slippery and dangerous, and you don't get the best of the wonderful views on the way up.

NO. 8 CLIMBING MORNE SEYCHELLOIS

It is advisable to have a local guide with you for this excursion (apply to Surney Division, Independence House, Victoria): you do infact reach a height of 905 metres and the path is not always easy to see. The excursion starts from the pass on the Sans Souci road.
DIVING IN SEYCHELLES
The water of the Seychelles archipelago offers some of the best diving sites in the world. The crystal shallows surrounding the Seychelles are rated in the top ten in the world and they have the advantage of being safe too.
at least 850 species of fish swim around in this coral garden and you will discover hundreds of different specimens of coral as well.And this is not all: everyday the same places appear quite different.
Hunting scenes with predators like dogtooth tuna and barracuda are intermingled with sights of bottlenose dolphins swimming among schools of thousands of silvery jackfish; turtles and different kinds of rays are permanent visitors and when conditions are peaceful you can dedicate your time to admiring the fantastic details of coral reef life.
Nearly all scuba diving centres in the Seychelles are members of PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) and instruction and modern equipment are available.
Scuba sessions for beginners are held in pools together with open water courses in preparation for an exam, after which an international certificate is awarded. Open water courses are divided into three parts: theory, confined water training and open water training. Minimum enrolling age 12 YEARS.

The best diving period is between April and November.

CENTRES DE PLONGEE

ADRESSE

PHONE

FAX

Diables Des Mers

Beau Vallon

247 104

247104

Island Ventures Dive Seychelles

Berjaya Beau Vallon

247 141

247 943

Island Ventures

Meridien Barbaron’s

378 253

378 484

Big Blu Divers

Mare Anglaise

261106

247584

Silhouette Cruises

Victoria

324026

324365

Underwater Centre Seychelles

Beau Vallon

621000

344223


 
FISHING IN SEYCHELLES :


Fishing in the ocean surrounding the Seychelles is possible all year round. From May to October the south-east monsoon blows over the islands and the sea can get very rough, whereas from November to April the north-west monsoon brings rain and the sea is more calm.
Enthusiasts arrive from all over the world to battle with marlins,barracudas and sailfish.Over the course of time a great number of records have been set up; and the "lukiest" site in the last ten years has been Silhouette , which holds the record of the capture of 63% of the sailfish caught in the whole archipelego.

On request boats fully equipped belonging to the Marine Charters are avaolable to fishers for half days, whole days or a week.
Three maps show the "consecrated" deep sea fishing zones in the Seychelles archipelago; the first shows all 14, thesecond indicates specifically those around Mahé and the third the ones encircling Praslin.  
Marine Charter Association B.P. 469-Victoria -Tel : 322 126
 
SAILING AND CRUISING :


The best way to discover the 115 islands of the archipelago (1,340,000 square kilometer) is by chartering a yacht or a boat to sail around the islands.
It is a great way to relax and to take advantage of all the activities available and visiting the parts of the archipelago not normally accessible to other visitors.

The Members of the Marine Charter Association offer a wide selection of modern vessels, from traditional yacht complete with skippers and boat-boy to yacht for bare-boat sailing. The sailing programs can be organized on board catamarans and monocoques types with the choice of chartering the whole boat or per cabin -

DREAMS YACHTS – VPM – MOORINGS – ANGELFISH – MARIE BELLE
 
Yacht Club de Victoria: 5 June Avenue-Tel : 322 362


WATER SPORTS

Most of the large hotels have their water-sports facilities while a number of independent water sports operators can be found on the most popular beaches of Mahé and Praslin.
 
The turquoise blue water of Seychelles together with a pleasant temperature are appealing to swimming and the discovery of the extraordinary marine life. However, motorised water-sports are found only on Beau Vallon beach as the Seychelles authorities aim at preserving the marine life and the peace and tranquillity of the other beaches.

 

NIGHT LIFE

There are 2 casinos on Mahé: At the VICTORIA CASINO in Victoria  at the Pirate's Arms and at the Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Resort at Beau Vallon in North Mahé.

Most of the large hotels organise theme evenings but discotheques are also found on Mahé:


AERO COCO - Anse Aux Pins

 Barrel  - Victoria

 Lovenut - Victoria

 Katiolo - Anse Faure

 Teekila Boom -  Bel Ombre

La Faya - Belombre