Seychelles — Destinations
Praslin Island
The popular vacation island of Praslin lies 21 miles (34km) north-east of Mahé in the Seychelles archipelago, a popular stop for cruise liners and a vacation destination for honeymooners and beach lovers. Visitors to Praslin Island have a choice of two ways to get to the island. The first option is by boat from Mahe Island. There are a number of ferries and high-speed catamarans operating between Mahe and Praslin Island and fast catamarans make the crossing in just 45 minutes. Praslin Island also has a small airport, Iles des Palmes Airport, which is only serviced by Air Seychelles. Visitors to the Seychelles wishing to get to Praslin by air can either book a ticket on one of the scheduled flights to the island or on a chartered flight, which generally tend to go to more than one of the islands in the Seychelles group. Once on Praslin, the island's favorite beach, Anse Lazio, is one of the world's most exquisite, but the entire island is ringed with beautiful secluded beaches, sporting coral reefs and crystal clear waters.
Praslin is known for being the exclusive home of the rare 'coco de mer' palm, that produces the world's largest nut, and delights ornithologists with glimpses of some of the world's rarest birds, like the black parrot and fruit pigeon. Several large resort hotels have been developed on the island, but this has not interfered with the natural beauty or abundant flora and fauna, or its reputation as being as close to the Garden of Eden as one can get. There are a few villages sprinkled across the island, housing the permanent population of a few thousand souls, most of whom work in the hotels and resorts or depend on fishing for a livelihood.
Mahe
Despite the fact that it is heavily populated and well-developed, the island of Mahé, the largest of the Seychelles archipelago, contains plenty of hidden treasures, not least of which is a legendary pirate's cache purportedly buried at Bel Ombre. The southern end of the island still sports deserted beaches, and even the busy northern urban enclave, which includes the international airport and capital city, Victoria, exudes laid-back charm.
Forming the backbone of the island is a spectacular mountain range that includes Morne Seychellois, the island's highest peak. Around the peak is one of the island's beautiful national parks, offering good hiking and stunning scenery. More than 60 idyllic beaches fringed with swaying palm trees can be found along the shoreline, offering a host of activities from excellent dive centers to various watersports operators. There are several interesting sights to see, particularly in friendly Victoria. Although not renowned for its nightlife, Mahé is the liveliest island after dark and resorts like the Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Beach Resort and Casino, several nightclubs and restaurants that serve up traditional Creole delights provide the evening entertainment.
Climate
Mahé may lie close to the equator, but the annual temperatures remain fairly constant with average daytime temperatures at about 80°F (27°C). At higher altitudes, temperatures are lower, especially at night-time. Mahé's dry season runs from May to October but this is the period when the southeast monsoon winds can bring brief showers every few days. From December to March the monsoon arrives bringing heavy rainfall and high humidity, especially in the coastal regions.
Praslin Island
The popular vacation island of Praslin lies 21 miles (34km) north-east of Mahé in the Seychelles archipelago, a popular stop for cruise liners and a vacation destination for honeymooners and beach lovers. Visitors to Praslin Island have a choice of two ways to get to the island. The first option is by boat from Mahe Island. There are a number of ferries and high-speed catamarans operating between Mahe and Praslin Island and fast catamarans make the crossing in just 45 minutes. Praslin Island also has a small airport, Iles des Palmes Airport, which is only serviced by Air Seychelles. Visitors to the Seychelles wishing to get to Praslin by air can either book a ticket on one of the scheduled flights to the island or on a chartered flight, which generally tend to go to more than one of the islands in the Seychelles group. Once on Praslin, the island's favorite beach, Anse Lazio, is one of the world's most exquisite, but the entire island is ringed with beautiful secluded beaches, sporting coral reefs and crystal clear waters.
Praslin is known for being the exclusive home of the rare 'coco de mer' palm, that produces the world's largest nut, and delights ornithologists with glimpses of some of the world's rarest birds, like the black parrot and fruit pigeon. Several large resort hotels have been developed on the island, but this has not interfered with the natural beauty or abundant flora and fauna, or its reputation as being as close to the Garden of Eden as one can get. There are a few villages sprinkled across the island, housing the permanent population of a few thousand souls, most of whom work in the hotels and resorts or depend on fishing for a livelihood.
Mahe
Despite the fact that it is heavily populated and well-developed, the island of Mahé, the largest of the Seychelles archipelago, contains plenty of hidden treasures, not least of which is a legendary pirate's cache purportedly buried at Bel Ombre. The southern end of the island still sports deserted beaches, and even the busy northern urban enclave, which includes the international airport and capital city, Victoria, exudes laid-back charm.
Forming the backbone of the island is a spectacular mountain range that includes Morne Seychellois, the island's highest peak. Around the peak is one of the island's beautiful national parks, offering good hiking and stunning scenery. More than 60 idyllic beaches fringed with swaying palm trees can be found along the shoreline, offering a host of activities from excellent dive centers to various watersports operators. There are several interesting sights to see, particularly in friendly Victoria. Although not renowned for its nightlife, Mahé is the liveliest island after dark and resorts like the Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Beach Resort and Casino, several nightclubs and restaurants that serve up traditional Creole delights provide the evening entertainment.
Climate
Mahé may lie close to the equator, but the annual temperatures remain fairly constant with average daytime temperatures at about 80°F (27°C). At higher altitudes, temperatures are lower, especially at night-time. Mahé's dry season runs from May to October but this is the period when the southeast monsoon winds can bring brief showers every few days. From December to March the monsoon arrives bringing heavy rainfall and high humidity, especially in the coastal regions.
Praslin Island
The popular vacation island of Praslin lies 21 miles (34km) north-east of Mahé in the Seychelles archipelago, a popular stop for cruise liners and a vacation destination for honeymooners and beach lovers. Visitors to Praslin Island have a choice of two ways to get to the island. The first option is by boat from Mahe Island. There are a number of ferries and high-speed catamarans operating between Mahe and Praslin Island and fast catamarans make the crossing in just 45 minutes. Praslin Island also has a small airport, Iles des Palmes Airport, which is only serviced by Air Seychelles. Visitors to the Seychelles wishing to get to Praslin by air can either book a ticket on one of the scheduled flights to the island or on a chartered flight, which generally tend to go to more than one of the islands in the Seychelles group. Once on Praslin, the island's favorite beach, Anse Lazio, is one of the world's most exquisite, but the entire island is ringed with beautiful secluded beaches, sporting coral reefs and crystal clear waters.
Praslin is known for being the exclusive home of the rare 'coco de mer' palm, that produces the world's largest nut, and delights ornithologists with glimpses of some of the world's rarest birds, like the black parrot and fruit pigeon. Several large resort hotels have been developed on the island, but this has not interfered with the natural beauty or abundant flora and fauna, or its reputation as being as close to the Garden of Eden as one can get. There are a few villages sprinkled across the island, housing the permanent population of a few thousand souls, most of whom work in the hotels and resorts or depend on fishing for a livelihood.
Mahe
Despite the fact that it is heavily populated and well-developed, the island of Mahé, the largest of the Seychelles archipelago, contains plenty of hidden treasures, not least of which is a legendary pirate's cache purportedly buried at Bel Ombre. The southern end of the island still sports deserted beaches, and even the busy northern urban enclave, which includes the international airport and capital city, Victoria, exudes laid-back charm.
Forming the backbone of the island is a spectacular mountain range that includes Morne Seychellois, the island's highest peak. Around the peak is one of the island's beautiful national parks, offering good hiking and stunning scenery. More than 60 idyllic beaches fringed with swaying palm trees can be found along the shoreline, offering a host of activities from excellent dive centers to various watersports operators. There are several interesting sights to see, particularly in friendly Victoria. Although not renowned for its nightlife, Mahé is the liveliest island after dark and resorts like the Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Beach Resort and Casino, several nightclubs and restaurants that serve up traditional Creole delights provide the evening entertainment.
Climate
Mahé may lie close to the equator, but the annual temperatures remain fairly constant with average daytime temperatures at about 80°F (27°C). At higher altitudes, temperatures are lower, especially at night-time. Mahé's dry season runs from May to October but this is the period when the southeast monsoon winds can bring brief showers every few days. From December to March the monsoon arrives bringing heavy rainfall and high humidity, especially in the coastal regions.
Praslin Island
The popular vacation island of Praslin lies 21 miles (34km) north-east of Mahé in the Seychelles archipelago, a popular stop for cruise liners and a vacation destination for honeymooners and beach lovers. Visitors to Praslin Island have a choice of two ways to get to the island. The first option is by boat from Mahe Island. There are a number of ferries and high-speed catamarans operating between Mahe and Praslin Island and fast catamarans make the crossing in just 45 minutes. Praslin Island also has a small airport, Iles des Palmes Airport, which is only serviced by Air Seychelles. Visitors to the Seychelles wishing to get to Praslin by air can either book a ticket on one of the scheduled flights to the island or on a chartered flight, which generally tend to go to more than one of the islands in the Seychelles group. Once on Praslin, the island's favorite beach, Anse Lazio, is one of the world's most exquisite, but the entire island is ringed with beautiful secluded beaches, sporting coral reefs and crystal clear waters.
Praslin is known for being the exclusive home of the rare 'coco de mer' palm, that produces the world's largest nut, and delights ornithologists with glimpses of some of the world's rarest birds, like the black parrot and fruit pigeon. Several large resort hotels have been developed on the island, but this has not interfered with the natural beauty or abundant flora and fauna, or its reputation as being as close to the Garden of Eden as one can get. There are a few villages sprinkled across the island, housing the permanent population of a few thousand souls, most of whom work in the hotels and resorts or depend on fishing for a livelihood.
Mahe
Despite the fact that it is heavily populated and well-developed, the island of Mahé, the largest of the Seychelles archipelago, contains plenty of hidden treasures, not least of which is a legendary pirate's cache purportedly buried at Bel Ombre. The southern end of the island still sports deserted beaches, and even the busy northern urban enclave, which includes the international airport and capital city, Victoria, exudes laid-back charm.
Forming the backbone of the island is a spectacular mountain range that includes Morne Seychellois, the island's highest peak. Around the peak is one of the island's beautiful national parks, offering good hiking and stunning scenery. More than 60 idyllic beaches fringed with swaying palm trees can be found along the shoreline, offering a host of activities from excellent dive centers to various watersports operators. There are several interesting sights to see, particularly in friendly Victoria. Although not renowned for its nightlife, Mahé is the liveliest island after dark and resorts like the Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Beach Resort and Casino, several nightclubs and restaurants that serve up traditional Creole delights provide the evening entertainment.
Climate
Mahé may lie close to the equator, but the annual temperatures remain fairly constant with average daytime temperatures at about 80°F (27°C). At higher altitudes, temperatures are lower, especially at night-time. Mahé's dry season runs from May to October but this is the period when the southeast monsoon winds can bring brief showers every few days. From December to March the monsoon arrives bringing heavy rainfall and high humidity, especially in the coastal regions.
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