When you stop to think about it there are very few people in the word who wouldn’t want to spend a few invigorating weeks on some tropical island. The isles of Thailand and the Bahamas are a great place to visit but if it’s true quiet and peace you’re after then the Seychelles’ secret is one place you’d better not miss out on. The island of Praslin lies off the east cost of Africa, far from the mainland, and holds some natural treasures for the avid islander.
Praslin is just off the coast of the main island in the Seychelles, Mahe. According to Just Seychelles the best way to get there is either by way of a 20-minute Twitter Otter plane or a one-hour trip on a catamaran called Cat Cocos. You really do feel like you’re getting away from it all as the sea-air rushes past your face or the Indian Oceans spreads far out beneath your plane. This is the moment where you realize you’ll only be needing the bare necessities, and a cell phone or laptop are just going to be portals to the busy world you’re trying so hard to remove yourself from (even if it’s just for a few days).
Once you hit the sands and have settled into your room take an hour or two to explore. It will be difficult to get really lost; you’re on an island, so let your thoughts go and see where you land up. If you’re keen to see a bit of the seabed then go and spend some time on Anze Lasio beach. Trip Advisor reports that this stretch of sand offers the average beachgoer anything and everything they could hope for; white, soft sands, inviting, turquoise waters, shade cover from the island trees, granite boulders to climb and even a cove for a spot of snorkeling.
There are two restaurants nearby the beach, and even though two travelers commented on the Trip Advisor site that the dining experience is somewhat pricey, you can really put a price tag on such an experience; eating a delicious meal near the shore in Seychelles. Afterwards you’d be well-pressed by the sheer beauty around you to go for a walk. The island is small, mostly uninhabited and has an amazing array of vegetation and coconut groves.
If you feel like it why not be one of 50 guests who get to explore Bird Island? The coral isle offers visitors a safe snorkeling and swimming location, but more importantly is a chance to walk amongst 70 hectares of tropical vegetation. Take along your bird book and see if you can spot some of the indigenous fowls.
Or, on the mainland, travel to one of the very few villages which house the inhabitants of this “Garden of Eden” as it’s referred to. Most of the locals either work for the hotels or resorts or rely on fishing to make a living. It will be quite a culture shock to experience what island life is really like but the indigenous people are friendly and easy-going.
There is so much more to do on the island of Praslin, but we’ll keep it a secret and allow you to find out about it all for yourself.
Image via Stock.xchng.
Jade Scully is a copywriter excited about writing copy and stories, blogging about the world and editing. She currently and regularly publishes her stories on a number of blogs. Jade loves animals and hopes to begin writing copy for the animal rescue charity TEARS as her contribution to the cause.
