General information

At the very dawn of time, when the shape of the our planet was still evolving, the giant continent of Gondwanaland broke apart and a group of ancient granite fragments finally came to rest in the south-western Indian Ocean between Africa, India and Madagascar.

Today, The Seychelles archipelago's 115 granite and coralline islands lie spread like emeralds over one million square kilometers of azure water just south of the equator. The granite islands cluster around the principal island of Mahe while the more numerous islands extend in a gleaming arc towards the East Africa. Most remain virgin worlds. All remain sanctuaries to some of the rarest and most exotic plant and animal life in the known world.

Seychelles are one of the groups of islands that are often best enjoyed in the comfort of catamaran or a monohull yacht. The duration and distance of journey are only limited by imagination.

Plenty of provisions are available from the local stores and the colorful markets, not to mention a tempting selection of alcohol and fruit juices for that memorable sundowner in the middle of the ocean.

Seychelles comprise of 41 spectacular granite islands, and 74 sparkling sand cays and atolls.

Together these form 6 distinct group The Inner Islands, The Amirantes, Southern Coral, Alphonse, Farquhar, and Aldabra all lying between 480 km and 1600 km from East African coast.

Among the 115 islands of the Seychelles you will find the luxuriant, tropical paradise that appears in countless advertisements and glossy travel brochures. But however seductive the images, they simply can't compete with the real-life dazzling beaches and crystal-clear waters.

There are more shades of blue and green in the Seychelles than it is possible to imagine. Forming a backdrop to the relaxed tropical image of the Seychelles are the rhythms, colors and flavors of Africa and gris gris, the local brand of black magic.

In addition to the world famous beaches of Seychelles, there are a host of special attractions in Seychelles for the visitors. These include the legendry Vallee de Mai in Praslin. L'Union Estate in La Digue Island is home to the one of the most pristine beaches in Seychelles.

Aride Island, is one of the world's most important Nature Reserve. Aride Island is home to breeding seabirds of ten species endemic birds such as Magpie Robins, Fodies, Brush Warblers. Ile Coco Marine National Park is set around 3 small islet in shallow turquoise sea by large expanses of coral reefs. The combination of red and green, colour the hillside of Curieuse Island and gives it its unique characteristics. The hills are peppered with Coco de mer trees, of the eternal symbols of the Seychelles.

Most visitors visit The Curieuse Marine National Park by chartered boat from Praslin. Standing at a height of 740 m Silhoutte Marine National Park is the only "paper park" left in Seychelles. Set in turquoise sea Anne Marine National Park has one of the largest areas of sea grass meadows in the granite islands.

There is no indigenous culture in the Seychelles as such, but aspects of African origin have survived. The government has formed the National School of Music and the National Cultural Troupe to foster a cultural identity and tradition. You'll glimpse aspects of it by eating the delicious, seafood-heavy cuisine, dancing the moutia or seeking out a love potion.

When To Go
The Seychelles' seasons are defined by the trade winds. These blow from the northwest from October to April, bringing warm, wet weather. From May to September the southeast trades usher in cooler, drier weather but the winds whip up the waves and you'll want to find protected beaches. The turnaround periods (March through April and October through November) are normally calm and windless. The annual temperature range fluctuates between 24°C (75°F) and 31°C (88°F) and the humidity sweats at around 80%.

The rain generally comes in sudden, heavy bursts. January is the wettest month, and mountainous Mahé and Silhouette get the most rainfall. July and August are the driest. Although the Seychelles lies outside the cyclone zone, cyclone activity elsewhere in the Indian Ocean can still bring unseasonably grey, windy weather between December and March.

You should plan your trip to the Seychelles around what you want to do. Windsurfing and sailing are best at the start and end of the trade winds, usually around May and October. Some beaches are better during the monsoon season, others during the trade winds. Diving is best in March to May and September to November. Hotel prices shoot up and accommodation can be hard to find during the peak seasons from December to January and July to August. Easter can also get busy.

Pre 20th Century History
Nobody lived on the Seychelles until the 17th century. In 1609, a British East India ship made landfall, and in the next few years shiploads of pirates moved their operations to the Indian Ocean from the Caribbean and used the islands as their base.

In 1742 the governor of Mauritius, Mahé de La Bourdonnais, sent a ship to check out the islands. Ship's captain Picault named the main island after his governor and laid the way for the French to claim the islands 12 years later. In 1770 the first load of French settlers and slaves arrived on the island and started growing spices, cassava, sugar cane, coffee, sweet potatoes and maize, as well as harvesting the giant tortoise.

By the end of the 18th century, the islands were looking pretty choice and the British were taking an interest. The governor at the time, de Quinssy, lowered the French flag and gave in when attack looked imminent, but the British sailed on and de Quinssy raised the flag again. This happened 12 times until 1814, when Britain took charge of the Seychelles after the Napoleonic Wars. The main feature of British rule was an increase in the number of slaves and high-class political prisoners - French remained the main language and French culture lived on.

Modern History
In 1964 the Seychelles' first political parties were formed - France Albert René formed the Seychelles People's United Party, while James Mancham led the Seychelles Democratic Party. The SDP, the party of the planters and business people, won the 1966 and 1970 elections, defeating the socialist SPUP. In 1976 the country was made independent and the two parties formed a coalition to run the place: Sir Jim became president and René prime minister. The president set out to make the Seychelles the luxury destination - Sir Jim mixed it up with the jetset at resorts around the world, and pretty soon the rich and gorgeous were pouring in to party, party, party. But the prime minister was concerned that not enough of the wealth was making it down to the country's working folk, and on 5 June 1977 René carried out an almost bloodless coup, shoring up his new-found power by shipping in Tanzanian and North Korean soldiers.

Recent History
Though more than 7000 km (4500 mi) from its epicentre, the Seychelles islands suffered widespread damage in the wake of the Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004. Fishing and tourism infrastructure were all affected by tidal waves, which caused millions of dollars damage to roads, buildings and fishing boats. Thankfully, the loss of life was minimal.