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A Sojourn in the SeychellesA Sojourn in the Seychelles
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Three weeks of relaxation in the sun before our African overlanding adventure. Read more
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  • A Sojourn in the Seychelles
    Day 1

    Travelling to Gatwick

    April 16, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Another great journey starts at Skegvegas Station!! 🤣 We are so excited about this one - it's been in the planning stage for soooo long!!

    All early trains from Skegness today were fully booked, so we ended up on the 2.15pm with changes at Grantham and Stevenage, arriving at Gatwick at 6.22pm.

    So, we had a leisurely morning, having packed and cleaned through yesterday. We said our goodbyes to Mick and Rose and left home at 12.30pm. After dropping Bertha off at the storage facility, we took a taxi to the station. We've got rather more luggage 🧳 with us than we did for the last trip! 😂 Obviously, we are going to be away for a lot longer, but we are also carrying stuff that we will use in the Seychelles. By the time we head to mainland Africa, we SHOULD have fewer bags!!

    There was a huge queue at Skegness for our first train 🚆. We hadn't considered that it's the last day of the Easter holidays! There were loads of families heading home laden down with tacky souvenirs - a sure sign of a great seaside holiday! Luckily, we all got on the train, even if it was a bit crowded!

    It was a lovely sunny day. We enjoyed the scenery as we headed south, particularly the vivid yellow fields of rapeseed.

    All of our connections worked, and we checked in to the Premier Inn on time. We've had a couple of drinks in the bar and are heading for an early night. We have to be up at 5am!!    Read more

  • A Sojourn in the Seychelles
    Day 2

    A long travelling day - not over yet!

    April 17, 2023 in Qatar ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    This was always going to be a long, long day with lots of waiting around, but that's all part of the travel experience. As our favourite tour company's motto reminds us, 'It's about the journey, not the destination'!! 😂

    Today was not supposed to be as long as it's turned out to be, though! When I booked our flights ✈️ originally, we were due to leave Gatwick at 3pm. We planned a leisurely morning and a Premier Inn breakfast before wandering over to the terminal. We would then have had a 3-hour wait in Doha before our onward flight ✈️ to Seychelles. However, best laid plans and all that, a couple of weeks ago, we were told that our flight from Gatwick had been brought forward to 9am!! This meant a 5am wake-up call, no Premier Inn breakfast, and a whopping 9-hour layover in Doha!! Oh, well! First world problems and all that!! 😂 We're not complaining, really!

    So, we were up with the alarm and were first in the queue for 6am check-in with Qatar Airways 🇶🇦. They were very efficient and we had got rid of our luggage 🧳 and were on our way to security by 6.04am!! We had a 46kg luggage allowance each, and yet the guy at the desk next to us was over!! He also had 2 cabin bags 🎒 instead of the one he was allowed! We left him arguing with the very patient member of staff! 😂

    We were through security fairly quickly - even though we both failed the metal detector and had to go through the x-ray machine - goodness knows why!!

    After that, it was a Spoons breakfast and the obligatory pint of cider for Mark! I have no idea how he can drink it at 6.30am, but it's been the thing he does at the start of every trip for as long as I've known him!!

    We boarded without incident. My only gripe was that I'd forgotten to request a window seat! It was a completely packed flight, so we were stuck with the middle and aisle seats. Mark said, 'Welcome to my world!'. (I never let him sit by the window 😂🤣)

    We were served a full lunch at 10.30am our time, but the best advice when travelling is always to adapt to the local time as soon as possible, so we ate it! 😀 Mark even managed a glass of red wine 🍷 with his! 😂 The food was excellent!! They even found time to serve savoury pastries before we landed in Doha!

    On arrival in Doha, we had to pass through security to get to the transit lounges, so we had to ditch the water we had in our bags. However, we were able to refill them pretty quickly - there are drinking water fountains all over the airport 🛫.

    Doha is always ranked in the top 10 airports in the world 🌎 so there was plenty to keep us occupied during our long wait. Even though we're not shoppers, there was plenty to look at. We've now found somewhere comfortable to sit and charge our phones while we wait. There is zero chance that either of us will sleep before our 2.45am flight to the Seychelles!!    Read more

  • A Sojourn in the Seychelles
    Day 3

    Arriving in Seychelles!

    April 18, 2023 on the Seychelles ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    So, I was right! We didn't sleep a wink before our onward flight, nor during it, so we were absolutely knackered when we arrived here this morning!! 😂

    The flight ✈️ from Doha to Mahe was fine - despite the tiredness! We were moving another hour ahead time-wise, so we were greeted with 'good morning' by the stewards and served breakfast on board! To us, it felt like the middle of the night, but we were expected to behave like it was a new day! And, just like that, we lost a night's sleep!!

    However, we got our second wind when we stepped off the plane. Glorious sunshine and 30 ° at 8.30am! This is the life!!

    The immigration staff were really friendly, and we were soon through security with another stamp in our passports. According to a travel app I use, it's country number 52 since we started travelling together (not that we're counting or anything! 😂).

    Not having been in a hot climate for the past 3 years, we were dripping with sweat within seconds of stepping out of the arrivals hall!! We drew some cash (Seychellois Rupees) and went to find a taxi 🚕. We were shocked to be quoted 600 rupees (about £38) for a 12-minute ride! We asked around, but nobody was offering any lower. We had no choice but to accept! (Later, our host, Anto, told us it should have been 300 or 400 rupees at the most!)

    As tired as we were, we couldn't help but notice the beauty of the island during the short journey to our accommodation. The turquoise blue sea 🌊 looked really tempting!! Everywhere is very lush and vibrantly green, so we expect to see some rain 🌧 during our stay - a place doesn't look like this without plenty of the wet stuff!! 😉

    At our accommodation, we were met by Anto, one half of the French couple who own Cap Confort. He was very friendly and gave us the news we'd been hoping for - our apartment was ready, despite the fact that we were 6 hours early for check-in!

    So, we paid for our stay and then Anto helped us transport all our luggage 🧳 up to the first floor. He was very helpful, showing us on a map where everything is and giving us recommendations about where to eat and where to shop. I'm not sure how much we took in - we were both fit to drop by this point! As soon as Anto left, we cranked up the air-con and went to bed 🛌!! 😀    Read more

  • A Sojourn in the Seychelles
    Day 3

    First explorations!

    April 18, 2023 on the Seychelles ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    We slept for just a couple of hours 😴 before the sun 🌞 streaming in through the window woke us up! It was enough, though, for us to function for the rest of the day.

    After unpacking and sorting everything out, we ventured out to find a shop to buy some essentials. With such a huge baggage allowance, we did bring some basics with us, so we just needed something to add to make a meal. The nearest shop is only a 10-minute walk away, but we were dripping with sweat by the time we got there!! We admired the beautiful blue sea 🌊 en route and took a couple of photos 📸 but we really just wanted to shop and get back.

    The small supermarket had everything we needed. We bought bread, beer, onions 🌰, oranges 🍊, minced beef, cheese, and ice cream 🍦 - all the essentials!! 😂 We are very glad we brought coffee ☕️ with us - it costs an arm and a leg here!

    Back at Cap Confort, I got changed and went for a swim 🏊‍♂️. Mark didn't feel up to it, so he stayed on the balcony taking photos of the bats flying by - yes, really!! Photos will be added later when we've taken them off his camera 📷. The water was really warm - like stepping into a hot bath 🛀! It wasn't exactly refreshing, but I enjoyed it anyway 😊.

    Later, Mark had his first Seychellois beer. We made pasta bolognaise for dinner, and soon after, we went to bed! The lack of sleep had really caught up with us - but we are so happy to be here!! 😀    Read more

  • A Sojourn in the Seychelles
    Day 4

    Our first bus ride in the Seychelles

    April 19, 2023 on the Seychelles ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    We slept for a full 12 hours last night and woke up fully refreshed! That's us sorted - we're on Seychelles time now! 😀

    We had some stale baguette with cheese for breakfast. You would have thought I would have learned after years living in France 🇫🇷 - French bread 🥖 is NEVER any good the next day! It'll be brown toast tomorrow 😂.

    At 10.30am, we left the apartment to catch the bus 🚌 into Victoria, the world's smallest capital city. Anto told us the buses run every 20 minutes or so, but he didn't know at what times. We must have just missed one because we waited just over 20 minutes, sweating in the 32° heat, for it to come. I'm not complaining - I won't mention the sweating again!! (Every time I write the word, all I can hear is my Mum's voice saying, 'Andrea, don't use that word - ladies don't sweat, they perspire'. 😂🤣 And, no, she wasn't a product of Victorian upbringing!! 😂

    Yesterday, we were chatting to a Belgian couple who are staying in the same place as us. They have hired a car for the duration of their stay. When I told them we were planning to use the local buses, they were horrified!! They reminded us that they would take ages, be really crowded, and, most importantly, have no air-con. Correct on all points! BUT, they charge 12 rupees (about 70p) per trip - AND you get to meet the locals. For us, it's a no-brainer. For long-term travel, it's a case of, 'eat like a local, travel like a local'. 😀

    When the bus came, it was full. Mark had to stand, but not for the whole journey. It took us about 55 minutes to cover the 10 miles to town, but the windows were open, and we enjoyed people watching and listening to the chatter - not that we could understand any of it - everyone was speaking Creole. (The three official languages of the Seychelles are French, English, and Creole.)

    On the way, we made a note of a couple of places for future visits.

    We stayed on the bus until we reached the terminus, which was a bustling hive of activity. We tried in vain to find a map of bus routes and/or a timetable. Never mind. Without the Internet, when we're away from the apartment, we'll have to rely on the old-fashioned method of getting around - asking people!! 😀

    NB - the street art photos were taken in the bus station. There was a lot more that I didn't photograph - I'll have to add others later.    Read more

  • A Sojourn in the Seychelles
    Day 4

    Victoria, capital of the Seychelles

    April 19, 2023 on the Seychelles ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Victoria is purported to be the smallest capital city in the world. It is certainly the only city in the Seychelles.

    For us, today was all about getting our bearings and checking out the market. We will go back another day to explore further and visit the museums. Having said that, we did see the Clock Tower, the focal point of the city. It really isn't that big, but it acts as a central meeting spot, standing on the intersection of Independence Avenue, Albert Street, and Francis Rachel Street. It is a miniature version of the clock tower at Vauxhall Bridge in London. It was a gift of the British government and was erected in 1903 when the Seychelles took the first step towards Independence.

    We wandered around the city before pausing at the waterfront for a much needed beverage! 😂 It was lovely just to sit and watch the comings and goings.

    Afterwards, we went to the tourist office to pick up a city plan and to ask for directions to the market. On route to buy our vegetables and salad stuff, we stopped at one of the many bakeries (a legacy from the French 😀) to buy a pastry for lunch. A delicious spicy vegetable pasty did the trick - snd it was only 10 rupees (60p).

    The market was great - we will definitely go there again. Locally grown stuff is quite reasonably priced, but you obviously have to pay a premium for imported stuff like tomatoes 🍅 and peppers.

    Before catching the bus 🚌 back, we went to another supermarket where we found low-fat milk 🥛. Mark bought a couple of different beers to try. The shops really remind us of the Caribbean, as did the whole of Victoria - the people, the architecture, everything! We feel very at home here 😀.

    On the bus ride home, the heavens opened, and it lashed it down!! All the windows were quickly closed - it was like being in a sauna!! You could see the steam rising! 😂 Local people all carry small towels with them. There was a girl at the bus stop this morning using one to mop the sweat (there's that word again 😀) from her brow. This afternoon, on the bus, people were getting on looking like they'd just stepped out of the shower 🚿 and using their towels to dry themselves off!

    Luckily, the rain had stopped by the time we reached home.    Read more

  • A Sojourn in the Seychelles
    Day 4

    Tropical storm

    April 19, 2023 on the Seychelles ⋅ 🌧 28 °C

    When we got home, we went for a swim 🏊‍♀️. It started raining again while we were in the pool. We stayed in because it was still 30°!! I love swimming in the rain 😀.

    Later, we had dinner and listened to podcasts until the storm outside got so loud that we couldn't hear them anymore! The heavy rain and high temperature reminded us of our time in Vietnam 🇻🇳 😂.Read more

  • A Sojourn in the Seychelles
    Day 5

    A spot of rum tasting!

    April 20, 2023 on the Seychelles ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    Last night's rain continued into this morning, so we changed our original idea, which was to have a beach day ⛱️ ! Instead, we sat on our balcony making plans for the rest of our time here. Mark listened to some podcasts, and I started to read the first of a series of books set in Africa that I have on my Kindle. We're both feeling really relaxed 😌 now! 😀

    Later, when the weather improved, we walked 10 minutes down the road to the island's biggest rum distillery, Takamaka. Very handy to have it on our doorstep! 😂🤣 We had a really interesting tour, followed by a tasting of their range of rums. We also met Taka and Maka, their resident Giant Aldabra tortoises. As we left through the shop, a bottle or two might have made their way into our backpack 🎒 🤔.

    After our visit, we popped to the local shop for some eggs 🥚and some coke (to go with the rum 😋). On our way back to the apartment, we intended to buy some lettuce from the same roadside vendor we bought some from on Tuesday. He was there on our way to the distillery, but he had packed up by the time we were heading back. I was disappointed, but we would have done without. However, I saw the guy and asked him if he had any lettuce left. Initially, he said no, but his friend said he had some. So, off he went to look. He was gone for ages. When he finally reappeared, he had two bags of lettuce. He was embarrassed because he thought they weren't fresh enough. I assured him that they would be fine. He didn't want to take any money for them, but I insisted! This is what we are finding all the time here - the people are so friendly and helpful, and don't expect anything in return!

    And the lettuce was lovely! We had a salad 🥗 tonight, and there's enough left for tomorrow 😀.    Read more

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