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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 6

    A day at the beach

    April 21, 2023 on the Seychelles β‹… β›… 30 Β°C

    We woke up to bright sunshine 🌞 and 30° heat, so we decided to spend the day at the beach ⛱️. After breakfast, we got organised and went to catch the bus 🚌 to Anse Royale, one of the best beaches on Mahe.

    For once, the bus wasn't too crowded, so we were able to sit by an open window and watch the scenery. It was a bit hair-raising in places as we hurtled round the cliff-top bends with scary-looking drops to the sea below!! I'm pleased to report that we made it in one piece and found ourselves a spot on the beach with a bit of shade from the floribunda bushes.

    We spent the say there, swimming 🏊‍♀️ and snorkelling (there wasn't much to see, but it was good to practice with our masks again ahead of our boat trip next week). The water was crystal clear and lovely and warm. It was so relaxing 😌. This is what we worked so hard for over the last couple of years!!

    As the sun started to drop behind the trees, we left the beach and found a very posh supermarket (there are a lot of tourists in Anse Royale) where we bought bread and treated ourselves to an ice cream 🍦 to have while we waited for the bus 🚌.

    Back at the apartment, we had a swim and then sat on the balcony listening to the radio πŸ“» before dinner. I think we both got a bit too much sun today - rookie error!! πŸ˜‚πŸ€£ We'll have to stay out of it for the next couple of days.    Read more

  • A Sojourn in the Seychelles
    Day 7

    Best laid plans and all that πŸ˜‚

    April 22, 2023 on the Seychelles β‹… β›… 30 Β°C

    Our plan today was to visit Eden Island, enquire about boat trips to other islands, and do some shopping at the only South African Spar on the island 🏝 πŸ˜€. None of that happened!

    I woke up before 6am and caught a couple of photos πŸ“Έ of the imminent sunrise. I did go back to bed but couldn't sleep. I was aware that Anto was up and about. He was cleaning the apartment upstairs from us. I knew he wanted to get in and clean ours today and that all 6 apartments would be full by the end of the day. So, we got up early, had breakfast, and headed for the bus stop, waving to Anto as we left, telling him he was clear to do our room.

    At the bus stop, I realised I had forgotten to pick up any water. You really can't go anywhere in this heat without water. So, Mark volunteered to go and get it while I waited with our backpacks πŸŽ’. Luckily, the bus 🚌 didn't come while he was gone. It appeared around the corner just as he came back, so we jumped on it and were on our way. Two stops down the road, I realised I had left my phone on the bench at the bus stop!! Panic!! We pressed the bell, urged the driver to stop, and jumped off! My phone has everything on it! I was imagining the problems we would have if I didn't get it back!! I spotted a group of people setting up a picnic in the trees by the beach across the road. I ran over, explained what I'd done, and asked if one of them could give me a lift back to the bus stop. I was worried that, if I walked, someone would get there before me and take my phone. The family I asked were lovely! They were celebrating their grandma's birthday. One of them jumped in her car and gave me a lift while Mark stayed with the rest of the family. My phone was still there!! I've never been so relieved in all my life!! I offered to pay for petrol, but they wouldn't take a penny!!

    After our second false start, we went back to the nearest bus stop to wait for the next bus. It came after about 20 minutes - and we were on our way again! Unfortunately, we had got on a bus which didn't go to Eden Island! We found ourselves in Victoria instead!! Mark went to ask about a bus to Eden Island while I took some photos πŸ“Έ of the street art. He found out there wasn't one for an hour!!

    So, we decided to find a shady spot to have a drink and work out what to do with our day. We went to a little cafe near the Clock Tower. We didn't even look at the prices and ended up paying about £15 for an iced coffee and a beer!! Oh my goodness - our day wasn't getting any better! πŸ˜‚πŸ€£

    We sat for a while watching other white tourists wandering around suffering in the heat and then made up our minds to walk to a hypermarket a little way out of town to see if we could find some sugar-free drinks. Needless to say, on a day like this, we never found it! We did, however, find another large(ish) supermarket that stocked Coke Zero - result!! We can enjoy a Takamaka rum and coke or three now πŸ˜‚! By now, we were both hot and hungry, so we decided to give up on our plans for the day and head home. We only had to wait 40 minutes for a bus!! πŸ˜‚πŸ€£ The joys of travel - some days are just like that!

    Back at the apartment, we chilled on the balcony and watched the comings and goings of the new arrivals. I had the obligatory swim before dinner - Mark gave it a miss today. I did 40 lengths, but it is a very small pool!! πŸ˜‚    Read more

  • A Sojourn in the Seychelles
    Day 8

    A work day

    April 23, 2023 on the Seychelles β‹… ☁️ 30 Β°C

    Today, we stayed at the apartment complex. I had work on the website to catch up on while Mark did the chores! We might be travelling, but the washing still needs to be done! It's not a bad view from my laptop, so I'm not complaining!

    Later in the day, we had a swim 🏊‍♀️. I did 50 lengths - it is a VERY small pool! πŸ˜€ While we were swimming, we were fascinated to watch the bats flying overhead!

    Mark is still working his way through all the Seychellois beers! πŸ˜‚πŸ€£    Read more

  • A Sojourn in the Seychelles
    Day 9

    More drama!

    April 24, 2023 on the Seychelles β‹… ☁️ 29 Β°C

    This morning, we went out to catch the bus just before 9am. We didn't forget the water, and I had a firm grip on my phone! πŸ˜‚ We decided to get on the first bus that came along. If it was stopping at Eden Island, we would go there. If it wasn't, we would visit the museum in Victoria. We didn't have to wait very long before a bus appeared. It was one for Eden Island. Delighted, Mark stuck his arm out for it to stop. I shouted to him that I had my phone. We were good to go!! But, for whatever reason, the bus 🚌 didn't stop!! It just sailed past us!! We were gutted!

    While we were still trying to make sense of what just happened, another bus turned up. It was going straight to Victoria, but we decided that was OK, so we flagged it down and got on. We were pleased that it was an almost-empty bus!! We sat by an open window and looked forward to the journey. Almost immediately, I realised I had done it again!! I had left my phone on the bench at the bus stop! How incredibly stupid am I??!! We rang the bell and jumped off at the next stop, much to the bafflement of the other passengers! Long-suffering Mark (how on earth does he put up with me?) then ran πŸƒ‍♂️ back up the hill to our stop. I stayed with the bags. Unbelievably, and so luckily, my phone was still there!! Mark retrieved it and came back to where I was, sweating profusely after his exertions in the 32° heat!! I really, really, must be more careful - I'm sure I wouldn't be so lucky if I did it a third time!!

    When the next bus turned up, it was really crowded. It was going straight to Victoria, so Eden Island was off the agenda for today. It was an uncomfortable ride into town. Just before we got to the city, we stopped at the Botanic Gardens. On the spur of the moment, we decided to get off and visit there instead! It turned out to be a good decision. I'm adding some photos πŸ“Έ to this footprint πŸ‘£ and will describe the gardens in the next one.

    The photo πŸ“Έ of Mark with his cap on backwards is not a sign that he's regressing to his childhood! It's because he can't use the camera when he's wearing it correctly πŸ˜‚.    Read more

  • A Sojourn in the Seychelles
    Day 9

    Botanical Gardens, Victoria

    April 24, 2023 on the Seychelles β‹… ☁️ 29 Β°C

    The Victoria Botanical Gardens were established in 1901 by Mr. Paul Evenor Rivalz Dupont, Director of Agricultural Services and Naturalist of Seychelles. Today, the Ministry of Environment is responsible for the gardens and has its headquarters within the grounds. The main objective of the gardens is to contribute towards the Seychelles' efforts in environmental education, plant conservation, landscape management, passive recreation, and eco-tourism.

    For us, on such a hot, sticky day, it was nice to find a bit of respite in the shade of magnificent trees. It was lovely to see plants and flowers that we saw at the Eden Project in Cornwall a few weeks ago thriving in their natural environment!

    A highlight was an impressive 40 foot tall Coco de Mer tree, which was planted by the Duke of Edinburgh as a sapling in 1956. I'm sure he would be impressed with how well it's done! πŸ˜€

    The Coco de Mer tree (scientific name 'lodoicea') is only found naturally in the Seychelles. It generally grows to around 30 to 40 metres tall. The tallest on record, measured on the ground after felling, was 56.7 metres.β€Š The leaves are fan-shaped, 7 to 10 metres long and 4.5 metres wide.  It is dioecious, meaning that it has separate male and female plants. The one planted by the Duke is female. There is a male standing nearby. The mature fruit is 40 to 50 centimetres in diameter and weighs 15 to 30 kilograms. It contains the largest seed in the plant kingdom. This seed is synonymous with the Seychelles. You see representations of it everywhere - on advertising hoardings, on packaging, and on countless souvenirs. If you want to take an actual seed home with you, you need a special licence - and it will cost you a huge amount of money!    Read more

  • A Sojourn in the Seychelles
    Day 9

    Tortoises at the Botanic Gardens

    April 24, 2023 on the Seychelles β‹… ☁️ 29 Β°C

    The Botanic Gardens is also home to a large group of native Aldabra Giant Tortoises 🐒. These are the world's longest lived animals with a lifespan of 250 years. The oldest in the gardens is 95. They are able to survive up to 3 months without food and water. This made them a valuable commodity as fresh meat on the ships that plied the waters of the Indian Ocean in the 16th and 17th centuries. They almost became extinct at that time. Conservation programmes, like the one in the Botanic Gardens, have ensured their future. It was good to get close to them. They didn't seem perturbed by the group of screaming schoolchildren who followed us into their enclosure. I was, but the turtles weren't! πŸ˜‚πŸ€£

    After exploring the gardens, we went for a cold drink in the café, erroneously named the Wildflour Café! Despite the spelling mistake, we enjoyed our Slow Turtle 🐒 cider (Mark) and rum and raisin ice cream 🍦 (me) πŸ˜‚.    Read more

  • A Sojourn in the Seychelles
    Day 9

    Lunch by the waterfront

    April 24, 2023 on the Seychelles β‹… ☁️ 29 Β°C

    From the Botanic Gardens, we walked down to the waterfront, pausing to take a photo πŸ“Έ of the Bicentennial Monument, erected in 1978 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the founding of the city of Victoria and said to represent the three continents (Africa, Europe, and Asia) where Seychellois people originated from. We also took a photo of the Unity Monument, unveiled in 1987 and depicting 4 large white fish. Each fish represents one of the pillars of the economy in Seychelles - tourism, agriculture, fisheries, and small businesses.

    At the waterfront, we found a café run by a Seychellois lady married to an English man. She lived in Kingston, Surrey, for many years. I can see why she prefers the Seychelles! We had a drink and shared a toasted cheese πŸ§€ and tomato πŸ… sandwich πŸ₯ͺ.

    While we ate, we watched a vivid orange bird. We asked the lady what it was called. She told us it was a robin! It was nothing like any robin I've ever seen!    Read more

  • A Sojourn in the Seychelles
    Day 9

    Peace Park, Victoria

    April 24, 2023 on the Seychelles β‹… ☁️ 29 Β°C

    Our last stop on the way back to the bus 🚌 station was at the Peace Park. Here, there are 3-metre tall bronze statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and James Richard Marie Mancham, the founding President of the Republic of Seychelles. I don't know what Mr Mancham looked like, but I can vouch for the likenesses of Gandhi and Mandela - I thought they were brilliant!Read more

  • A Sojourn in the Seychelles
    Day 10

    Anse aux Pins

    April 25, 2023 on the Seychelles

    This morning, we walked down to Anse aux Pins, our nearest beach, passing the infamous bus stop on the way!! πŸ˜‚

    We just wanted to see the beach ⛱️ and suss it out for a future visit. It ticked all the boxes! πŸ˜€Read more

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