The colorful underwater world of coral reefs and the crystal-clear ocean waters attract scuba-diving enthusiasts. Due to their scenic and natural beauty the Seychelles are an exceptionally attractive holiday destination.
The most popular islands in the Seychelles are Mahe, home to the capital Victoria, Praslin, nearby La Digue and the small Silhouette. There you will find excellent tourist facilities and numerous attractions, such as a water sports center. La Digue is widely considered one of the 10 most beautiful islands in the world. It is famous for having no cars on the island; bicycles and ox-drawn carts are the preferred means of transport. The Seychelles have at least a dozen postcard-perfect beaches, but Anse Georgette on Praslin is particularly worth visiting. Its distinctive feature is the enormous, dark granite boulders of unusual shapes, scattered individually across the beach. In addition to the frequently visited islands, the Seychelles also offer completely pristine areas protected from over-tourism. The two most interesting are Curieuse Island and Aldabra Atoll.
Curieuse is also often called Red Island by local residents, owing to the color of its rust-red soil. The Seychelles island of Curieuse Island is now a protected area. It is home to a research and breeding center for giant tortoises and sea turtles. When visiting the island, you can easily spot them roaming freely around the sandy coves. A special attraction during an excursion combining sightseeing is feeding these friendly giants. Curieuse is the only place besides neighboring Praslin where the endemic Seychelles palm Coco de Mer occurs naturally. The Seychelles coco de mer produces giant coconuts shaped like human hips; they can weigh up to 30 kilograms. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the island was a leper colony, and visitors can still see the ruins of the leprosarium and the doctor's residence. The doctor's house, whose history dates back to the 1870s, now houses a state museum and educational center.
Aldabra Atoll
Aldabra Atoll, part of the Outer Islands, lies approximately 120 to 700 nautical miles from the Seychelles capital, Mahe. It is the largest atoll in the Indian Ocean and one of the largest atolls in the world. Famous for its endemic flora and fauna, it consists of four islands and a shallow lagoon; the archipelago has a total area of 154 square kilometers. The atoll is distinguished by its untouched, pristine nature and lack of tourist infrastructure. The only way to get there is by chartered yacht or an individually organized trip on a private boat. The breathtaking four atolls—Cosmoledo, Aldabra, Astove and Assumption—form a unique ecosystem; they are home to almost 100 endemic bird species, including terns, Seychelles kestrels, swifts, red-headed fodies, fruit bats, herons, Aldabra drongos and the rare flightless birds known as Aldabra rails. The waters are full of colorful reefs where multicolored fish and snails, octopuses, swordfish and mackerel shimmer.
Tiger sharks, manta rays and enormous tuna can often be encountered in the atoll's shallows. Aldabra Atoll is best known worldwide for its large colony of giant tortoises living freely in their natural habitat. The population numbers approximately 152,000 individuals, representing about 99% of the species' total global population. It has been a strict nature reserve since 1982 and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
More information and travel reservations:
phone: 22 392 60 16/17
e-mail: travel@carter.eu
