Why The Seychelles Should Be On Your Bucket List

The Seychelles is an archipelago consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, just off the coast of East Africa. The endless strips of white-sand beaches and turquoise waters prompt most to describe them as paradise. However, there’s much more than meets the eye, so read on to find out what else makes this country beautiful.

Nature Reserves

The Seychelles has become more and more popular with tourists over the past few years, so the nation has brought in a handful of conservation projects to help protect the natural elements. There is a total of six nature reserves spread across the hundreds of islands, one of the most visited being the Curieuse Marine National Park, only two kilometres from Praslin.

During a guided hike, you’ll fight through an awe-inspiring mangrove forest comprised of eight different species and a boardwalk to enjoy a spectacular view of the tropical flora around. Here you may discover takamaka trees that produces bright yellow and red fruits and lodoicea trees, a type of palm that produces a uniquely shaped double coconut.

Wonderful Wildlife

Many of the conservation systems were put in place to help endangered animals, on top of the few endemic plants and trees. The most iconic animal is the giant tortoise, found on Aldabra Atoll, an island made up of four raised coral reefs. This is now a conserved UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to 152,000 tortoises.

When hiking through the lush, green forest in the Morne Seychellois National Park, keep an eye out for the green phelsuma gecko, whose luminous green colour stands out against the brown tree trunks. Also, listen out for the sweet songs of the twelve bird species endemic to the islands echoing between the trees. The easiest to spot is the blue pigeon, which you can read about in this Seychelles blog post.

Stunning Beaches

The majority of tourists visit the Seychelles for breathtaking beaches that showcase fine, white sand; turquoise waters; and tall palm trees – all of which creates a picture-perfect setting. One of the main features of these spectacular coastlines is their peacefulness; the only noises you’ll hear are the shallow waves lapping up on the shore. The vast amount of islands in the archipelago means there’s plenty of choice.

Anse Source D'Argent is considered one of the world’s most beautiful beaches since it has all of the elements a shore needs – like a rainforest background and giant boulders situated at its edges. As the backdrop for the Hollywood film Cast Away, featuring Tom Hanks, the setting is recognisable to many.

Marine Life

Whilst relaxing on the idyllic beaches, you may find the sea calling you to jump in and cool yourself off or see the endless number of underwater creatures. Being surrounded by a million kilometres of deep, blue ocean means the Seychelles is a hot spot for water sports and marine-focused activities, including canoeing, sailing and snorkelling.

A tourist favourite is scuba diving in the 75 dive sites and snorkelling around the hundreds of historic shipwrecks filled with colourful fishes. Bat fish, butterfly fish and parrot fish are just some of the species you can look forward to seeing swimming in and out of their uniquely shaped coral reefs. However, you won’t only see fish when snorkelling, there’s a possibility you could spot a hawksbill sea turtle too.

If you wish to find out more about our range of tours to the Seychelles and nearby islands like the Maldives and Madagascar, get in touch with us by calling 0800 021 3237 or filling out our online enquiry form. Alternatively, you can visit our Framlingham, Woodbridge or Ipswich Travel Agents to speak to a member of our team.