A Little Bit Of Heaven On Earth

Most of our cruises run according to the seasons. But when it comes to equatorial waters the sun just goes on shining day after day, seasons don’t really happen, and you can cruise all year round with predictable delight. Certainly that’s the case with the Seychelles, not quite 5º south of the equator and around 800 miles off the east coast of Africa in the Indian ocean. Temperatures hover between 24ºc and 30ºc.

This archipelago of 155 islands, surrounded by shallow translucent waters, is arguably the most perfect place on earth to cruise and it’s often referred to as ‘the Garden of Eden’. But gardens are mostly about being on land – below the surface of the sea is a whole new world. So, herewith our seven top reasons why a Seychelles cruise should be on the bucket list of every cruising fan.

REASON 1 – FABULOUS BEACHES

Where the land joins the ocean is always a defining moment of any landscape. The palm-lined beaches and sands here are simply spectacular, each one seemingly more beautiful than the next. Great to look at, great to walk on, great to swim from.

REASON 2 – FLORA

This granitic archipelago is home to around 75 local plant species. The most famous of these is the famous Coco de Mer, a species of palm that grows only on the island of Praslin (which, naturally, we visit). It produces the world’s heaviest seed. The country ranks first in the international listings for its Foreign Landscape Integrity Index score of 10/10.

REASON 3 – FAUNA

With so many uninhabited islands, wildlife conservation is a massive thing here, over 42% of the land space being dedicated to the preservation of species. Many of the giant tortoises here are over 100 years old – some are thought to reach 200 years in age but it’s difficult to know as they outlive the people watching them.

REASON 4 – BIRDLIFE

The Seychelles hosts some of the largest seabird colonies in the world, and the national bird is the rare Seychelles Black Parrot, now protected. Bring your binoculars and do a bit of twitching whilst here!

REASON 5 – SEALIFE

More than 1,000 species of fish have been recorded in the warm waters around the islands and atolls. Many of the atolls are surrounded by raised coral reefs within which different species have evolved – a total of 30 different crabs alone inhabit the clement waters. Make sure you pack your mask and snorkel. – since spear-fishing was banned in the 1960’s the denizens of the not-so-deep have little fear.

REASON 6 – FOOD

As you might expect seafood is a real feature here. You’ll never find it fresher and it’s often cooked in banana leaves and served with tropical fruits. The other specialities are the piquant meat curries spiced with local chillies – although the curried fruit bat may be a delicacy too far! The local snack-in-a-pack is breadfruit chips. Look out too for shark chutney.

REASON 7 – SHEER HEDONISM

Many of our island-hopping cruises are designed to show you man-made things – historical relics, religious sites or fabulous ruins. There’s not a lot of antiquity here – the archipelago was uninhabited until the 18th century. So you don’t need to do anything cultural – this is a place to simply visit, be and wonder in sheer enjoyment.

See Day-by-Day Itinerary