Secret sands

Nature trails, plantation walks, Creole cuisine… there’s more to Seychelles than its beaches.

February 07, 2015 03:17 pm | Updated 03:17 pm IST

Plantation Bell at La Plaine St Andre.

Plantation Bell at La Plaine St Andre.

As the plane edged out of the coastline, I watched the Indian Ocean spread like a Persian blue tile calligraphed by tufts of clouds. Lit by the sun, the water was a sheet of sapphire strewn with glistening green islands. It was a magical touchdown at Mahe Airport four hours later. As we disembarked, excited tourists exclaimed “Seychelles! Seychelles!”

Unknown to civilisation for eons, the cluster of 115 islands a thousand miles off Africa’s East Coast was too remote to merit notice except for Arab traders who found great profit in selling its rare coco de mer nuts, regarded as aphrodisiacal fruits. Embellished with shells and precious stones, these endemic nuts with feminine curves became exotic collectibles. Vasco da Gama spotted the islands on his return from India to Africa in 1502 and named them Les Amirantes or Admiral islands. Later, the Portuguese surveyed the region and christened the granitic islands as Seven Sisters. It became a perfect perch for pirates raiding merchant vessels traversing the Indian Ocean. French explorer Lazare Picault mapped Mahe, the largest granitic island and a Stone of Possession was laid in 1756. Renamed Isle de Séchelles after Jean Moreau de Séchelles, Finance Minister to King Louis XV, the tag stuck for the entire archipelago. The French established huge spice plantations and brought slaves to work on them. After the French Revolution, the British wrested power until the island nation finally gained independence in 1976.

Seychelles possesses an unaccustomed innocence of a remote archipelago lost at sea. Its hassle-free entry protocol with no visa requirements, low crime rate and promise of privacy tempted even Prince William and Kate to make it their chosen escape. Home to rare species of plants, birds, animals and geology dating to prehistoric times, the Seychellois culture, cuisine and lifestyle bears influences of the communities that populate it.

Virgin beaches, red-roofed cottages tucked in sunlit cliffs and dense forests came to life with the suddenness of a flipbook as we drove to Glacis Heights Villa in northwest Mahe. The boutique homestay atop a steep hillock overlooked the famous Silhouette Island. The sunset quietly painted the sea flamingo pink as our hosts Beryl and Brian drew us into a world of tropical delights. “We use a lot of spices and coconut milk in Creole cuisine. It’s a blend of African food with colonial influences and Chinese, Indian and French cuisines, so it’s hard to classify,” Beryl explained. “The hill is a bit steep… and works as our gym,” Brian winked. Just 200m down the driveway, waves danced across Sunset Beach and a 10-minute walk led to the lovely Bliss Hotel. Ideal for shore swimmers, waders and walkers, the rough sea was unsuitable for diving. But Beau Vallon, the island’s popular hub for beach adventure, was a 10-minute drive away.

The weekly night market at Bazar Labrin was an instant barometer of Seychellois spirit. The happy meet-up of locals buzzed with smoky stalls selling fries and fritters, tropical juices, local cuisine, beer and palm liquor. People hawked homemade soaps and souvenirs. Entertainment came with spontaneous mirth as people danced while local bands played trop-rock, reggae and Creole music.

Victoria, the tiny capital and port city, bustled with eateries, museums, bars, discos, resorts and boutiques set in French colonial buildings like Kenwyn House. Lolroz or ‘Little Ben’ stood at the intersection — a silver clock-tower mimicking its counterpart in central London. Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke Market was the place to capture the colour and flavour of Seychelles. An open-air fish market since 1840, it spills with souvenir stalls, vegetables and fruits. A florist displayed buckets of Wild Ginger, Torch Ginger and Rattlesnake, akin to a serpent’s tail! An array of spices, packets of vanilla, neatly rolled cinnamon sticks, tea boxes and exquisite seashell souvenirs made us linger as pretty girls selling printed beachwear and pareos (sarongs) smiled from terrace shops. We had a quick bite at Pirates Arms and Bravo! on Eden Island Marina, a super-yacht facility.

A drive to San Souci unearthed Seychelles’ best-kept biodiversity secrets. Terence Belle, a naturalist at Morne Seychellois National Park, was a walking encyclopaedia. “This palm was originally from Kew Gardens in England. A guy stole it and brought it here, so it’s also called Latanier feuille or Thief’s Tree. They use it as roof thatching. During rains, it is our umbrella!” We tried to keep pace with his stories. “There are six endemic palms here. That’s Deckenia nobilis , a protected species whose heart was used to prepare salade palmiste or ‘millionaire’s salad’. But the whole palm had to be sacrificed for the heart. Today, it cannot be cut. Restaurants only serve the heart of the coconut tree! That’s a sunbird, our national bird. We also have the world’s smallest frog,” he rattled on.

The trail ended at a dense tract of pitcher plants rambling over the cliff, like green lanterns lit by the sun. Peeking into this deadly carnivorous plant we found its lethal pools of death that attracted insects to their doom.

After rum-tasting and lunch at Takamaka Bay Distillery, we took a spice trail past historic ruins, an ancient baobab tree with healing properties and an old plantation bell — a memorial to the people who toiled here. Aurelie, our guide, explained: “Long ago, the bell stood atop a tower. The huge property had many slaves working from dawn to dusk. Under the French, it was a cotton, rice, coconut and tobacco plantation. Later, the English arrived, abolished slavery and gave a plot of land to every slave.”

A Creole saying sums up Seychelles’ unblemished beauty: Jete coule je ne coule camin , meaning ‘Look with your eyes and keep it in your heart.’

Quick facts

Getting there: Air Seychelles flies direct from Mumbai to Mahé International Airport near Victoria thrice a week.

When to go: The Carnaval International de Victoria is held in the last week of April. With an endless summer, Seychelles is great to visit all year round.

For more details, visit >www.seychelles.travel or plan a budget holiday at >www.seychellessecrets.com

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