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| SEYCHELLES: AN UNDISTURBED PARADISE by Winnie Graham  
The islands of the Seychelles, scattered across a wide area in the Indian Ocean, were described by early travellers as the original Garden of Eden, with the erotic fruit of the Coco de Mer seen as “the fruit of life”.Whether or not Adam and Eve lived there is open to debate (particularly as there are few serpents on the 133 islands). However, if they did, they could not have chosen a more idyllic spot, for the islands are pristine, the beaches palm fringed, the seas turquoise and the rainforests deep. This is a paradise which has remained largely undisturbed by mass tourism. The government of Seychelles has implemented strict environmental policies which have kept the islands pristine. Many are uninhabited. Some have a population of just one or two hundred people. Ox carts are often used instead of motor vehicles, and although most have electricity, television and even email, a good many are devoid of all mod. cons. On the first morning guests on the Pearl of the Seychelles awake to see what must be the epitome of everyone's dream tropical isle: Curieusse. This small island was a leper colony in the 19th century. The early settlement is now in ruins, but the doctor who came to the rescue of the suffering in the 1870s (a Scotsman) built a home there for his wife. That has now been turned into a museum, depicting life on the island as it was nearly two centuries ago. Passengers have the option of walking across the island to a splendid beach on the other side, there to swim or snorkel. The remains of a failed turtle breeding programme – and some of the giant Aldabra tortoises – can be seen there. At Grand Soeur Island the fish in the shallow waters literally welcome visitors as they step from the dinghy. A school of fish swims between their feet – and wait, like puppies, for scraps from the picnic lunch served on the island. Intriguing as this behaviour is, guests soon toss aside their sarongs and shirts to sunbathe on the white sands, to snorkel, to water-ski or to kayak beyond the breakers. Exertion sharpens the appetite and the visitors make short work of the magnificent fish barbecue prepared on the beach by the Pearl's chef. Praslin, second largest of the Seychelles islands (it is ten kilometres in length) is famous for an incredible valley: the Vallee de Mai, the only place on earth where the Coco de Mer grows wild. The nut resembles a woman's buttocks, the stamen a man's penis. A walk through the primeval forest, with the mountain mists swirling above, is a must – and there is a good chance that the black parrot will be sighted there. The birdlife, in fact, is just one of many reasons to visit the Seychelles. At La Digue, the favourite of many, the Seychelles paradise flycatcher is the bird to watch for. This island is undoubtedly one of the prettiest, with rocky outcrops sheltering several little beaches. The pace of life is slow. In fact, the ox cart is the preferred mode of transport. The Pearl's passengers are given the opportunity of taking a ride on just such a cart if they decide to visit a traditional planter's house where they can see furnace-dried coconuts, or copra, being turned into oil. The graves of early colonists can also be seen at Cap Barbi as well as another magnificent old plantation house, Chateau Saint Cloud. Silhouette Island is a surprise. A South African engineer, Ron Gerlach, who opted out of the rat-race 32 years ago, is involved in several conservation projects there. He is busy with a breeding scheme aimed at increasing the number of the virtually extinct Seychelles giant tortoise (as distinct from the more numerous Aldabra tortoises). Only six of the species are known to exist. He and his wife, Gill, work together, ?too busy? to notice the shortage of human companionship. There are just 129 other people on the island. Once a week they take a ferry to an adjacent island to buy supplies. They have no complaints. But, then, why would they? The Seychelles islands, after all, are paradise. Photo: Sunset at the Le Meridien Fisherman’s Cove Hotel, overlooking Beau Vallon Bay. Courtesy © Le Méridien Seychelles |
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