Set Your Sights on the Seychelles
Nature rules in this Indian Ocean oasis.
On the steep hillside below villas at Six Senses Zil Pasyon, the sole resort on the Seychelles island of Félicité, lush forest embraces granite monoliths, while a flying fox – its small, doglike face dwarfed by its enormous wingspan – glides gracefully through the breeze, alighting upside down on a branch to socialize with other megabats. The headlining act, however, takes place in the distance: As the persimmon-colored sun sets behind neighboring islands and thunderheads drift on- and offstage, bands of showers sweep across the horizon in wispy sheets.
Situated a few degrees shy of the equator in the Indian Ocean, the Seychelles are known for ribbons of loamy white sand spiked with the archipelago’s trademark pink boulders. The granite is a remnant of the lost continent of Gondwana, and in places the singular ecosystems and abundant endemic species inspire allusions to the Garden of Eden. This far-flung locale has some 100 islands to choose from, so the natural question is, where to start? Here are our some of our favorite spots.
Essential Stopover: Mahé
As the archipelago’s waypoint and home to 90 percent of its population, Mahé offers the largest and most convenient landing in the Seychelles. With peaks reaching into the clouds, it’s the one island where you’ll want to rent a car to explore – driving (and hiking) in precipitous Morne Seychellois National Park is a highlight, and there are dozens of beaches, many of them remote and undeveloped, that you’ll need transportation to enjoy. Highlights of the capital, Victoria, include Creole architecture and the National Museum of History, but make time for Kaz Zanana, which houses paintings by the Seychelles’ most famous artist, painter George Camille.
Stay
The striking former home of fashion photographer Gian Paolo Barbieri was reconceived mid-pandemic as the intimate, 41-room Mango House Seychelles. A pocket of sand sits tucked below the resort’s restaurants, while a convivial spirit thrives at its three pools. LTTravel Connection travelers receive private one-way transfers to or from the airport or cruise terminal, a bottle of Champagne on arrival, breakfast daily, and a $100 resort credit.
Indian Ocean Paradise: Praslin
Second largest of the Seychelles, Praslin is where Eden comparisons run rampant. Deep valleys bisect the beach- girdled island, most notably the Vallée de Mai, a compact nature reserve and UNESCO World Heritage designee that’s home to a primeval forest with the country’s six endemic palm species. Among them is the coco de mer, which rises more than 30 metres and bears the plant kingdom’s largest seed – up to 18 kilos – that’s shaped like a voluptuous woman’s derriere. Keep an eye out for the endangered Seychelles black parrot flitting between the fronds, and swim with frisky shivers of harmless juvenile lemon sharks at tranquil beaches.
Stay
Raffles Seychelles’ 86 villas are among the islands’ largest, sitting on a steep hillside overlooking Anse Takamaka beach. Four restaurants, a spa with 12 open-air treatment pavilions, and a robust kids’ program are among the resort’s numerous temptations.
Stay
Just 11 villas make up the Luxury Collection’s all-inclusive North Island resort, conceived by an African safari operator well versed in the light footprint of today’s eco-chic. Exclusivity and privacy have made it a celebrity favorite for honeymoons and reconnecting with nature through kayaking, diving, and communing with tortoises.
Stay
Thirty-three-villa Six Senses Zil Pasyon is Félicité’s one and only roost. Each of the one-bedroom pool villas feels as though it’s been uniquely molded into the rocks and vegetation; the spa is equally woven into the landscape, with five treatment rooms accessed via a swing bridge. Multibedroom private residences are available higher on the slopes.
