Our Seychelles holidays

Lying about 1,500km east of mainland Africa, Seychelles, officially the Republic of Seychelles, is a truly idyllic archipelago nation. With Zanzibar to the west, Mauritius and Réunion to the south, and the Maldives to the northeast, its 155 picture-perfect islands lie at the heart of the sparkling Indian Ocean the perfect beach holiday destination.

These islands are stunning: a blissfully isolated honeymoon haven with excellent diving; they are a rejuvenating antithesis to city life. Our Seychelles holidays really do live up to the hype as a truly magical, dream holiday destination. As Expert Africa starts offering Seychelles for 2008, we begin by offering only the crème de la crème of islands: North Island.

Larger than Monte Carlo, and holding the same stylish appeal, North Island is the ultimate Seychelles holiday destination; it is simply sensational!

Since opening in 2003, the media, design-conscious celebrities and affluent travellers from all over the globe, have vied to holiday here in one of its 11 hand-crafted guest villas. And yet, in spite of its success, it remains a blissfully understated affair: sanctuary, not stardom, sets the tone.

Read more about

North Island

, our

holidays to North Island

, and about the

North Island villas

. This destination stands a great destination on its own, or as an excellent place to combine with a safari on mainland Africa.

Setting the scene for a holiday in Seychelles

Travellers on holidays in the Seychelles don't always realise, but the islands themselves fall into two distinct groups: the tall, granitic Inner Islands found on the relatively shallow Seychelles' plateau, and the low-lying, coralline cays, reef islets and atolls of the Outer Islands. The distance from Seychelles International Airport on Mahé to the Outer Islands' atolls ranges from 230 to 1,150 kilometres; the sheer distance making the vast majority of them inaccessible to all but Mother Nature.

Almost all Seychellois live on the principal islands of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue, making these Inner Islands the centre of everyday cultural and economic activity, as well as tourism. However, with a resident population of only 82,000, the smallest of any sovereign state in Africa, there are plenty of spectacularly beautiful, wholly untouched environments to explore, both on land and in water. Steep, forested mountains rise from golden sands and turquoise waters, whilst coral reefs teem with multi-coloured marine life and gargantuan corals; all are alluring holiday prospects.

Seychelles holidays: the facts

Seychelles Time Zone: Seychelles is 4 hours ahead of GMT, 3 hours ahead of British Summer time and 2 hours ahead of European summer time; New York is 9 hours behind and San Francisco 12 hours behind.

Seychelles Currency: The local currency is the Seychelles Rupee (SCR) which is divided into 100 cents. Banks are generally open Monday to Saturday and all process travellers' cheques and foreign exchange; ATMs are available at major banks and Mahé airport. Visitors must, by law, pay for all their excursions, lodging and meals using a major international currency or credit card. The exchange rate at going to press was: £1: 16.63 Seychelles Rupee.

Seychelles Visas: Visas are not required for British passport holders, though passports must have a minimum of six months remaining validity. An onward/return ticket and proof of sufficient funds are also required.

Health in the Seychelles: No vaccinations currently required to enter Seychelles unless travellers are from or have passed through a yellow fever area within 6 days preceding arrival. There is currently no malaria in the Seychelles, and the authorities work hard to prevent outbreaks of other mosquito-borne diseases. Always check the latest recommendations with your doctor before you travel.

Seychelles Language: There are three official languages in Seychelles: Creole (a French-based dialect), English and French.

Seychelles Food: Local Creole cuisine is a fusion of French, Indian and Oriental influences, though lodges will usually cast a global culinary net. Fresh seafood and exotic fruits and spices are particularly recommended.

Seychelles Climate: See our page on the

Weather and Climate in the Seychelles

for our comments on the best time to visit these islands.

A brief history of the Seychelles

Unsurprisingly given its breathtaking natural beauty and mid-ocean location, battle for control of Seychelles has been fiercely contested over the years. Named, in 1756, after Jean Moreau de Séchelles, Louis XV's Minister of Finance, this uninhabited archipelago had served as a transit point for Arab, Portuguese and British traders for many centuries before.

It came under British control from French in 1812, was granted independence as a Commonwealth republic in 1976, and following a coup d'etat in 1977 became a socialist one-party state until, in 1993, multiparty politics prevailed. With no indigenous population but a stream of interested parties, the current Seychellois (people of the Seychelles) are composed of immigrants, mostly of French, African, Indian and Chinese descent. In line with historic influences, French and English are official languages, along with a French-based Creole.


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