| Trip To The Seychelles May 09 - By Jean Anderson |
17-12-2009 |
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How privileged are we in the Travel Industry that we able to visit some of the worlds most interesting and beautiful places. It makes perfect sense really because we can then come home and give you, our clients, the best advice and service possible.
My Air Seychelles flight touched the tarmac at Mahe after on overnight flight from Heathrow. We were met by Masons Tours, a fantastic local ground handler, making the necessary transfer to our 1st hotel stay at Sainte Anne Resort (only a 30 minute boat ride from a private jetty). St Anne offers private villas (some with private pools) surrounded by one of the largest marine parks in The Indian Ocean. Superb cuisine, 5 restaurants, fantastic service and an array of leisure facilities, it truly is a wonderful place.
The following day we transferred back to Mahe for a short 30 minute flight in a dinky little 16 seater plane to Denis Island. This is a destination only for the chosen few, the few who are at one with nature. There are no high tech facilities here, just pure beauty - a magical retreat, a haven for birdlife offering protection for endangered species. Denis is self sufficient and has its own farm, very much reliant on what they grow themselves. There are 25 cottages here, all with their own private sea facing verandah.After our return flight to Mahe we visited The Hilton and Le Meridien Fishermans Cove, both located on the popular Beau Vallon Bay. This resort offers plenty for the traveller who likes some independence, there are plenty of tours on offer here along with watersports and diving schools dotted along the beach. Its only a short hop from Victoria so a great place from which to explore. These hotels can offer more reasonable rates, and of course are in a great location.
We boarded a Fast Cat service from Victoria (Mahe)for the 45 minute crossing to Silhouette for our overnight stay at Labriz. This is one of the larger resorts and more contemporary in design. The beach villas were tucked away amongst the fauna, but only a few steps from the beautiful beach. Labriz offers more in the way of entertainment, live music shopping, it offers excursions to nearby islands and has 7 restaurants.
Our 4th night was spent at the 5 star Banyan Tree nestled in Intendance Bay towards the south of Mahe. Very colonial with high sloping ceilings and airy verandahs. The beach villas here are extremely luxurious . The attention to details here is second to none. A champagne breakfast is taken high on a verandah overlooking the fantastic beach. Peter Sellers once owned a house here and it has been converted into a restaurant offering private dining.
On the following day enroute to The Four Seasons we popped in to see The Maia. You enter another world here, a hedonists hideaway with an absence of dress code, providing guests with total freedom, peace and relaxation. The Balinese Spa here offers world class therapy in individual Private open air gardens. Tranquility.You know the saying “ Leave the best til last” well I am not sure this is the case because every hotel I visited offered something different, the pure beauty and the nature of Denis Island was a fantastic escape , the service at Sainte Anne, the colonial style at Banyan. The Seychelles has it all.
So to our final night at The Four Seasons. The Villas are perched on stiltshigh on the jungle hillside, views look toward the sea. Each villa has CD/DVD with surround sound and flat screen TV. You have your own private infinity pool with huge verandah all designed in natural timber. The Four Seasons offers a great family programme which is unusual for hotels in The Seychelles.
I told you we are a privileged bunch and there were moments on this trip I will never forget, the champagne breakfast overlooking the beautiful beach at The Banyan Tree, saying hello to a land turtle called Irene as the old girl crossed my terrace on Denis Island, that dinky little plane crossing the azure sea, Robinsons, a candlelit al fresco cocktail bar serving a potent G & T as I dipped my toes into the Indian Ocean. Ahhhhhhh………
Jean
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