A healing holiday at The Station

Transcription

THE VOICE OF SEYCHELLES TOURISM
A healing holiday
at The Station
Le Duc
The man at the helm
Know your monuments
Victoria and her stories
What’s in a dress?
FR
EE
KanKan
The Cover was shot on location at the most soothing
and enchanting of places – The Station Retreat Hotel.
Offering wellness services, The Station now offers
retreats called ‘From Abundance to Balance’. For more
information please read our article on page 4 and their
advert that follows it. As a gentle guide, we share with
you the 7 days of Virtues as practices by The Station
Retreat Hotel and its followers.
Value
52.50
Euros
Special offer to Sesel Sa!
readers who book the retreat.
NOURISHED by NATURE Anti Ageing pack
Formulated and produced by natural healers and
homeopaths at the island’s premier botanical
health apothecary. Surrounded by abundant
nature in Sans Souci, we honour age-old holistic
principles using nature and science to support
balance, wellbeing and to nurture your energetic
life force at all times.
Cover Details;
Suzanne Verlaque Photographer | Stephanie Savy Model | The Station Retreat Hotel, Sans Soucis Location
Foreword by Sherin Naiken
CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board
With every edition of Sesel Sa! that comes off
the press, I see an improvement in the look,
feel and content of this publication that we
proudly call the Voice of Seychelles’ Tourism.
Every edition leaves me with the impression
of a process of fine-tuning that is gradually
tweaking Sesel Sa! into a first class tourism
magazine.
We live in an age when information has become
a virtual currency, the accuracy and speed of
transmission of which plays a vital role in the
visibility of our products in a crowded and ever
more competitive market place, determining to
a large measure how successful they are.
I am encouraged to see how Sesel Sa! is
tracking the progress of Seychelles tourism,
continuing to keep its finger on the pulse of
what is taking place across a broad spectrum of
activities to keep the reader up to speed on the
latest happenings, events and developments in
this fast moving and highly organic industry.
As our tourism evolves, so the range of
products and services available to travellers
becomes more extensive and this edition
showcases certain of those, pointing to how the
industry is setting down roots into a vast web
of human activities that adds value to vacations
and deepens travellers’ experiences of the
destination, which is a proven formula for
tourism success.
Sherin Naiken
CEO
JULY - SEP 2014 ISSUE NO. 4 | SESEL SA!
1
CO NT E NTS
Le Duc, Praslin
1...................... CEO foreward/editor
4...................... A healing holiday in Seychelles
10................... True North - a look at North
Island Resort
18................... Book review - 3 new books
share island love
21................... The power of the Sun
24................... Vanilla Islands - the New
President and his thoughts
25................... E-Marketing - STB's initiatives
28................... Dance of the KanKan - a local
brand with international standing
34................... Local snacks - a tasty bite
40................... Eden Bleu - a new hotel
43................... Dining discoveries
48................... Lavige Reisin
50................... Star Crossed - Le Duc hospitality
55................... In the News
59................... The Black Parrot
62................... Miss Seychelles 2014
64................... Featured beach
65................... Monuments of Victoria
74................... Turtle special
79................... Maps of Seychelles
84................... Contacts
88................... STO Contacts
Sesel Sa! is a joint collaboration with STB and Paradise Promotions Ltd.
For more information with regards to advertising and editorial, please contact;
Ineke Camille | E: [email protected] | Tel: +2482520937
Marie France Watson | E: [email protected] | Tel: +2482512477
Graphic Design and Layout | Olivia Michaud | E: [email protected]
Photographer | Suzanne Verlaque | E: [email protected]
Published by Paradise Promotions Ltd. P.O Box 1539, Mahé, Seychelles
Printed by ATLAS Printing Press LLC.
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SESEL SA! | JULY - SEP 2014 ISSUE NO. 4
Sesel Sa Magazine
Holiday in healing
Seychelles
By Nathalie Hodgson
‘The world is evolving from an age of control to an age
of possibility; you can make the shift within yourself
right now’ – Jenny Gilbert, Founder, Owner, The
Station Seychelles.
Sounds intriguing? We thought so. Enter Seychelles'
first 'healing hotel', an eclectic, interesting 'destination'
centre and model for recycling and restoration which,
on arrival, instantly draws one into its heart, tweaking
one's sense of curiosity and anticipation.
Feeling stuck, wiped out by the daily grind of work
and responsibility or aware that you have simply been
neglecting your inner voice that is now affecting
your sense of perspective? What better way to
have a chilled holiday in paradise than to visit one
of the newest entries onto the hospitality scene in
Seychelles. Have your cake and eat it too!
Without knowing what The Station Retreat Hotel
is all about, one could easily be enchanted by its
architecturally exciting, quietly stylish ambience
that surprises the eye at each turn. But don't let that
fool you. At its core The Station has a passionate,
focused purpose: to help anyone who enters its
doors to embrace the safe, gentle healing art of
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vibrational medicine. Here a small, dedicated team
of homeopathic doctors and energy therapists with
a wealth of experience in their respective fields work
tirelessly to encourage and support guests to embrace
their vibrantly healthy selves.
After taking over the landmark, the old 'Feba Radio
Station' in 1998 to set up Seychelles' first natural
health manufacturing company, Jenny Gilbert then
pioneered Homeopathy in Seychelles when she
opened Lily Moon back in 2001, a 'living homeopathy'
health and gift shop. Combining years of work in the
natural and energy healing fields with intuition and
knowledge obtained through a lifetime of exposure to
living with homeopathy, Jenny has poured her passion
for energy healing into serving people. From offering
organic petro-chemical free candles, healing lotions
and potions for almost every requirement, perfumery
and spa therapy products to homeopathic remedies
and homeopathic consulting services, it is no surprise
that The Station's more than 5,000 patients on record
are more empowered to easily tune into vibrant
health. It was only a matter of time before the word
got out of The Seychelles and people wanted more.
'While our retreat packages always follow the same
format with Jenny's innovative VIRTUES programme
as a prop, each individual receives specific attention
according to their circumstances. We don't need or
expect our guests to change anything at all but to
allow possibilities to flow into their days at The Station.
All they need is the will to enjoy a great holiday and
to embrace the concepts and services we offer here.
Early in the stay there is a consultation and from there
the programme is tailored, the course is set and the
healing begins'. Dr Apurva Tamhane, The Station's
resident Homeopath says. “Our 7 day Move in Virtues
Retreat is well worth considering if you are looking
to make the most of your hard-earned holiday time.
Here feeling better and having a wonderful holiday go
hand in hand.”
Sounds great we thought, concluding that if you
want to meditate all day, or sip virgin cocktails under
a palm tree, that's what you can do as long as you
start your day with the Move in Virtues session, attend
the consultation, arrive at the spa for treatments
and mindful processes that are plotted in your
programme. What a luxury!
Nancy Gosling from the United Kingdom wrote
in the feedback guestbook, ‘Nothing could have
prepared me for what I thought was simply going to
be a relaxed, chilled holiday in Seychelles with a few
massages and yoga sessions thrown in. My experience
at The Station is indescribable. I could find my own
rhythm and pace within your sanctuary without
pressure. Although I loved my trips to the beautiful
beaches, I always felt better arriving back at 'home'.
Finally I can now sleep and feel worthwhile again
which I haven't for such a long time’.
There is no TV on the property and Wi-Fi, while
available throughout the estate, is on request only.
“We want you to consciously consider going online
and ask yourself why you need to do so before you do.
Slipping into habits and routines from home won't
provide the shift in gear needed to move towards
balanced health. By removing the enabling devices
that keep you stuck, we help our guests to identify
their priorities, to listen to their inner voice, enabling
their own instinctive healing as they do.”
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you down and prevents you
from really thriving”.
The Station Retreat Hotel
sits proudly on the main
mountain pass of Sans Souci
within close proximity of
Victoria and the Port Launay
marine park. The retreat
packages include daily
transfers to the beaches and
mountain hikes so there is no
need to hire a car.
The Station Retreat Hotel is always open to anyone
simply wanting a holiday in a quiet, tranquil
environment away from the heat of the beaches
without taking a retreat package.
“For those who want a short break and some
nurturing support all intertwined into a relaxing
weekend, we offer a 2.5 day retreat that sets some
foundations for taking responsibility for your health
and having some fun doing it.” Apurva explains. “We
aim to bring to consciousness that which has become
unconscious, help lift that heavy energy that weighs
The hotel has six rooms and
a villa, all drawing on the
timeless island charm of a
bygone French-colonial era.
These are ideally located
around the pool with lounging benches, day beds
and deck chairs and face the pavilion where the
'Move in Virtues' sessions and many of the consciousliving activities are hosted. All the rooms reflect the
owner's commitment to mindfulness through the
“less is more”, pared-back theme. ‘The rooms have
been specifically designed to be canvases with
minimal decor, no paintings, no distractions’ Jenny,
The Founder, explains. ‘Here we want you to listen
to the birds, the approaching rain coming over the
mountain, the fruit bats fighting in the mango trees.
You can swing into island living - be awakened by the
roosters that always gets the time wrong, the local bus
that passes on the hour at the front of the Station and
our neighbours' cows and goats all competing for a
little attention’.
Cradled by mountains that make Sans Souci the
most beautiful pass on Mahé, your gaze is drawn to
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the ocean and the inner islands of Round, Moyenne,
Cerf, St Anne, Long, Praslin, La Digue, Fregate with
spectacular views from the café and pavilion. With
attention to detail to maximize your comfort, staff go
that extra mile to maintain an authentic but quality
level of service, without cramping your style, imposing
on your privacy or compromising the ethos to protect
the environment within and without.
‘Anyone, at anytime, can choose to 'retreat' for any
reason whatsoever and for as long or as short as
necessary or desired’ Jenny explains. ‘Our role is to
kick-start the process of awakening your inner healing
system, provide a safe, comfortable, easy-going space
to support you while offering suggestions to infuse
one's normal lifestyle with some incredibly valuable
wellbeing habits. On request we then follow up after
departure. An energetic shift can take a moment, a
weekend, a week or more. Our customized packages
combine various energy healing modalities to literally
tune your 'station' to be more clear, paving the way for
your vital healing system to take over the reigns. It's
a beautiful way to pamper yourself - and your body,
mind and soul will start thanking you for this support
the moment your holiday starts'.
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Jenny and her partner have created a unique 'homefrom-home' space, with a little luxury thrown in, where
personalized retreats tailored to individual needs set
the stage for continued appreciation and application
of an energy-based wellbeing lifestyle once back
home.
After days of stillness and contemplation you may
find that you have worked up the courage to find
out how free you really are and will want to learn
more about how to live consciously. Dare to follow
your dreams and take the adventure, enrich your life
with abundance, joy, happiness, and fulfillment. The
Station Retreat Hotel will show you the way to get
there.
For more information and to book “your” Retreat you
can contact The Station on: + 248 4224203;
email [email protected] or visit
www.thestationseychelles.com
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By Nathalie Hodgson
On maps published by geological surveyors,
true north is marked with a line terminating
in a five-pointed star. This detail is added
as the world drawn up along rectangle
gridlines cannot properly capture the
Earth’s curvature. So for us to orientate
to true north, we must look beyond our
conventional frames of reference. While you
won’t have difficulty locating North Island
on a map, you will need to re-define your
idea of natural luxury and be prepared to
join a guest list which includes celebrities
and most recently Prince William and Kate
Middleton. But it isn't simply luxury and
privacy that guests are paying for. General
Manager Wayne Milgate explains how their
island experience goes beyond your normal
celebrity hot spot break.
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North Island - renowned as one of the world's most
expensive barefoot retreats, continuously hitting front
page news as the first choice holiday destination for
the rich and famous. Booked by all genre of stars and
Royalty, it is for those who seek more privacy and
space in this ever crowded and commoditized world.
Everyone has seen the breathtaking front page covers
on Conde Nast Traveller or National Geographic
magazines of the cowrie-shell fronds as bathroom
doors, the four-posted bedrooms with driftwood
pillars and Ylang Ylang roofing or the upside down
tree trunk pillar structures of each villa. But what
is it that makes North Island so different to other
luxury high price getaways? ‘We don’t really have a
competitor that I can mention, our product is truly
unique. Guests really receive a bespoke experience.
They enjoy total privacy and space and the best part
is, that there are no rules. What does that mean, well
there are no meal times, no spa times, no restaurant
venues even. Guests choose when, where and how
all the time’, explains Wayne Milgate the General
Manager of North Island.
the impressive wine cellar. I had a guest recently that
wanted spaghetti bolognaise on the beach, toes in the
sand, in shorts and casual t-shirt with his EURO1200
bottle of wine, watching the stars and listening to the
waves with his wife. He said ‘there is no better place to
have your spaghetti than under the stars in Seychelles.
Sometimes, simplicity is magic.’
‘You personally discuss your preferences with the
butler and have a daily menu created just for you.
Everything we develop is personalized, so no day is
the same and so the staff and I can be really creative,
with initiatives for each guest accordingly to their
personal tastes. We brainstorm each request and add
to it what they want. They love the ideas and want
more the next day’ Wayne continues.
Wayne has been managing North Island for one year
now. After being in Fiji for five years he is no stranger
to resort island management. Now however he has
fewer villas and a ratio of 11 staff per villa, which is
one of the highest in the world. ‘There is no doubt that
logistics is the daily challenge, continually shipping
in ingredients and produce over the sea and by air
is non-stop. The weather conditions and variety of
dietary requests from all around the world keeps you
on your toes! We also like to maintain the high service
ethos within the staff community. We see ourselves as
the ‘Employer of Choice’ for Seychelles. We continue
to develop a service culture for the staff family. One
of our priority goals is to look after our staff. A strong
service culture with each other first is what we are
fostering and then to bring that ethos to work every
day, that translates to the guests; makes for a brilliant
team. This year the community theme is ‘We make
the difference’. In this theme we emphasis that each
and every staff member and his actions, thoughts and
attitude make North Island what it is. Without them
there are no satisfied guests, nor repeat customers.
Engagement with guests is the pillar of service for
North Island so it needs to always be outstanding’.
The North Island staff are very familiar with creating
memorable moments relevant and unique to the
island and to Seychelles. Guests are exposed to
learning, experiencing and tasting the country as well
as enjoying their holiday. For example with the menu
planning they promote the selection of locally caught
seafood, as well as creole flavors, spices and herbs as
preference.
Guests wake up and have their 4wd electric buggy
to discover the island or they can choose a variety
of other activities such as boating, fishing, biking or
snorkeling or join an environmental tour learning the
ecological conservation programs of the island.
Most of the time high profile guests are always in
the spot light, on their best behavior, acting like they
are supposed to’ says Agelin Saunders, a long term
employee of island.’ But here they can be themselves,
relaxed and safe, followed by the luxury they are
accustomed to’.
‘Some guests don’t want anything’ Wayne adds.
’They would rather just lounge on the beach, or hit
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The most popular feedback from guests is that they
don’t see anyone else on the island and continually
ask staff how many guests are in-house as they have
not met anyone else. They strolled the entire island,
(only 1 km in length and a half in width) discovering
the secluded beaches, walking amongst the tortoises,
snorkeling on the reefs and have biked up to the
highest point of the island, in total privacy. The
common farewell comment we receive is, ‘I really felt
like Robinson Crusoe. The closest I will ever get to have
an island home two steps away from the seashore, in
barefoot luxury’ says Angelin.
The focus for Wayne in 2014 is the refurbishment
project that will see quite a few upgrades and
renovations of the villas and public areas before June.
This will be continued with front and back-of-house
refurbishments of all the wooden areas. They are also
in preliminary discussions on larger three bedroom
villas to be located on other side of the island, to
accommodate the larger families such as Angelina
Jolie and Brad Pitt: a regular visiting tribe!
Following the standards of their eco-sensitive lodge
profile, they have implemented another alternative
energy program that will be rolled-out in three phases
over the next two years. This will entail installing
weather stations around the island to capture data
intelligence on where to install the most appropriate
energy capturing devices. The installation of LED
lighting for every light bulb and new and improved
generators to hold the captured energy; for example
the new air-conditioning systems will capture the
excess heat (that normally escape through the vents
into the atmosphere), that will in turn be used to heat
up the hot water cylinders for the villas. ‘Reducing our
energy consumption every year is the way forward
and this is the plan’ Wayne remarks.
Another emphasis and ongoing goal for the North
Island management is the rehabilitation project, the
end result being to bring the island back to its original
state. After a decline in the coconut industry in the
1970s, the island began to degrade into a haven for
invasive species of plants and animals, and began to
lose the inhabitants that made it the perfect paradise.
‘When Wilderness Safaris took over the island 12 years
ago, it was totally overrun. Through our program
called Noah’s Ark, conservationists are re-introducing
indigenous tortoises, birds and plants to restore the
habitat for these many disappearing species native to
the Seychelles’ says conservationist Eliott Mokhobo
.’ This is a long term initiative; that has taken years
of painstaking research and co-ordination with
government bodies to ensure the protection of the
natural environment and biodiversity’.
The intrusive species such as cows, rats, pigs, cats,
barn owls, coconuts, casuarinas trees, and destructive
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weeds took a stronghold on the indigenous plants
and birdlife of North. The conscientious pursuit of
eradication and conservative building techniques,
such as the installation of ecological sensitive
sewerage system on day one, is now reaping rewards.
‘We are now totally rat-free, that has paved the way
for the return of the Black Paradise Flycatcher, the
Seychelles Warbler and the Seychelles Magpie Robin
(one of the rarest birds in the world). We are very
happy with these results’ says Eliott. ‘
The on-going process of conservation is at the heart
of the islands’ philosophy, but is by no means a cheap
endeavor. ‘The unique selling-point of the North
Island experience is that guests can feel good about
themselves while having a luxurious holiday, knowing
that their money is funding an important ecological
experiment which is saving several endangered
species from extinction’ remarks Eliott. North island
will continue to honour the policies that are enabling
it to realize its goal of offering the highest standards
of hospitality against a backdrop of sustainable, ecofriendly practice’ Eliott states.
It is not just conservation that highlights the Noah’s
Ark program but the educational element too. In
December 2013, North closed its doors to paying
guests to host a group of 29 Seychellois children on
an educational, fun and rewarding ‘Children in the
Wilderness’ (CITW) camp. The camp offered 25 rural
children from Mahé and four from Praslin a lifechanging conservation experience. A full programme
was put together to ensure that they were able to
experience the wonders of North, whilst at the same
time learning about the importance of island and
ocean conservation and its relevance in their lives.
Activities included singing, dancing, tree planting, role
plays, charting, drawing, team building, scuba diving
and tug of war, as well as various life skills lessons to
encourage them to dream, hope and to realise their
true potential in making a difference to our world.
More importantly they were exposed to the concept
of how tourism related projects can work to an
advantage to fund environmental goals for the future
conservation of Seychelles.
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North is a place of pilgrimage for people who
love communicating with nature, as well as for
sophisticated travelers with all the perks of five star
luxury. Only 20 minutes via helicopter or an hour
by boat from the main island of Mahe, this island is
truly magical. Providing you with an all over holistic
and therapeutic make over touching all the senses impeccable natural beauty, psychologically gratifying
as you learn how to foster a greater appreciation
and protection of our natural habitats for future
generations, also spiritually your inner being, long
neglected, is rehabilitated, reintroduced and given a
place to grow and thrive.
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A romantic sanctuary, which should be placed on
everybody’s bucket list, or more immediately for those
more fortunate folk.
Villas No 1 to 10 on North Island cost from £1,855
per person per night, all-inclusive; Villa 11 costs from
£2,930, through Wilderness Safaris on + 27 11 807
1800 or www.north-island.com
To learn more about:
Children in the Wilderness
www.childreninthewilderness.com
Wilderness Collection
www.wilderness-collection.com
Flying you to the city of
light & love
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Out And About
Calendar of Events 2014
If you’re looking for more than sun, sea and sand, plan your
holiday with our exciting upcoming events, to experience an
additional touch of culture, and local entertainment.
Seychelles Sea Turtle Festival
8 - 9 August 2014
With the first festival held in 2013, this year’s festival
aims to further promote the plight of this beautiful
animal and the dangers they face of extinction. As like
last year, the festival will be held on Beau vallon Beach.
For more information, please go to page 74.
South East Monsoon Sailfish Tournament
9th August 2014
A yearly event on the fishing calendar, Marine Charter once again hosts the 1-day trolling only tournament
from 0300hrs to 1700hrs. Join Seychelles Sports Fishing
Club facebook page for rules, registration forms and all your sports fishing information at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/
seychellesfishing/ or contact us by
email: [email protected].
Team Scorpion, last year's champion
of the SSFC SE Monsoon Sailfish
Tournament, looks to retain the title in
the always challenging tournament.
Anglers will not only put their fishing
knowledge to the test but will also be
forced to deal with the treacherous SE
Monsoon. Join them for the weigh-in
event at Marine Charter Association
on Saturday, 9th of August, 2014.
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Seychelles round table regatta
26 - 28 September 2014
The Round Table Regatta has become an important
national event in the Island’s calendar. The event will
span over one weekend, from the 26th to the 28th
September 2014 and takes place on the popular
Beau Vallon Beach Front, which will be based close to
the new Savoy Resort site, and who will participate
in this years activities. The event’s jam-packed
schedule includes numerous sports competitions,
live performances by local artists as well as many
fairground games. The weekend culminates with a
hilarious ‘Greasy Pole Contest’, where competitors
struggle to reach a cash prize fixed on top of a 6-metre
wooden pole smothered in grease. Last, but far from
least, is the all-important lottery draw at 1800hrs
on Regatta Sunday. Due to popular demand, the
Regatta organizers are also pleased to announce the
reintroduction of Miss Regatta. Please look out for
more details.
Feast of The Assumption of Mary
15th August
Local and International companies alike support the
event by manning food and beverage stalls or running
promotional stations where the crowds benefit from
generous give-aways and reduced prices on goods. All
in all, the Round Table Regatta weekend brings many
Seychellois and tourists together in a high-spirited,
cause-driven event.
Otherwise known locally as “15 Out”, the Feast of the
Assumption of Mary is dedicated to the church of La
Digue and is very popular with Seychellois from all
islands who flock to the island for the occasion. For
further information please contact the La Digue Board
on telephone number +248 4 23 45 96.
Vinayagar Chadurthi
September 2014
Celebrated at the Hindu Temple in Victoria, “Vinayaka
Chaturthi”, also known as the "festival of Ganesha",
marks the birth of Lord Ganesha (the Elephant God).
Hindus around the world, mark this day with street
processions and idol immersion.
World Tourism Day
27th September
World Tourism Day is celebrated on the 27th
September each year. Various activities held
in the preceding days create an ideal forum to
increase public awareness on the importance of
the tourism industry in Seychelles. Contact the
Seychelles Tourism Board for details.
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town of Greenwich, the culture of east London comes
to life. The quays, ships and commerce shows a world
far away from tiny Seychelles – but through one
important character the connection is made in an
important way.
Echoes from the Oasis
“Echoes from the Oasis” sets the foundation, and
shows what life was like for all the islanders, women
in particular. No matter their status, colour or wealth,
is is the woman who forms the backbone of this story.
This period in our history comes to life, as the joys and
struggles play out, entwined into the family Saga/Romance under the tropical sun.
Seychelles size and location are prominently featured,
showing our importance and connection to the rest of
the world.
How we came to be, and from where, shows the
French colonizing the islands, and the slavery trade
exposed. It also shows the French-British war in the
Indian Ocean, its consequences for the whole area.
From the banks of the River Thames in the garrison
In Particular, the heroics of a great British General and
his love and connection with Seychelles, brings the
siege of Khartoum into the story, and the mystery of
the Garden of Eden and the Coco de Mer are featured.
The role of the Catholic church, its positive and
negative effects on the lives of everyone is featured
throughout. For the decedents of ex-slaves, being a
part of the church is their one course of identity, their
endorsement as Christians are so important, that they
struggle with their own culture. Free education which
is provided by the church plays a major role as well,
setting the real foundation to the emancipation and
the freedom provided by the abolition of slavery.
The natural beauty of the islands, the cuisine, the
people and the cultures which has come together to
make up the “Seychellois” shows a portrait which is
rich and vibrant, and totally unique.
Through another and important enigmatic character,
the history of Ireland during the Potato Famine plays
out its deadly horrors, and the consequences which
follows in its path comes to a head on Christmas eve in
a small hospital under quarantine in Port Victoria.
The humble “bread fruit” also an important part during
the smallpox epidemic when Seychelles has been
quarantined from the rest of the world, and no ship
with provision called for months. The real sense of isolation which comes from being an island is truly felt, as
the islands and authorities struggled, and the origins
of the breadfruit plant takes the story of the plight of
Captain Blight and mutiny on the Bounty.
The importance of the schooner service between the
islands shows the way of life of the time, but also the
important lifeline for the commerce and the fragile
economy of Seychelles, based entirely on its export
crops.
The evils of witchcraft, murder and arson, shows the
dark and ugly sides of the business rivalry between
two important families, and what desperation and
hatred can drive us to.
While the declaration of the First World War, shows the
strong stuff which we are made of, and even if we are
tiny, our contributions are mighty. Once again our size
and location is foremost, but the evils of war claimed
a huge price!!
But in the end, it is our faith that holds us together,
and the love we have, and have shared, will sustain us
for all our tomorrows.
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The inspiration behind the stories came from the
extraordinary life he led over twenty years on D’arros
and the opportunities he had to travel to most of the
islands of the archipelago, learning the skills of the
‘ilois’ or islander and becoming familiar with the spirit
of Seychelles’ far-flung, island outposts.
Now in its third edition, Voices, which is published
by Calusa Bay Publications, has undergone a recent
facelift complete with new cover, fresh look and feel
and additional stories which, together with a short
history of the Amirantes Islands, now brings the total
number in the collection to 23.
‘Voices’: a compilation of Seychelles
short stories
By Glynn Burridge
Voices first appeared in 1998 with the title ‘Voices from
a Corner of Eden’, the same year the author finally left
behind the outer island existence which inspired the
book after two decades on D’arros Island, the then
private estate of the Iranian Royal family, the Pahlavis.
‘I first came here in 1976, on holiday from Iran where
I grew up’, explains the author, ‘little realising that
the move would be permanent in 1978 when I
would settle on D’arros for good, fleeing the Iranian
Revolution.’
‘Back in Iran I was a commercial interpreter/translator
and so writing was always there and it did not take
me long to realise that if I did put pen to paper on the
amazing life we were living on these unique islands,
then all record would be lost,’ muses Burridge. ‘And
I was not far wrong, because only two decades later
and that way of life has, sadly, all but completely
disappeared.’
Voices is a collection of short stories that provides the
reader with a grand panorama of life in Seychelles
and in particular its outer islands. They range from
vaguely autobiographical accounts of extraordinary
incidents, portraits of colourful, island characters,
fantastic fishing yarns and gruesome ghost stories
to animal tales, humorous anecdotes and stories of
fabulous hidden treasure which take the reader on an
unforgettably rich, literary adventure into the twilight
of a disappearing world.
Favourably reviewed by the BBC’s Artbeat programme,
Voices continues to enchant readers with its nostalgic
treatment of a vanishing way of life and was recently
chosen by author and journalist Anne Morgan as one
of her favourite Seychelles books as she ‘read her way
around the world’.
It will shortly be available again as a paperback in
Seychelles and also as a Kindle e-book.
19
So when the opportunity arose for a Seychelles
Dive coffee table project he jumped at the chance.
Seychelles: Unexpected Treasures is a 120page edition of breathtakingly beautiful colour
photographs.
Seychelles Unexpected Treasures
By Nathalie Hodgson
Seychelles is not always preached about as an
ultimate dive destination and yet it should be, says
Allen Golliner on Scuba Travel UK.
It is no wonder that diving specialist and media are
now flocking to the untouched waters of Seychelles.
With two whale shark seasons and over seven
protected marine parks the underwater world of
this archipelago is a continuation of its majestic
topography of granite rock formations, soft corals
and dramatic swim throughs, gullies and rift dives,
all of which are home to an abundant array of rare
sealife around every corner.
As a keen naturalist and diver, renowned Nikon
Professional Photographer and Film Lecturer, Imran
Ahmad is a Seychelles aficionado, spending trip
after trip discovering the many wrecks, diverse
fish-life and countless close encounters with turtles,
massive rays and small sharks. On these adventures
it was not hard to discover the strong eco-tourism
marine conservation programmes and initiatives in
place and want to contribute.
Imran spends much of his time as a lecturer
giving presentations and running workshops on
conservation, diving, travel, sports photography
and cinematography. His photography &
cinematography is a lot about anticipating a
subject’s movement and body language. ‘There’s no
choreographing in underwater photography. Action
unfolds before you and at that fraction of a second
you either freeze art or it simply vanishes before you
and the moment is lost’ he states.
As a widely published dive specialist author he has
countless leading media attributes including Scuba
diving magazine, Sport Diver (USA), Tauchen
(Germany ), Unterwasser (Germany), Scuba Diver
Australasia, Scuba Diver and CEO Magazine just to
name a few.
20
Co-authored by Seychelles’ Minister for Tourism
& Culture, Alain St. Ange and tourism consultant,
Glynn Burridge, who have already collaborated
on a number of recent coffee table books on the
destination including ‘Seychelles State House
Centenary of Inauguration’ and the ‘Coco de Mer’,
this latest addition to the Seychelles’ Tourism Board’s
publications, illustrates the beauty and uniqueness
of Seychelles as a dive destination via a selection of
stunning photographs accompanied by apt quotes
from international personalities.
Mr. Ahmad, who is quickly earning a reputation for
the sheer wizardry of his photographic technique,
travelled as far afield as Aldabra to capture
the images in the book; which take the reader
on a wonderful journey deep into wrecks and
kaleidoscopic schools of fish and into the twilight
world of the famous mushroom formations of the
Aldabra atoll. The book also contains some exquisite
above-water photography of wildlife and the
scientific research station of Aldabra. Seychelles:
Unexpected Treasures has already been entered
into two international book competitions: one for
excellence in printing and the other for books on
diving and is already being hailed for the quality of
its production by several press.
“Seychelles: Unexpected Treasures opens the
window on the still relatively little known world of
diving in Seychelles and the extraordinary diversity
it offers on both coral and granitic reefs. Seychelles
remains very much a world untouched and our
pristine ocean is a sanctuary for many exotic marine
species, several of which have found their way into
the pages of this new book’, commented Sherin
Naiken, CEO of Seychelles Tourism Board.
Harnessing the power of
THE SUN
Solar energy: one of the most clean, environmentallyfriendly and efficient ways to generate electricity.
Harnessing the power of the sun as a natural source
of energy is not new. Ancient civilisations - native
Americans, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans - all found
ways of using solar energy. The Greeks are thought
to have been the first to apply passive solar design in
their homes, while the Romans would later enhance
these designs and be the first to use glass windows to
trap solar heat indoors.
In recent years, modern technologies have led to
exciting new ways of using the sun’s energy and have
developed a range of solar powered devices, such
as the popular solar powered calculator, solar water
heating systems and photovoltaic (PV) technology,
which is becoming increasingly popular across the
globe.
PV technology enables sunlight to be converted
directly into electricity through solar panels. The first
photovoltaic module was built by Bell Laboratories
in 1954. In the 1960s, the space industry began to
make the first serious use of the technology to provide
power aboard spacecrafts. As a result of this, major
technological advances in PV were achieved, which
improved reliability and led to a fall in prices.
PV technology is becoming more and more affordable
as an alternative means of producing electricity for
domestic use. PV modules are inherently durable, and
will typically generate electricity from sunlight for a
period of 25 years, with little change in efficiency.
The Solar PV market is now getting a boost in
Seychelles. The Government of Seychelles, the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the
Global Environment Facility (GEF) are implementing a
21
This initiate contributes to the Government of
Seychelles 2020 target of obtaining 20% of its energy
from renewable sources. For the national economy
this is good news - it will reduce annual consumption
of fuel oil by about 390 metric tonnes.
Grid-connected PV Systems project, with the objective
of kick-starting the PV market in Seychelles.
As as a tropical country with all-year round sunshine,
Seychelles is well-suited for the use of PV technology.
However, to ensure viability, practicality and thus
effective uptake of the technology, the project
needs to address a number of issues to create an
environment favourable for the adoption of PV
systems.
The project is thus putting into place the enabling
policies for the use of PV: a financial rebate scheme
to reduce upfront costs, a net metering mechanism
to ensure economic effectiveness, and capacity
development to support the initiative.
For individual home owners and small businesses,
installing solar power means two things. Firstly,
the avoided costs of electricity bills, and secondly, a
greener home or business.These benefits help to pay
off your initial investment, within a period of about 5
years; once paid off, these savings will be reflected in
your disposable income.
PV installation is a win-win situation for both
individuals and government. The use of PV instead
of burning fossil fuels benefits the environment
by mitigating the effects of climate change. Solar
energy not only has a minimal physical footprint, as
the PV panels are placed on rooftops, but it leads to a
more secure energy mix in the country, avoiding the
opportunity cost of importing foreign energy.
The subsidy scheme to encourage the purchasing
of PV panels by homeowners and small businesses,
which is being implemented through the
Development Bank of Seychelles (DBS) was launched
in May.
Submitted by GOS-UNDP-GEF Programme Coordination
Unit
By the end of the project, 1.7 million Kilowatt hours of
electricity are expected to be generated per year as a
result of the financial incentives.
GOS-UNDP-GEF Programme Coordination Unit
1st Floor, Les Palmes Building, Victoria
P.O Box 310
Tel: 43225599
Email. [email protected]
L'Habitation Cerf Island
22
For more information pleae contact;
Vanilla Islands President Mr Didier Robert
DIDIER ROBERT TALKS VANILLA….
24
The Vanilla Island project has a new
president – Mr Didier Robert was elected on
the 14th May 2014 as the new president of
The Vanilla Islands, following the consecutive
presidencies of Mr Alain St Ange, Minister
of Tourism from the Seychelles. Mr Robert
is also the President of the Regional Council
of La Reunion Island. We asked him a few
questions.
What do you think the Vanilla Islands have
accomplished thus far for each country and the
region as a whole?
The Vanilla Islands’ concept arose from the will of the
islands of the Indian Ocean (Madagascar, Mauritius,
Seychelles, Mayotte, Comoros, Reunion and since
2013 the Maldives) as an answer to an evolution in
the market of world tourism. The members of the
Vanilla Islands, as a group, allowed for the promotion
of several islands as one destination as opposed to
the single islands alone. This makes for a stronger
marketing campaign.
The ways in which the islands complement each
other are our ‘trump cards’ particularly with the new
clienteles such as China, India, South Africa, Australia....
In 2011, this concept was welcomed by the World
Tourism Organisation with the support from its
Secretary-General, Mr Taleb Rifaï. He officially
recognised the effort of two founder members of the
Vanilla Islands; James Michel, President of the Republic
of Seychelles and myself, Mr. Didier Robert. Thus the
Vanilla Islands now exists on the world stage.
For those outside Reunion and Seychelles
who don’t know you, what do you bring to the
presidency and what are the goals you're setting?
This presidency continues the shared vision and I
hope to carry on the wonderful job done by outgoing
president, Minister Alain St Ange.
Among both major objectives which I plan to carry
out:
- continuation of the Vanilla Islands’ concept in
order to improve the economy of the islands;
- better air access to increase the traffic within
the Indian Ocean in collaboration with the
regional companies;
- better access towards outgoing markets as India
and China
- address visa policies with the aim of facilitating
traffic between the Vanilla Islanders as well as for
the tourists coming from target markets (China,
India)
The first results obtained for last two years
demonstrate that the strategy of inter-islands
packages is successful. For example, for Reunion
Island it is about 25 000 tourists who came to visit us
during the last months using a combined trip.
Are the Vanilla Islands purely a marketing platform
or are there other ways in which the islands are
cooperating under this banner?
The islands are cooperating in many ways. We want
to promote quality standards and services across
the board. This is why we are working on a regional
standard for tourism accommodation for the smaller
establishments. In lieu of our objective to improve
efficiency we conducted a workshop on social media
for the community managers of the tourism boards
recently. This is an example of how we plan to nurture
the cooperation. In particular I want to stress on the
importance of eco-friendly tourism. The Vanilla Islands
are based on our solidarity, on our shared vision for
a successful and exemplary tourism for each of our
islands.
There’s been mention of the Vanilla Islands
growing. How will certain potential additions
(Maldives, Sri Lanka for instance) add to the
benefit of the group, given that these islands do
not share the same historical foundations for
which the name was chosen? Could it not be to the
detriment of the project?
Indian Ocean is uniting the islands. We cannot in the
same breath tell the world that we are open minded,
that we are a melting pot of cultures and close the
door to our friends living a few minutes away from us.
This was my fight as the President of the Reunion
Regional Council and it will remain my fight as the
President of the Vanilla Islands; to open doors to a
new tourism model for all the islands. This is why I
will place priority on the visa issues and on finding
common grounds to unite us in the cultural and sports
arena. A sound economic plan for the islands is also
part of my agenda.
What is the future for Vanilla islands?
I am convinced that the concept of the Vanilla
Islands is evidence that a pragmatic answer to the
changes imposed by globalisation and to the new
requirements of an international clientele can and has
been found. They are in search of authenticity and
a re-connection to nature; this is why we have to be
very attentive to eco-tourism and to always maintain a
good up-keep of our environment.
The Vanilla Islands are a reality. For it to succeed, we
all need to work together to develop tourism on our
islands in ways that would be beneficial to each island.
We need to walk side by side on the Vanilla Islands’
road and I am certain, it is indeed the road of success.
25
Seychelles Tourism Board beefs up e-marketing capability
By Glynn Burridge
The Seychelles Tourism Board is investing resources,
both financial and human, to strengthen its
e-marketing department to be able to respond to
the ways consumers are now researching holiday
destinations and services over a wide range of devices,
including tablets and smart phones.
For many years, marketing tourism destinations
relied on paper-based collaterals such as brochures,
flyers and posters but with the advent of the web
that was destined to change. In today’s brave new
world, customers the world over are able to research
items that interest them at the roll of a mouse-wheel,
compare the prices and features of rival products
and read reviews on dedicated blogs and websites.
The relentless advance of technology is ensuring that
the customer is able to purchase just about anything
online and that includes booking a holiday on their
tablet, phablet or smart phone while taking the train
home from work.
No one knows this better than Vahid Jacob, the
tourism board’s e-marketing manager, who has
dedicated much of his time and energy over the last
year in ensuring that Seychelles remains ahead of the
technology curve and is able to respond to the needs
of today’s tech-savvy consumer.
26
This has involved the development of four new
destination websites complete with fresh, new design
and with a special focus on stunning images and
the integration of social media. These websites are
mobile-optimised for smartphones and tablets and
feature 360 degree virtual tours of beaches and an
array of island attractions on Mahé, Praslin and La
Digue as well as interactive maps of all the islands,
allowing users to share their location via social media.
There is also a revamped image and video library. The
configuration of the new destination website also
allows for a suite of new events micro sites dedicated
to the promotion of such happenings as SUBIOS and
Miss Seychelles…another world beauty pageant.
The ongoing development of e-marketing at the
tourism board includes a huge increase in its social
media activity and it is now visible on a total of nine
social media platforms and has earned a total of
250,000 fans who are active across platforms such as
Google+ Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Wayne etc. The
islands now enjoy a very high rate of interaction with
over six, dedicated Seychelles Facebook pages and
are one of the best-rated island destinations on Trip
Advisor.
The new e-marketing strategy also includes the
development of free E-Travel Guides for IPads and
tablets which have seen over 700 downloads from 16
countries in just 2 weeks without any marketing. A
free Seychelles mobile AP for smart phones has also
been developed. Furthermore, the Seychelles Tourism
Board is also planning to gather online statistics on
searches by potential visitors on major search and
booking engines which will enable it to fine-tune
future marketing campaigns.
APR - JUN 2014 ISSUE NO. 3 | SESEL SA!
The Dance of
the Kankan
28
28
Disney’s story lines I was fascinated with the costumes and
replayed them over and over to capture the styles and cuts’. She
then started to train herself in fashion drawings using Barbie
computer software, and even went on to sew new outfits for
each doll, chopping and styling their hair to match the outfit.
After graduating from the prestigious Central Saint Martins
College of Art and Design in London, following the likes of
John Galliano, Stella McCartney, Zac Possen, Gareth Pugh
and Alexander McQueen; Karine took placements in Franck
Sorbier's, Paris Haute Couture fashion house, the Italian textile
manufacturer, Ratti supplying for Haute Couture fashion
houses around the world as well as London based Brazilian
designer Lena Santana.
‘Each work experience has made me what I am today. The most
favourite being my work in Como, at Ratti. I had the chance to
learn how everything is printed on fabric in the factory. I saw
By Nathalie Hodgson
‘I always knew that my path in life was in
fashion design. It is what I am, my whole
being. As a teenager I struggled at school;
no subjects would interest me and I found
it difficult to focus on anything else. I didn’t
listen, would doodle on my note pad all
day, getting me into constant trouble. My
art class was the only breath of fresh air,
and I of course excelled in it. It was my art
teacher Mr Kennedy, who told me about
the first steps of how to pursue a career
in fashion. That was when I struck a deal, I
would make all my grades and I would go
to the best fashion college in the world, it
was my destiny’.
Kankan a creole word for ‘spreading the
word’ is by far the leading fashion label
in Seychelles, with its stylish yet relaxed
elegance, that is reflective of the country’s
beautiful but powerful female persona.
The mind behind the designs, Karine
Dupouy, is a young ambitious lady that
started the brand with a few t-shirts back
in 2011. ‘I want to take my designs and
Seychelles fashion to an international level
and that is why I strictly add Seychelles to
my branding guidelines. I couldn’t think
of anywhere else to live, my heart belongs
here’.
At the wee age of 6, Karine told her parents
that she wanted to become a fashion
designer. They watched her go through
her aunties and grandmothers wardrobes
styling and re-working numbers on herself.
‘While other kids were laughing at the
29
At work
the most amazing designs created right in front of my
eyes alongside the biggest designers in the industry.
I spent two months in the design department where
I created my own designs, they were so pleased by
them they even kept three. At Frank Sorbier's couture
atelier in Paris Karine learned the art of lace making
and the time, care and detail it takes for each creation.
At Santana she perfected her sewing skills with expert
mentoring guidance.
Karine’s creative eye is present in everything she does
and is clearly her foundation, blessed with multiple
talents from painting, photography and free drawing
to mention a few, and so she cannot help but see
inspiration from everywhere and everything. ‘I start
off with a theme board, that stems from my ideas,
thoughts and visualizations this then develops into
garments. I love beautiful things so I try to inspire
myself with a mindset of Hollywood stars going onto
the red carpet’. Karine travels to fashion shows and
trade fairs around the world collecting the latest ideas
for future collections. ‘I pick out colors I liked during
my travels and further develop them when I get back
home’.
Her stardom design vision is apparent in the
collections, which seemingly have two main
categories; ready to wear and Haute Couture. The
ready to wear collection contains summer dresses and
tops in subtly printed cotton, perfect for the warm
30
summer season and the elegant, classic evening wear
jumps out at you as you marvel at the attention to
detail and romance in every stitch.
So how does Karine stay motivated, living so far away
from the fashion world? ‘I follow a lot of designer
blogs to keep up with the trends but my on-going
inspirations would have to be Ellie Saab, Marchesa and
Matthew Williamson. I love the gowns they create and
I am a big fan of sequins and sparkles. I have always
loved creating and so Matthew Williamson has to be
my biggest inspiration when it comes to print design.
It is even more exciting to know that we went to the
same university’. Karine’s passion shines through as
she makes a point of wearing the first samples to really
engage and connect to her creations, highlighting
that she must know how it feels moves and falls on a
figure, before it gets released in store.
Carefully selecting all her beautiful silk fabrics from
India and Turkey, to ensure the best quality, you can
see her heart and soul lies in every piece from fabric
purchase to hanger. ‘As soon as I see a fabric I can
visualize the garment in my head. I used to favour
black fabrics but I am moving away from this shade
recently’.
Karine’s recent collection is called Tropical Romance. A
resort collection made of light weight fabrics perfect
for those sunny days. It stemmed from a trio sketch
board of the related themes, the Tropical Romance,
Cast Away and Sun & Sea, and contains unique
raffia hats, jewelry and bags all perfectly matching
accessories for that ultimate James Bond island
ensemble. With only fifteen items per collection they
really are unique pieces of art.
Kankan only partners with semi-precious
manufacturers from Italy for all the jewelry pieces. ‘Just
like the clothing we wear on our backs, the accessories
we pair with them too define our personal style, it's an
extension of Self ' because what you wear, in their own
special way, gives you a glimpse of who you are. Style
is saying who you are without having to speak a word",
they say’.
Karine has been busy working on her very own
printed fabric collection; spending months locked up
sketching and painting to perfect the designs. ‘I am
not completely satisfied with them yet but will get
there’. She slipped out that these personal prints will
include a beachwear collection of Kaftans with semi
precious stones. ‘I try to create something different for
each collection to challenge myself and going to trade
fairs helps a lot in knowing what is new in the market’.
Karine and mum, Claudine
Illustration
So how does a fashion designer charge her creative
batteries? Karine and her beau take one month each
year on an adventure. Planned out months in advance
to maximize the time, experiences and distances she
looks forward to this break to fully rejuvenate. The
next escape is to Burma, Nepal and Tibet.
The Kankan team is very family orientated with
Karine’s Mum in partnership to work on the more
marketing/administrative aspects of the business to
allow Karine more time to channel her extraordinary
into hopefully next season’s masterpieces.
Like many artists, Karine likes her own space and quiet
time. ‘I am a shy person and try and avoid socializing
with large groups or too many interviews but it is now
a part of my job, people need to know the person
behind the brand’. On her days off Karine spends a
lot of time cooking, creating a new dish every week,
mostly with local produce. She also never ceases to try
and learn new things in photography, web designing
or anything to do with market branding to keep
Kankan on the marks.
Karine wants to one day spread her KanKan wings
from the Indian Ocean and has her sights set on retail
outlets in Dubai and South Africa to start with. ‘I want
to have my fashion house here in Seychelles, and
would love to have the resources to produce all of the
clothes locally instead of outsourcing manufacturers
overseas. With no plans for a family yet, well not
before she ticks off all the ‘before 30 bucket list’ she
would also like to have a Kankan Kids line too.
Her parting line ‘It is so important not to dress for
other people, or someone you are trying to impress.
You must dress to impress yourself, to feel pretty,
happy and confident and this will put a smile on your
face everyday’.
31
Timeline To Date
On the runway
1986 – born in Mauritius, youngest of three, two
elder brothers
1989 – move to Seychelles at the age of three
1991 – recollection of first drawing
1992 - age 6 told her parents she is becoming a
fashion designer
2010 – Graduated from Central Saint Martins
College of Art and Design in London
2008 - Practicum in France Franck Sorbier's Paris
Haute Couture fashion house
Practicum in Italy Ratti; a textile manufacturer
2009 - Practicum in London with Brazilian
designer Lena Santana
2010 – moved back to home to Seychelles and
started brainstorming her vision
2012 - Launch of Kankan brand with series of
trendy, casual t-shirts
Cocktail collection for the Miss Seychelles Miss
Seychelles pageant
2013 - Designed and created Miss Seychelles ball
gown for the Miss World Pageant (held in Bali)
2013 - Launch of first line – silks collection
Garments took the front pages of Pot Pourri
Magazine; 3 times
2014 - Additional retail outlet in Victoria, Mahe
To be launched Couture fashion show for Kankan
MICHAEL ADAMS PAINTINGS
P.O BOX 405, VICTORIA, MAHE, SEYCHELLES
TELEPHONE 4361006, TELEFAX 4361200.
[email protected] www.michaeladamsart.com
32
© Frog974 Photographies
33
Scrumptious
Snacks
By Alexandria Faure & Chef Antoine Simoen
Looking for snack ideas with an island twist?
These scrumptious recipes are sure to fulfil your snacking needs.
Seychellois people are the island experts when it comes to
preparing dishes and snacks for any special occasion! The snack
list can be long and varied, but there are a few popular recipes
that can be found at almost every Seychellois get together. The
merging of our exotic cuisine and our love for celebration is a
central element to the island lifestyle and culture on our islands.
Whether it’s for a BBQ, a party or a simple movie night in, these
will be the perfect match to your event.
Delve into these next pages for some great, can’t keep your
hands off, kind of finger licking good snacks and appetizers.
34
Photography; Dominic Elizabeth
A traditional Seychellois
recipe that is popular for
beach picnics and parties, the
Gato Piman is a tantalizing
snack bursting with spices.
They taste great with dips
and are easy to make. There’s
always room to be creative
by adding other interesting
ingredients to the mix.
Ingredients
150g, Red lentils
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
3 tbsp plain flour
Gato Piman - Spicy Cakes
4 green or red chillies, finely
chopped ( add or remove
depending on your taste)
sunflower oil or groundnut oil,
for frying
salt, to taste
with salt then mix in enough
plain flour to bind everything
together.
Heat about 2 tbsp oil in a
non-stick pan. When the oil is
hot, drop in the lentil batter
by the tablespoon and fry for
a few minutes, or until golden
brown on the base. Flip over
and cook until golden brown
on the other side.
Place them in a serving bowl
and serve warm.
Preparing the Cakes
Wash the lentils, place in a
bowl, cover with water and
set aside to soak over night.
The following day, drain the
lentils then place in a blender
or food processor and process
them lightly.
Transfer the lentils to a bowl
and mix in the onion, garlic,
ginger and chillies. Season
40 minutes
4-5
Serves
35
Chips Banann – Banana Chips
You can’t go wrong with
a bowl of banana chips.
If you’re getting bored
of popcorn they are the
perfect snacks for a movie
night at home and they
also make for an eclectic
appetiser at a dinner or
a lunch. They are also
a great snack for the
afternoon munchies!
36
Ingredients
5, St Jacques Bananas
Sunflower oil or groundnut oil,
for frying
Salt, to taste
Preparing the Chips
Peel the bananas and slice
them in very thin round
circles. And Set aside.
Heat the oil in a frying pan
and add the sliced bananas
to the oil and fry until golden
brown and slightly hard.
Place them in a serving bowl
to drain, sprinkle with some
salt, set aside to cool and
serve.
Photo credit; Dominic Elizabeth
40 minutes
4-5
Serves
A quick and easy recipe to
make, Aubergine fritters are
great as a snack on its own or
as a side with a salad or some
fish. To add a spicy twist to
the recipe, add some crushed
chillies in your batter! Try it
with different dips!
Ingredients
1 large Eggplant,
Eggs, 3
Egg Whites, 3
Flour, 250g
Water, 200ml
Baking Powder, 2 teaspoons
sunflower oil or groundnut oil, for
frying
Brenzel Fri – Aubergine Fritters
Preparing the Batter
Sift the flour into a bowl and
make a well in the middle. Add
the eggs, baking powder, salt
and herbs and spice of your
choice and mix together until
it becomes a smooth batter.
Beat the egg whites until stiff
and add to the creamy batter.
40 minutes
4-5
Serves
Making the Fritters
Wash the eggplant and slice
into thin circles. Heat some oil
in a saucepan. Dip the slices of
eggplant into the batter and
deep fry them into the oil until
it becomes a golden brown
and place in your serving
bowl.
Serve whilst still warm.
37
Zironmon Fri – Pumpkin Fritters
Delicious and best
served warm, Pumpkin
Fritters are easy and
quick to make. They
taste amazing drizzled
with syrup, sprinkled
cinnamon or vanilla
ice cream.
Ingredients
Ripe Pumpkin, 500g
Sugar, 150g
Eggs, 3
Egg Whites, 3
Oil, 5cl
Butter, 150g
Flour, 350g
38
Vanilla Essence
Nutmeg
sunflower oil or groundnut oil, for frying
Preparing the Batter
Peel, wash, cut the pumpkin into square
pieces and boil in a saucepan until soft.
Remove from the saucepan, drain and
mash the pumpkin into a puree and set
aside to cool. Mix the mashed pumpkin
with the butter, eggs and oil with a
wooden spoon and set aside.
Sift the flour to remove any lumps
and gradually mix it into the pumpkin
mixture until it becomes a creamy batter
and set aside.
Beat the egg whites and until stiff and
pour it into the pumpkin batter and mix
together.
Flavour the batter with a few
drops of Vanilla Essence and
grated nutmeg to your taste.
Making the Fritters
Heat some oil in a pan.
Take a wooden spoon portion
of the batter and deep fry them
into small balls. When they turn
golden brown remove them
from the oil to drain and place
in your serving bowl.
Serve whilst still warm.
40 minutes
4-5
Serves
The classic seafood favourite,
Calamari Fritters are easy and
quick to make. They taste
great with salads or with a
side of sweet potato fries!
Chilli Mayo is a great dip for
this one.
Kalamar – Calamari Fritters
Ingredients
600g Squid, Cut into rings
200g, Flour
Salt, for seasoning
sunflower oil or groundnut oil,
for frying
40 minutes
4-5
Serves
Preparing the Fritters
Season the flour with salt,
pepper and paprika powder.
Mix the squid with flour until
they get fully coated.
Heat the oil in a pan and fry
the squid for 2 minutes until
golden brown.
39
By Nathalie Hodgson
In 2005 Seychelles saw the first luxury real estate development on 49
hectares of newly reclaimed land turn into Eden Island Marina. Now
investors from over 32 different nationalities have laid claim to their little
piece of paradise. This residential marina is launching another first with its
business hotel, ‘Eden Bleu’ to be officially opened by end of 2014, ready to
capture not only the corporate clientele but also the island hoppers.
Eden Island Hotel
40
Eden Island Marina
Eden Island is an integrated resort development
located two kilometers off Mahè Island. It offers
holiday accommodation and long term rentals to
investors and holiday makers from around the world.
It offers accessibility and privacy to those who wish to
invest in luxury property that is also highly desirable
accommodation for the holiday rental market. Motor
vehicles are not permitted in the residential areas
and each property receives an island buggy to move
to and from their home. Each property comes with
a private mooring and with 16 hectares of private
waterways, and three investment categories to choose
from.
Surrounded by blue and green hues of the ocean,
and tropical flora, including many fruit-growing trees,
colourful bird species and specks of floral plants that
add to the island’s visual appeal, it is easily accessed
by sea, and provide opportunities to explore nearby
islands such as Cerf and Sainte Anne.
The newest edition to the development is Eden Bleu,
falling in line with Seychelles’ government "Blue
Economy” concept, where the nation aims to harness
its oceanic resources in a sustainable manner. Eden
Bleu will consist of 87 rooms, including a presidential
suite and also boasts a 300 seat conference centre and
six business meeting rooms.
41
‘A gap was identified in the hotel market for corporate
events and conferences and for a true business hotel.
Our sole target is to increase the number of business
travelers’ said Eden Island's Sales and Marketing
Manager, Peter Smith. ‘We also hope to attract
the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and
exhibitions) market with corporate group offerings
visiting one part business and one part incentive.
Eden Island has so much to offer all visitors and added
to this is the ability for people attending a conference
to rent a self catering home on Eden Island while they
are in Seychelles’, Smith continued.
The new hotel will also target weddings, local events,
business meetings and a range of other activities. The
conference centre will boast leading edge technology
and internet connectivity and will accommodate 200
to 300 people.
‘It is ideally situated on Eden Island, which is
becoming a new hub of business and entertainment
in Seychelles. We are close to the airport and Victoria
and have a range of restaurants, marine activities, a
casino and much more.
Mr Smith explained that although the hotel will be
attracting primarily corporate business, they expect
around a third of clients to be those vacationing
in Seychelles. ‘We envisage many tourists who are
travelling to other islands and would like a couple
of nights on Mahe at the beginning or end of their
42
holiday choosing the hotel for its locality to the airport
and all that it offers on its doorstep’.
‘Tapping into these mentioned markets will also
showcase Eden Island as the new destination
attraction that should sit on the’ list of things to do’ for
every visitor to islands’, Smith added
As a calculated spin off, the services, local businesses
and real estate opportunities on Eden Island clientel
will grow and the demand to buy or rent in the long
term will increase. ‘We have engaged an international
team of specialists who have extensive experience in
opening hotels worldwide. Details will be announced
shortly but it will be a very eventful few months
leading up to the planned opening in November 2014’.
So if you always wanted a holiday home in paradise
this is your one stop shop with prices starting from
USD $ 450,000 for a one bedroom apartment, to USD$
3.5 million for villas- all of which have swimming pools
and are situated on plots ranging from 600 sq metre to
as much as 3000 sq metre, ensuring absolute privacy.
The last of the units are now being built, which will
bring the total to 576 by the end of 2016, with 473
units already sold. You are assured of having the
perfect getaway away coupled with a lucrative rental
investment for life. For more information on holiday
accommodation and rentals please contact us on
[email protected] or +248 434 6061.
e
D
s
s
A
e
f
r
a
C by lunch ts
Cote d’or, Anse Volbert, Praslin
Praslin, the island native to the famous Coco De Mer
should ideally be on every tourist itinerary. Once
across, and while enjoying the sights and sounds,
hunger prangs will surely call, and when they do, do
call at Cote d’or, Anse Volbert and sample the delights
Cafes Des Arts has to offer. It’s an experience you will
not regret.
Cafe des Arts Restaurant
The setting is tasteful and funky all at the same time
with vibrant colours and textures at every turn.
Facing the ocean, the restaurant is meters away from
the beach and you can almost feel the sand in your
toes. The lunch menu is light with options of salads,
baguettes, burgers and the likes, as well as a few
curries and grills thrown in. The meals sound simple
but it’s everything but.
With every meal bursting with taste, it’s hard to say
which I preferred, suffice to say that if my belly had
accommodated, I could have polished off every
Chilli Beef Wrap with Homemade Wraps
43
meal. As it was, because of the generous portions
even with a party of 3, we struggled to finish it all,
although we put up a good fight. Dessert was as
equally splendid, with offers including fruit kebabs
with impressively sized fruits pieces, homemade
pancakes and Crème Caramel.
Creme Caramel
Gazing at the blue ocean before us, we vowed
to come back to Praslin more often and more
importantly to introduce our families to this
delightful spot, but what made it a delight? The
great location and venue? Yes, for sure and certainly
great food, but as importantly and crucial to
setting any ambiance is good staff. With their easy
Slushies
Peppered Beef Fillet Steak Burger
44
Homemade Pancakes
The Team
Smoked Fish and Starfruit Salad
Cafe des Arts Restaurant, Kiosk from above
Fruit Kebabs
Beef Lasagne
humour and quick smile, this team was a delight. Ever
watchful to our needs with friendliness not usually
encountered, we ended up chatting only to discover
that the kitchen producing the delights before us, was
in fact a team of young men. We of course sent our
compliments to the chef(s).
The View
Ending our lazy lunch, we opted for the lighter
slushies’ and they did not disappoint. Bursting with
flavor ,these 3 fruity drinks were passed around and all
declared winners. With the combination of all these
factors, we left Café des Arts, with a happy belly and a
spring in our step. Eager to return (and sad to leave)
we waved goodbye to our new friends and wondered,
if a ‘simple’ lunch could be that good, what was dinner
like? We look forward to finding out!!
45
La Plaine St Andre
A Review
Steeped in Colonial traditions which, upon walking
into the converted plantation house conjure up
a stark vision of times past, La Plaine St Andre is
certainly a one-of-a-kind restaurant.
Encompassed by historical ruins and wide-ranging
gardens, the seating area boasts ample room and
an ambience unlike any other, setting a perfectly
palatable mood for a dining experience. Over and
above that, the whole property carries the very rare
46
gift of being able to transport it's guests to another
place. A place that exists outside the hustle and
bustle of everyday life.
As a starter, the Ceasar Salad sets the standard
for what is to be a refreshing culinary encounter.
Flawlessly crisped chicken breast and bacon shards
adorn a bed of greenery, with vinaigrette-soaked
croutons adding an ideal texture variation to the
dish.
If you're stuck on what to order as a main, I'd suggest
the rum and coke basted pork ribs, served with a
side salad and thick, farmhouse-style Potato chips.
Although it sounds simple and perhaps even a bit
too 'back-yard barbeque', I assure you that the blend
of Takamaka's own locally-made rum and soft, sultry
pork compliments this dish in a very satisfying way.
As for a dessert, there is no clearer choice than the
Dessert Symphonie, a platter of bite-sized sweet bits,
each of which acts as an absolutely mouth-watering
end to a meal. The Passion Fruit sorbet however, is the
cream of the crop.
Also, be sure to quench your thirst with one of La
Plaine's many freshly-pressed fruit cocktails, which are
served with the most flavoursome local fruits, many of
which are grown in the restaurant gardens.
La Plaine St. André
T: +248 437 2010
E : [email protected]
W : www.laplaine.sc
47
Lavigne
REISEN
By Nathalie Hodgson
Back in 1995, Seychellois born and bred, Kidd Lavigne
left the position of Manager of the German Market
at Masons Travel to take a job with FTI Touristik in
Germany. Little did he know that 19 years later he
would be his own boss, selling dream holidays not
only back home to Seychelles but the world.
Kidd runs a very personal affair, placing great
emphasis on who and what he sells. What drives him is
the desire to inspire his clients with to their individual
travel program and an accommodation, excursion,
island to meet each and everyone’s travel needs.
48
Lavigne travel is a tour operator company based
in Ostfildern, Germany, that specializes in carefully
selected portfolios of products around the Indian
Ocean, Mediterranean and The Gulf. His very selective
choice of broad offering ranges from guest houses,
cottages and small country hotels that he and his
team regularly visit so can convince clients personally
by the quality of the homes offered.
We caught up with Kidd Lavigne to understand his
devotion to the tourism industry and here is what he
had to say.
1. WHEN DID YOU BECOME A TOUR
OPERATOR AND WHY?
I came to Germany for study and then worked over
18 years in this industry, under the names of CASAS
GmbH Munchen, Spezialreiseveranstalter and Global
First Class Travel. Coupled with my passion for travel,
knowledge and experience I decided to take the
plunge and start my own tour operator business in
2010.
2. TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAMILY AND WHAT
DO THEY THINK OF YOUR CAREER?
9. WHAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING PART
ABOUT BEING A TOUR OPERATOR?
As a tour operator you have a big responsibility.
Everyhing starts with good planning. Attention to
detail on every aspect of their trip (tickets, transfers
etc) has to be considered, checked, double checked
and even then things may change on the day.
10. HOW DO YOU THINK SEYCHELLES COULD
IMPROVE THEIR PRODUCT?
I have a four year old grandchild and am happily
married to a German lady.
They love that I travel and they also can come with me
on certain trips.
As I know and sell other islands in the Indian Ocean
(Maldives and Mauritius) I can compare Seychelles
to some of its competitors first hand. There are
improvements to be done in customer service area.
It has got a lot better, but still there is space for
improvement.
3. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST HOLIDAY SOLD
AND TO WHOM?
11. WHERE AND WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE
STAY IN SEYCHELLES?
I really CAN remember my first booking I made
for Seychelles. They were German honeymooners
wanting to see a few islands and only wanted
guesthouses. I always recommend island hopping,
because they have the chance to see as much as
possible from my country.
4. WHO IS YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE?
My clients come from all over Germany and German
speaking countries. These are mostly interested in the
nature, culture and Creole lifestyle and a majority only
want guesthouses and small hotels.
5. WHAT DO YOU SELL MORE OFF -ONLINE OR
DIRECT?
I represent myself through my website; www.lavignereisen.de and most of the clients are direct– let’s say
90%. The other 10 % are from local travel agencies.
6. WHAT DO YOU FIND CUSTOMERS LOVE THE
BEST ABOUT SEYCHELLES?
When my clients return from their vacation they
always send me a feeback. They list the unspoiled
beach, the nature and the friendly Creole people and
always the food. An important point is also, that there
is no mass tourism and that the number of big hotels
is limited. This is a great selling point.
7. HOW OFTEN DO YOU TRAVEL BACK?
I try to come to Seychelles twice a year to see new
properties and to check the standards of my products.
8. WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF RUNNING A
TOUR OPERATOR BUSINESS?
I love my country and I want to share the beauty of
Seychelles with everyone. The feedback I receive,
detailing their trip and that they had the most
beautiful holiday ever, is really satisfying.
It’s difficult to say. Personally I love to be at home in
Beau Vallon with my family. When I need a break I like
to go with my wife to La Digue to disconnect totally.
12. WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF LAVIGNE
REISEN?
First of all I would like to keep on my standard of
service and improve on it even further. I have just
started offering other destinations in the Indian Ocean
and also with small Hotels on the Spanish Island,
Mallorca and stop over’s in the UAE. Small steps first.
An important aspect is when I take hotels in our
repertoires, that I know them personally. That’s why
Lavigne Reisen offers only known products.
13. HOW DO YOU SEE THE FUTURE OF
TOURISM IN GERMANY AND GLOBALLY.
German people are frequent travelers. They are very
open minded and very interested to discover new
destinations. According to the latest survey of german
tourism market there will be an increase of long
distance travel. Globally I think the Asia market will
be very strong in the future so we need to work even
harder.
14. IF YOU COULD BE PRESIDENT OF
SEYCHELLES FOR ONE DAY WHAT WOULD
YOU DO?
I would focus on eco tourism and environmental care.
Set an example to the Indian Ocean and the world on
alternative energy and sustainability. Seychelles can
do this as its small. And I will make a life-long Law “No
Mass Tourism in Seychelles “.
You can contact Kidd Lavigne on:
LAVIGNE TRAVEL
Telephone +49 (0) 7158 - 98 64 605
Mobile +49 (0) 177-68 59 072
[email protected]
49
Star-Crossed
How Le Duc de Praslin is taking
homegrown hospitality to new heights.
By RJ Williams
Over-sized bathrooms, reputed haute cuisine, state-ofthe-art Magna pools, all in a magnificent beachfront
location on an island oft-likened to the Garden of Eden.
If that sounds like the stuff of an international luxury
hotel chain, you could be right.
But you’d actually be wrong.
With a fresh degree in hand, however, Robert felt the
property had the potential to be so much more. As
always, he helped with the family business, but not
without constantly pressuring his father about further
expansion.
“With my degree, there was no point for me to work in
a nine-room hotel,” Robert says. He felt, for his career,
he had but two options. “Either we expand, or I’m
going to go work in a big hotel.”
That was enough motivation. In 1999, two new blocks
started to go up, and six new rooms were added. But
Robert, now having taken over the business, still felt
When Robert Payet was still in secondary school, his
parents bought a small three-room annex on Cote
D’Or beach on Praslin, the Seychelles archipelago’s
second largest island.
That purchase was the beginning of a project that,
even 23 years ago, was rather modest in scope:
a quaint family-run guesthouse, albeit in a great
beachfront location.
While Robert was studying at the Polytechnic on
Mahé, his father added an additional six rooms to the
property. And when Robert returned from Singapore
with a degree in hotel management at the end of
1997, a small restaurant was soon added as well.
Le Duc
50
Hillside Villa view
Robert
there was more to do. Seven years
ago, he decided to close the hotel
for a drastic renovation, and all of
the old rooms and the restaurant
were pulled down to make way for
the new Le Duc de Praslin.
Le Duc Superior Room
Reception
ORGANIC GROWTH
The evolution of Le Duc didn’t
involve a massive injection of
cash from a new buyer, or some
grand vision by a developer with
ambitious ideas and a fresh line
of credit. Rather, Le Duc is the
byproduct of the persistence
and patience needed to develop
gradually - from three humble
rooms to one that is now made up
of more than 40 - across a quarter
of a century.
For Robert, it appears that means
never being wholly satisfied with
the status quo. After carrying out
the extensive renovations that
had already turned Le Duc into
one of the top four-star properties
on the island, Robert still saw
opportunities to improve. When the
well-regarded small hotel adjacent
to Le Duc, Cafe des Arts, went up for
sale, there was no hesitation.
The rooms were incorporated
into Le Duc, while the restaurant,
retaining the same name, has for
several years now been firmly
established as an iconic fine-dining
restaurant that attracts a clientele
well beyond the hotel’s own
residents.
The constant growth has meant
an ever-increasing workforce, but
Robert, whose wife Lisa also runs the Cafe des Arts souvenir shop, takes
pride in the fact the entire 90-strong team is comprised of Seychellois
only.
“I think our staff feel at ease working here,” Robert says. “We treat our
staff as part of a big family and I think they’re happy to work for a local
entrepreneur and local managers. It’s not always easy for a foreigner to
understand the local culture and local habits.
“I’m very hands on,” Robert says. “I praise my staff when they do well
and am involved in all staffing decisions.” Robert also credits Le Duc’s
resident manager Gina Michaud-Payet as his “right hand in bringing up
the standard of the hotel.”
THE VALUE OF DIFFERENTIATION
Robert’s goal is simple: “We want to be the best four-star hotel in
Seychelles.”
He knows the hotel’s facilities and finishings have a lot to do with that
- that’s why even the lowest category of rooms are unusually spacious
with large bathrooms.
The garden that serves as the connecting hub between the rooms and
the hotel’s restaurant and reception is lavishly decorated, with rare
orchids adorning the the pathways, and with bridges over a couple of
large (one of 30,000 litres and the other 100,000 litres) Koi ponds. The
51
1 Bedroom, Family
interconnecting paths and bridges create little islands,
which give character to even the simple act of walking
to breakfast.
He works closely with local artist Andrew Gee on
colour schemes and decor. “He’s very much suited to
my style of design,” he says, stressing the importance
of a local touch.
To further differentiate the hotel, Robert also took the
dramatic step of being the first property in Seychelles
to install Magna pools on his property. This unique
pool system uses magnesium and other minerals as
its filtration method, which not only serves to clean
the pool, but according to the manufacturer also can
deliver health benefits, in particular for the skin.
“It’s the most ecologically friendly pool system in
the world,” he says, and the client feedback has been
excellent.
In upgrading the hotel’s “hardware,” Robert knows that
the “software” is just as important, and this is one area
where he’s decided to up the ante in how he can make
Pano, Le Duc
52
The Payet family
Le Duc attractive to potential guests.
For instance, Le Duc offers quite an unusual facility for
those guests truly in search of a lazy holiday: breakfast
can be enjoyed until 11.30am.
To encourage more family bookings, children are
only considered as adults when they reach the age of
18 years (compared to 12 years in the case of many
hotels). In the case of large families with different
age gaps between children, this can translate into
considerable holiday savings.
These little edges, Robert believes, are incredibly
important in the current environment.
“There are some good little properties charging half
the price as us,” he says. “But they don’t have the same
overheads we do. So I will always try and improve
our services so that we can boost occupancy while
maintaining the price. I’m not in favour of pulling
down the price - for most hotels this means they have
to take out value from what the client is getting.”
And that’s the last thing Robert wants to do. Instead,
he says, Le Duc should be positioned so that “any hotel
with a better offering would be considered a 5-star
hotel.”
Le Dauphin Restaurant
ON THE HORIZON
Up the hill from the beach, Le Duc’s newest additions
are only loosely affiliated with the hotel, and they
target a different niche market of large families and
groups interested in a more private and exclusive
accommodation option. These include a fourbedroom villa with its own Magna pool, and a threebedroom maison.
Between these new properties and the latest family
rooms and suites that have been added, Le Duc
has seen an influx from the Russian and Middle
Eastern markets. Robert is also keen to tap into the
burgeoning Chinese outbound market, while also
maintaining a strong presence in the traditional
European markets that make up the core client mix.
Standard Room
The marketing is important, but Robert still has a
keen eye on his immediate surroundings - it’s not a
question of now throwing all his weight overseas to
bring in more clients. There’s more work to be done at
home.
By the end of the year, the second story addition
to Cafe des Arts should be completed, offering an
additional type of dining experience, in the form of a
tapas-style bar and restaurant that will open late. This
will round out Le Duc’s tally at three bars and three
restaurants.
He also plans to introduce a sunrise yoga and
breakfast ‘club’ for those of his guests who wish to
enjoy a peaceful early morning session at dawn, with
coffee and light bites in the offing.
Le Duc
These kinds of innovative approaches have not
escaped the notice of the holiday-making public, or
those in the industry itself.
In the past few years, Le Duc has garnered several
awards from international websites like Tripadvisor
and Zoover, on the basis of client satisfaction ratings
and reviews. Last year, the hotel was awarded best
tourism establishment from the Seychelles Chamber
of Commerce and Industry.
The recognition, Robert thinks, “is based on all the
improvements we’ve done.”
If the past 23 years are any indication, there will be
even more improvements, and more awards, to come.
53
I n Th e N e w s
New President elected for the Indian
Ocean Vanilla Islands - Didier Robert of
La Reunion
Didier Robert, the President of the Regional Council of
La Reunion Island has been elected the new President
of the Indian Ocean Vanilla islands. President Didier
Robert replaces Alain St.Ange, the Minister of Tourism
and Culture of the Seychelles whose second mandate
came to an end in May. An interview on page 21
talks of Mr Robert’ plans for his presidency.
Representatives of Comoros, La Reunion, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mayotte and the Seychelles poses together at the handing over of the
ceremonial Vanilla Island Flag by Minister Alain St.Ange to President Didier Robert
Indaba Tourism Trade Fair of South
Africa declared a great event
The Seychelles Delegation attending the 2014 Indaba
Tourism Trade Fair left Durban saying that it was a
great success. Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister
responsible for Tourism and Culture personally headed
the delegation from the islands to the biggest tourism
and travel trade fair of Africa. David Germain, the Seychelles Tourism Board’s
Director for Africa and the Americas and Marsha
Parcou, the Tourism Boards Manager for Africa were
both on hand working with the island’s private sector
trade to ensure that Seychelles remains relevant on
the South African market.
Seychelles was very visible at this latest trade fair with
many one to one meetings headed by their Minister
responsible for Tourism, but they also staged a big and
very successful Press Conference at the Hilton Hotel in
the fair grounds.
Indaba was the opportunity for the SAVOY HOTEL
of the Seychelles to be seen by South Africa Tour
Operators. This new property situated right on the
Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)
Tourism and Travel Mart to be held in
Seychelles
It has been confirmed that the Seychelles will be
hosting the 2014 Indian Ocean Rim Association
(IORA) Tourism and Travel Mart which from the 19th
to 21st September 2014.
The aim of the 2014 Indian Ocean Rim Association
(IORA) Tourism and Travel mart is to bring together
policy makers and stakeholders in the tourism and
travel industry. This will include the Seychelles,
Regional and International Tourism Organisations,
Travel Agencies, Hotels, Tour Operators and Airlines
under the same roof.
beach at Beau Vallon is now ready to start receiving
guests and their sales team were on hand to showcase
the property.
55
UK trade rates Seychelles in
Top 10 best destinations for
romance for 2014
By the Manager PR STB Europe
The UK travel trade has rated Seychelles
amongst the Top 10 destinations in
the world for the best wedding and
honeymoon experience for 2014.
The results have been published in
the Perfect Places magazine which
comes out once a year to rate the UK
travel agents’ best destinations in the
world. Perfect Places is the addition
publication of Travel Weekly which is
the number one trade publication in
the UK.
The issue went out last week with 10
different categories being awarded,
such as Best for spa, Best value for
money, Best for Dining, Best for
Nightlife, Best for Sports and Activities,
Best for Luxury and Best for Nature.
A selection of top selling travel agents
from different agencies were asked
to name their favourite places and a
shortlist was then posted online with
more than 300 agents completing the
survey for the best destinations.
Seychelles takes it place of pride in
the ‘Best Weddings and Honeymoons’
category, amongst some of the most
popular destinations in the world
renowned for romance experiences.
Six-placed Seychelles has been
described as one of the easiest places to
organise a paradise island wedding.
“Many couples take their vows on
the beach and other options include
a ceremony at the grounds of an
old colonial house. The Seychelles
is popular because agents can offer
different experiences, such as island
wedding combined with an exciting
safari in Kenya or a honeymoon in
Dubai,” says the review.
Speaking from London, the Seychelles
Tourism Board’s manager for PR and
News Bureau, Lena Hoareau, said that
the news comes at a very good time
as Seychelles is running a six-week
campaign with Travel Weekly.
“The good news couldn’t have come at
a better time because the day Perfect
Places hit the shelves, we started our
own campaign with Travel Weekly and
for six-weeks, Seychelles will be visible
to over 30,000 travel agents in UK,” she
said.
56
Seychelles is on the home page of the Travel Weekly website and
agents are being encouraged to learn more about this destination
by participating in a competition which can win them a FAM trip to
the islands later this year.
The campaign is running in both print copy of Travel Weekly and
online, which together have an audience of 33,000 agents.
“Perfect Places is considered the ‘hot list’ where the UK trade’s
favourite destinations are ranked and we are very happy to be
amongst the destinations that keep attracting attention in the travel
industry. We expect that with the ongoing campaign, we are going
to generate some excitement and definite results for this market,”
said Mrs Hoareau.
Seychelles’ ranking in Perfect Places comes eight months after the
destination was voted amongst the Top 10 destinations for 2014 by
the well-known Lonely Planet magazine in UK.
The Seychelles’ Minister for Tourism and Culture, Alain St.Ange, said
the visibility campaign for Seychelles was achieving its aims because
more people are able to increase their awareness on Seychelles and
also visit the islands.
“We will continue to receive such good news because a lot of efforts
are being put into marketing and making our destination more
visible all over the world. The trade and consumers are recognising
that Seychelles is not only a destination being high recommended
on the market but it worth visiting for one of the most unique
holiday experiences. Everything Excels In The Seychelles as was
written by Ted Davis from Queensland as he was proposing we
adopt this slogan. This proposal speaks for itself,” the Minister said.
Faces of STO
JULIE KIM
Regional Manager, S. Korea & Japan
Joined to the Seychelles Tourist Office in S. Korea in
2007. In 2013, Julie Kim started to oversee emerging
Japanese market as well as S. Korea. STO S. Korea
& Japan has initiated the Seychelles Eco-friendly
Marathon event since 2008, which has grown to be
one of the top national events in Seychelles. This
international event is visited by a number of runners
and families from the four corners of the world.
STO S. Korea & Japan is proud to be taking the
initiative in exchanges of culture and sports between
the Seychelles and S. Korea for the past 8 years.
Julie Kim is often called by her nick name, “daughter
of Seychelles.” She loves Seychelles so much that she
enjoys working for Seychelles.
She is the co-writer of the first Korean book on
Seychelles called “Seychelles, not just another
place, another world” with Mr. Dong Chang Jeong,
Seychelles Honorary Consul General to S. Korea. This
book was listed “The travel book of the month” by
Korea’s No. 1 book store, Kyobo.
In line with the government’s policy to “Look East,” STO
S. Korea & Japan will endeavor to attract more Korean
and Japanese visitors to the shores of Seychelles to
appreciate the unique experience which the last piece
of heaven offers.
Aviation News
Air seychelles flies to Paris again
In a press release issued by Air Seychelles in May, it
was announced that Air Seychelles will once again be
flying twice weekly to Paris via Abu Dhabi with flight
starting in July 2014. For this route, the carrier will be
deploying its brightly coloured Airbus A330-200 which
sits 235 in Economy and 18 in Business Class.
Manoj Papa, Air Seychelles’ Chief Executive Officer,
said: “Our return to Paris marks another milestone
in Air Seychelles’ journey of growing its international
operations by flying to and from key markets…
France has deep cultural and historical ties with the
Seychelles and these new flights will allow more
travellers to visit our island nation both for business
and for leisure….The response from stakeholders has
been great. Travel agents, tour operators and business
partners now have additional choice and accessibility
options, which will help to further promote what the
Seychelles has to offer….”
Beyond Paris, Air Seychelles offers guests connections
to and from more than 50 cities in 23 countries
across Europe.
57
All the goodies,
all included
Lose yourself in ‘ice’, our unrivalled inflight
entertainment with the latest films, television,
music and news - plus easy connection to
phone and email.
emirates.com/sc
Generous baggage allowance
Gourmet cuisine
Award-winning service
For more information contact your local travel agent or Emirates on 4292 700 or visit emirates.com
Photo credit; H Richards
The Black Parrot National Bird of Seychelles
The Vallée de Mai is home to the enigmatic Seychelles
Black Parrot which is one of the flagship species of
this unique UNESCO World Heritage Site. Although
the national bird of Seychelles, the Black Parrot was
only recently officially classified as a distinct species.
After five years of intensive research the Seychelles
Islands Foundation (SIF) is pleased to confirm that this
new status has been recognised at an international
level this month. This new status will ensure that the
Seychelles Black Parrot receives stronger conservation
protection and attention to safeguard its future.
The Seychelles Black Parrot is part of a small group of
parrots (Coracopsis species) found only in the Western
Indian Ocean. The Seychelles Coracopsis was long
suspected to be a distinct species due to differences
in ecology, size and calls. Until recently, however,
genetic evidence to confirm this species’ distinction
was lacking. Now, following intensive research on the
breeding and ecology of the Seychelles Black Parrot
by SIF, in partnership with genetic researchers at the
Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE)
in the UK, this gap has been filled and a decision
59
by taxonomic experts at BirdLife
International has been reached to
officially recognise the Seychelles Black
Parrot as a distinct species from the
other parrots in the group! The species
will now undergo an assessment for the
internationally recognised IUCN Red List.
The Seychelles Black Parrot has a global
population of 520–900 birds, all of
which occur on Praslin Island. It is the
only endemic parrot found in Seychelles
and despite not being as colourful
as other parrots it is a beautiful and
fascinating bird. It is also known for
its melodious calls which can be heard
echoing throughout the Vallée de Mai.
Unfortunately due to the limited range
of Praslin Island, small population size
and limited good quality habitat the
parrot is threatened and requires full
protection. The several threats the parrot
is facing include anything that might
endanger or reduce the remaining palm
forest habitat, such as fire, poaching or
development, since the parrots depend
on mature native palm forest to breed
and feed. This dependence means that
the continued protection of the ancient
palm forest of the Vallée de Mai is
essential to the parrot’s survival.
There are many treasures to be found on
a visit to the Vallée de Mai but seeing the
Seychelles’ only endemic parrot is most
definitely a highlight. Spotting them in
the high canopy of the palm forest can
be difficult, but taking one of SIF’s free
guided tours will certainly help you in
this search and you may be rewarded
with a glimpse into the lives of these
captivating birds.
Photo credit; P Woods
Photo credit; SIF
60
Photo credit; SIF
Roz an mer
(Catharathus roseus)
By Mma Metsi
Mr Ferdinand Vidot describes this plant as
one which is very useful to everyday health,
a little drink from an infusion of its leaves will
apparently prevent a whole slew of malaise.
He uses it as one would use a tonic, just a
small daily dose.
In his treatments however he advises its
use for digestive ailments and for “purifying
blood”. He uses the plant to treat diabetes,
stomach ache, toothache, “stress”, diarrhoea
and rashes.
We find that Western science supports all
of Mr Ferdinand’s use of the plant. They
have found that the plant contained dozens
of alkaloids. One called vinblastine, was
found to have anti-tumor properties and
medication made from this alkaloid is used
to treat Hodgkin’s lymphoma, an immune
system cancer. A second alkaloid, vincristine,
is utilized for treating leukemia in children. Mr
Ferdinand is right to “purify” the blood with it.
Other laboratory studies suggest that it does
have potential for treating diabetes even if
the exact science is has yet to be pin pointed,
Mr Ferdinand was already treating diabetes
with it while the tests were being conducted.
The dried root is an industrial source of
ajmalicine, which increases the blood flow in
the brain and peripheral parts of the body.
Today preparations of this ajmalicine are used
to treat the psychological and behavioural
problems of senility, sensory problems
(dizziness, tinnitus), cranial traumas and their
neurological complications. Mr Ferdinand
uses it to treat “stress”.
Antibacterial properties have been found
in the extracts of the leaves and the flower
petals, seeds and other parts of the plant
exhibit antioxidant properties all of which
supports his promotion of the plant as a tonic.
PREPARATION AND USE
•
•
•
•
•
•
Strip a plant of its leaves.
Boil the leaves for 2-3 minutes.
Leave the leaves to cool.
Drink a small tea cup everday for
preventive measures or a tall
mug/glass for blood “purification” or
stomach ailments
Wash the affected area with the infusion
for skin issues.
Wash out the mouth with the infusion for
tooth aches
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Miss Seychelles
Camilla Estico:
My coming year
in the throne
62
As of May 31st 2014,
this vivaciously
captivating young
lady has been proudly
wearing the crown as
Miss Seychelles 2014.
Granted, it has bearly
been a week within
her reign, that was in
no way a hinderance
to my curiosity-who is
she? What are her plans
as our latest beauty
queen?
Here she is in a nutshell and in her own words.
“My name is Camilla, I’m 22 years old and I live at La
Batie, which is in the North of Mahe. I was born in the
Seychelles, but in 2005 at the age of 14, my family
and I moved to the States because my parents saw
the potential in me to be a performing artist. As we
all know, the United States is the land of opportunity
and my parents always wanted to give their children
the best of everything-they knew that moving there
would provide me with that. I graduated from the
Howard W Blake School of Performing Arts in 2009,
after which I attended Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre in
New York for two and a half years.
I am extremely family-oriented, and I owe thanks to
my parents who from a very young age incorporated
very strong moral values in us - Faith, respect, humility,
gratitude. I am everything I am today because of
them. I also care a lot for children and hope to have a
family of my own someday.
I have always been very artistic, which has also been
inspired by my love for travel and different cultures.
My energetic nature has fuelled my passion for life,
and I am always ready to embark on new journeys and
face new challenges. Throughout my life journey so
far though, I would never forget where I came from.
The States may have given me the opportunities I
wouldn’t have -otherwise had, but Seychelles was
always home. Living in the States made me the toughskinned girl I am today, but nothing could ever replace
Seychelles and my love for my country, regardless of
where I was in the world.
I am a firm advocate of healthy living - I truly believe
it is the key to living a long and happy life. In fact, my
project’s objective (which I had to present as part of
the beauty contest itself ) was to raise awareness on
the rise of obesity in the Seychelles, an issue which
I believe should be given more attention. It is a
rapidly growing problem worldwide, but I do believe
that obesity in Seychelles can be contained - partly
because we are a small country, but also because we
have to be open to the fact that obesity is an epidemic
that not only can be, but also needs to be prevented. I
would like to achieve my objectives by making healthy
living something fun - promote the fun of sports and
make healthy eating an appealing way of life. I plan
on working closely with the Ministry of Health in the
coming year to get as much done as I can.
How have the past few months been so far?
“It has definitely been challenging, but like I said,
I’m always ready for those! It has definitely had a
positive impact on my life and who I am. It’s thanks
to those three months that I am now equipped face
this coming year as Miss Seychelles. There have been
amazing and unforgettable experiences, such as our
visit to Aride island. We were also lucky enough to get
the chance to interact with many different people,
which developed our social and communicative skills,
which are a definite must-have as a beauty queen.
Winning the pageant to me represents a new chapter
in my life, one that requires a lot of self-confidence,
faith and above all dignity and more than ever, I feel
ready for the road that lies ahead.
So you’re half Cuban! Would you say there
are any similarities between being Creole
and being Latina?
“Oh yes! During my annuaI visits to Cuba, I have grown
to see and appreciate many similarities between the
two cultures. Both are a very warm people who strive
to work hard to make it. Both are multicultural, which
means there is never really a typical Cuban, as is the
same for a Seychellois. That has taught me to embrace
who I am even more-to be different but at the same
time, to be one.
The theme for the pageant is “Beauty with a
Purpose”. What does that mean to you?
“I believe that beauty is given to you for a reason-to
be able to give something back. Winning the pageant
will give me the opportunity to show to society what I
can give back to them, and not just keep to myself. “
Do you have any mottos you live by?
“Live today to the fullest, because tomorrow is not
promised!”
What is your message to the people of the
Seychelles?
“From the bottom of my heart, thank you for the
well wishes, the support and all your blessings. I am
looking forward to embarking on this exciting new
journey and my promise to you is that I will represent
the Seychelles on behalf of all of you, and I will do that
with all my heart and soul”
“Sesel Sa” would like to wish Camilla a year of
beautiful memories, and all the best as Miss Seychelles
2014.
63
Anse
Anse Royale
Royale
Starting off an area called Fairyland, and finishing at
Anse Royale’s charming catholic church, Anse Royale
is one of Mahe’ longest beaches. With is picturesque
powdery white sand, cool shaded trees, as well as
being a generally a safe beach protected by a reef
from the more powerful waves, this is a popular stop
for tourists and locals alike. Locals tend to picnic
along the beach especially at the weekends so get
there early to secure your spot.
The beach is scatted with large boulders creating little
coves closest to Fairyland. Towards the other side is
a curved strip of perfect white sand with towering
coconut and Takamaka trees providing cool shading
from the hot sun. For those interested in exploring
and snorkeling, the best spots are towards the
beginning of the beach, around Fairyland and towards
Ile Souris, a small granitic island within easy swimming
distance from the beach.
Calm and clear waters can be found during the North
West trade winds which blow from October to May.
At these times, the beach is picture perfect and the
waves lap gently. It is the perfect setting for a relaxed
holiday, or for one with small children. Other times
during the year, the beach can get quite choppy,
which is still favoured by some more adventurous
types, and though not classified as ‘rough’, one need
to ease on the side of caution as the currents can be
deceptively strong.
If you forgot refreshments, there is a collection of
shops along the main beach, where you can stock up
on your goodies and beach side there is also Kaz Kreol
which is the perfect spot for lunch or dinner and here
they serve excellent Chinese, Creole and Italian food
including great pizza’s.
64
The Monuments of Victoria
By Alexandria Faure
A special thanks to The Seychelles National Archives, Marie Léon & Tony Mathiot.
Once upon a time, the Seychelles was part of the Great British Empire that was under her majesty’s reign.
In 1841 the town of Victoria was named in her majesty’s honour at the occasion of her marriage to Prince
Albert. Seems like a long time ago but remnants of that majestic past still exist.
Today Victoria is deemed - ‘the smallest capital’ in the world, however there is more to Victoria than meets
the eye.
Take a stroll around and you may find buildings and monuments that are still reminiscent of the colonial
era and some that tell a very interesting story, and not to mention others that carry deep historical
meaning. All in all, this little capital has much more to offer that could broaden the mind and make one
travel back in time. Here is a list of National Monuments in Victoria and their historical stories.
THE QUEEN VICTORIA
DIAMOND JUBILEE
FOUNTAIN
The Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee
Fountain was unveiled on the 5th
January 1900 by Lady Sweet-Escott,
the wife of the administrator,
Ernest Bickham Sweet-Escott as a
celebration of Queen Victoria’s reign.
The fountain is of pure artistic value
and is made of porcelain, decorated
with intricate and elaborate patterns
with a small water tap and basins
on the three sides. Crowning
the Fountain is a 30cm statuette
of Queen Victoria, of which is
also believed to be the smallest
representation of the Queens
likeness in the world.
Not many people know that you can
quench your thirst at this artistically
quaint water fountain. Not only
that but it’s a beautiful work of art
to admire.
The drinking fountain is a
historical symbol of the Seychelles’
appreciation of her majesty, and
today epitomizes that our islands
were once a part of the British
monarchy.
The Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Fountain
Directions: Follow the zebra crossing outside the post office! It should lead
you straight there – just behind the sitting benches.
65
LA DOMUS
A magnificent and majestic building, the Domicilium
is the residence of the Catholic Priests, and a symbol
of the early years that young Christian missionaries
ventured on the shores of our regal islands to spread
the gospel.
Brother Gélase was a capuchin missionary from the
province of Fribourg in western Swizterland, and
arrived in Seychelles in November 1928, at a time
when most parishes on the Island had a resident priest
but no communal building to house them. Brother
Gélase noticed this and made it his mission to built a
grand home for the missionaries. Thanks to him and
the men who worked hard to build it, The Domicilium
was built between 1930 and was completed around
the end of 1934. As a result of the sheer hard work and
its completion it became the first communal residence
for the missionaries and resident priests in Seychelles,
and to this day remains so.
Truly unique and divine, the building is surmounted
with an exceptional cross and represents the
greatness of the Catholic Mission in Seychelles that
has contributed to the strong Catholic Tradition on the
Island.
La Domus
Directions: The building is next door to the Cathedral and overlooks the Olivier Maradan Street.
ST PAUL’S ANGLICAN CHURCH
A beautiful little church with a heroic story to tell.
It might seem odd that the church was built between
2000 and 2004, but this is where the story gets
interesting; it was built in the original place of the
Church that was built there before.
The site on which the new Church now sits has great
historical meaning. In June 1830, at a time when
Catholic Missionaries seemed to have not yet arrived
in Seychelles, Reverend William Morton of whom was
an Anglican Missionary and Scholar from India came
to visit the Seychelles, and reflected on the possibility
of building an Anglican church. With the thought still
in mind, the reverend left Seychelles after baptizing
around a hundred inhabitants and at the same time
quickly informed the Church of England that the
Seychelles was in great need of a permanent chaplain.
66
And so, the post was offered to him and he returned to
Seychelles in October 1832, still intent on building the
church he had wanted to years before. But this dream
of his never came true, due to the lack of support from
the colonial authorities a year later he left Seychelles
and returned to India.
Thanks to a permanent civil chaplain, Reverend
George Ferndinand Delafontaine, a decade later after
Reverend William Morton left, the Anglican Church
spread and grew in the Seychelles. As a result of his
ministry’s influence and with the arrival of another
civil chaplain in 1855, Auguste Fallet, plans to build
the church began to finally materialize.
Consequently, on the 15th May 1859 the small church
of St Paul’s was consecrated by the First Anglican
Bishop of Mauritius, William Vincent Ryan.
Not only did this church serve as a place of worship for
the growing Anglican population, but it also became
a light for those in the face of danger. In October
1862 a great avalanche devastated Victoria and many
inhabitants seeked refuge in the church and sacks
of rice that were able to be salvaged from the debris
were stored in the bell tower. At this point in time
the church became a significant sanctuary for the
homeless families whose homes were destroyed in the
disaster.
As the decades passed the small church was extended
and renovated to accommodate the growing Anglican
population in Seychelles, many of whom were
liberated slaves.
Interestingly enough, King Prempeh of Ashanti who
had arrived in Seychelles to seek exile was baptized in
the church on the 29th May 1904.
In April 1961 the church was given the status of
Cathedral by Bishop Alan Francis Rogers in Mauritius,
of whom also ordained the first Anglican Priest of
Seychelles, Father French Chang-Him in 1963.
As time went by the church began to deteriorate
and it was decided that the building would be
demolished and rebuilt. And so, on the 15th April
2004, Archbishop Chang-Him inaugurated and reconsecrated the new Church that still stands today.
The new church is one of grace and beauty, yet it also
symbolizes the history and importance of the church
that was there before and the remarkable significance
it was to the population at that time.
MONIMAN TWA LEZEL BICENTENNIAL MONUMENT
A grand white geometrical sculpture, with
three pairs of extending wings that are
exquisitely curved upwards, this symbolic
monument has important patriotic value. The
monument was inaugurated on the 4th June
1979 to commemorate the 200th anniversary
of the town of Victoria since it was founded in
1778 by Charles Routier de Romainville.
The monument was designed and created by
an Italian Artist named Lorenzo Appiani and
with the help of the workers of Laxmanbhai
Construction, it was completed and still
stands today.
Locals call it the Moniman Twa Lezel (threewing monument) for its unusual resemblance
to the Seychelles’ tropical white tailed
bird the Payanke. Although that could be
true, the monument symbolizes the triadic
origins of the Seychellois people, namely
the three continents – Africa, Asia & Europe.
The sculpture is unique and reminds the
Seychellois of their mixed heritage and the
harmonious blend of their deep ancestry.
St Paul's Anglican Church
Directions: Not far from the clock tower, just across the
road from the taxi car park.
Moniman Twa Lezel
Directions: It stands at the roundabout intersecting 5th of June
Avenue & Independence Avenue in Victoria.
67
PIERRE POIVRE STATUE
Pierre Poivre was a French naturalist and administrator
of La Reunion & Mauritius who was said to have had a
strong willed character and is no doubt an important
figure in the history of Seychelles.
A striving adventurer, in 1771 he commenced
expeditions to smuggle spice plants from the Dutch
East Indies, of which included Cinnamon seedlings.
Cinnamon being the important component in
Poivres link to Seychelles. He brought seedlings he
smuggled back to Mauritius to add to the Jardin
des Pamplemousses, which he had already created
with Philibert Commerson. Upon hearing that Mahé
had a suitable climate and fertile soil, Poivre was
absorbed and committed to growing a spice garden in
Seychelles. He dispatched his trusted representative,
Antoine Gillot to travel to Seychelles under his orders
and commence the task of cultivating a spice garden
that later became ‘Le Jardin Du Roi’. Cloves, Nutmegs
and most importantly Cinnamon grew in that garden
Pierre Poivre Statue
Pierre Poivre Statue
Directions: Across the street from Temooljee, just outside the old courthouse. Follow the zebra crossing from
Temooljee to the courthouse – you can’t miss it!
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until it was destroyed in May 1780. Luckiy enough,
nature has her beautiful ways and wildlife had already
propagated the cinnamon seeds over the hills of
Mahé and as a result Cinnamon trees grow in pure
abundance in the mountains today. This abudance
was the main contributor to the Seychelles exporting
its first cargo of 740,123kg of Cinnamon in 1908
and along with the 67 Cinnamon Oil Distilleries on
the island. As cinnamon became more and more
important, the crown lands of Mahé and Praslin were
THE VICTORIA CLOCK
TOWER
Ernest Bickham Sweet-Escott
and the Queen Victoria
Memorial Committee, under
the official chairmanship of
Herchenroder had a plan.
This great plan was resoluted
in June of 1902, and it
stated that a clock and clock
tower would be erected in
Victoria in loving memory
of her late majesty Queen
Victoria. All in agreement
of such a project, the clock
tower was made from cast
iron and was purchased
in London. It was shipped
from London and arrived
in Seychelles dismantled in
nine cases, seven arriving on
the 11th February 1903, and
the other two mysteriously
disembarked in Mauritius.
Thankfully enough, the two
misplaced cases arrived one
month later and the clock
tower project began to
materialize.
After nine days, the Clock
tower was officially erected
and was inaugurated on the
1st April 1903. It was originally
black but was painted silver
in 1935 to commemorate and
celebrate King George V’s
Jubilee.
It still stands today as a
symbolic monument to
the appreciation of Queen
Victoria and the majestic
link Seychelles has with the
United Kingdom.
The Seychelles’ very own Little
Big Ben!
leased for cinnamon cultivation.
It can be said that it is thanks to Pierre Poivres rigour
and ambition that Cinnamon became such an
important economic source, a part of the plant family
and culinary attribute in the Seychelles culture today.
On the 2nd October 1972 the bust of Pierre Poivre was
presented in the grounds of the Supreme Courthouse
to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the
introduction of Cinnamon to Seychelles - ironically by
a man who had never set foot on the islands.
The Victoria Clock Tower
Directions: Stands in the middle of town at the crossroads of Francis Rachel
Street, State House Avenue, Albert Street and Independence Avenue.
69
KENWYN HOUSE
It was constructed in the 1850’s and was the home
of Dr. Henry Brooks of whom was the Chief Medical
Officer of the colony. Later on around 1880 The
Eastern Telegraphic Company bought the house from
Dr. Brooks and the engineers lived there whilst they
worked hard laying the cable links between Seychelles
& Zanzibar. The house was then later named Kenwyn,
after a village in Cornwall of which it is thought is
where the underwater telegraph cables came from.
As the years passed, from the 1900’s onwards Cable
Wireless was established and Kenwyn house became
the official residence for the company’s many general
managers.
In 2004 a South African company undertook the task
of restoring the house that had fallen into decrepitude
from years of climate damage to its infrastructure and
it regained its traditional beauty.
Kenwyn House is now a national monument and holds
all the trappings of a colonial creole dwelling and is a
bewildering beauty in itself.
Today anyone can visit the house of which now
dwell dazzling selections of diamonds and tanzanite
jewellery by Jouel and duty free items, as well as
books, local paintings and sculptures.
Kenwyn House
Directions: Across the street from the National Library.
70
THE SUPREME COURT HOUSE
The building itself dates back to the turn of the 19th
Century when it housed the New Oriental Bank, of
which after 5 years closed its doors. The building soon
became the dwelling of the Legislative Offices of the
administrator, Ernest Bickham Sweet-Escott. It is also
said that on the 9th November 1903 that Mr SweetEscott took his oath as the first Governor of the colony
of Seychelles in these very offices.
However, there were others who also took office there.
At some point the Eastern Telegram Company of
whom layed the cables connecting Seychelles and
Zanzibar were positioned there.
In early 1976 as the Seychelles prepared for its
independence, the building went under a lot of
renovations; it became the new honourable house
for the Constitution. A magistrate’s court was
officially established on the ground floor and a
supreme court on the first floor.
A beautiful building that has the creole touch and
the timeless quality and historical significance still
stands.
The Supreme Court House
Directions: Across the street from Temooljee and the Post Office.
Information obtained and researched from the Seychelles National Archives.
Photography by Suzanne Verlaque
71
The Bel Air Cemetry
By Alexandria Faure
A special thanks to The Seychelles National Archives, Maria Léon
& Tony Mathiot.
The Seychelles has many sacred burial sites on the main islands
and also on other islands such as Alphonse, Cousin and Cerf
Island to name a few. These burial sites are gardens of history
because historical figures, liberated slaves and families are buried
there and each one have interesting stories of why they came to
Seychelles, who they were and what they did to contribute to the
nation that Seychelles has become today.
Under a backdrop of rainforest and a tapestry of majestic
trees, the Bel Air Cemetery evokes mysteriousness and an
ancient disposition. The majority of people find cemeteries
to be eerie and sorrowful, but the one at Bel Air is a different
kind of cemetery. Bel Air cemetery was the first official burial
to be opened on Mahé after the establishment of the French
settlement in the 18th Century. As the oldest burial ground in
Seychelles, the cemetery holds many secrets and many mysteries.
The cemetery was declared a historical site by the Victoria City
Council in 1965 after it was neglected when it was closed in 1902.
And so, because of its historical significance it became a national
monument in 1985.
The visitor has the instinctive feeling that fragments of history
still exist amidst the rubble, the graves and the family vaults.
Prominent figures and the founding families of todays generation
are buried there, and interestingly enough the family vaults
of the very first French settlers can be found at the cemetery.
Etienne Dupuy who was a district magistrate and acting civil
commissioner in 1862, lies in the Dupuy family vault along with
his five other relatives.
Jean-Baptiste Remy D’argent after whom one of the most
beautiful beaches in the world – Anse Source D’argent on La
Digue is named after lies there. The buccaneer colleague of
Jean-Baptiste Quéau de Quincy, the corsair Jean-Francois Hodoul
who died in 1835 is also buried there, along with many other
family names of which many people are descendants of on the
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island. A lot of settlers who died in Seychelles that are
buried there were born in Mauritius and migrated to
Seychelles.
In October 1862 many older graves were buried under
the debris and mud of the Lavalasse (Avalanche) and
many were dislodged and washed away by raging
floods. But the cemetery still braved the natural
disaster and some older graves still remain. The oldest
one found in the cemetery so far, is to a child. A young
girl named Catherine Heloïse Larcher of whom died
at the age of 16. After seeking her records it revealed
that she married young, at the age of 13 and had had
2 children prior to her death.
Legend and creole folklore also has given the
cemetery an immortalized reputation; that indeed the
‘Giant Boy’ is buried there. Giant?
At the time of his death in 1870, at the age of 14 years
old he measured a grand nine feet six inches tall! It
is said that he could lift a sack of rice with only three
fingers and that he was capable of dragging a pirogue
out of the sea onto the shore. He was apparently
named Charles Dorothée Savy and is believed to have
been poisoned by neighbors who were frightened of
his extraordinary height. His grave is out there in the
cemetery and it should be quite a venture to find it.
An interesting character lies at rest in the cemetery
as well; Pierre-Louis Poiret who has been claimed
to be the son of King Louis XVI who fled the French
revolution and took refuge in Seychelles!
No wonder this cemetery is a National Monument
and workers are employed to maintain it in good
condition. So much of the Seychelles’ history and
founding families lie there. Not to mention the
Seychelles’ very own Giant!
Reference: ‘A deserted garden of history!’ ~ Tony Mathiot
73
Seychelles
74
A beautiful green turtle in the warm waters of Seychelles by C Mason Parker
Following on from the success of last year, the
Seychelles Sea Turtle Festival will return to Seychelles
again in 2014. The SSTF is an important date in the
tourism calendar and hopes to raise awareness of the
threats that turtles face around the world.
Many tourists visiting Seychelles
will be lucky enough to swim
or dive with sea turtles during
their visit. However, both the
Hawksbill and Green Turtles
that are found here are globally
endangered. Turtles face threats
worldwide such as poaching for
their meat and shell, entanglement
in fishing nets and the destruction
of nesting beaches through coastal
development. Here in Seychelles Sea
turtles have been afforded full protection
under Seychelles law since 1994, and it is now illegal
to kill, possess or eat turtle meat.
To raise awareness of these threats and to celebrate
the marine turtle, the first Seychelles Sea Turtle
Festival was held on Mahé Island on August 9th
and 10th 2013. The festival was organized by local
NGOs in Seychelles working in turtle conservation
and research. The event was also supported by
the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of
Education and the Seychelles Tourism
Board. The opening ceremony of
the festival took place at the
Ministry of Education. There
were presentations from
leading turtle researchers in
Seychelles, song performances,
a prize giving ceremony for
competitions that had been
held in the school, and the
ceremony was then closed by
the Minister for Tourism and
Culture, Mr Alain St Ange.
The following day a ‘Family
Fun Day’ was held on Beau
Vallon beach. Several NGOs and
government departments had
stalls on the providing information
on turtle monitoring programmes
being conducted throughout the
Seychelles, hosted interactive displays and
turtle themed activities aimed at educating
people of all ages about turtle conservation.
Aside from the message of education, the day was
all about having fun! Local DJs provided music while
street vendors offered refreshments throughout the
day. For the kids there was face painting, arts and
crafts, a sandcastle competition and snorkeling.
The second edition of the Seychelles Sea Turtle
Festival will be held on 8th and 9th August 2014
and promises to be even bigger than last year.
The opening ceremony will once again feature
presentations on turtle conservation and a prize
Kids from La Rosiere school performing the 'Turtle in the Sea'
song at the opening ceremony last year
giving ceremony for the winners of various
competitions currently being run in local schools. On
9th August the Family Fun Day returns to Beau Vallon
for more games and turtle themed activities. As the
name suggests the day is expected to attract people
of all ages, including both tourists visiting the area
and members of the local community. In addition to
the numerous activities being run there will be music,
arts and crafts for sale and plenty of food on offer. An
event not to be missed!
For more information about the Seychelles Sea Turtle
Festival please visit our Facebook page, or please
contact [email protected].
First prize in the Recycled Turtle Sculpture Competition, 2013
75
Tagging Tur t les
in Seychelles
Photographer; Krisl Gopal
By Elke Talma
Turtles have always been an integral part of the
Seychelles culture. When the French settlers first
arrived at our shores, turtles were captured in their
thousands as a source of protein not only for those
living in Seychelles, but also the neighbouring
Mauritius and Reunion. It soon became clear, though,
that the indiscriminate slaughter was not sustainable
and people began to notice a decline in population
numbers, but without scientific data to back these
observations nothing could be done to protect the
species. This is where tagging plays a key role in turtle
conservation!
Why tag turtles?
One of the main reasons for tagging turtles is to
identify individuals in a population so as to more
accurately estimate the population size. Scientists
often tag juvenile turtles at foraging sites or mature
females on nesting beaches. By monitoring these
tagged individuals, scientists can learn a lot about
their complex life cycle, growth rates and sexual
maturation, lifespan, foraging and nesting behaviour,
distribution within our EEZ (exclusive economic zone)
and long distance migration patterns beyond our
territorial waters. With this information, decisionmakers can more accurately plan how best to manage
turtle conservation, both nationally and regionally,
and thus ensure the species’ survival.
The first turtle tagging programme in Seychelles was
set up in 1973 on Cousin Island. By the 1980s, tagging
efforts intensified with Dr Jeanne Mortimer visiting
over 80 islands within our EEZ in search of turtles. By
the 1990s, there was enough scientific data to confirm
that turtles were in serious decline and in 1994 the
Government of Seychelles finally granted all turtles
throughout Seychelles full protection under the law.
Today, there are over 20 organisations monitoring and
tagging turtles in Seychelles.
Taggged turtle. Photo credit; Elke Talma
Taggged turtle. Photo credit; Elke Talma
76
What types of tags are used in
Seychelles?
Flipper tags or satellite tags are the main tagging
methods used in Seychelles, although photo-ID has
also been tested in Reunion and Seychelles.
Flipper tagging: Globally, this is the most common
tagging method used and each tag has a unique code,
consisting of letters and a series of numbers (e.g.
SCA1977), on one side and a return address on the
reverse side so tags can be reported to the relevant
authority. Turtles are usually double tagged to reduce
the risk of tag loss, with one tag being placed on each
of the front flippers. From these tag, researchers can
know when and where the turtle was first identified,
its size and if it was re-sighted and captured, how
much it has grown and how far it travelled from its
original tagging location.
Satellite tagging: This method is less common in
Seychelles because of the high costs involved. These
tags are attached to the turtles’ shell and used to
accurately track their migration patterns. Each time
the turtle comes up for a breath of air, the tag sends a
signal to special Satellites orbiting the earth allowing
scientists to plot the turtle’s location on a map.
Sophisticated satellite tags also record temperature,
depth and other parameters that allow us to learn
more about the turtle’s behaviour in near real time.
A turtle named “Carol” made history by being the
first Hawksbill turtle to be tracked outside Seychelles
waters – previously hawksbill turtles were believed to
breed and forage within our EEZ.
Photo Identification: The Kelonia Marine Turtle
Observatory in Reunion developed a method for
identifying individual turtles through photographs. It
targets mainly foraging turtles, and allows scientist to
gather data on the elusive mature male. Potentially,
this method of identification could replace flipper
tagging in the future but it relies heavily on public
participation, particularly SCUBA divers and snorkelers
who are likely to encounter turtles on coral reefs.
As with flipper tags, turtles are tracked through resightings, but has the added benefit of being stress
free for the turtle as there is no need to capture and
restrain the animal for tagging.
What should you do if you find a flipper
tagged turtle?
If you encounter a live tagged turtle, it is important
that you DO NOT REMOVE THE TAGS. Apart from
causing the turtle unnecessary pain, losing these tags
means that if it is re-sighted, the researcher will not
know the animals’ history and valuable information
would have been lost. You should record the following
information: the tag number, the date, location and
the turtle’s behaviour at the time of the encounter.
REPORT ALL SIGHTING OF TAGGED TURTLES
(dead or alive) TO THE GREENLINE - 72 21 11
Turtle going to nest on Cousin Island
77
Image credit; Suzanne Verlaque
Do you think you know
Seychelles?
Where Am I?
This image is taken by the talented
Suzanne Verlaque, somewhere but
where? Send your answer to email
[email protected]
along with why you love Seychelles
in 200 words and you could win a
Seychelles memorabilia from the
Seychelles Tourism Board. Good
Luck.
HONORARY CONSULS
HONORARY CONSUL OF THE KINGDOM
OF NETHERLANDS AND DEAN OF THE
CONSULAR CORPS
Sunset Beach Hotel, Glacis,
P. O. Box 372,
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (+248) 426 12 00 / (248) 426 11 11
Fax №: (+248) 426 12 21
OF DENMARK
BODCO Building, New Port,
P. O. Box 270,
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (+248) 428 57 00
OF SWEDEN
P. O. Box 270,
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (+248) 428 57 00
Fax №: (+248) 422 40 65
OF SPAIN
c/o Hunt Deltel, Trinity House,
P. O. Box 14,
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (+248) 438 03 00
Fax №: (+248) 422 53 67
HONORARY CONSUL OF THE FEDERAL
REPUBLIC OF GERMANY
The Centre for Environment and
Education, Nature Seychelles, Roche
Caiman,
P. O. Box 1310,
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (+248) 460 11 00
Fax №: (+248) 460 11 02
HONORARY CONSUL OF THE
SULTANATE OF OMAN
c/o BMI Offshore Bank,
P. O. Box 672,
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (+248) 432 56 60
Fax №: (+248) 432 54 90
HONORARY CONSUL OF THE ITALIAN
REPUBLIC
c/o Kreolor, Le Rocher,
P. O. Box 499,
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (+248) 434 45 51
Fax №: (+248) 434 47 54
HONORARY CONSUL OF THE REPUBLIC
OF INDONESIA
c/o Tirant Associates, Room 104, 1st
Floor,
Ocean Gate House,
P. O. Box 31,
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (+248) 422 48 35 / 422 50 77
Fax №: (+248) 422 51 56
KINGDOM OF MOROCCO
c/o Allied Builders (Seychelles) Limited,
Les Mamelles,
P.O. Box 215,
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (+248) 438 07 00
Fax №: (+248) 434 45 60
HONORARY CONSUL OF THE REPUBLIC OF
MAURITIUS
Conservation Centre, Roche Caiman,
P. O. Box 1310,
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (+248) 460 11 00 / (248) 460 11 01
Fax №: (+248) 278 01 42
OF HUNGARY
c/o 7° South, Kingsgate House,
Independence Avenue,
P. O. Box 475,
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (+248) 429 28 00
Fax №: (+248) 429 28 99
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC SOCIALIST
REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA
Serret Road, St. Louis,
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (+248) 251 52 00
84
WITH JURISDICTIONS IN THE SEYCHELLES
HONORARY CONSUL OF SWITZERLAND
MG Building, Providence Industrial Estate,
P. O. Box 935,
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (+248) 437 42 78
Fax №: (+248) 437 43 04
HONORARY CONSUL OF SERBIA
Glacis,
P. O. Box 1001,
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (+248) 426 11 75
Fax №: (+248) 441 06 00
OF FINLAND
Fisherman’s Cove Estate, House No.69,
Bel Ombre,
P. O. Box 1191,
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (+248) 271 98 30
HONORARY CONSUL OF THE KINGDOM OF
THAILAND
P. O. Box 933,
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (248) 422 45 47
Fax №: (+248) 432 38 88
HONORARY CONSUL OF SLOVAC
REPUBLIC
c/o Creole Travel Services,
Orion Mall Building,
P. O. Box 611,
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (+248) 429 70 00
Fax №: (+248) 422 58 17
OF CYPRUS AND DEAN OF THE
CONSULAR CORPS
SkyChef, Seychelles Airport,
P. O. Box 450,
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (+248) 437 30 50 / 437 31 55 /
438 17 50
Fax №: (+248) 437 34 56
OF BELGIUM
1st Floor, Eden Marina House, Eden Island,
Roche Caiman,
P. O. Box 232,
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (+248) 434 61 61 / (+248) 251 11 05
Fax №: (+248) 434 61 00
HONORARY CONSUL OF THE FEDERAL
REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
Quincy Street,
P. O. Box 88,
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (+248) 432 26 39
Fax №: (+248) 432 61 00
HONORARY CONSUL OF THE HELLENIC
REPUBLIC (Greece)
Docklands Building, New Port,
P. O .Box 743,
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (+248) 271 51 96
HONORARY CONSUL OF THE REPUBLIC OF
MALDIVES
P. O. Box 63,
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (+248) 424 71 77
Fax №: (+248) 424 76 76
OF NORWAY
Office C3, Trainon Apts, Serret Road, St.
Louis,
P. O. Box 723,
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (+248) 251 22 20
OF KOREA (South Korea)
New Port,
P. O. Box 222,
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (+248) 429 06 00
Fax: (+248) 422 44 56
85
RESIDENT FOREIGN
AMBASSADOR
HIGH COMMISSIONERS
IN SEYCHELLES
HIGH COMMISSION OF INDIA
Francis Rachel Street
P. O. Box 488
Victoria, Mahé
Tel № : (+248) 461 03 01
Fax №: (+248) 461 03 08
EMBASSY OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
St. Louis
P. O. Box 680
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (+248) 467 17 00
Fax №: (+248) 467 17 30
BRITISH HIGH COMMISSION
3rd Floor, Oliaji Trade Centre,
P. O. Box 161w
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (+248) 428 36 66
Fax №: (+248) 428 36 57
AMBASSADE DE FRANCE
1er Etage, La Ciotat, Mont Fleuri
P. O. Box 478
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (+248) 438 25 00
Fax №: (+248) 438 25 10
EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF CUBA
Bel Eau
P. O. Box 730
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (+248) 422 40 94
EMBASSY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Le Niole, St. Louis
P. O. Box 632
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (+248) 426 65 90
Fax №: (+248) 426 66 53
AMBASSADE DE L’ORDRE SOUVERAIN
MILITAIRE DE MALTE
Clarence House, Vista Bay Estate
Glacis
P. O. Box 642
Victoria, Mahé
Tel № : (+248) 426 11 37
Fax № : (+248) 426 11 37
EMBASSY OF LIBYA
Transvaal House, Beau Vallon
P. O. Box 1177
Victoria, Mahé
Tel №: (+248) 462 06 67
Fax №: (+248) 462 04 44
86
SEYCHELLES DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS ABROAD
BELGIUM
Embassy of the Republic of Seychelles
1st Floor, 28 Boulevard Saint Michel
Box 23, 1040 Brussels, Belgium
Telephone №: (322) 733 60 55
Telefax №: (322) 732 60 22
Email: [email protected]
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
Room 1105, The Spaces
№ 8 Dongdaqiao Rd,
Chaoyang District, Beijing 100020
People’s Republic of China
Telephone №: (8610) 5870 1192
Telefax №: (8610) 5870 1219
ETHIOPIA
Bole, Woreda 13, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Telephone №: (25111) 62 97 721
FRANCE
Ambassade de la République des Seychelles
51, Avenue Mozart,
75016 Paris, France
Numéro de téléphone: (331) 42 30 57 47
Numéro de téléfax: (331) 42 30 57 40
GENEVA
Permanent Mission to the UN Office
and other International Organisations
in Geneva
Chemin Louis-Dunant 15b, 1202 Geneva
Switzerland
Telephone №: (41) 22 730 17 28
Telefax №: (41) 22 730 17 29
INDIA
High Commission of the Republic
of Seychelles
F-4, Anand Niketan
New Delhi – 110 021, India
Telephone №: (9111) 241 141 02
Telefax №: (9111) 241 141 03
INDIAN OCEAN ISLANDS
Ambassador of the Republic of
Seychelles to the Indian Ocean Islands
Maison Quéau de Quinssy, P. O. Box 656
Mont Fleuri, Mahé, Seychelles
Telephone №: (248) 428 35 00
Telefax №: (248) 422 48 45
SOUTH AFRICA
Seychelles High Commission
Unit D 02/01, The Village, Cnr Gleenwood
& Oberon Avenue,
Faerie Glen, 0043 Pretoria,
Republic of South Africa
Telephone №: (27) 12 34 80 270
(27) 12 34 80 720
Telefax №: (27) 12 34 069
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Villa № 6/1, Murror Area, 23rd Street,
P. O. Box 43107, Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Telephone №: (9712) 491 77 55
Telefax №: (9712) 491 77 14/18
UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN
IRELAND
High Commission of the Republic
of Seychelles
4th Floor, 11 Grosvenor Crescent,
London SW1X 7EE, England
Telephone №: (44) 207 245 06 80
Telefax №: (44) 207 235 75 09
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Suite 400C, 4th Floor
800 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10017
United States of America
Telephone №: (1212) 972 1785
Telefax №: (1212) 972 1786
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Climate Change and Small Island
Developing State Issues c/o Permanent
Mission of the Republic of Seychelles
to the United Nations, Suite 400C
4th Floor, 800 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10017
United States of America
Telephone №: (1212) 972 1785
Telefax №: (1212) 972 1786
87
Seychelles Tourist
Offices &
Representatives
Worldwide
HEADQUARTERS
Chief Executive Officer
Seychelles Tourism Board
P.O. Box 1262 • Victoria Mahé • Seychelles
Tel: (+248) 4 671 300
Fax: (+248) 4 620 620 / (+248) 4 620 640
e-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]
SEYCHELLES NEWS BUREAU
Bel Ombre, P.O. Box 1262
Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles
Tel: (+248) 4 671 300
Fax: (+248) 4 620 620
[email protected]
[email protected]
E-MARKETING
Bel Ombre, P.O. Box 1262
Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles
Tel: (+248) 4 671 300
Fax: (+248) 4 620 620
email: [email protected]
www.seychelles.travel
FRANCE
Office du Tourisme des Seychelles
18 Rue de Mogador - 75009 Paris • France
Tel: (+33) 1 44 53 93 20
Fax: (+33) 1 44 53 93 32
GERMANY
Seychelles Tourist Office
Hochstrasse 17
60313 Frankfurt am Main • Germany
Tel: +49 (0) 69 297 207 89
Fax: +49 (0) 69 297 207 92
88
ITALY
Via Pindaro 28N
Axa• 00125 Rome
Italy
Tel: + 39 06 50 90 135 Fax: + 39 06 50 93 52 01
e-mail: info-turismo.it
@seychelles.travel
MIDDLE EAST
Mohamed Al Geziry Consultancy
100 Al Fattan Plaza • P.O. Box 36345
Dubai • U.A.E.
Tel: (+971) 4 2865586
Fax: (+971) 4 2865589
e-mail: info-tourism.me@
seychelles.travel
SPAIN
Calle princesa, 40
28008 Madrid • Spain
Tel: (+34) 91 702 08 04
Fax: (+34) 91 702 23 74
SOUTH AFRICA
Cape Holiday Services
36 Union Road • Milnerton 7441
Capetown South Africa
Tel: (+27) 21 551 5855
Fax: (+27) 21 551 5898
SOUTH KOREA
#411, Doosan We’ve Pavillion
58 Susong-dong • Jongno-gu
Seoul • South Korea
Tel: +82 2 737 3235
Fax: +82 2 737 3236
[email protected]
UNITED KINGDOM
Seychelles Tourist Office
Fourth Floor, 130-132 Buckingham
Palace Road, London, SW1W 9SA
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 20 724 561 06
e-mail: info-tourism.uk
@seychelles.travel
CHINA
#8 Dongdaqiao Road, The Spaces
Chaoyang District, Room 1105
Beijing, 100020
China
Tel: +8610 5870 1192
Fax: +8610 5870 1219
ABU DHABI
Embassy of the Republic of Seychelles,
Villa number 6/1, Plot number 8,
Muroor Area, Street 23
Abu Dhabi, UAE.Tel: + 00971 2 4917755
Fax: +971 2 4917718
RUSSIA
Access Russia
Vorotnikovskiy Lane 8, bld. 1 of 12
1270006 Moscow
Russia
Tel: (7) 495 699 9351
SOUTH AMERICA
BRAZIL
Global Vision Access
Rua Manoel da Nobrega 111# 41
Paraiso, Sao Paolo
SP 04001-080 Brazil
Tel: (55) 11 2367.3170
Fax: (55) 11 99627.3160
Contacts
PHONE OPERATORS
EMERGENCY
AIRLINES
Cable & Wireless (Seychelles) Ltd.
Francis Rachel Street
Victoria
P.O. Box 4
Mahé, Seychelles
Tel: (+248) 4284000
Fax: (+248) 4322777
W: www.cwseychelles.com
Central Police Station
Victoria
P.O. Box 46
Mahé, Seychelles
Tel: (+248) 428000
Fax: (+248) 4224412
Emergency: 999
Hotline: 133 / 112
E: [email protected]
W: www.police.gov.sc
Emirates Airline
Caravelle House
Victoria
P.O. Box 152
Mahé, Seychelles
Tel: (+248) 4292700 / 4373008
W: www.emirates.com
Airtel Telecom (Seychelles)
Emerald Building
Providence
P.O. Box 1358
Mahé, Seychelles
Tel: (+248) 4600600
Fax: (+248) 4601602
W: www.africa.airtel.com/seychelles
AIR SEYCHELLES
Air Seychelles Ltd. (International &
Domestic)
Head Office
Seychelles International Airport
Pointe Larue
P.O. Box 386
Mahé, Seychelles
Tel: (+248) 4391000
Fax: (+248) 4391229
W: www.airseychelles.com
Praslin Airport
Amitié
Praslin
P.O. Box 386
Mahé, Seychelles
Tel: (+248) 4284666
Fax: (+248) 4233055
International Flight Information
Point Larue
P.O. Box 386
Mahé, Seychelles
Tel: (+248) 4391200
Fax: (+248) 4391229
Immigration Office (Airport)
Pointe Larue
P.O. Box 430
Mahé, Seychelles
Tel: (+248) 2713193
Baie St. Anne Police Station
Baie St. Anne
Praslin
P.O. Box 46
Seychelles
Tel: (+248) 4232332
Fax: (+248) 4232075
Grand Anse Police Station
Grand Anse
Praslin
P.O. Box 46
Seychelles
Tel: (+248) 4233251
Fax: (+248) 4233933
Kenya Airways
Kingsgate Travel Centre
Independence Avenue
Victoria
P.O. Box 288
Mahé, Seychelles
Tel: (+248) 4323903
Fax: (+248) 4324162
W: www.kenya-airways.com
Ethiopian Airline
Mason’s Travel Building
Revolution Avenue
Victoria
P.O. Box 459
Mahé, Seychelles
Tel: (+248) 4288907
W: www.ethiopianairlines.com
ZIL AIR
La Digue Police Station
La Passe
La Digue
P.O. Box 46
Seychelles
Tel: (+248) 4234251
Fax: (+248) 4234031
Zil Air (Pty) Ltd.
Pointe Larue
P.O. Box 1110
Mahé, Seychelles
Tel: (+248) 4375100
Fax: (+248) 4375101
[email protected]
W: www.zilair.com
Seychelles Hospital
Mt. Fleuri
P.O. Box 52
Mahé, Seychelles
Tel: (+248) 4388000
Fax: (+248) 4388000
W: www.health.gov.sc
FERRY
Baie Ste Anne Praslin
Hospital: 4233414
Logan La Digue
Hospital : 4234255
Cat Cocos Ferry - Inter Island
Boats Ltd
Po Box 356
Kingsgate House,Victoria, Mahé,
Seychelles
Tel: (248) 4297164
Fax: (+248) 4324845
Reservation: (+248) 4324843
W: www.catcocos.com
Praslin to La Digue Ferry
Inter Island Ferry Ltd
Tel: (+248) 4322329
89
Barefoot luxury in the heart of the Indian Ocean
- pure nature, pure Seychelles, pure Raffles...
PURE LUXURY IN THE HEART OF THE INDIAN OCEAN
Raffles Praslin, Seychelles
Cradled at the heart of the Seychelles,
on the island of Praslin, are exquisite
villas touched by the sublime beauty
of white powdered sands, opal-hued
oceans and lush green hills. The ideal
place to rediscover luxury, Raffles Praslin
is infused with Seychellois spirit and
the traditional Raffles butler service.
The adventurous can explore the mystic
forest of Vallée de Mai, the magical
islands of Curieuse and La Digue, and
the vibrant coral beds at the Curieuse
National Marine Park. In fact, even the
journey to the hotel is an experience
of glorious, abundant, surprising nature.
Meanwhile, romantics might dine in our
Curieuse Restaurant, enjoy the delights
of Losean, down a Praslin Sling at the
Pool Bar, meet for drinks and beats in
the Danzil Lounge Bar, or unwind at the
Takamaka Terrace.
Taking your body, mind and spirit back
to a state of pure relaxation, the award
winning Raffles Spa is a destination unto
itself, famous the world over.
Only fifteen minutes by air from Mahé
and a million miles from ordinary, Raffles
is loved by those with a taste for the very
best.
Forbes Travel Guide’s top 10 beach resorts around the world 2012
World’s Leading Luxury Villa Resort at the World Travel Awards 2013
For more information or reservations please contact Raffles Praslin, Seychelles
Tel +248 429 6000 Email: [email protected]
www.raffles.com/praslin

A healing holiday at The Station

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