Prior to visiting, whenever I told people I was heading to the Seychelles for work my declaration that it would most certainly not be a holiday was met with incredulity. While there was little time to kick back (shooting seven stories in nine days is a tall order), I totally understand why eyes rolled: working from the Seychelles most decidedly beats sitting in a city office, even when the wake up calls are at 5am and the days excessively long.
So, what do you need to know about the Seychelles that the pictures can’t tell you? First, that it’s unrelentingly warm – don’t bother packing a cardigan. A local told me it ‘once dropped to 17 degrees and I was so cold I didn’t know what to do – but don’t worry, that almost never happens here.’ While it’s undoubtedly bikini weather pretty much until sunset (when you’ll want to fling on a breezy dress), it is balmy and quite unlike the ferocious heat of European summer: sunscreen from 8am is a must if you’re going to doze off in the deceptively mellow sun. N.B. Don’t expect the ocean to refresh you – it is consistently lukewarm.
We all stayed at the Constance Ephelia, which was an ideal base: the food is hearty and healthy, the beach a stone’s throw from rooms, the spa magnificent and the Seychellois staff make sure everything runs smoothly. It’s also perfectly placed to visit the tea plantations in the hills, which are a must-see. We requisitioned a local driver and he showed us the lemongrass, green tea and cinnamon trees one afternoon while diurnal bats flew overhead.
That’s right – bats: the local wild animals will thrill any latent zoologist among you and I took immense joy in looking up to see the rubbery black figures of the bats gliding overhead like ghouls and then down at the green and black crabs roaming in their odd sideways fashion occasionally squaring up for little crab fights like irascible men in nightclubs. At night peacocks would sidle up to my patio door for a little nose around and walking to one of the island restaurants afforded a glimpse of the Aldabra tortoises, who basically sit looking exhausted under their cumbersome-looking shells. Don’t worry about spiders – ‘they’re friendly!’
Enjoy the pictures and if you’d like to see the contents of my in-flight beauty bag, click here…
