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Imagine all the picture postcard-perfect images of palm-fringed white sand beaches and azure-blue seas and all the Discovery Channel shots of tropical lushness and put them together, and you will have described just about any spot in the Seychelles. With a fabulous variety of marine, plant and insect species, this little archipelago of islands called Seychelles is prettily scattered over the Indian Ocean and justifiably earns the tourist-brochure epithet of ‘paradise on earth’.

Tourist infrastructure is very well developed by African standards, the opportunities for outdoor activities, both on land and in the sea are innumerable and the people are friendly and welcoming; so what are you waiting for? Sashay on down to the Seychelles!

The capital of Seychelles is Victoria and is so small that one can cover the whole place on foot in less than a day!

Seychelles was once known as pirates’ hideout. In fact the Anse Forbans on Mahe Island means Pirate’s Cove.

The female Coco De Mer nut found in Seychelles is said to be the world’s heaviest nut.

Did you know? Aldabra atoll in Seychelles is the world’s largest coral atoll and is home to over 100,000 giant land tortoises, millions of birds, fish and sea turtles.

Historically Speaking

The islands that constitute present Seychelles remained blissfully unknown to the human world before the 16th century, when the Portuguese mariner Joao de Nova and his compatriot Vasco da Gama sighted different islands belonging to the archipelago. It took another couple of centuries before they were settled, this time by French plantation owners, who arrived here in the 1770s with slaves. There was a prolonged conflict between the French and the British over possession of the islands, which finally ended with the British gaining taking control in 1810.

Political organizations emerged only as late as 1964, with the Seychelles People’s United Party (SPUP) led by France Albert Rene and the Seychelles Democratic Party (SDP) led by James Mancham. The SPUP stood for independence from the British while the SDP wanted to retain ties with Britain. Curiously enough, Britain declined and granted Seychelles full independence in 1976. The first government of Seychelles was a coalition between SPUP and SDP, with Mancham as President and Rene as Prime Minister. Rene staged a coup and became

President in 1977. There was a counter coup in 1981 that nearly succeeded but was repressed by Rene’s government. In 1982, it was the turn of the army to revolt; however, this was put down too.

There was growing domestic and international opposition to Rene’s one-party rule, so in the face of this pressure, opposition parties were legalized in 1991. In 1993 a new multiparty politics Constitution was adopted and elections were held. In 2004, President James Michel took over the reins and till date of writing was still in power.

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Habitat

Seychelles is located in the Indian Ocean off the East coast of Africa, north of Madagascar. In actuality, the country of Seychelles is an archipelago composed of 42 granitic islands (unique in the mid-ocean region) and numerous coral atolls. The main granitic islands are Mahe, Praslin and La Digue.

The largest of the coral atolls, Aldabra, is a UNESCO World Heritage site in recognition of its outstanding flora and fauna. In general, the Seychelles boasts a profusion of lush vegetation – the coco-de-mer endemic to Seychelles, is the world’s heaviest nut, and the national flower is the exotic Tropicbird Orchid. In all, there are 75 plant species endemic to Seychelles. The birdlife is also fabulously rich, with ten species, including the paradise fly-catcher and the black parrot being unique to the island. The coral reef pockets surrounding the islands boast some of the most spectacular marine life on the planet – an explosion of colour and shapes that includes small, exquisite corals to bigger specimens like sharks, barracuda, porpoises and dolphins.