Paradise found in the Seychelles

Published Oct 16, 2014

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Victoria - False advertising! The brochures and the website both misrepresent this place in as much they fail to convey just how stunning it is.

Constance Ephélia on Mahe, the largest of the Seychelles islands, is a huge resort set between two stunning sandy bays and sprawling mangrove swamps, forested hills and below granite outcrops.

Staff and service are superb, and accommodation varies from junior and deluxe suites as well as family, beach, spa and hillside villas. My spacious one-bedroom junior suite was pretty grown up with all the mod cons including WiFi. There was a gorgeous bathroom with separate shower and bath, twin basins, a king size bed, comfortable seating area and a deep veranda beyond the glass doors with couch, day bed, table and chairs.

You could spend days in the U Spa village – if you haven’t gone the whole hog and already booked a spa villa with private pool, dry sauna, hammam and Jacuzzi.

Pampering is not limited to treatments in one of the thatched huts. The outside space is beautiful, with carefully considered eye-pleasing curves, shaded pavilions, loungers in a shallow pool, a wall of water with seating specially designed to ease the back, submerged stainless steel Jacuzzi chairs, a Kneipp therapy walkway on river stones with alternating hot and freezing water jets to relieve and stimulate aching calves.

Exertions could mean strolls between one of five restaurants and six bars or between the south and north beaches and up and down the hills of the reserve – or tennis, squash, hitting the gym, some zipline fun or scaling the beautiful, natural climbing wall.

Watersports are on offer, of course, from paddling across the bay and through the mangroves to diving excursions. All the while the complimentary “Constance Kids’ Club” will entertain those too young to join you.

The Seychelles archipelago features 115 islands of varying size, scattered across the Indian Ocean. Mahe, Praslin and La Digue form the inner group, with all but 500 or so of the multi-cultural population of around 90 000 on these three islands – and 70 000 on Mahe.

Seychelles is mercifully uncommercial, though completely geared to tourism. Far-sighted conservation policies have really paid dividends and the sea and beaches are pristine. The idyllic paradise attracts royalty of all types – most recently honeymooners George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin. They join Prince William and Catherine Duchess of Cambridge, and a list of who’s who.

But, unlike other island destinations I’ve visited, it seems most come simply to relax: less speedboats, skiers and jet skis and more slumbering under palms.

We wound up, down and around Mahe with delightful, impish Eugene Esparon of Mason’s Travel at the wheel. Catholic churches, icons and roadside shrines dotted the landscape, plus a gloriously refurbished Hindu temple in the quaint capital, Victoria.

Colonial French and English architecture, with creole influences, stand cheek by jowl in this postage stamp town, which we left behind as we headed for a Creole lunch at Jardin du Roi, a picturesque spice garden-cum-museum recalling the 18th century spice trade.

Tasty, simple food means Cajun-style job fish and a wide range of chutney accompaniments. The local beers and rum are really good too.

Creole dishes feature at Ephélia too, especially at al-fresco Creole evenings at Seselwa Restaurant with tables and chair on the sand around an open fire, the sound of the sea, a live band, cocktails and dance moves on display.

At Cyann Restaurant an enthusiastic sommelier paired fine food and wines from around the world, including a fun test of our dismal wine knowledge with our dessert. Though, in our defence, the fantastic Oreo cream cheese, peanut butter reduction and orange candied ice cream concoction had most of our attention.

A 15-minute flight took us to Praslin Island and Constance Lémuria – smaller than Ephélia and a paradise for golfers.

Constance Lémuria has a very successful turtle conservation programme headed by passionate Adrian Allison, whose enthusiasm has rubbed off on returning regulars and colleagues who go to great lengths to protect the turtles and their environment, even to the point of sleeping on the beach next to the about-to-hatch eggs.

The golf course climbs steeply up the hills behind Lémuria, with a quirky, gloriously scenic 15th hole tee off from a cliff to a green far below. With three chefs in top management positions, you can bet the food at Lémuria is superb and, with a restaurant on a rocky head with sea on either side, the ambience is hard to beat.

We boarded a fast ferry for a couple of hours on little La Digue where visitors typically rent secluded spots and bicycles for week-long stays. Then it was back to Praslin where Patricia Battin of Mason’s Travel was our excellent guide and companion for a tour which incorporated the must see Vallee de Mai Forest – a Unesco heritage site – and home to the Coco de Mer, the largest seed in the world and endemic to the islands of Praslin and Curieuse (a former leper colony). The largest recorded fruit from these slow-growing palms weighed 42 kg; the seeds weigh up to 17.6 kg and the male and female plants have bits that resemble human bits, hence the “love nut” nickname.

The abiding impressions of Praslin though are the most beautiful sunsets I’ve watched and Anse Lazio, which is the most stunning beach I’ve ever set foot on. I was so exhilarated that I swam almost 3km in the bay without exhausting myself.

At every stroke was a three masted schooner, or a graceful yacht, while below in the clear, calm waters were nests of stingrays on the white sand, colourful fishes among the rocks and a Leatherback turtle for company part of the way.

 

If You Go...

We flew Airlink between Pietermaritzburg and Johannesburg, and then aboard comfortable Air Seychelles.

Travel logistics were seamless with local operators, Mason’s Travel, who partner with the The Holiday Factory ready to tailor your visit.

Use Mason’s Travel for itineraries, special interest requests, transfers, excursions and tours. See www.masonstravel.com or email [email protected].

The Holiday Factory: See www.theholidayfactory.co.za or call 011 233 2300.

Seychelles Tourism Board: See www.seychelles.travel, email [email protected] or call 012 361 5767.

Constance Ephélia: See www.epheliaresort.com.

Constance Lémuria: See www.lemuriaresort.com.

Air Seychelles flies between Johannesburg and Mahe, and Mahe and Praslin.

Adrian Rorvik; Sunday Tribune

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