Afrinkong
Forty-Three Granite Islands
Granite in the inner islands, coral atolls in the outer, and a thousand kilometres between.
Islands · Afrinkong
Seychelles
Granite islands in the Indian Ocean.
The only granite islands in the middle of an ocean anywhere on earth — Mahé, Praslin and La Digue, the coco de mer in the Vallée de Mai, and Aldabra's giant tortoises a thousand kilometres out.
Where it is
Africa · Islands · Seychelles
The land in brief
- Borders
- None — it is an island
- Nearest land
- about 1,110 km
- Best time
- Warm all year; April, May, October and November are the calm months between trade winds.
Also in the islands
Cabo VerdeTen islands, and the mornaComorosAn active volcano, and the fish that came back from the deadMadagascarAn island that evolved aloneMauritiusReef, sugar and the volcanic interiorSao Tome and PrincipeTwo volcanic islands and a lot of cocoa
Compare Seychelles with another countryAll fifty-four, worked through the same twenty-seven categories.When to come
JFMAMJJASOND
Warm all year; April, May, October and November are the calm months between trade winds.
01Highlights
What Seychelles is known for.
Six of the twenty-seven, and the ones most people come for. The rest are below — and none of them is filler.
Endemic Everywhere
The black parrot, the magpie robin, and giant tortoises that live free on Curieuse.
Morne Seychellois
Nine hundred metres of forested granite above Victoria, with trails through the mist forest.
Anse Source d'Argent
The most photographed beach in the world, and the granite is the reason why.
Forests & Rainforest
The Vallée de Mai
Coco de mer palms in a valley on Praslin, and the largest seed of any plant on earth.
Culture
Creole
African, French, Indian and Chinese, in one Creole language and one kitchen.
02Experiences
25 ways to spend the time.
Every country we cover works through the same twenty-seven categories, so you can hold two of them side by side and compare like with like rather than one brochure against another. Compare Seychelles with another → The two not listed here are the hero picture and the case for going, which has a section of its own below.
Landscapes
- Forty-Three Granite IslandsGranite in the inner islands, coral atolls in the outer, and a thousand kilometres between.
- Morne SeychelloisNine hundred metres of forested granite above Victoria, with trails through the mist forest.
- Sauzier and the StreamsShort granite streams off the ridges, and the Sauzier falls in the west of Mahé.
- No Rivers, All SeaThe water here is the Indian Ocean, and the lagoons inside the reef.
- Anse Source d'ArgentThe most photographed beach in the world, and the granite is the reason why.
- The Vallée de MaiCoco de mer palms in a valley on Praslin, and the largest seed of any plant on earth.
Wildlife
- Endemic EverywhereThe black parrot, the magpie robin, and giant tortoises that live free on Curieuse.
- Not a Safari, a ReefThe game here is under the water — reef fish, turtle, and whale shark off Mahé in season.
- Half the Country Is ProtectedForty-two per cent of the land is national park, and the marine parks now match it.
- Dive, Kayak, CycleGranite dive sites, kayaks in the lagoons, and La Digue where the bicycle is the transport.
People and culture
- CreoleAfrican, French, Indian and Chinese, in one Creole language and one kitchen.
- Island LifeA hundred thousand people across a hundred and fifteen islands, most on three of them.
- Festival KreolFestival Kreol in October, and the sega and moutya danced through it.
- Boatbuilding and WeavingPirogue building on La Digue, and coconut palm weaving still done by hand.
- Fish, Coconut and ChilliGrilled fish, coconut curry, breadfruit, and a chilli sauce that is not a suggestion.
- Shallow, Warm, SafeLagoons inside the reef, no dangerous surf on most beaches, and short boat rides.
- The Fish MarketVictoria's market at eight in the morning is the most useful hour on the island.
Places
- VictoriaOne of the smallest capitals in the world, with a clock tower and a market.
- Creole HousesSteep roofs, wide verandas and louvres — built for heat before anyone had a choice.
- The PlantationsL'Union Estate on La Digue, with its vanilla, copra mill and colonial house.
- AldabraA thousand kilometres out, with a hundred thousand giant tortoises and almost no people.
Ways to travel
- Dive, Sail, WalkDiving the granite drop-offs, sailing the inner islands, and walking Mahé's ridge trails.
- The Private IslandsNorth Island, Frégate and Denis — private islands with a dozen villas on each.
- Granite and TurquoiseGrey granite, white sand and three shades of blue — the reason every camera comes here.
- La Digue by BicycleNo real roads and few cars — an island best measured in bicycle hours.
03Why go
The case for Seychelles.
Why Visit This Country
Nowhere Else Is Built Like This
Granite in mid-ocean, a palm that grows nowhere else, and tortoises older than the state.
Hidden Gems
La Digue by Bicycle
No real roads and few cars — an island best measured in bicycle hours.
Eco Tourism
Half the Country Is Protected
Forty-two per cent of the land is national park, and the marine parks now match it.
Heritage
Aldabra
A thousand kilometres out, with a hundred thousand giant tortoises and almost no people.
04Go deeper
All of Seychelles, four ways in.
Who would take youAfrinkong
The ground is ours right across Africa: your vehicle, your driver for the whole journey, and the days shaped around what you came for.
In Cameroon, Uganda and Namibia you travel with companies of our own as well.
Plan your journey →
Begin
Your Seychelles starts here.
Tell us the month, or simply the thing you want to see, and a guide who works there will answer.