gallery of 8 photos

Casey & Teresa go to Seychelles: Full Report

Dear Mango travelers & friends-

The Mango Safari Adventure Team has just returned from our annual scouting trip. We are striving to stay one step ahead of your African travel planning. This year - the Seychelles!

This idyllic string of 115 granite islands is located 1,000 miles off the coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean. At a longitude of seven degrees south of the equator, the weather is bikini worthy year round. The Seychelles is an African nation rooted with a French, Creole culture.

Direct flights between Nairobi, Kenya and Johannesburg, South Africa to Seychelles make this a great option for a relaxing beach finale after your wildlife safari.

It has been four years since our last visit to this little piece of paradise. We visited all the usual suspects on the main islands of Mahe and Praslin plus added a few new options to the list. In addition to these, we visited the private island resorts on Labriz Silhouette, Denis, Desroches, Fregate & North Island.

Teresa, her husband Michael and their 8-month old baby Mara, put the child care facilities to the test. Casey and her fiancé Scott indulged in the romantic moments that Seychelles resorts specialize in.

Both Lemuria & Banyan Tree were loved as much on this trip as they were four years ago. The golfing at Lemuria is unlike anywhere in the world - with giant mountains and backdrops to the ocean below. And the spa at the Banyan Tree is still as fabulous as ever.

We attempt to try it all out so we can help our clients pick the perfect resorts for their particular interests and occasions. After two weeks of testing spas, dive sites and signature restaurants, the list of highlights was difficult to narrow...

Granite Boulders
The legendary beauty of Seychelles is jaw dropping. Chalk white sand beaches are peppered with granite boulders. This is what sets Seychelles above most (possibly all?) other beach destinations on the globe. The soft lapping waves of crystal blue ocean invites swimmers all times of the day.

A day trip to the island of La Digue is highly recommended. The new ferry takes a mere 10 minutes from Praslin jetty. You can arrange day trips from just about any inner island resort to explore the island by bicycle and meander the gorgeous beaches.

Water features
Seychelles is hot so it takes many dips a day to keep you refreshed. Luckily, most of the villas have private swimming pools and giant bath tubs.

Maia Resort wins our vote for incredible water features. In addition to your private plunge pool, your outdoor space has chaise lounges set on a platform of ankle deep cool water and a sunken bath.

Private Butler service, a flashy inclusion at many 5-star resorts, is a real treat. It is not uncommon to return from dinner to find that a bath has been drawn for you complete with candles, fresh flowers and chilled champagne. The temperature is always perfect. How do they know when you are coming back?

Private Island Resorts
There are a handful of amazing island resorts to consider. These are mainly villa-based resorts offering guests seemingly private use of the island and beaches. Gourmet food, attentive yet totally relaxed service and a wide array of activities await guests.

The resorts act as the caretakers of these fragile and delicate ecosystems in an attempt to turn back the hands of time. This creates a true Garden of Eden playground for visitors.

Fregate Island has 600 Aldabran tortoises freely roaming the island. Exploring the island in your private golf cart, you are sure to encounter them on cart paths, walking trails and under the star fruit tree looking for treats. Fregate also grows all of their own produce in hydroponic & natural gardens on the island, so having lunch with the chef in the gardens is a real treat!

North Island has an entire research staff responsible for reintroducing tortoises, bird and endemic plant species to the island. We also have to mention that North Island has the most incredible accommodations in the country - no question!

Denis Island is a tiny, flat-as-a-pancake island. There is a pristine white sand beach that circles the whole island. This makes for a perfect sunset walk or daytime excursion. It only takes 2 hours to walk all the way around.

We hope that you have amazing travel plans this year. And we are here to let you know that Seychelles are definitely worthy of future consideration. We are excited to help you make it a reality when the time is right!

Cheers ~

Casey & Teresa
Mango Safaris