Giant Tortoises, Crystal Clear Sea and Blue Lagoons

She has already travelled a considerable part of the world. Countries that have left the most memorable impressions on her are Hawaii, the Maldives, Peru, India, the Seychelles, Kazakhstan, the contiguous USA, Egypt (mostly the fascinating desert part of the country), Nicaragua, Morocco and Tanzania. Destinations that are still on her bucket list include Mongolia – where she would like to spend a few days riding horses, Myanmar, southern Polynesia and some of the more remote parts of Russia. She shares her travel experiences and tips in her travelogue lectures which are organised by the Shappa agency where she works. She likes her travels to be adventurous and when travelling she looks for unspoilt hidden spots and tries to connect with the locals and their indigenous way of life.

Darja likes hot and exotic places with a relaxed atmosphere. The Seychelles is an island country in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar. It consists of 115 islands with typical granite boulders and gorgeous beaches that are one of the world’s most beautiful. Praslin Island is home to the Vallée de Mai National Park where special coconut palms grow, known as “coco de mer” or sea coconut. The sea coconut becomes ripe after six to seven years and resembles the woman’s buttocks. This special coconut can only be found in the Seychelles, specifically only in this very park and Curieuse Island. It has already gone extinct elsewhere.

How did you spend your holidays in Seychelles?

Since public transport in the islands is slow and the connections are rather poor, it’s best to use your own transport – you either rent a car with a driver or you drive yourself, but you need to be careful because the roads are very narrow and people drive on the left side. There are connections linking the islands by boat (rides last from 15 minutes to approx. 1 hour) or you can fly from the main island to Praslin by plane that has 19 seats and the ride is slightly bumpy. Among interesting activities one shouldn’t miss out on while visiting the Seychelles are treks, as all three islands are laced with hiking trails, a visit to the market in one of the smallest towns in the world – Victoria, swimming in the sea on one of the paradise beaches which are in competition for the world’s most beautiful beach, trying the Takamaka rum in a distillery, a visit to the beautiful giant tortoises with a walk in the mangrove forest, a visit to the cult outdoor museum on Praslin Island, cycling across LaDigue Island and tasting genuine creole food.

Did you try any Seychelles delicacy? Which one and did you like it?

The most recognised dish in the Seychelles is curry with the meat of fruit bat (a large species of bat that feeds on fruit). The dish has to be ordered a few days in advance so restaurants can acquire the meat. I personally didn’t try it because bats are also regarded as pets there and they look like small cute foxes, so I didn’t have the stomach for the dish. Other than that, you don’t really encounter genuine Creole food very often in the Seychelles. But if you’re lucky to find a restaurant that offers genuine Creole buffet, the food is simply amazing. As a rule of thumb, the food that is more expensive isn’t necessarily tastier. Often the opposite is true. Smaller huts and trailers, for example, that serve hot meals to the locals usually have tasty food that costs less than ten euros per meal.

What’s the culture of the Seychelles like?

Most locals are descendants of the freed slaves and a few are Europeans. Some slaves were brought to the islands as a workforce from Mauritius, Madagascar and Mozambique (other were freed in the middle of the 19th century) on ships that traded with slaves even after the prohibition of slavery. The Africans also brought their voodoo magic with them to the islands and, even though it’s rarely practiced nowadays due to it being prohibited, you can still encounter anecdotes about the belief. Some of the rituals that are still being practiced include herbalism, house blessing and protection of the dead, in order to prevent them from becoming zombies. The history of piracy in the Seychelles is also very interesting. Before they were inhabited, the Seychelles had been a paradise for pirates who ambushed merchant ships and resorted to plundering in order to get their hands on great treasures. In hopes of returning one day, the pirates buried many a treasure, but many of them never came back. Some of them left encrypted trasure maps that still stir people’s imagination. Treasure hunting is a popular pastime among the locals.

The latter are accustomed to tourism, as they’ve been living with it for almost 50 years, so, as a tourist, you feel welcome there. There are plenty of tourist offers that include various activities, accommodation and transfers. Other than that, resort and luxury tourism are still more abundant than cultural or backpacking tourism. By limiting the number of tourist facilities, the country tries to preserve nature on the islands, which, in practice, means that many world famous beaches often see only a few visitors.

You also visited the tortoise island. What was it like being so close to the gentle giants?

Curieuse Island is one of the giant tortoise sanctuaries. These are the largest tortoises in the world and are protected by UNESCO. My son and I were feeding the tortoises their favourite leaves from a nearby bush when he, a four-year-old boy, suddenly started yelling, as children of his age do best. I asked him what was the matter and he pointed at his foot. The tortoise weighing at least 200 kilos stomped his on foot with its otherwise soft leg. I reacted impulsively, as any mother would, quickly got a hold of the tortoise’s shell above its leg and, from a crouching position, like a weight lifter, tried to lift it up. It all looked like a comedy gag because I couldn’t move the tortoise for the life of me, not even by a millimetre. We had to wait for the tortoise to move forward at its slow pace. Luckily, all was well and no one was injured.