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SILHOUETTE

THE IN-FLIGHT MAGAZINE OF AIR SEYCHELLES

VOLUME 24 NUMBER 1

Dear Guest, Without doubt, 2012 has been a watershed year for Air Seychelles. It has been a year of immense change and a year in which we have set out to re-engineer our business to better serve you, our valued guests. A key factor in turning our fortunes around has been our new strategic partnership with Etihad Airways, the National Airline of the United Arab Emirates which holds a 40 per cent stake in our business. Thanks to the full support of our friends at Etihad Airways, we have been able to increase the size of our network and introduce a wide range of improvements. Importantly, I am delighted to report that Air Seychelles is on track to break even this year and in doing so create a solid financial base that will enable our airline to grow and thrive for many years to come. This is important for the Seychelles. A successful Air Seychelles not only has a vital role to play in boosting the local economy, but who is better placed to offer visitors their first taste of our traditionally warm hospitality. Everyone at Air Seychelles is committed to providing that welcome as well as growing our business and enhancing the services we provide in order to make the most of the tourism boom we are experiencing. This year, for example, saw record numbers of visitors to our shores, with very encouraging growth from powerful emerging markets such as Germany, Russia and China. Looking ahead to 2013, we have many exciting plans to support the growing number of travellers into the archipelago. In March, subject to government approval we will launch three return services per week from the Seychelles to Hong Kong via Abu Dhabi. With these additional flights, the number of return services to Abu Dhabi will increase to seven per week, giving our connectivity greater depth in Europe and greater breadth by adding new two-way connections in the Middle East and Australasia. We will also increase the number of return services to both Johannesburg and Mauritius to three per week. Our new Johannesburg schedule, which departs early in the morning from the Seychelles and arrives at midday in South Africa, provides greatly enhanced onward connections to Cape Town and Durban, as well as other points in the continent. To serve the growing demand on the Praslin route, both for international connecting passengers and locals, I am pleased to report that we have increased the capacity at peak inter-island travel times, doubling the number of flights in the morning, midday and late afternoon. Elsewhere, I am also pleased to report that you can now check-in golf clubs and Scuba equipment in addition to your usual baggage allowance - up to 15 kilos - at no extra cost. Separately, we have also introduced a new inflight duty free magazine and I hope you enjoy reading it. Finally, let me thank you sincerely on behalf of the entire Air Seychelles team for choosing to fly with us in 2012. We very much appreciate your business and we are committed to continuing to earn your loyalty through our delivery of high-quality service with unique Creole warmth in 2013 and beyond.

Cher client, Il ne fait aucun doute que 2012 a marqué un tournant pour Air Seychelles. Elle a été une année de changements considérables et une année durant laquelle nous avons lancé la restructuration de notre entreprise pour mieux servir nos chers clients. Un facteur clé dans notre redressement a été notre nouveau partenariat stratégique avec Etihad Airways, la compagnie aérienne nationale des Emirats Arabes Unis, qui détient 40% du capital de notre entreprise. Grâce à l’appui sans réserve de nos amis d’Etihad Airways, nous avons pu élargir notre réseau et apporter des améliorations diverses. Particulièrement, j’ai le plaisir de signaler qu’Air Seychelles est sur la bonne voie pour atteindre le seuil de rentabilité cette année et, ce faisant, créer une base financière solide qui permettra à notre compagnie de renouer avec la croissance et l’essor pendant plusieurs années à venir. Ceci est important pour les Seychelles. Une Air Seychelles prospère n’a pas seulement un rôle vital à jouer pour stimuler l’économie locale, mais elle est aussi mieux placée pour offrir aux visiteurs un avant-goût de notre chaleureuse hospitalité légendaire. Chaque employé d’Air Seychelles s’est engagé à réserver un accueil chaleureux à nos visiteurs, tout en contribuant à la croissance de notre compagnie et à l’amélioration de nos prestations, afin de tirer pleinement parti du boom touristique auquel nous assistons. En effet, cette année, notre pays a enregistré un nombre record de visiteurs en provenance des marchés émergents, tels que l’Allemagne, la Russie et la Chine. Pour 2013 qui s’annonce, nous avons beaucoup de plans exaltants pour assurer le transport du nombre croissant de voyageurs qui visitent notre archipel. En mars prochain, sous réserve de l’approbation gouvernementale, nous allons lancer trois vols aller-retour par semaine entre les Seychelles et Hong Kong via Abu Dhabi. Ces vols additionnels porteront à sept le nombre de services aériens hebdomadaires sur Abu Dhabi, donnant à notre réseau une plus grande profondeur en Europe et une plus grande largeur grâce l’ajout de nouvelles liaisons dans les deux sens au Moyen-Orient et en Australasie. Nous envisageons également de porter à trois le nombre de vols aller-retour sur Johannesburg et Maurice. Nos nouveaux vols sur Johannesburg qui quittent les Seychelles très tôt le matin et arrivent à la mi-journée en Afrique du Sud, permettent de meilleures correspondances vers Le Cap et Durban, ainsi que d’autres destinations sur le continent. Pour satisfaire la demande croissante sur la route de Praslin, tant pour les passagers en transit que pour les passagers locaux, j’ai le plaisir de vous informer que nous avons augmenté la capacité aux heures de pointe des voyages inter-iles, en doublant le nombre de vols le matin, à la mi-journée et en fin d’après-midi. Par ailleurs, je suis également heureux de vous informer que vous pouvez maintenant faire enregistrer les bâtons de golf et le matériel de plongée sous-marine en plus de votre franchise de bagages habituelle – jusqu’à 15 kilos – sans coût supplémentaire. En outre, nous avons lancé un nouveau magazine duty free de bord et nous espérons que vous le lisez avec plaisir. Pour conclure, je tiens à vous remercier au nom de toute l’équipe d’Air Seychelles pour avoir choisi de voyager avec nous en 2012. Nous apprécions beaucoup votre confiance et nous nous engageons à continuer de gagner votre fidélité grâce à une prestation de haute qualité assortie de la chaleur créole en 2013 et au-delà.

We look forward to seeing you on board again very soon.

Au plaisir de vous revoir à bord très prochainement.

Bon Voyage

Cramer Ball Chief Executive Officer Directeur Général

SILHOUETTE THE IN-FLIGHT MAGAZINE OF AIR SEYCHELLES

Co v e r Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong

VOLUME 24 NUMBER 1

Contents

Photo courtesy of Brian Johnston

The Lavalas of 1862 For the archipelago of the Seychelles, the date 12 October 1862 will forever be remembered.

Carnaval International de Victoria

With its innate spontaneity, great natural beauty and wonderful racial mix, Seychelles is a natural home for a carnival.

Founding Publisher: Editorial Director: Editor: Editorial Assistant: Creative Designer: Production Manager: Production Assistant: Editorial Board:

The Best of Hong Kong In such a multi-faceted place not to mention one that offers some of the world’s best shopping, dining and attractions – choosing top picks isn’t easy.

Diving the Dream Islands of the Seychelles Archipelago Now, more than ever, is the time to visit Seychelles and discover just how extraordinary - and affordable - diving can be in one of the very last natural aquariums on our planet.

Mohamed Amin Rukhsana Haq Roger Barnard Cecilia Wanjiku Charles Kamau Azra Chaudhry, London Rose Judha Rukhsana Haq Adrian Skerrett

Silhouette is published three times a year for Air Seychelles PO Box 386, Mahé, Seychelles Telephone: (248) 4391000 Fax: (248) 4224305 E-mail: pro@airseychelles.com By Camerapix Magazines Limited, PO Box 45048, 00100, GPO Nairobi, Kenya Telephone: +254 (20) 4448923/4/5 Fax: +254 (20) 4448818 E-mail: creative@camerapix.co.ke

Editorial and Advertising Office: Camerapix Magazines (UK) Limited, 32 Friars Walk, Southgate, London N14 5LP Telephone: +44 (20) 8361 2942 Mobile: +44 79411 21458 E-mail: camerapixuk@btinternet.com Correspondence on editorial and advertising matters may be sent to either of the above addresses. Printed in: Dubai

Regulars • 4 • 67 • 72 • 78

Welcome Aboard English -Creole Worldwide Offices Crossword

•8 • 69 • 74 • 79

News Map of Mahé Travel Facts Children’s Page

The East is Red: Chinese New Year It’s a time of celebration, superstition, strange omens and symbolic greetings and goodbyes …

Fish Feasts Here are a few suggestions for fish feasts which will bring you the real taste of Seychelles.

Music to your Ears We may not know exactly why music soothes the minds, but no one doubts that it does.

The Creation of the UAE Celebrating its 42nd anniversary this year the UAE now possesses one of the most developed economies in Western Asia.

Le Morne Brabant: a Monument to Freedom Truly impressive, this peak provides a spectacular backdrop to one of the island’s finest beaches.

• 10 • 70 • 76

Discover Seychelles International Route Map Dining Out

We l c o m e A b o a r d Air Seychelles is pleased to welcome you aboard this flight and hopes that you will enjoy our services. Your cabin crew will do everything possible to make your journey pleasant. Should you need any assistance or information, please do not hesitate to call the cabin crew by pressing the call button located on the armrest of your seat.

Important For your information, use of the following equipment on board is strictly prohibited under any circumstances: • FM/AM/TV transmitters or receivers • Citizens Band Transceivers • Full size Computer Printers • Portable Telephones, (not part of the approved aircraft installation) • Remote Control Toys • Satellite Receivers • Scanners • Walkie Talkies • Wireless Microphones

UNRULY/DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOUR ONBOARD AIR SEYCHELLES’ OWNED/OPERATED AIRCRAFT In terms of International Civil Aviation legislation and regulations, it is an offence for any person to: • Constitute any action that jeopardises or may jeopardise the safety of an aircraft, passenger and/ or crew • Disobey valid instruction from a crew member (safety officer)* • Interfere with the normal operation of the aircraft

There is growing evidence that the above devices generate interference that could directly affect aircraft navigation and control systems.

Hand Baggage Please note that one piece of hand baggage, in addition to a handbag and small camera, may be taken on board. For your own safety, you must place your hand baggage either in the overhead storage compartment or under the seat in front of you. The Cabin Crew will remove hand baggage from passengers seated in exit row areas and this will be returned after take-off should it be required in-flight. Please ensure that the contents do not include any prohibited goods and also ensure contents do not spill out, to avoid injuries to you and your fellow passengers.

Infants and Children Cabin Crew will assist in preparing baby foods. When possible, baby cots are available for infants.

Special Meals Air Seychelles offers a selection of special meals to suit the dietary and religious needs of passengers provided they are requested prior to the flight, preferably at the time of booking. If you wish to order a special meal for your return flight, please make your request when you re-confirm your flight. Special meals are also available for children, if requested in the same way.

Smoking Smoking is not permitted on all Air Seychelles flights.

Safety Safety is our first priority. Please watch attentively the safety video or safety demonstration given by the flight attendants and read the Safety Instruction Card located in the seat pocket in front of you. Seat belts must be fastened for takeoff and landing and when the seat belt sign is illuminated during the flight.

• Assault or wilfully interfere with any member of the crew of the aircraft in the performance of his/ her duties • Ignore warning signs and/or safety signs within the cabin of the aircraft • Wilfully cause damage to an aircraft which renders it incapable of flight or which is likely to endanger its safety in flight • Communicate any information which he/she knows to be false, thereby endangering the safety of an aircraft in service • Commit any nuisance or any disorderly or indecent act or to be in a state of intoxication or behave in a violent or offensive manner to the annoyance of any other person on the aircraft, or use abusive, indecent or offensive language. In terms of Seychelles legislation it is an offence to smoke on any Seychelles registered aircraft. Smoking in the toilet compartments of an aircraft is deemed a safety risk and is lawfully punishable. Any person committing any of these offences while on board an Air Seychelles flight may be arrested at his/her point of arrival and prosecuted in accordance with the applicable Civil Aviation legislation. Such prosecution may result in the imposition of a fine and/or imprisonment. It is the policy of Air Seychelles, in the interest of the safety of the travelling public and our employees, to lay the necessary criminal charges against unruly passengers and to aggressively pursue the successful prosecution of such persons.

Seating Whilst your seat is adjustable, it has to be in the upright position, with the foot-rest and tray table stowed, for take-off and landing. Each seat has an individual reading light, enabling you to read at night without disturbing your neighbour.

Comfort For your comfort, blankets, pillows, socks and eyeshades are available on all overnight flights.

Personal Belongings Before leaving the aircraft, please ensure that you have all your personal belongings with you, remembering to check the overhead lockers as well as the seating areas.

Laboutik Duty Free Sales: Sales of duty free goods are conducted on all international flights, time permitting. Please consult the Laboutik Duty Free Brochure in the seat pocket in front of you. This brochure details the range available and the currencies and credit cards that are accepted.

Electronic Equipment Passengers are requested not to make use of any electronic equipment that could interfere with the navigational equipment on board the aircraft. Please ask the Cabin Crew for assistance.

Spraying Health regulations at Seychelles International Airport require that the aircraft must be sprayed. The spray used conforms to international regulations and presents no danger to your health. However, we suggest you cover your nose and mouth should you feel you may be inconvenienced by the spray.

In-flight Service Our menus are designed to include the wide range of flavours from the Seychelles. Depending on the duration of your flight, one or two meals are served. We offer free drinks on all our flights.

Please note: In terms of International Civil Aviation legislation, the Commander (Captain) of the aircraft is authorised/ empowered to take any action deemed necessary, including restraint, of any person who jeopardises the safety of the aircraft or of persons or property on board. In terms of this authority the commander may request and/or authorise any member of the crew to render assistance in terms of restraint or action against such offenders. In terms of Air Seychelles’ right of refusal of carriage, Air Seychelles reserves the right to refuse boarding to any person who is intoxicated or who, under reasonable grounds, is believed to pose a potential danger to the safety and/or good order and discipline on board its aircraft. The primary function of a crew member is to act as a safety officer on board an aircraft. All Air Seychelles crew members are trained and licensed as safety officers in terms of International Civil Aviation regulations.

We now invite you to sit back, relax and enjoy the Air Seychelles in-flight service.

Bienvenue á bord Air Seychelles est heureuse de vous accueillir à bord et espère que vous serez satisfaits de nos services. Notre équipage de bord fera son possible pour rendre votre voyage agréable. Pour tout renseignement ou aide, n’hésitez pas à appeler les membres de l’équipage en pressant le bouton situé sur l’accoudoir de votre siège.

Confort

Important PRÉVENTION DES COMPORTEMENT S PERTURBATEURS ET DES INDISCIPLINES À BORD DES AÉRONEFS APPARTENANT À AIR SEYCHELLES OU EXPLOITÉS PAR AIR SEYCHELLES.

Pour votre information, l’usage des équipements suivants est formellement interdit à bord sous aucun prétexte: • Emetteurs ou récepteurs FM/AM/TV • Emetteur-récepteur de la citizen band • Imprimantes • Téléphone mobile • Jouets télécommandés • Récepteurs satellitaires • Scanneurs • Talkies-walkies • Micro sans fil

D’après les règlements de l’Aviation Civile Internationale (OACI), toute personne qui:

Il devient de plus en plus évident que ces appareils créent des interférences qui peuvent atteindre les réseaux de navigation et de contrôle de l’avion.

• Perturbe le déroulement normal du vol

• Entreprend une action qui met ou est susceptible de mettre en danger les passagers, l’équipage et/ ou l’appareil • Refuse de se conformer à une injonction d’un membre de l’équipage (officier de sécurité)

• Agresse un membre d’équipage

Bagage en cabine

• Perturbe sciemment le travail de l’équipage

Un seul bagage à main, en plus d’un sac à main et un petit appareil photo, est autorisé à bord. Pour votre confort et votre sécurité, il doit être placé soit dans le compartiment à bagages soit sous le siège juste en face de vous. Les membres de l’équipage s’occuperont des bagages des passagers assis près des portes de sorties. Ils leur seront restitués après le décollage ou pendant le vol en cas de besoin. Veuillez vous assurer que votre bagage à main ne contient pas de marchandises interdites susceptibles de présenter un danger pour vous ou les autres passagers.

• Ne tient pas compte des consignes de sécurité, des signaux lumineux en cabine ou des instructions verbales de l’équipage

Bébés et enfants en bas âge Une hôtesse vous assiste pour la préparation des repas pour bébé et installe un berceau selon la disponibilité à bord.

Repas Air Seychelles vous propose une sélection de menus convenant à votre régime alimentaire (ex. régime végétarien) à condition que vous en fassiez la demande lors de la réservation de votre billet. Si vous désirez un menu spécial ou un menu enfant, veuillez informer votre compagnie aérienne ou votre agent de voyage lorsque vous confirmez votre voyage.

Interdiction de fumer Tous les vols Air Seychelles sont non-fumeurs.

Mesures de sûreté Votre sûreté est notre priorité. Nous vous conseillons de suivre bien attentivement la vidéo sur nos écrans ainsi la démonstration de sécurité effectuée par notre personnel de bord avant le décollage. Il vous est également conseillé de lire les consignes de sécurité sur la fiche rangée dans la poche du siège situé en face de vous. Votre ceinture de sécurité doit être obligatoirement bouclée lors du décollage et de l’atterrissage ou pendant le vol, lorsque le petit voyant, situé au-dessus de votre siège, est allumé.

• Cause volontairement des dommages à l’appareil qui le rendent inexploitable ou qui mettent à risque la sécurité du vol • Communique sciemment des informations fausses, mettant ainsi en danger un vol, son équipage et ses passagers. • A un comportement gênant, perturbateur, indécent, fait preuve de violence à l’égard d’autres personnes, profère des insultes ou des obscénités. Commet une infraction passible de poursuites. Le règlement de l’Aviation Civile Seychelloise stipule qu’il est interdit de fumer à bord de tout avion immatriculé aux Seychelles. Fumer dans les toilettes constitue un risque pour la sécurité et est puni par la loi. Quiconque commettra l’une ou plusieurs de ces infractions sera arrêté à destination et poursuivi en vertu des règles de l’aviation civile concernée et du règlement du transporteur. Ces poursuites peuvent conduire à une amende ou une peine de prison, voire les deux. La politique d’Air Seychelles, dans l’intérêt de ses passagers et de ses employés est de porter systématiquement devant la justice les cas de passagers perturbateurs et d’obtenir leur condamnation.

Sièges Vous pouvez ajuster la position de votre siège en appuyant sur le bouton situé sur l’accoudoir. Cependant, lors du décollage et de l’atterrissage, votre siège doit être obligatoirement redressé, le repose-pieds et la tablette en face de vous, relevés. Chaque siège est pourvu d’un éclairage individuel qui vous permet de lire la nuit sans déranger votre voisin.

Pour votre confort, une couverture, un oreiller, des chaussettes et un masque sont mis à votre disposition.

Effets personnels Avant de débarquer, assurez-vous que vous êtes bien en possession de tous vos effets personnels en vérifiant notamment le compartiment à bagages et votre siège.

Les boutiques de vente hors taxes : Les marchandises exemptes de droits existent sur tous les vols internationaux, si le temps le permet. Consultez, s’il vous plait, la brochure concernée qui se trouve dans la pochette du siège qui vous fait face. Cette brochure donne des détails sur le choix des produits disponibles, les devises et les cartes de crédit qui sont acceptées.

Utilisation d’appareils électroniques Les passagers sont priés de ne pas utiliser d’appareils électroniques susceptibles d’interférer avec les appareils de navigation aérienne à bord. Pour tout renseignement, veuillez vous adresser au personnel de cabine.

Désinsectisation Le règlement sanitaire de l’Aéroport de Mahé exige que l’appareil soit désinsectisé. Le produit utilisé est conforme aux normes internationales et ne présente aucun danger pour la santé ; cependant, si vous pensez qu’il peut vous incommoder, nous vous prions de bien vouloir vous couvrir la bouche et le nez avec un mouchoir.

A bord Nos menus vous feront découvrir en avant-garde les saveurs uniques des îles Seychelles. Selon la durée de vol, un ou deux repas seront servis à bord. Pendant toute la durée du vol, le service bar vous propose gratuitement des boissons fraîches.

Veuillez également noter que: D’après les règles de l’Aviation Civile Internationale (OACI), le Commandant de Bord est habilité et a le pouvoir de prendre toutes les mesures nécessaires pour assurer la sécurité des personnes et de leurs biens ainsi que celle de l’appareil, y compris la privation de mouvement pour quiconque pourrait menacer cette sécurité. Dans le cadre de ses fonctions, le Commandant de Bord peut demander à un ou plusieurs membres d’équipage de l’assister dans cette tâche, voire la déléguer pour neutraliser ceux qui commettraient des infractions. Air Seychelles s’octroie également le droit, conformément à ses conditions générales de transport de refuser l’embarquement à toute personne qui serait sous l’emprise de la drogue et/ou de l’alcool, ou qui représente un danger pour la sécurité, l’ordre et la discipline à bord. La première fonction des navigants est d’agir comme «officier de sécurité» à bord. Tous les membres d’ équipages d’Air Seychelles sont formés et certifiés «officier de sécurité» au sens des règlements de l’Organisation Internationale e l’Aviation Civile.

Nous vous invitons à vous installer confortablement, Vous détendre et profiter du service à bord d’Air Seychelles.

News

Air Seychelles Restructuring Programme Bears Fruit Following Etihad Airways’ equity stake in January 2012, revitalised Air Seychelles saw its third-quarter revenue reaching $13.8 million, up by 23 per cent on the second quarter of 2012, as the airline’s restructuring programme took effect in the drive towards profitability for the year. Air Seychelles is not just attracting more passengers but it is also seeing higher yields on all its routes. The growth in revenues was led by a 51 per cent quarter-on-quarter increase in passengers, up from 53,066 to 79,887, as seat factors rose from 43 per cent to 60 per cent. “This is a result of the positive impact of cooperation with our shareholders Etihad Airways and the Seychelles Government. The scale of the task in turning around this company has been significant. There is a fantastic business here based on enthusiastic and committed people, but it needed a more effective commercial focus. Working together, we have been able to bring that new focus to bear fruit” said Chief Executive Officer Cramer Ball. Flights to Abu Dhabi have increased to four per week, with onward destinations rising from 57 to 375 per week, opening up hundreds of new markets for quick and easy connectivity to the Seychelles. The number of domestic passengers is also surging up from 30 per cent to 44 per cent compared to the previous quarter. By adding capacity back into its fleet and building up its network connectivity, Air Seychelles is setting the foundations for long term, sustainable profitability, giving the Seychelles the national airline it deserves. Air Seychelles is confident it will achieve its target of profitability in 2012, marking a major turnaround for the national airline, after several years of heavy losses. Etihad Airways acquired a 40 per cent shareholding in Air Seychelles in January this year, and has a five-year management contract. Highlights during the quarter included: • The successful introduction of the first Airbus A330-200 into the fleet; a second is to follow early in 2013 • The launch of Air Seychelles’ new in-flight product and service on international routes • The integration of Air Seychelles Plus into Etihad Guest, bringing 18,000 members into the industry’s leading frequent flier programme, offering them a wide range of new benefits • The introduction of 19 new codeshare destinations, in addition to the network plan which has seen such improved connectivity through Abu Dhabi • Continued development of Air Seychelles international sales channels, through the worldwide Etihad Airways commercial network. Air Seychelles signed an agreement with the Seychelles Tourism Academy (STA) which will help stimulate training opportunities for Seychellois nationals and open the door for students wishing to develop a career in aviation. Another wide-ranging training programme for Air Seychelles has also been introduced. The Etihad Airways Career Development Programme uses the state-of-the-art Training Academy in Abu Dhabi, and has achieved results including: • 65 cabin crew fully trained, with a further 60 new recruits to be trained by year’s end. 42 of this second wave have been hired already, with the first 12 currently being trained in Abu Dhabi • 23 pilots have been fully trained on the Airbus A330-200, with another two currently in training • Seven Seychellois nationals, six of whom were already with Air Seychelles, have started the Cadet Engineer Programme • Two Seychellois nationals, one of whom was already with Air Seychelles, have entered the Graduate Development Management Programme • Two Seychellois nationals have started the Cadet Pilot Programme.

Air Seychelles to Fly to Hong Kong Air Seychelles has announced that it will be introducing flights to Hong Kong in 2013 once it receives clearance for its operating permit and following the delivery of the airline’s second Airbus A330-200 aircraft. The airline will operate three return services per week from Seychelles to Hong Kong via Abu Dhabi using its new A330-200. By operating the flights over Abu Dhabi, Air Seychelles can also code-share with Etihad Airways to support further traffic to and from China. This dual approach will enable the airline to capture a significant market share. Cramer Ball, Air Seychelles’ Chief Executive Officer said; “The Seychelles needs a national carrier which can support the growing number of travellers into the archipelago, not just from our historical markets in Europe, but also the powerful emerging ones”. Air Seychelles has appointed the Walshe Group as its General Sales Agent (GSA) partner in Hong Kong and South China. The Walshe Group takes responsibility for all local commercial activities including sales, marketing and reservations, working closely with key travel industry partners A bilateral air services agreement was signed between the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority, the Hong Kong Airport Authorities and Air Seychelles in Hong Kong in October 2012. This was followed by a series of workshops organised by the national airline jointly with the Seychelles Tourism Board, for both the Hong Kong trade agents and the media to launch the first Hong Kong -Seychelles operations.

Praslin Sees Capacity Increased by 38 Per Cent With the introduction of a new flight schedule for the Domestic Services, Praslin has seen its capacity increased by 38 per cent. The existing schedule was enhanced to increase capacity to the archipelago’s second largest island, at peak travel times, seeing morning, midday and late evening flights doubled to cater for international connecting passengers as well as for local business operations. By scheduling multiple aircraft to operate the same flight, taking off only minutes apart, the airline can now offer faster and more convenient services to guests during peak times. Congestion at the domestic terminal has also been reduced through the use of this innovative scheduling system. The airline has also added additional frequencies during the holiday season. Air Seychelles operates three DHC6-300 and one DHC6-400 aircraft on its domestic route network, including daily Praslin services and charter services upon request to other islands such as Bird, Denis, Fregate, and D’Arros .

T i k-T i k

Air Seychelles Cargo Offers Online Tracking System Air Seychelles’ Cargo customers can now enjoy a new way of doing business with the introduction of the airline’s online system called ‘Track and Trace’. The latest ‘Track and Trace’ facility allows shippers and consignees to track movement of shipments in real-time. The function is available in English, German, French and Italian and can easily be accessed on computers, smart phones and tablets. Customers simply enter shipment details using the online tool. In response a text message is sent to the customer’s personal mobile phone, including the current status of the shipment. This facility not only allows customers to check their shipment status on Air Seychelles but on all other international carriers that the airline serves. Visit http://www.airseychelles.com/en/cargo/track.php

Increased Complimentary Baggage Allowance Air Seychelles’ guests are now flying lighter with the increase in complimentary checked baggage allowance. Economy passengers now enjoy 30 kgs (kilogrammes) of complimentary checked baggage and 40 kgs for the Pearl Class passengers. The increased allowances apply to all international destinations served by Air Seychelles. The new policy also covers connecting flights throughout Etihad Airways’ global network. Members of Etihad Guest, the joint frequent flyer programme of Air Seychelles and Etihad Airways, will receive additional 10 kgs for Etihad Silver members and 15 kgs for Etihad Gold members. The increased baggage allowance also applies to International passengers with a through ticket to Praslin and other islands within 24 hours.

Above: Air Seychelles Chief Executive Officer, Cramer Ball and University of Seychelles Vice-Chancellor, Ms. Marina Confait sign the MoU (Memorandum of Understanding).

Air Seychelles Offers Opportunities to University of Seychelles’ Students Air Seychelles has an agreement with the University of Seychelles (UniSey), which pledges to offer internships and opportunities for students of the university to participate in the airline’s graduate development management programme. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between Air Seychelles’ Chief Executive Officer, Cramer Ball, and the Seychelles University Vice-Chancellor, Ms Marina Confait. As part of this agreement the airline will arrange visiting talks, collaborate on joint research projects and provide practical experience through internships and participation in the graduate management programme, helping the students with their transition from learning to doing. “Providing Seychellois with scholarships and work opportunities is part of our growing social responsibility programme, but the graduates also represent the future leaders of our airline. Collaborating with the University of Seychelles will bring great benefits to both Air Seychelles and the University by offering real world exposure to the students and professors that will complement their varied academic activities,” said Cramer Ball.

Seychellois Artist Joe Sammy Wows Hong Kong Trade Veteran Seychellois artist, Joe Samy, famously known for his collection of patriotic songs, wowed guests at the Air Seychelles’ launch flight workshop held at the Langham Place Hotel in Hong Kong. Joe sang to the Hong Kong Tour Operators during the lunch break and the cocktail reception at the end of the event. The crowd at the reception took to the rhythms of our local Sega music whilst savouring the SEYBREW and signature cocktails made with the locally produced Takamaka Bay Rhum and local banana crisps. The events ended on a high note with all partners confident that the Air Seychelles flight launch will give an added boost to the Chinese market. Joe Samy also used the platform to mark his come back to the music scene.

Discover Seychelles The Islands

Discover Seychelles

ar from any continental land mass, the islands of Seychelles have long been likened to a string of pearls set in the azure waters of the Indian Ocean. No wonder that the slogan of this proud nation, one of the world’s prime holiday destinations, is ‘Not just another place, another world ‘. And it is delivered with an invitation that no normal person can resist, an invitation to ‘Discover the Islands’, which lie just four degrees south of the Equator and are literally 1,000 miles from anywhere. As the world becomes ever smaller, Seychelles is becoming increasingly accessible to holiday-makers from around the globe. With the greatest of ease, Air Seychelles whisks an ever increasing number of visitors from Europe, Africa, the Far East and the Middle East to sample the many and varied delights of the islands. Within these few square kilometres is a land of colourful contrasts; the bleached granite rocks, thrusting up from the sea like the peaks of a sunken mountain range lie in the shadow of lush tropical vegetation clinging to steep mountain sides. In the middle of a beach of white coral sand, a sudden upthrust of granite resembles a scene from the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. The people of the islands reflect these same dramatic contrasts. A description of a typical Seychellois is impossible; their ancestors include British and French seamen, freed African slaves, and Indian and Chinese merchants. Their skin tone can be fair or dark, their hair blonde or black, their eyes blue or brown. But they all share a gentle and cheerful character, combined with a nature as warm and welcoming as their island home.

Discover Seychelles Les Îles

A la Découverte des les

loignées de toute masse continentale, les îles Seychelles ont longtemps été comparées à un chapelet de perles dans les eaux bleues de l’océan indien. Pas étonnant que le slogan de cette fière nation, dont le pays est l’une des destinations de vacances les plus prisées dans le monde, soit ‘Pas juste un autre endroit, un autre monde’. Et celui-ci s’accompagne d’une invitation à laquelle aucune personne normalement constituée ne peut résister, une invitation ‘à la découverte des îles’, situées à seulement quatre degrés de latitude en dessous de l’équateur et littéralement à mille lieues de tout autre endroit. Au fur et à mesure que le monde rétrécit, les Seychelles deviennent de plus en plus accessibles aux agences de voyage et aux tours opérateurs du monde entier. Air Seychelles emmène ainsi chaque année avec la plus grande facilité un nombre croissant de visiteurs d’Europe, d’Afrique, du Proche Orient et de l’extrême Orient pour goûter aux délices nombreux et variés de ces îles. Parmi ces quelques kilomètres carrés de terres se trouve un pays de contrastes colorés: les rochers de granite , surgissant de la mer comme les pics d’une chaîne de montagnes engloutie, gisent dans l’ombre d’une végétation tropicale luxuriante s’accrochant jusqu’aux versants abrupts des montagnes. Au milieu d’une plage de sable corallien blanc, la présence d’un monolithe de granite fait penser à une scène du célèbre film: 2001, Odyssée de l’Espace. Les gens qui peuplent ces îles montrent un contraste tout aussi saisissant. Décrire un Seychellois typique est ainsi impossible, car leurs ancêtres sont des marins français et britanniques, des esclaves africains affranchis, des marchands indiens et chinois. Le teint de peau des Seychellois peut être aussi bien clair que foncé, leurs cheveux blonds ou bruns, leurs yeux bleus ou marrons. Mais ils partagent tous un même caractère doux et gai, ainsi qu’une façon d’être aussi chaleureuse et accueillante que leurs îles natales.

Discover Seychelles The Islands

History of Seychelles

he history of Seychelles could have come straight out of a story book: a tale of intrepid explorers, fearsome pirates and brutal battles for the islands’ bountiful treasures. The first serious exploration took place only in 1742, but early navigators, such as the Indonesians and Arabs, probably arrived before this time in search of fresh water and food. These visitors did not leave physical evidence of their passing, unless it was they who introduced the casuarina tree and coconut palm. It is possible that Arab merchants knew Seychelles as the source of the rare and valuable coco de mer nuts and came here to collect them, keeping the location secret so that they could sell them at inflated prices. Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese explorer, sailed through the Amirantes group in 1503, en route from India, and might also have sighted the granitic islands. In 1506 another Portuguese navigator, Fernao Soares, recorded the islands, which appear regularly on charts after this date as the ‘Seven Sisters’. The British made their first appearance on Seychelles in 1609 when the ships Ascension and Good Hope arrived at Mahé during an expedition for the British East India Company. They made no claim to the islands, which remained uninhabited, although they might have been used as a secret refuge by pirates, who add a touch of drama and mystery to their story. In 1742 the Frenchman, Lazare Picault, landed on Mahé at Anse Boileau (not Baie Lazare, which now bears his name). He named the islands after Mahé de Labourdonnais, the governor of Mauritius, who had sent him. Fourteen years later, Mahé and the inner islands were formally claimed in the name of the King of France. Mahé was named Isle Séchelles, which later became the name of the group. The origin of the name is unclear; it might have been in honour of Moreau de Séchelles, a former controller-general of finance in France, but, as he was disgraced at the time, it seems more likely to have been a tribute to members of his family who were related through marriage to the governor of Mauritius. The Stone of Possession, which was set above the entrance to the port, is now in the National Museum. In 1768, the French also claimed Praslin, named after their marine minister, the Duke of Praslin. La Digue and Curieuse were named after the ships which visited the islands at this time. In 1770 settlers arrived on St Anne from Mauritius. They later abandoned this settlement and moved across to Mahé. In 1772, Pierre Poivre sent spice plants to Seychelles, hoping to establish them there and allow France to compete with the Dutch in the valuable spice trade. Chevalier Quéau de Quincy was appointed administrator of Seychelles in 1794. During the long revolutionary wars between Britain and France, several British men-of-war called at Seychelles. Having no means of defence, Quincy was forced to capitulate to the British seven times. These capitulations were a form of ‘temporary surrender with honour’, with favourable terms for Seychelles skillfully negotiated by Quincy. At the end of the war Mauritius and Seychelles were ceded to the British under the Treaty of Paris. The British recognised Quincy’s abilities and kept him on as juge de paix of the colony until his death in 1827. He is buried in the grounds of State House. In 1903 Seychelles became a crown colony in its own right, detached from Mauritius. From 1861, slaves liberated from Arab dhows off East Africa were brought to Seychelles to begin new lives, swelling the population by nearly 3,000. Two world wars during the 20th century touched Seychelles only lightly, but times were changing fast. The embryo of the first political party, the Taxpayers’ Association, was formed in 1939. In March 1975, a new constitution was drawn up and a coalition government established ready for independence in June 1976, when James Mancham became President and Albert René Prime Minister. Following a

coup d’état in 1977, Seychelles became a one-party state, with Albert René as president and the Seychelles’ People’s Progressive Front as the ruling party. Multi-party elections were restored in 1993, when René was again returned as President, with Mancham (Democratic Party) leader of the opposition. René was re-elected in 1998, and also at the early elections called in 2001, where the opposition, led by Wavel Ramkalawan (Seychelles National Party), obtained a high percentage. René retired in April 2004 and handed over the presidency to his Vice President, James Michel, who was re-elected in July 2006. Seychelles has a population of about 85,000. Its people are descended from the original French settlers, their African slaves, the liberated slaves rescued from slavers in the 19th century, and some British settlers. This melting pot has been enriched by traders from India and China, intermingling to produce an almost unparalleled and multifaceted community, yet one that is completely integrated. The Seychelles’ rich racial blend is reflected in its varied culture and food. Music brought to the islands by the European settlers and played on violins or accordions has blended with the beat of the tomtom, the makalapo (a stringed instrument with a tin for a sound box), the bom (a bowed instrument), and the sez (a monochord sitar). A typical Seychelles dance is the moutias which blends African and Malagasy rhythms in a popular communal dance usually staged at night around a fire. European influences can be seen in the contre-danse, which has its roots in the court of Louis XIV of France, the Sun King, and the mazok and kosez, which are reminiscent of the waltz and the quadrille. The main language of the islands is Creole, but most people speak English and some French. Creole is a phonetic language, similar to that found in other territories where there has been French influence, such as Mauritius and New Orleans. French words were given a harder pronunciation and syllables which were not pronounced were dropped altogether. Thus Bonjour (Good morning) becomes Bonzour and s’il vous plait (please) becomes sivouple. The spiritual life of the Seychellois ranges from the centuries-old local magic, called gris-gris, to the far reaching influence of the Roman Catholic Church. Often these beliefs run alongside each other. Many local people still consult their bonnomn dibwa, or medicine man, seeking spells or potions for love, luck or revenge. However, the Seychellois are also avid church-goers and consider church a particularly social occasion. The Seychellois are never in a hurry. There is always time for a chat or a smile. Their lifestyle is characterised by a warm, happy-go-lucky attitude that foreign influences have been unable to dampen or disturb.

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Discover Seychelles The Islands

L’histoire des Seychelles

’histoire des Seychelles pourrait sortir tout droit d’un livre de contes: un récit d’explorateurs intrépides, de pirates n’ayant peur de rien, et de brutales batailles pour les nombreux trésors de ces îles. La première exploration sérieuse prit place en 1742, mais des navigateurs anciens tels que les Indonésiens ou les Arabes visitèrent probablement les Seychelles bien avant en quête de nourriture et d’eau douce. Ces visiteurs ne laissèrent pas de traces de leur passage, bien qu’on leur attribue l’introduction du Casuarina et du Cocotier. Il est possible que les marchands arabes aient visité régulièrement ces îles pour y récolter les rares et précieux Coco-de -mer, et qu’ils aient tenu leur emplacement secret afin de pouvoir vendre ces noix encore plus cher. Vasco de Gama, l’explorateur portugais qui navigua à travers l’archipel des Amirantes en 1503 sur sa route vers l’Inde, a peut-être lui-aussi pu voir les îles granitiques. En 1506, un autre navigateur portugais, Fernao Soares, nota la présence de ces îles qui, après son passage, figurèrent régulièrement sur les cartes comme ‘Les Sept Sœurs’. Les Britanniques firent leur première apparition aux Seychelles en 1609, lorsque les bateaux Ascension et Good Hope (Bonne Espérance) arrivèrent à Mahé au cours d’une expédition de la British East India Company (Compagnie britannique des Indes orientales). Ils ne revendiquèrent pas la propriété de ces îles, qui restèrent inhabitées, bien qu’elles aient pu être utilisées comme refuge secret par certains pirates, ce qui rajoute une touche de drame et de mystère à leur histoire. En 1742, le Français Lazare Picault débarqua à Mahé à Anse Boileau (et non pas Baie Lazare, qui aujourd’hui porte son nom). Il nomma l’île d’après Mahé de Labourdonnais, gouverneur de l’Ile Maurice, qui l’avait envoyé. Quatorze années plus tard, Mahé et les îles proches furent officiellement revendiquées par le roi de France. Mahé fut nommée Isle Séchelles, nom qui par la suite fut donné à l’archipel en entier. L’origine de ce nom n’est pas claire. Il est possible qu’il ait été donné en honneur de Moreau de Séchelles, un ancien contrôleur général des Finances en France, mais vu que celui-ci était déjà tombé en disgrâce à cette époque, il semble plus probable qu’il s’agisse d’un hommage à des membres de sa famille devenus parents par mariage avec le gouverneur de Maurice. La Pierre de Possession, qui fut érigée à l’entrée du port, est maintenant exposée au Musée d’Histoire. En 1768, les Français revendiquèrent aussi Praslin, nommée d’après le ministre de la marine de l’époque, le Duc de Praslin. La Digue et Curieuse furent nommées d’après des navires de l’époque qui visitèrent les îles. En 1770, les premiers colons en provenance de l’Ile de France (aujourd’hui Maurice) débarquèrent à Sainte Anne. Ils abandonnèrent ensuite ce premier établissement et s’installèrent en face sur Mahé. En 1772, Pierre Poivre envoya des plants d’épices aux Seychelles, avec l’espoir de pouvoir les y faire pousser et faire ainsi la concurrence aux Hollandais dans le commerce lucratif des épices. Le Chevalier Quéau de Quincy fut nommé Administrateur des Seychelles en 1794. Pendant les longues années de guerre de la période révolutionnaire entre la Grande Bretagne et la France, plusieurs hommes de guerre britanniques se présentèrent aux Seychelles. N’ayant aucun moyen de défense, Quincy fut forcé de capituler devant les Anglais plusieurs fois. Ces capitulations étaient une forme de ‘reddition temporaire avec honneur’, et s’accompagnaient de conditions favorables aux Seychelles habilement négociées par Quincy. A la fin de la guerre, les Seychelles et Maurice furent cédées aux Britanniques par le Traité de Paris. Ces

derniers reconnurent les capacités de Quincy et le gardèrent comme juge de paix de la colonie, jusqu’à sa mort en 1827. A partir de 1861, des esclaves libérés des marchands arabes au large des côtes d’Afrique de l’Est furent amenés aux Seychelles pour y commencer de nouvelles vies, grossissant la population d’environ 3,000 personnes. Les deux guerres mondiales du 20ème siècle n’affectèrent que peu les Seychelles, mais les temps changeaient rapidement. Ainsi l’embryon du premier parti politique, l’Association des Contribuables’, fut formé en 1939. En mars 1975, une nouvelle constitution fut établie et un gouvernement de coalition constitué afin de préparer l’indépendance en 1976 ; James Mancham devint Président de la République et France Albert René le Premier ministre. A la suite d’un coup d’Etat en 1977, les Seychelles adoptèrent un système à parti unique avec Albert René comme Président et le Front Progressiste du Peuple Seychellois comme parti dirigeant. Le multipartisme fut ré-introduit avec les élections de 1993, où René fut élu président et Mancham devint chef de l’opposition. René fut à nouveau réélu en 1998 ainsi qu’aux élections anticipées de 2001, où l’opposition conduite par Wavel Ramkalawan (Parti National Seychellois) obtint un score élevé. René se retira en Avril 2004 et passa le pouvoir à son vice-Président, James Michel, qui fut ensuite réélu en Juillet 2006. Les Seychelles ont une population d’environ 85,000 habitants, qui sont les descendants des premiers colons français, de leurs esclaves africains, des esclaves libérés des trafiquants au cours du 19ème siècle, et de quelques colons britanniques. Ce creuset racial et culturel s’est ensuite enrichi avec les apports de marchands venus d’Inde et de Chine, le tout se mélangeant pour produire une communauté à multiples facettes quasiment inégalée et complètement harmonieuse. Le riche mélange racial des Seychelles est reflété par sa culture et sa cuisine diversifiée. La musique amenée par les colons européens, jouée sur des violons ou des accordéons s’est mêlée aux sons des tam-tams, du ‘makalapo’ (un instrument à cordes utilisant une boite de conserve comme caisse de résonance), le ‘bom’ (un instrument arqué), et le ‘sez’ (une cithare monocorde). La ‘Moutia’ est une danse typique des Seychelles, qui mêle les rythmes africains et malgaches en une danse populaire de groupe normalement pratiquée la nuit autour d’un feu. On ressent les influences européennes dans la contredanse, qui puise ses racines à la cour du roi français Louis XIV, le Roi Soleil, et dans le ‘mazok’ et la ‘kosez’, qui rappellent la valse et le quadrille. Le principal langage parlé dans les îles est le Créole, mais la plupart des gens parlent aussi l’anglais et le français. Le Créole est une langue phonétique, similaire à celle rencontré dans les autres territoires jadis sous influence française, comme Maurice ou la Nouvelle-Orléans. On a donné aux mots français une prononciation plus simplifiée et on a laissé tomber les syllabes qui ne se prononçaient pas. Ainsi Bonjour devient ‘Bonzour’ en Créole, et s’il vous plait ‘sivouple’. La vie spirituelle des Seychellois s’étend de la magie locale séculaire, appelée ‘gris-gris’, à l’influence dominante de l’Eglise Catholique. Souvent ces croyances se côtoient. Beaucoup de personnes consultent encore leur ‘Bonnonm dibwa’, ou sorcier, à la recherche de potions ou de sorts pour l’amour, la chance ou la revanche. Cependant, les Seychellois fréquentent assidûment les églises et considèrent le fait d’y aller comme un évènement social important. Les Seychellois ne sont jamais pressés. Il y a toujours du temps pour parler ou pour un sourire. Leur style de vie est caractérisé par une attitude insouciante et chaleureuse que les influences extérieures ont été incapables d’abattre ou d’altérer.

Panoramic Perspective by Sunseeker The Sunseeker 28 Metre Yacht

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Discover Seychelles The Islands

Mahé L’île principale des Seychelles est, sans aucun doute, l’une des plus belles îles du monde avec ses 70 plages au caractère particulier. Les magnifiques formations rocheuses, qui séparent les plages de l’intérieur de l’île, resemblent à un décor de théâtre dans lequel se fond l’élégante architecture des hôtels. Mahé couvre environ 150 kilomètres carrés, mesurant 27 kilomètres de long et 7 kilomètres de large. L’abondante végétation qui recouvre son relief montagneux lui a valu autrefois le nom d’Ile d’Abondance. Le point culminant de cette île s’élève à 930 mètres au-dessus du niveau de la mer. Le réseau routier est carrossable jusque dans les coins les plus reculés de l’intérieur. De nombreux chemins de promenades à pied permettent d’admirer de près la flore et la faune de l’île, en particulier dans le Parc National du Morne Seychellois. Au sud de Victoria, la capitale, se trouve l’aéroport de Mahé. Le seul fait d’y atterrir est une expérience inoubliable à cause de la vue magnifique que l’on a de l’île verdoyante et de sa côte. Victoria, avec sa population d’environ 20,000 habitants, s’étend le long d’une baie au pied du Morne Seychellois et des Trois Frères. Cette ville minuscule est le centre administratif et financier des Seychelles ainsi que le seul port de l’île. La tour de l’horloge est une copie miniature de celle située à l’intersection de Victoria Street et Vauxhall Bridge Road près de la gare Victoria à Londres. Elle fût édifiée en 1903 en hommage à la reine Victoria. Mais aujourd’hui, elle est plutôt considérée comme un symbole de l’élévation des Seychelles au rang de colonie de la Couronne, indépendante de l’Ile Maurice. La monumentale sculpture du bicentenaire de Lorenzo Appiani au centre de la ville, représente les trois continents dont le peuple Seychellois est originaire: l’Europe, l’Afrique et l’Asie. Le Pirates Arms, sur la place de l’Indépendance, est un lieu de rencontre populaire où l’on peut boire et se restaurer. Bien qu’aucune rue en particulier ne soit la meilleure pour l’achat de souvenirs il y a bon nombre de boutiques au voisinage des uniques feux de circulation de l’île, près de la station de taxis, et dans la rue Francis Rachel. Il y a aussi des boutiques intéressantes dans l’édifice Temooljee situé dans la même rue, près du Pirates Arms, et au début de l’avenue de l’Indépendance.

Le site du premier hôtel qui fut construit aux Seychelles se trouve à l’intersection de la rue de la Poudrière et de la rue Francis Rachel. Le “Marine Charter Association”, proche du cercle nautique, est le point de départ de nombreuses excursions. La rue du Marché est fascinante avec ses étalages de produits locaux et de souvenirs, son ambiance bruyante et colorée, en particulier les samedis matins. Les piments rouges, assaisonnés d’ail et de gingembre (mazavarou), en vente au marché (entièrement rénové en 1999), ne manqueront pas de relever votre cuisine d’une touche créole. On trouve à Victoria deux cathédrales (une catholique et une anglicane), un temple hindou et une mosquée. Le Musée d’Histoire Naturelle, gardé par son crocodile et son Dugong en ciment, se trouve dans l’avenue de l’Indépendance, tandis que le Musée National d’Histoire, où est exposée la Pierre de Possession française, la Bibliothèque et les Archives Nationales se situent dans la rue Francis Rachel, et le Jardin Botanique sur la route de Mont-Fleuri, près de l’Hôpital. Et puis, bien sûr, il y a les plages, la fierté de l’île. Sur la côte est, au Sud de l’aéroport, s’étendent de grandes plages telle que l’Anse Marie Louise ainsi que de plus petites plages souvent désertes. L’Anse Intendance, sur la côte sud, fait parfaitement l’affaire de ceux qui préfèrent se tenir à l’écart des foules, quoique les baignades y soient quelque peu dangereuses de mai à septembre. De même, il faut être prudent lorsque l’on fait de la plongée ou du P.M.T. (Palme-Masque-Tuba) au large de l’Anse Takamaka et plus généralement tout le long de la côte sud et ouest de l’île, en raison des courants qui peuvent y être dangereux. Un peu plus au Nord, se trouve Baie Lazare, avec son arrière-plan de granite tout à fait spectaculaire. En remontant la côte ouest, il est conseillé d’accéder à la plage suivante, la merveilleuse Anse Soleil, par un chemin pédestre, avant de se diriger vers Anse à la Mouche, une grande plage bordée de palmiers dont l’eau peu profonde en fait un lieu idéal pour la baignade ou le P.M.T. Il y a bien d’autres magnifiques plages, dont Barbarons, Port Glaud, et l’Ile Thérèse, Port Launay ou Anse Major (à laquelle on accède via Bel Ombre) qui sont des Parcs nationaux. La reine des plages, pour beaucoup de personnes, c’est celle de Beau Vallon, au Nord de l’île. Celle-ci se présente comme une longue promenade de trois kilomètres de sable blanc, caressée par une eau claire particulièrement accueillante et calme. On trouvera là plusieurs hôtels offrant tout l’équipement nécessaire aux sports nautiques.

Discover Seychelles The Islands

Mahé The main island of Seychelles is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and impressive in the world. Each of its 70 beaches has a different character; the rock formations behind them are a dramatic contrast and a beautiful backdrop for the architectural elegance of the hotels. Mahé covers roughly 150 square kilometres and is 27 kilometres long and seven kilometres wide. Considering its mountainous interior, covered with lush vegetation, it is small wonder that the island’s original name was Ile d’Abondance. The highest point, Morne Seychellois, is 930 metres above sea level. Even high up in the interior the roads are good. There are plenty of opportunities for walks through winding paths to appreciate the lush flora and fauna at close quarters, especially in the Morne Seychellois National Park. The airport, south of Victoria, is built on reclaimed land. Landing there is an interesting experience – offering stunning views of the verdant island and its coastline. Victoria, the national capital with a population of some 20,000, is spread around a large bay at the foot of Morne Seychellois and the Trois Frères. This small town is the islands’ economic and administrative hub, as well as their only international port. The clock tower in the city centre is a replica of the clock that stands at the junction of Victoria street and Vauxhall Bridge Road in central London. Erected as a memorial to Queen Victoria in 1903, the Seychelles clock tower is today more readily associated with the declaration that year of Seychelles as a Crown colony. A more modern structure, just outside the old town centre, is a huge sculpture by Lorenzo Appiani – the Bicentennial Monument – representing the three continents from which the Seychelles people originate. If you want to arrange a meeting place, however, the locals tend to use the Pirate’s Arms on Independence Avenue, where one can have a drink or a meal. The first hotel in Seychelles was built not far away, at the intersection of Poudrière street and Francis Rachel street. While no one street is best for souvenir shopping, there are clusters of shops and

boutiques near the traffic lights and the taxi rank, and in the arcade on Francis Rachel street. There are also boutiques in the Temooljee building in the same street, near the Pirate’s Arms and at the foot of Independence Avenue. Local crafts can also be purchased at the kiosks on Francis Rachel street and on Market street. The new Sir Selwyn Selwyn Clarke Market, which was opened in 1999, is noted for its noisy and colourful atmosphere, especially on Saturday mornings. Red chillies, flavoured with garlic and ginger (mazavarou) will give a special ‘Creole touch’ to your dishes. There are two national museums in Victoria – the Natural History Museum, ‘guarded’ by a large cement crocodile and a dugong, on Independence Avenue, and the National History Museum, together with the National Library and Archives are located near Le Chantier roundabout while the Botanical Gardens are on the Mont Fleuri Road, next to the Hospital. Departure point for many of the island excursions is the Marine Charter Association wharf, next to the Yacht Club. There are two cathedrals (one Roman Catholic and one Anglican), one Hindu temple and a Mosque in Victoria. Then there are the beaches, the glory of Seychelles. The east coast, on which the airport is situated, has long beaches such as Anse Marie-Louise, but there are also many small beaches, some of which you can call your own at times. Those wishing to avoid crowds will also like Anse Intendance on the south coast, but caution should be observed here and at several other beaches because of strong currents. It is advisable to check on local conditions before swimming or snorkelling. Most beaches, however, are perfectly safe, such as Anse à la Mouche, a large palm-fringed bay with shallow waters, ideal for swimming and snorkelling. There are more interesting beaches, such as Barbarons and Port Glaud, Ile Thérèse, Port Launay Marine National Park or Anse Major (in the National Park near Bel Ombre). Care should be taken with strong currents when snorkelling off nearby Anse Takamaka. Slightly north is Baie Lazare, with its dramatic granite backdrop. To many, the king of beaches is Beau Vallon, in the north of the island – a huge three kilometres (two miles) long curve of white sand with crystalclear water that is especially calm and welcoming. Several hotels on Beau Vallon offer excellent watersports and diving facilities.

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Discover Seychelles Les Îles

Cerf

L’île aux Cerfs

This lush island is 15 minutes by boat from Mahé. Its north coast, which lies at the edge of the marine park, has a superb coral reef, ideal for snorkelling or scuba-diving. The interior is home to giant tortoises and flying foxes. Restaurants serve excellent Créole food.

Cette île luxuriante se situe à 15 minutes de Mahé par bateau. Sa côte nord s’étend le long du Parc Marin National de Ste Anne; elle est bordée d’un superbe récif de corail, et est donc un endroit idéal pour la plongée sous-marine. L’intérieur de l’île est le domicile de tortues et de roussettes (chauve-souris) géantes. Les restaurants y servent une excellente cuisine créole.

Moyenne Island National Park

Moyenne Island Parc National

At just nine hectares, Moyenne Island may be the world’s smallest National Park. Privately owned, it lies within the St Anne Marine National Park and is the only island of the group open to day visitors. Despite its diminutive size, it is an environmental treasure trove. Some 40 endemic plants are represented, more than half of those unique to the granitic islands. Moyenne is the only place on earth other than Vallée de Mai where all six of the palms unique to Seychelles can be seen. Moyenne also has a population of more than 2,000 birds, 100 giant tortoises and about 20 hawksbill turtles haul themselves ashore at Pirate Cove each year. Perhaps pirates were the earliest human inhabitants and graves of mysterious origin may date from this era. There are also tales of ghosts that bang on windows and doors or trudge from the cemetery around midnight, eloquently told in the book A Grain of Sand.

Grande de seulement 9 hectares, l’île Moyenne est un des plus petits parcs nationaux. C’est une île privée, dans le parc national de St Anne, mais elle demeure facilement accessible au public. Malgré sa petite taille, c’est un véritable trésor. Plus de la moitie des plantes endémiques et uniques aux îles granitiques y est présente. Moyenne est le seul endroit au monde en dehors de la Vallée de Mai où poussent les six palmes uniques aux Seychelles. Moyenne a une population de plus de 100 tortues géantes et environ une vingtaine de tortues marines imbriquées qui viennent pondre sur ses plages .Les premiers habitants de l’île étaient sans doute des pirates, ce qui expliquerait les tombeaux qui s’y trouvent. Et aussi, il y a les fameuses histoires de fantômes qui s’aventurent depuis lecimetière a minuit, frappant aux portes et fenêtres, comme si bien raconté dans le livre ‘Un Grain de Sable’!

Eden Island

Eden Island is a private residential marina development situated just off the coast of Mahé. Featuring a range of 578 freehold title luxury apartments, spacious maisons and private villas, each with its own mooring, it also offers owners the opportunity to qualify for residency of the Seychelles. The over 56 hectares of land and private waterways will host a myriad of upmarket facilities. These include an international marina capable of handling super-yachts up to 100 metres in size, a commercial precinct as well as a clubhouse hosting a gym and a tennis court. The overall style of the island is distinctly rooted in the Seychelles vernacular, drawing inspiration from the islands’ French, Victorian and Indian ancestry. For more information, contact Christopher Nel on +248 43 46 000, visit the island yourself or visit www.edenisland.sc

Eden Island est une marina résidentielle située proche de Mahé. Elle propose, en pleine propriété, 630 appartements luxueux, maisons spacieuses et villas de rêve indépendantes. Chaque unité dispose de son propre point de mouillage et les propriétaires. Eden Island développe 56 hectares de terrain et de voies navigables. Elle abrite une marina internationale capable d’accueillir les Yachts jusqu’à 100 mètres et bientôt un centre commercial ainsi qu’un club house avec salle de fitness et cours de tennis. L’architecture et le design de l’île s’inspirent des influences historiques françaises, anglaises et indiennes dans le plus pur style seychellois. Pour plus d’informations, contactez aux Seychelles Sandra Colas au +248 43 46 000 et en France la société Ter Cognita Jean-Philippe Aubert au +33 (0)1 48 25 93 33 ou visitez notre site internet www.edenisland.sc

Discover Seychelles The Islands

Discover Seychelles Les Îles

Cousin

Cousin Island, has been a nature reserve since 1968, when it was bought by the Royal Society for Nature Conservation and held in trust for the International Council for Bird Preservation as a haven for all types of birds including endangered species. It is a place of pilgrimage for dedicated ornithologists: there they can find the Seychelles warbler, Seychelles magpie-robin and Seychelles fody, which are found elsewhere only on a handful of rat-free islands. Madagascar turtle doves (possibly including the endemic form with the red head) and Seychelles sunbirds are also present. Seabirds abound on Cousin, with more than 250,000 birds coming to nest every year. These are brown noddies, lesser noddies, wedge-tailed shearwaters, Audubon’s shearwaters, bridled terns, as well as fairy terns, one of the symbols of Seychelles, seen on the livery of Air Seychelles. There are also interesting geckos, giant tortoises introduced from Aldabra, and hawksbill turtles which lay their eggs above the tideline of the beach. The reserve is open on certain days. Check with your hotel or tour operator. The Seychelles government declared Cousin a Special Reserve in 1975. It is managed by Nature Seychelles. Visitors may not have picnics or collect shells. Even smoking is forbidden. A popular day trip leaves Praslin around 0900 hours from Maison des Palmes, taking in Curieuse as well, with time for a barbecue there, and later some snorkelling at St Pierre, arriving back at Praslin at around 1600 hours.

Cousin est une réserve naturelle depuis 1968, date à laquelle cette île fut achetée par la Royal Society for Nature Conservation pour le compte du et le Conseil International pour la Protection des Oiseaux qui en fît un refuge pour oiseaux de toutes espèces mais particulièrement pour les espèces menacées d’extinction. Ces dernières étant particulièrement rares, Cousin est devenu un lieu de pèlerinage pour ornithologues. Ils trouvent là la Rousserole des Seychelles, le Fody (Tok-Tok en Créole) des Seychelles et la Pie chanteuse des Seychelles, espèces survivant seulement sur quelques îles sans rats. Des Tourterelles de Madagascar (dont la forme endémique des Seychelles à tête rouge) et des Souimangas des Seychelles s’y trouvent également. Les oiseaux marins y sont quant-à-eux très nombreux, avec plus de 250,000 d’entre eux qui viennent y nicher chaque année. Il y a là des Noddis bruns, des Noddis à bec grêle, des Puffins du Pacifique et des Puffins d’Audubon, des Sternes bridées, ainsi que des Sternes Blanches, un des symboles des Seychelles qui fut incorporé dans le logotype d’Air Seychelles. On y trouve également beaucoup de reptiles intéressants, tels que des geckos, des tortues géantes qui furent importées de l’île d’Aldabra, et des tortues marines qui viennent pondre sur les plages, au-dessus de la ligne de marée haute. La réserve n’est pas ouverte au public tous les jours; il est donc prudent de s’informer auprès de votre hôtel ou tour opérateur avant d’y projeter une visite. En 1975, le gouvernement Seychellois classa Cousin «Réserve Spéciale». L’île éstt aujourd’hui gérée par Nature Seychelles, représentant local de BirdLife International. Le ramassage des coquillages et les pique-niques sont interdits à Cousin et les visiteurs ne sont pas non plus autorisés à fumer. Une excursion intéressante part le matin de Praslin vers 09h00, visite ensuite Curieuse, où est organisé un barbecue sur la plage, avant de reprendre la mer pour St Pierre pour un P.M.T. et de rentrer ensuite à Praslin vers 16h00.

St Anne and its Marine National Park The smaller islands that are most accessible from Mahé for half-day or full-day trips are Cerf, Moyenne, Round and St Anne. The best way to appreciate the wonders of the ocean is to make the trip by glass-bottomed boat, through which you can see shoals of colourful fish. Unfortunately large sections of coral have suffered from a rise in sea temperatures (attributed to climate change), although some are showing signs of recovery. Constituted in 1973, the St Anne Marine National Park was one of the first Marine National Parks in the Indian Ocean. It now protects over 150 types of fish. Naturally, fishing is forbidden, as is collecting shells and coral. As the notice says, “Take away nothing but photographs and memories.” With the new five-star hotel, Sainte Anne Resort, (managed by the International Company Beachcomber) the island is now a holiday paradise for visitors.

Round Island Praslin Round Island Praslin lies just a short distance off Baie Ste Anne, Praslin. There is one beautiful sandy cove facing towards the main island with a beach bar and restaurant. The smallest resort in the Indian Ocean merges with the forest and the hillside, comprising just one large main house and three villas. A board walk skirts the edge of the hill and climbs to the summit where there is a spectacular view of the islands.

Sainte Anne et le Parc Marin National Des excursions d’une journée ou d’une demi-journée peuvent être facilement organisées sur les îles Cerf, Moyenne, Ronde, et Sainte Anne, au large de Mahé. Le meilleur moyen d’apprécier les merveilles de l’océan est de s’offrir une traversée en bateau à fond de verre vers l’une de ces îles. Car cela permet d’admirer les innombrables bancs de poissons. Malheureusement, les formations coralliennes ont souffert du réchauffement de l’eau, phénomène attribué au changement du climat, mais montrent des signes de récupération. Le Parc Marin National de Ste Anne, qui fut constitué en 1973, est l’un des premiers de l’océan indien. Il abrite aujourd’hui plus de 150 espèces de poissons. La pêche et le ramassage du corail y sont strictement interdits. Comme le dit si bien la brochure touristique: “N’emportez rien sauf des photos, ne laissez rien sauf des traces de pas.” Avec le nouveau complexe hôtelier cinq étoiles de Sainte-Anne, (géré par la compagnie internationale Beachcomber) l’île est maintenant devenue une destination touristique paradisiaque.

Ronde de Praslin Ronde de Praslin est une île située non loin de Baie Sainte Anne. On y trouve une belle anse sableuse faisant face à Praslin avec un bar de plage et un restaurant. Avec une grande maison principale et trois villas, bien intégrées avec la forêt et la colline, c’est probablement le plus petit établissement hôtelier de l’Oocéan indien,. Un sentier longe le bord de la colline et grimpe vers le sommet qui offre une vue spectaculaire sur ldes autres îles.

Discover Seychelles The Islands

Praslin

The second-largest granite island of Seychelles is Praslin, about 40 kilometres from Mahé. It is 15 minutes by Air Seychelles service, which offers many scheduled flights a day. By boat, it takes about one hour with the powerful catamarans that make 3 to 4 round trips rotations per day. The island has a population of about 7,000. There are several excellent hotels, including the Lemuria Resort and Château de Feuilles. Praslin is not as mountainous as Mahé – the highest point being 330 metres – but it has similarly great granite outcrops surrounded by beautiful beaches, and a coral reef enclosing the crystal-clear waters which are so typical of Seychelles. The majestic bays and beaches alternate with smaller ones on which, even in the busy season, you could believe you were the only person on the island. Anse Volbert, or Côte d’Or, to the east of the island, is particularly beautiful, with its pure white sand. Hotels such as Berjaya Praslin Beach offer a wide variety of watersports facilities. Fantastic granite masses form striking backgrounds to the beaches of Anse Bois de Rose, Anse Boudin and Anse Kerlan, where the five-star Lemuria Resort has an 18-hole championship golf course. At the northernmost tip of the island, Anse Lazio is excellent for both swimming and snorkelling. Grand Anse, on the west coast, has an equally beautiful beach for lazing about, but the waters are sometimes heavy with seaweed and, because it is very shallow over the coral, swimming is difficult at low tide. Baie Pasquière and Anse Volbert to the north and Baie St Anne to the south have natural harbours which are best appreciated if you opt to make your trip from Mahé to Praslin by boat; the view as you sail in is striking. In Baie St. Anne, you will see Baie St Anne village, where there is a bank, shops and a church, same as at Grande Anse village on the opposite side of the island. One of the eternal symbols of Seychelles, the huge coco de mer nut, grows in the Vallée de Mai forest of Praslin, also home to one of the world’s rarest birds, the black parrot. The Vallée, a World Heritage Site, is open from 0830 to 1630 hours and the entrance can be found on the road from Grand Anse to Baie St Anne. This area is heavily protected and is being allowed to return to its natural state following ill-founded attempts to introduce non-native plants there in the 1930s and 1940s. Paths are well-maintained and clearly marked, and a nature trail leads you to all the interesting botanical species. You can find leaflets and information at the entrance of the reserve, managed by the Seychelles Islands Foundation. To walk through the Vallée is to step back in time into a primeval forest, canopied by thick palm fronds that block out the sun. The silence is broken only by the call of the black parrot and the clatter of huge sturdy leaves as the wind blows through the trees. In streams, freshwater crayfish and crabs can be seen, and the plants around you include the coco de mer, bois rouge, ferns, lataniers, coco marron, screwpines and orchids, all growing around the granite mass. Fruit bats, blue pigeons, bulbuls, lizards, geckos, chameleons, snails and insects can also be observed in the Vallée de Mai. Praslin is perfect to explore on foot and is covered by a network of walkways. There is no danger of getting lost as the island is so small that one needs only an hour or less to cross it width wise. There is only a limited number of cars for hire, so if you wish to drive it is wise to book ahead, particularly during the busy seasons from December to January and July to August. Petrol stations can be found at Grand Anse and Baie St Anne. There are taxi ranks at the airport. Taxis can be called by telephone from most hotels and the airport (tel: 4284666). Fares increase slightly at night. A bus service runs between 0530 and 1900 hours, with a special Sunday service. You can also take a bus that passes the Vallée de Mai entrance. For souvenir shopping, there are boutiques in all the main hotels. Barclays Bank is at Baie St Anne (tel: 4232218), with a branch at Grande Anse open Mondays to Fridays from 0830 to1230 hours. There are regular boat excursions to smaller islands such as St Pierre, a tiny rock island that is popular for its rich coral reef. The area is particularly favourable for underwater photography. You can organise a boat from Praslin to take you out in the morning and pick you up again in the evening. Coco is also another attractive destination for tourists; it is a deserted tiny island of rocks and boulders with a few palm trees and an exceptional marine life. There are good restaurants on Praslin if you wish to have a meal away from your hotel.

Située à 40 kilomètres à l’Est de Mahé, Praslin est la deuxième plus grande île des Seychelles. Elle a une population d’environ 7,000 habitants. Les deux îles sont reliées par un service régulier d’Air Seychelles qui assure beaucoup de une quinzaine devols journaliers d’une durée de 15 minutes chacun. Le trajet par bateau (trois ou quatre aller-retours par jour) dure environ une heure . Plusieurs hôtels de grande qualité sont installés à Praslin, parmi lesquels le Lémuria et le Château de Feuilles. Le relief de Praslin, dont le sommet le plus haut n’atteint que 330 mètres, n’est pas aussi accidenté que celui de Mahé mais il comporte des formations granitiques semblables, entourées de plages merveilleuses et d’une barrière de corail aux eaux cristallines qui font la gloire des Seychelles. Baies et plages majestueuses alternent avec de plus petites baies dans lesquelles, même en pleine saison touristique, on a l’impression d’être seul. L’Anse Volbert, ou Côte d’or, sur la côte est, est particulièrement belle avec ses plages d’une blancheur éclatante. Les hôtels, tels que le Berjaya Praslin Beach offrent une grande variété de sports nautiques. Des masses granitiques spectaculaires forment un arrière-plan qui contraste avec les plages de l’Anse Bois de Rose, l’Anse Boudin et l’Anse Kerlan où se trouve le nouvel Hôtel cinq étoiles Lémuria. Un golf de 18 trous y a également été construit. Au point le plus septentrional de l’île se trouve Anse Lazio, une magnifique plage excellente pour la baignade et le P.M.T. Sur la côte ouest, la plage de Grand Anse est parfaite pour les bains de soleil matinaux; cependant, la baignade y est difficile à marée basse en raison d’une eau peu profonde audessus des bancs de corail, parfois recouverts d’algues jusqu’au bord du rivage. La Baie Pasquière et l’Anse Volbert au Nord, et la Baie Ste Anne au sud sont des ports naturels qui offrent un spectacle pittoresque à ceux qui ont opté pour la traversée en bateau depuis Mahé. On peut apercevoir de cette baie le village principal avec son monument au coco de mer, la banque, les kiosques et l’église. Banques, boutiques et église sont aussi présentes à Grand Anse Village, de l’autre coté de l’île. Le coco de mer (vulgairement appelé Coco-fesses) est le symbole éternel des Seychelles. Il croît dans les forêts de la Vallée de Mai, à Praslin, où niche l’un des oiseaux les plus rares au monde: le Perroquet noir des Seychelles. Cette vallée, qui fait partie du Patrimoine Mondialde l’humanité, est ouverte de 8h30 à 16h30 aux visiteurs qui peuvent la traverser en voiture sur la seule route goudronnée de l’île. C’est un site protégé que l’on espère voir retourner à son état primitif, malheureusement bouleversé dans les années trente et quarante par des tentatives mal fondées d’y introduire des plantes exotiques. Les sentiers, qui serpentent à travers une nature bien fournie en espèces botaniques intéressantes, sont régulièrement entretenus et clairement indiqués. Une brochure est mise à la disposition du public à l’entrée de la réserve, gérée par la Fondation des Iles Seychelles. Se promener dans cette vallée équivaut à remonter le temps dans un décor de forêt vierge au toit formé d’épaisses feuilles de palmier qui empêchent le soleil de pénétrer. Le silence est y impressionnant, interrompu seulement par les cris du Perroquet noir et le bruissement des palmes agitées par le vent. Ecrevisses et crabes d’eau douce vivent paisiblement dans tous les ruisseaux, et parmi les plantes environnantes figurent Cocos-de-mer, fougères, lataniers, Bois rouge, vacoas, Cocos marrons et orchidées, qui poussent entre les masses de granit. Roussettes, Pigeons bleus, bulbuls, lézards, geckos, caméléons, escargots et insectes divers peuvent aussi être observés dans la Vallée de Mai. L’île de Praslin se prête parfaitement à l’exploration pédestre avec un réseau de sentiers et de chemins agréables. Pas de crainte de se perdre car l’île est si petite qu’il faut moins d’une heure pour la traverser dans sa largeur. Mais si vous préférez vous déplacer en voiture, il vaut mieux faire des réservations à l’avance car le nombre de véhicules de location est limité, surtout pendant les hautes saisons de décembre-janvier et de juillet-août. Les deux stations-service se trouvent à Grand Anse et à Baie Ste Anne. Il existe une station de taxis en face de l’aéroport. Ceux-ci peuvent être appelés par téléphone depuis l’aéroport (tel: 4284666) ou depuis les différents hôtels de l’île. Le prix des courses est légèrement majoré la nuit. Il existe aussi un service de bus entre 5h30 et 19h00 sur les quatre routes principales avec service spécial le dimanche. On peut ainsi se rendre à la Vallée de mai en bus. Vous trouverez des souvenirs dans toutes les boutiques d’hôtels. La banque Barclays est à Baie Ste Anne (tel: 4232218) avec une succursale à Grand Anse, ouverte du lundi au vendredi, de 8h30 à 12h30. Des excursions partent régulièrement par bateau de Praslin à destination des petites îles avoisinantes, telles que St Pierre, un îlot rocheux très connu pour sa barrière de corail fourmillant d’une vie marine multicolore. Il est possible de s’arranger pour qu’une embarcation vous dépose le matin avec un panier piquenique, et vienne vous rechercher le soir. L’Ile Coco est une autre destination très prisée des touristes; il s’agit d’une petite île déserte et rocheuse sur laquelle poussent quelques palmiers, et où la vie sous-marine est exceptionnelle. Les amateurs de photos sous-marines y trouveront un cadre idéal. Plusieurs restaurants permettent de déjeuner ou de dîner hors de l’hôtel.

Discover Seychelles The Islands

Curieuse

Lying about two kilometres (one mile) to the north-east of Praslin, this island of about three kilometres (two miles) long was first given the name Ile Rouge on account of its red earth. As part of the Marine Park the island is strictly protected and only a few families live there. Like Praslin, Curieuse is home to the Coco-demer palm. The island has a wild population of about 250 giant tortoises, brought over from Aldabra in the 1980s and a breeding scheme has been in place there for several years. Curieuse was once a leper colony, and the ruins of the houses can still be seen. There is also a large, restored colonial villa, known as the Doctor’s House, where the island doctor lived in the 1870s. Nature trails wind their way across the island, notably through the extensive swamps, home to eight different species of mangrove. Excursions to Curieuse normally include a barbecue and often a visit to Cousin island as well.

Située à un kilomètre au Nord-Est de Praslin, cette île de moins de trois kilomètres de long présente des coteaux dénudés couverts de la terre rouge qui avait donné à l’île son nom d’origine, Ile Rouge. Partie intégrale du Parc marin de Curieuse, l’île est strictement protégée. Comme Praslin, Curieuse abrite des boisements de Coco-de-mer. Peuplée seulement de quelques familles, cette île est le domaine de près de 250 tortues géantes importées d’Aldabra dans les années 1980. Non loin des ruines d’une ancienne léproserie s’élève une vieille villa coloniale, la maison du Docteur qui servait de résidence au médecin lors de ses visites aux malades. Un sentier à travers bois permet au visiteur d’admirer les huit différentes sortes de palétuviers qui poussent sur l’île. Les excursions à Curieuse incluent souvent une halte sur la plage pour permettre aux visiteurs de déguster une grillade.

Cousine Island

Cousine is no ordinary resort. Guests arrive by helicopter and are accommodated in just four villas to minimise the human impact on the island. There are very few islands anywhere in the world that have survived intact as Cousine has done, with such a profusion of wildlife and almost none where it is possible to stay overnight and soak up the atmosphere. There may be a small resort here but unquestionably, the island still belongs to nature. A systematic rehabilitation programme to restore the island includes the planting of thousands of native trees, the protection of the huge seabird colonies and the reintroduction of endemic birds.

Cousine n’est pas un établissement hôtelier ordinaire. Les visiteurs y parviennent par hélicoptère et sont hébergés dans seulement quatre villas afin de minimiser l’impact de l’homme sur l’île. Il y a peu d’îles dans le monde qui sont demeurées aussi intactes que Cousine, avec une telle profusion de vie sauvage, et presque aucune où il est possible de passer la nuit et de s’imprégner de la sorte de l’atmosphère ambiante. Même s’il y a un petit établissement hôtelier, il est indéniable que l’île appartient à la nature. Un programme visant à restaurer l’île comprend la plantation de milliers d’arbres indigènes, la protection des importantes colonies d’oiseaux marins et la réintroduction d’espèces d’oiseaux endémiques.

Bird Island

A 30 minutes flight from Mahé by light aircraft gives the first stunning impressions of this 70 hectares (170 acres) coral cay. Bird Island is the most northerly island of the Seychelles Archipelago and is a nature lover’s paradise. Bird Island has just one hotel which offers guests a choice of 24 comfortable and spacious bungalows. A true haven from today’s busy world, there are no telephones or televisions and the emphasis is very much on relaxation and being at one with the nature around you. The east and south sides of the island are surrounded by a protective barrier reef which is home to many varieties of colourful fish and the rest is an open beach which offers superb safe swimming. Situated on the northern edge of the Seychelles Plateau, where the sea floor drops 2,000 metres, the island offers some of the best game fishing in the country. During the North West monsoon (October to April), dolphins are regularly observed in the surrounding waters. This is also the best time to witness the magical sight of Hawksbill turtles nesting, and from December onwards the tiny hatchlings can be seen emerging and embarking on their journey down to the sea. The South East Monsoon (May to September) also offers an amazing avian spectacle. With over 750,000 pairs of Sooty Terns coming to the northern end of the island to breed, and a resident population of Noddy and Fairy Terns, the island is an ornithologists dream. Bird Island is also home to Guinness World Record holder Esmeralda, said to be the largest free ranging tortoise in the world and estimated to be over 230 years old.

Depuis Mahé, un vol de 30 minutes vous donnera les premières impressions de cet atoll corallien de 70 hectares. Bird Island est l’île la plus septentrionalede l’Archipel des Seychelles et un paradis pour les amoureux de la nature. L’unique hôtel offre à ses hôtes le choix de 24 bungalows confortables et spacieux, une authentique retraite dans le monde actuel si bousculé - ni TV, ni telephone - ou l’accent est mis sur la relaxation et la communion avec la nature environnante. Les côtes Est et Sud de l’île sont protégés par une barrière de corail, refuge de nombreuses variétés de poissons multicolores. Le reste est une plage immense où la baignade est superbe et sûre. Proche de l’extrémité Nord du plateau sous-marin des Seychelles, là où les fonds atteignent 2000m, l’île présente une situation exceptionnelle pour les amateurs de pêche. D’octobre à avril, les dauphins s’y observent régulièrement - c’est aussi la meilleure période pour voir pondre les tortues marines et dès décembre assister a l’éclosion des oeufs et la ruée des petits vers la mer. De mai à septembre; vous pouvez admirer un étonnant ballet aérien - plus de 750,000 couples de Sternes Fuligineuses colonisent la partie Nord de l’île pour s’y reproduire. Avec la population sédentaire de Noddies et de Sternes Blanches, c’est le rêve pour tout ami des oiseaux. C’est aussi à Bird Island que vit Esmeralda, inscrite au Guiness Book pour être, à 230 ans, la plus grosse tortue terrestre en liberté.

Discover Seychelles The Islands

Denis

Ile Denis

Discovered in 1773, this croissant shaped coral hideaway of 152 hectares (375 acres) is a small green jewel perched on the north easterly edge of the Seychelles bank, idyllic white beaches surround the island; its sheltered lagoon provides unrivalled swimming opportunities and the crystal-clear waters harbour turtles and exotic marine life, the house reef is perfect for snorkelling. The deep waters outside the reef allow for excellent diving, game, bottom and fly fishing. Denis is undertaking unprecedented conservation and sustainable development projects. Over 50 hectares of woodland have been rehabilitated and the dense forested interior is a haven for the recently introduced endemic endangered avian species such as the Seychelles Fody, the brush warbler, the Seychelles magpie robin and most recently the Paradise Fly-Catcher previously only found on La Digue. Other endemic species such as Seychelles blue pigeon abound. The island’s vegetable and livestock farm and surrounding seas supply the hotel’s kitchen’s requirements. The island is accessible by a 30-minute flight. Twenty-five tasteful, elegant and secluded cottages each with its own private beachfront provide comfort and laid-back luxury.

3°48’ Sud - 55°40’ Est, une perle corallienne au nord de Mahé. Bercée par le flot des vagues, Denis Island trône sereinement au bord des grandes profondeurs de l’Océan Indien. Havre de paix et de sérénité, « l’Ile des gens heureux » découverte par Denis de Trobiant en 1773 à bord de son bateau l’Etoile, semble n’avoir jamais cédé à l’empreinte de l’homme. Protégées par une longue barrière de corail, l’île de 152 hectares et sa plage de sable blanc bordent un extraordinaire lagon bleu turquoise où se côtoient d’infinies variétés de poissons, coquillages, coraux, tortues… Sur terre, la nature préservée et exubérante laisse échapper une symphonie douce et mélodieuse d’oiseaux marins, que seul peut interrompre le mouvement saccadé des crabes ou celui plus langoureux des tortues géantes. Depuis plusieurs années, un important programme de conservation mobilise les énergies. Sur 50 hectares de forêt, des scientifiques travaillent à la réhabilitation de l’habitat originel afin d’introduire des espèces menacées d’oiseaux endémiques à l’archipel. Un pari sur le futur qui renforce chaque jour le caractère unique de l’Ile. Enfin, au fil des sentiers, Denis Island dévoile progressivement ses richesses, un vieux cimetière marin, son phare, sa chapelle œcuménique, sa ferme, ses projets de développement de tourisme durable.… Familiale, romantique et amicale, Denis Island est avant tout une expérience unique, une symphonie harmonieuse entre luxe, calme et volupté. L’hôtel s’étend sur la pointe nord-ouest de l’île, les 25 villas et cottages sont dispersés le long de la plage.

La Digue

This is the third largest granite island in Seychelles in terms of population, housing about 2,500 people. It is a half-hour trip from Praslin, or three hours by schooner from Mahé. However, visitors with a tight schedule may prefer to take the 20-minute flight with Helicopter Seychelles (tel: 4385858). The pace of life is slow, about the same speed as its traditional way of transport – the ox cart. Very few cars are allowed on the island and bicycles are popular. They can be hired from various bicycle rentals at Anse Réunion or La Passe harbour on arrival. At l’Union a fine old traditional planter’s house has been carefully restored. It used to be the centre of a vanilla plantation of which the treatment factory can still be seen. Further inland, Château Saint Cloud, built under Napoleon’s regime, is another impressive restored plantation house. On the agricultural estate, you can see furnace-dried coconuts, or copra, being turned into oil. Also of historical interest, at Pointe Cap Barbi, there are graves of early colonists from Bourbon Island (today’s Réunion). The old cemetery at l’Union is also an attraction. La Digue is noted for its superb beaches, and snorkelling (particularly in front of La Digue Island Lodge). There are more spectacular granite formations which have been shaped by wind and sea over millions of years. Eagle’s Nest Mountain rises dramatically to 300 metres, taking up most of the island. Beaches at Pointe Cap Barbi have, like so many other beaches, a dramatic granite backdrop. The remote beaches at Grande Anse, Petite Anse and Anse Cocos with pink-tinged sand are beautiful, but beware of dangerous undercurrents. Most parts of the island can be reached in under an hour. Among the birds you will encounter is the unique Seychelles paradise Flycatcher, one of the rarest birds in the world (less than 300 birds), the symbol of this island. In the distance, Praslin can be seen, completing a pattern of islands.

La Digue, avec une population de 2,500 habitants, est la quatrième île des Seychelles par sa taille. La traversée depuis Praslin se fait en une demi-heure, et celle depuis Mahé en trois heures. Les visiteurs ayant un emploi du temps serré préfèreront s’y rendre par le vol de 20 minutes d’Helicopter Seychelles (tel: 4385858). Le rythme de vie ici est aussi lent que le moyen de transport traditionnel: le char à bœufs. Très peu de voitures sont autorisées sur l’île, par conséquent les vélos ont beaucoup de succès, et peuvent se louer à Anse Réunion ou au débarcadère du port de La Passe. Une belle maison traditionnelle de planteurs a été restaurée à l’Union, celle-çi a servi au tournage du film ‘Emmanuelle aux Seychelles’. Elle est située au centre d’une plantation de vanille dont on peut visiter l’usine de traitement. L’usine d’huile de copra (noix de coco séchées) peut être aussi visitée sur ce domaine. Plus à l’intérieur, se trouve l’impressionnant Château St Cloud, une autre maison de planteur qui fût construite au temps des conquêtes napoléoniennes. Les tombes des premiers colons venus de l’Ile Bourbon (aujourd’hui l’Ile de la Réunion) s’élèvent au nord de l’île, à la Pointe Cap Barbi, ainsi qu’au vieux cimetière à l’Union. La Digue est renommée pour ses plages superbes et ses sites spectaculaires pour le P.M.T (snorkelling) et la plongée sous-marine (en particulier en face de La Digue Island Lodge). On peut y admirer les formations granitiques sculptées par le vent et la mer au cours de millions d’années. La montagne dite Nid d’Aigle s’élève à 300 mètres au-dessus du niveau de la mer et occupe une grande partie de l’île. A Pointe Cap Barbi les plages sont, comme dans beaucoup d’autres endroits, entourées d’un merveilleux décor de granit. Les plages les plus isolées de Grande Anse, Petite Anse et d‘Anse Coco sont d’une très grande beauté avec leur sable aux reflets rosés. Mais gare aux dangereux courants! Il est possible d’atteindre n’importe quel point de l’île en moins d’une heure. Parmi les oiseaux que vous rencontrerez figure le Gobemouche de paradis, appelé localement ‘La Veuve’, une des espèces les plus rares de la planète (moins de 300 oiseaux) qui n’existe qu’à La Digue, et dont elle est le symbole.

Discover Seychelles Les Îles

Alphonse & St Francois Atoll

Les atolls d’Alphonse et de St François

Alphonse is the most remote island with a hotel, 400 kilometres southwest of Mahé. Its attractions include some of the best diving in the Indian Ocean, with forests of Gorgonian fan corals, huge schools of pelagic fish and many colourful reef fish. Once a productive coconut plantation, little remains as a reminder of these days save for a few old buildings and the island’s cemetery near to Pointe Huto. Conservation is a high priority and a team of full time scientists and rangers from the Island Conservation Society are employed on rehabilitation and monitoring programmes A short stretch of ocean, ominously named as Canal de Mort, separates Alphonse from picture perfect Bijoutier and the lagoon of St Francois, world famous for its fly-fishing, opportunities. A feature of St Francois is the number of shipwrecks, standing as grim reminders of the perils of the sea.

Située à 400km au sud-ouest de Mahé, Alphonse est l’île la plus éloignée avec un hôtel. On y trouve quelques-uns uns des meilleurs sites de plongée de l’océan indien, avec des forêts de Gorgones éventail géantes, d’immenses bancs de poissons pélagiques et beaucoup de poissons de récifs colorés. Jadis une plantation de cocotiers productive, peu de choses sont restées de ce temps révolu à l’exception de quelques vieux bâtiments et le cimetière de l’île près de la Pointe Huto. La conservation de la nature est une priorité et plusieurs scientifiques et gardes de la Fondation pour la Conservation des Iles (Island Conservation Society) y sont employés à plein temps sur des programmes de suivi et de réhabilitation de l’écosystème. Un bras de mer étroit, dont le nom (de mauvaise augure) est ‘Canal de Mort’ sépare Alphonse de l’îlot de carte postale Bijoutier, et du lagon de St François mondialement célèbre pour la pêche à la mouche. Une caractéristique de St François est le nombre d’épaves de bateaux naufragés, dressés comme des sinistres rappels des périls de la mer.

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Discover Seychelles The Islands

Silhouette From Beau Vallon Beach on Mahé the outline of Silhouette can be seen as the sun falls behind Mount Dauban. Despite being the third largest island of the granitics Seychelles by size, Silhouette has a tiny population. Labriz hotel at La Passe provides the only accommodation on the island. It is also possible to visit for the day and a few boat owners on Mahé offer excursions. Visitors arrive by sea or by helicopter, disembarking at La Passe. The headquarters of Nature Protection Trust of Seychelles, guardians of the island’s rich natural heritage, are also at La Passe. Unlike its neighbours, the island is of volcanic origin and is named after an 18th century French dignitary. The famous privateer, Hodoul, once lived on Silhouette and it is generally believed that he buried treasure here. There are no roads, so it is a place for walkers. For serious walkers, there are two paths through equatorial forests linking La Passe and Grande Barbe, and La Passe to Anse Mondon. It takes between half-a-day and a day to hike there and back. The island is very mountainous; Dauban is 780 metres high, much of it is covered with albizia trees, but higher up, there are many plants unique to Seychelles. There are many traditional Creole houses and an old plantation house, one of the finest in Seychelles. The Dauban family tomb, now listed as a national monument is in the grand classical manner, looking at odds with its surroundings. There were mysterious graves at Anse Lascars that were later destroyed by the sea. Once believed to be evidence that these islands were already known to Arab traders, these graves have now been dated from the arrival of the first Europeans and their slaves. Day trips can be organised with private boats chartered from Beau Vallon (Mahé) or through Helicopter Seychelles.

Desroches Desroches is the largest island of the Amirantes, 45 minutes by air from Mahé. Swimming is excellent, unlike most atolls where waters over the surrounding reef are very shallow. The beaches are also excellent. There is a hotel, where guests enjoy sailing, cycling, canoeing, windsurfing, snorkelling deep-sea fishing and diving. Desroches is famous for the Desroches Drop with its fantastic caves, which may be explored under the supervision of a PADI dive-master. There is also a small settlement, with its copra drier, oil press and lock up, a reminder of the old plantation days. Since 2009, a full time team of scientists and rangers from the Island Conservation Society is employed to monitor and protect the terrestrial and marine life.

Silhouette Assis sur la plage de Beau Vallon à Mahé, on aperçoit l’Ile Silhouette, particulièrement évocatrice lorsque le soleil se couche derrière le Mont Dauban. Bien qu’il s’agisse de la troisième île des Seychelles granitiques de par sa taille, Silhouette n’a qu’une toute petite population. L’établissement Labriz à La Passe offre la seule possibilité d’hébergement hôtelier sur l’île. Il est également possible de faire une visite à la journée dans le cadre d’excursions proposées par quelques propriétaires de bateau à Mahé. Les visiteurs arrivent par mer ou par hélicoptère, et débarquent à La Passe. Le siège du Nature Protection Trust of Seychelles, gardiens du riche patrimoine biologique de l’île, se trouve également à La Passe. Silhouette est une île plutôt montagneuse, faite pour les passionnés de marche. Il existe, pour ces amateurs de randonnées pédestres, deux passages qui traversent la forêt équatoriale, reliant La Passe et Grand Barbe, ainsi que La Passe à Anse Mondon. La promenade dure entre une demi-journée et une journée et il est préférable de se faire accompagner par un guide local. Le Mont Dauban, dont les versants sont couverts d’Albizias, culmine à 780 mètres. Sur les hauteurs vivent des plantes endémiques, c’est-à-dire qu on ne trouve qu’aux Seychelles. Quelques maisons traditionnelles sont éparpillées sur l’île dont une des plus belles maisons de planteur des Seychelles, parfait exemple de l’architecture seychelloise. Le caveau familial de la famille Dauban, d’un style classique, contraste avec l’environnement tropical. Il y avait des tombeaux à l’Anse Lascars mais ceux-ci ont depuis longtemps été emportés par la mer. Il fut un temps où l’on crut qu’ils témoignaient du fait que les Arabes connaissaient déjà ces îles, mais ces tombeaux ont été datés récemment de l’arrivée des Européens et de leurs esclaves. Il est possible d’organiser des excursions d’une journée avec des bateaux privés à partir de Beau Vallon (Mahé), ou par Helicopter Seychelles.

Desroches Desroches est la plus grande île des Amirantes, à 45 minutes d’avion de Mahé.La baignade y est excellente, contrairement à la plupart des atolls où les eaux sont très peu profondes au-dessus des récifs ou du platier. Les plages sont également excellentes. Il y a un hôtel où les visiteurs peuvent profiter de la voile, du vélo, du canöé, de la planche à voile, du Palmes-Masque-Tuba, de la pêche en eau profonde, et de la plongée sous-marine. Desroches est célèbre pour son fameux ‘Mur tombant’ avec ses grottes fantastiques, qui peuvent être explorées sous la supervision d’un instructeur de plongée PADI. Il y a aussi un petit village, avec son four à copra, sa presse à huile, et son cachot, un souvenir de l’ancien temps lors de la plantation. Depuis 2009, une équipe de scientifiques et de gardes de la Fondation pour la Conservation des Iles (Island Conservation Society) y est employée à plein temps pour assurer le suivi et la protection des espèces et des écosystèmes terrestres et marins.

Discover Seychelles The Islands

Aride This is the most northerly island of the granitic Seychelles. It was bought by the Royal Society for Nature Conservation in 1973 and today is owned and managed by the Island Conservation Society. It is second only to Aldabra in importance as a nature reserve in Seychelles. On Aride there are more breeding species of sea birds than on any other island in the region, together with the only breeding sites in the granitic islands for red-tailed tropicbirds, roseate terns and the world’s only sooty tern colony in tall woodland. The island’s warden will guide you to the breathtaking clifftops, where hundreds of huge frigatebirds soar above the turquoise sea. If you are lucky, you will glimpse hawksbill turtles and dolphins in the waters below. Seychelles warblers, 29 of which were introduced from Cousin in September 1988, have multiplied to more than 2,000. Aride is also a botanical treasure house, being the world’s only site for the beautiful Wright’s Gardenia, or bwa sitron, and a species of ‘peponium’ that might also be endemic to the island. Visits can be arranged from most Praslin hotels, but landings can sometimes be difficult during the south-east monsoon. The world’s largest colony of lesser noddies and tropical shearwaters further enhance Aride’s reputation as the seabird citadel of the Indian Ocean. Aride is also home to five endemic land birds including the Seychelles magpie-robin, Seychelles warbler and Seychelles fody, each found only on a few other islands.

Frégate This, the most isolated of the granite islands, is only 12 minutes from Mahé by Air Seychelles. Of all the islands, it has the most romantic associations with the world of pirates and hidden treasure. Some relics on the island suggest that it was a refuge for pirates in the 17th and 18th centuries. Ian Fleming, who created James Bond, was persuaded from ancient maps he discovered here, that a treasure was hidden somewhere on the island. More obvious treasures are the abundant flora and fauna. Frégate is the stronghold of the critically endangered Seychelles magpie-robin (less than 200 birds in the world), saved from extinction by the intervention of BirdLife International. Recently the Ministry of Environment established successfully on Frégate another highly threatened endemic bird, the Seychelles white-eye (500 individuals in the world). The island boasts the world’s only population of giant tenebrionid beetle, as well as numerous giant tortoises. Despite the abundance of exotic vegetation and planted coconut palms, tens of thousands of native trees have been propagated and replanted since 1995, totaling several dozens of hectares restored. There are superb beaches, such as Anse Victorin, which some say is the prettiest in Seychelles. It is also a walker’s paradise, with wooded paths leading through plantations and groves. With the five-star Frégate Island Private Resort, the island is a holiday preserve for guests.

Aride Aride, la plus septentrionale des îles granitiques seychelloises, fut achetée en 1973 par la Royal Society for Nature Conservation et appartient aujourd’hui à la Fondation pour la Conservation de Iles (Island Conservation Society) qui la gère. Elle constitue la deuxième réserve naturelle la plus importante du pays après Aldabra. Il y a plus d’espèces d’oiseaux marins qui se reproduisent sur Aride que sur n’importe quelle autre île de la région. Outre toutes les espèces qu’on trouve sur Cousin, Aride héberge les seuls sites de reproduction des îles granitiques du Paille-en-queue à brins rouges et de la Sterne de Dougall, ainsi que la seule colonie au monde de sternes fuligineuses sous une forêt. Là, un gardien-guide vous emmènera au bord des falaises époustouflantes d’où l’on peut voir des centaines d’immenses frégates planant au-dessus d’une mer bleu turquoise. Avec un peu de chance, il est possible d’apercevoir les tortues marines et les dauphins qui vivent dans les eaux environnantes. Les 29 Rousserolles des Seychelles qui furent importées de Cousin en septembre 1988 se sont reproduites et leur nombre a déjà dépassé deux milliers. La réputation de citadelle des oiseaux marins de l’océan indien que possède Aride est attestée par la présence de la plus grande colonie au monde de Noddis marianne, et peut-être de Puffins d’Audubon. Aride est aussi un trésor sur le plan botanique, et le seul endroit au monde où poussent les magnifiques Gardénias de Wright, ou ‘Bois citron’, ainsi qu’une espèce de concombre sauvage qui pourrait être elle aussi endémique de cette île. Aride abrite les plus grandes colonies du monde de Noddis Marianne et de Puffins de Baillon, ce qui renforce sa renommée de bastion des oiseaux marins de l’océan indien. Aride accueille aussi cinq espèces d’oiseaux terrestres endémiques dont la pie chanteuse ou dyal, la Rousserolle et le Foudi des Seychelles, qui n’existent que sur une poignée d’îles.

Frégate Frégate, la plus isolée des îles granitiques est à 12 minutes de Mahé par un vol Air Seychelles. De toutes les îles, c’est celle qui est le plus souvent associée au monde des pirates et des trésors cachés au cours des dix-septième et dix-huitième siècles. Ian Fleming, le créateur de James Bond, était convaincu, au vu d’anciennes cartes qu’il avait découvertes ici, que l’île cachait un trésor quelque part. Mais les trésors visibles à l’œil nu sont la flore et la faune de l’île. Frégate est le bastion du Dyal ou Pie chanteuse des Seychelles (environ 200 individus dans le monde), qui après avoir frôlé l’extinction se multiplie grâce aux efforts de BirdLife International. Récemment, le ministère de l’Environnement y a implanté avec succès une autre espèce gravement menacée, l’Oiseau-lunettes des Seychelles (environ 500 individus dans le monde). Frégate abrite également toute la population mondiale d’un scarabée ténébrionide endémique, et possède de nombreuses Tortues géantes à l’état sauvage. Malgré une abondante végétation exotique et la persistance d’une vaste cocoteraie, des dizaines de milliers d’arbres natives y ont été multipliés et replantés depuis 1995, totalisant plusieurs dizaines d’hectares restaurés. Il y a de superbes plages, comme Anse Victorin, considérée par certains comme la plus belle du pays. C’est aussi le paradis du promeneur, avec un réseau de sentiers traversant forêts, cultures et vergers. L’île est réservée depuis 1999 aux clients de Frégate Island Private, un luxueux hôtel 5 étoiles.

Destination

Hong Kong

The Best of

Hong Kong By Brian Johnston.

he lure of Hong Kong can be very immediate: flashing neon lights, futuristic buildings and crowded pavements full of shoppers easily highlight the fast-paced, exciting side of this great city. But while vast shopping malls, theme parks and street markets seduce, the city is also full of alternative activities and hidden surprises. In Kowloon Park, flamingos wade against a backdrop of high-rises. Smoke from incense burners curls around the devout at Man Mo Temple, while elderly ladies waltz in the shrubbery in Victoria Park. And in exhilarating contrast to the elbow-to-elbow energy of Central and Kowloon, Hong Kong also has offshore islands that reveal a quieter, more contemplative side to the city. In such a multi-faceted place – not to mention one that offers some of the world’s best shopping, dining and attractions – choosing top picks isn’t easy. Argue over them and make your own discoveries, but here are some Hong Kong’s most satisfying must-dos to set you on your way.

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Photos courtesy of Brian Johnston

Best harbour experience: Star Ferries When it comes a superb combination of natural setting and human endeavour, Hong Kong is surely the world’s most dazzling harbour. And really, there’s still no better way to see it than from the deck of an old-fashioned Star Ferry. The public transport ferry links Central on Hong Kong Island with Kowloon on the mainland, and the short hop takes just minutes. But as the ferry cuts right across Victoria Harbour, you’re surrounded by flashing neon and futuristic skyscrapers, all backed by forested hills – for the price of a ferry ticket, surely the cheapest entertainment in town. Star Ferry Pier, Man Kwong Street, Central. +852 2367 7065 or visit www.starferry.com.hk

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Best museum: Museum of Teaware If museums give you a cultural headache that sends you running for the nearest café, consider this: a little gem inside Flagstaff House, Hong Kong’s oldest colonial building, takes just an hour of your time. And who would have thought teapots could be so curiously interesting? Regularly changing displays show teapots from as far back as the seventh century and delve into tea culture. There are also regular demonstrations of tea ceremonies that, though in Cantonese, are a wonder to watch. Bag yourself a souvenir pot in the shop on the way out. 10 Cotton Tree Drive, Central. +852 2869 0690 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/museum The Peak

While vast shopping malls, theme parks and street markets seduce, the city is also full of alternative activities and hidden surprises.

Best walk: The Peak While the rack-railway ascent of The Peak is a Hong Kong staple, it’s amazing how few people venture beyond the now highly commercialised top station. But hoof along Harlech and Lugard Roads and you’ll discover one of the world’s most spectacular urban walks, scented with jasmine and shaded by towering clumps of bamboo. Millionaires’ villas lurk in thickets where birds twitter. Eventually, the path rises above the trees and Hong Kong spreads below in a panorama right across Victoria Harbour to make the jaw drop. Lugard and Harlech Roads, Victoria Peak. +852 2522 0922 or visit www.thepeak.com.hk Best ride: Tram to Causeway Bay So you think The Peak tram is Hong Kong’s best transport experience? Be predictable if you must, or jump instead on a double-decker tram and lurch from Central towards Causeway Bay, where you’ll find some of the city’s best mid-range shopping and restaurants. In a city obsessed with getting ahead, there’s an endearing nostalgia about these rickety old trams right out of the colonial era; service first started in 1904. Wheels screech on rails and bells ding as you rattle beneath cluttered neon signs, illuminating the street bustle beneath. This is neighbourhood Hong Kong at its best. +852 2548 7102 or visit www.hktramways.com

Hong Kong Park

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Museum of Teaware

Best down time: Hong Kong Park If you’re looking for some green peace, Hong Kong Park is an unexpected oasis squashed between skyscrapers and mountainside in Central – conveniently, right by the tea museum. It packs in taichi gardens, orchid studded conservatories and pools of burping carp, but the highlight is a walk-through aviary that transports you from urban jungle to an (almost) real one. Walk along elevated platforms in the tree canopy and listen to the chirping of 600 birds against the drone of downtown traffic – an almost surreal experience. 19 Cotton Tree Drive, Central. +852 2521 5041 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/parks

Best shop: Shanghai Tang Shanghai Tang isn’t exactly a secret: fashion designer David Tang has been making waves since 1994 with his modern reinterpretation of traditional Chinese silk pyjamas, Mao jackets and cheongsams, those formhugging dresses with slit thighs. But if Chinese retro chic sounds a bit dull, a browse through this hip flagship store, decked out in 1930s Shanghai style, will soon convert you. The bright pink, yellow and lime-green creations look like something dreamed up on an opium bed. Buy off the rack or have something tailor-made. The shop also sells beautiful accessories and home furnishings. Pedder Building, 12 Pedder St, Central. +852 2525 7333 or visit www.shanghaitang.com Best market: Temple Street Serious aficionados of street markets will want to take the ferry and head across to Kowloon. Temple Street market doesn’t really get into its stride until early evening and continues with undiminished intensity late into the night. You’ll find an abundance of clothes here, as well as watches, electric goods, CDs and household items. A visit to Temple Street is worth it just for its sheer energy and bustle: vendors compete under strings of light bulbs, Cantonese pop wails from portable stereos, and an occasional traditional opera singer might be warbling away. Temple Street, Kowloon.Visit www.discoverhongkong.com

Lantau Island

In such a multifaceted place – not to mention one that offers some of the world’s best shopping, dining and attractions – choosing top picks isn’t easy.

Best swimming pool: W Hotel Don your designer sunnies when heading poolside at W Hotel, perched 211 metres above street level, with a panorama of skyscrapers and harbour waters laid out below. A huge mosaic wall of butterflies and shells that dazzles at sunset dominates the dizzying recreation area, rather suggestively nicknamed Get Wet and very Sex in the City. After you’ve taken the plunge, kick back in the Jacuzzi or have a cocktail as you watch the sun go down over Hong Kong’s stunning harbour. 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon. +852 3717 2222 or visit www.whotels.com

InterContinental

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Best restaurant: Bo Innovation Tantalise your taste buds at the novel restaurant of tattooed chef Alvin Leung, who was born in London, grew up in Toronto and now baffles and thrills Hong Kong with his ‘extreme Chinese’ molecular cuisine. Traditional dishes have been given a modern twist with Japanese and French influences: egg-tart martinis, smoked quail eggs with caviar, or stir-fried Wagyu beef the likes of which you’ll never taste in a food hall. In a city of superlative food, you may find better elsewhere, but none so humorously daring. Shop 13, 60 Johnston Road, Wan Chai. +852 2850 8371 or visit www.boinnovation.com Best getaway: Lantau Island When Hong Kong’s frenetic urban pace gets a bit much, swap-honking traffic for honking geese and whispering pines on several offshore islands, where rural China lingers on. Lantau is the most convenient and – though chunks of it are now covered in airport and Disney rides – still features remote beaches and rugged hiking trails. The leafy walk from Ngong Ping hill to Tai O fishing village takes you past a 254tonne giant Buddha, while nearby Po Lin Monastery has ornate temples painted with writhing dragons. +852 3666 0606 (Ngong Ping cablecar) or visit www.np360.com.hk Best bar view: InterContinental Where better to enjoy the best bar-with-a-view than from the city’s only absolute waterfront hotel, which drapes its Lobby Bar in three storeys of glass looking right over Victoria Harbour towards the glittering skyscrapers of Central. Arrive in time for the daily 8pm Symphony of Lights, when lights and lasers add further glamour to the harbour scene. There’s nowhere else in town where you can sip a cocktail as a cruise ship or junk sails right past the windows. Harbour lights twinkle, and Hong Kong seduces once more. Lobby Bar, InterContinental Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury +852 2721 1211 Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. or visit www.intercontinental.com

Barefoot luxury in the heart of the Indian Ocean - pure nature, pure Seychelles, pure Raffles...

PURE LUXURY IN THE HEART OF THE INDIAN OCEAN Raffles Praslin, Seychelles Cradled at the heart of the Seychelles, on the island of Praslin, are eighty-six architecturally exquisite villas touched by the sublime beauty of white powdered sands, ringed by opal-hued oceans and lush green hills. The ideal place to rediscover the luxury of spontaneity, Raffles Praslin is infused with Seychellois spirit and traditional Raffles service. Swim, sunbathe, snorkel, sail, wind surf, walk... or just do nothing at all. Raffles Seychelles is the perfect place to escape the everyday, to explore your senses, and to reconnect with yourself and those you love. The adventurous can explore the mystic prehistoric forest of Vallée de Mai, the magical islands of Curieuse and La Digue, and the vibrant coral beds at the Curieuse National Marine Park. In fact, even the journey to the hotel is to experience glorious, abundant, surprising nature.

Meanwhile, romantics might dine in our Curieuse Seafood Restaurant, enjoy the delights of Losean, down a Praslin Sling at the Pool Bar, meet for drinks and beats in the Danzil Lounge Bar, or relax at the Takamaka Terrace for cocktails and panoramic views. Alternatively, unwind in the award winning Raffles Spa - the finest in the archipelago taking your body, mind and spirit back to a state of pure relaxation. With ocean views from the outdoor tubs, and the very best pampering in the whole of Seychelles, our spa is a destination unto itself, famous the world over. Only fifteen minutes by plane or helicopter from Mahé (or a scenic forty-five minutes by boat), and a million miles from ordinary, Raffles is loved by those with an adventurous sprit and a taste for the very best.

Forbes Travel Guide’s top 10 beach resorts around the world 2012 Seychelles’ Leading Hotel at the World Travel Awards 2012 For more information or reservations Raffles Praslin, Seychelles – Tel +248 429 6000 Email: bookus.praslin@raffles.com www.raffles.com/praslin

Photos courtesy of Tony Mathiot

The

Lavalas

of 1862

One hundred and fifty years ago, a natural catastrophe happened in our islands. It was a calamity of an unprecedented nature. Tony Mathiot recounts the story of that harrowing event.

Above: Photo of the Lavalas of 1862.

fter so many days of continuous torrential rains, the forested mountains above the small town are in a state of saturation. The storm rages on, as it has done during the night. As turbulent streams of water pour down the hillsides, carving out gullies and ravines on their way towards the town, winds whip and lash fiercely at the canopy of forest, tearing away large branches of huge towering, centenarian timber trees. The absorption of water at the extremities of their roots has rendered the surrounding soil soft, almost like sponge cakes. Among the trees, on the ridges and slopes are granite boulders of various shapes and sizes, embedded in the ground where they have been for so many thousands of years. Now, the flowing water rushes around them, washing away the securing earth from their sides and underneath. The overflow from tributaries has turned into violent rivulets, winding down the slopes on their twisting course among the trees. It is a morning of

parsimonious daylight, and for a brief moment the wrath of the winds also bears the subtle angelic tendrils of a hymn from a childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choir, from far down below in the small town of Victoria. Suddenly, a cliff face begins to crumble, disintegrating as it hurtles down the mountain slope and dissolving into a great gurgling river of mud and debris as it blends with the torrent of water rushing downwards. All across the steep wooded slope, old giant trees are tottering over as they are uprooted by the violent movement of shifting earth which also causes many giant boulders of various shapes to roll down, dislodging other boulders on their way. Somewhere up high, part of a mountain ridge is also crumbling down, tonnes of earth, rock debris and trees are carried down by their own weight. And this landslide is heading towards the town of Victoria below, where all the rivers have already burst their banks and the streets are raging floods of mud and swirling waters, where dozens and dozens of houses made of lattes have been blown away or have

been displaced by the violent winds of the night’s hurricane where many families await their fate in petrified horror. The date, 12 October 1862, will forever be remembered for deluge, destruction and death. It was an unprecedented natural catastrophe for the archipelago of the Seychelles which was then governed by the British as a dependent of Mauritius. The devastation that it caused and the suffering that it inflicted on the population of around, 7,000 inhabitants have no doubt made the Lavalas the most dreadful event in the history of Seychelles. At that time, coconut oil was the most lucrative agricultural activity in the islands, so coconut estates were established on many hundreds of acres of land. Since the civil commissioner George Thompson Wade had died of dysentery in September 1861 at 41 years old, and the arrival of his successor Swinburn Ward was due in late October 1861, the district magistrate Eugene Dupuy was appointed acting civil commissioner. Indeed, he had to contend with multifarious difficulties in the aftermath of the disaster, from a waterlogged town to the threat of famine; the consequences of that lavalas, were appalling. On the Sunday morning, the bodies of two nuns and eight children were recovered from the ruins of the convent. The nuns had arrived at Mahé in February 1961 from Reunion, to establish the congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny. A catholic priest, Father Jeremie Giantomaso who was the Apostolic Prefect, was rescued after having been buried under mud for almost five hours. The rivers that flow through Victoria towards the Ocean were choked with tree trunks and rocks, provoking the overflow as Morrisson, the surveyor general wrote in his report to the colonial secretary, F. Bedingfeld “to spread like flood over the lower part of the town and passing over the chaussé of Victoria street filled in the sea frontage to a depth of from 31-61 centimetres (one to two feet), to a distance, on an average of 122 metres (400 feet) from wharf wall”. The government buildings which had resisted the impact of the raging flood were buried several feet in mud; three bridges were completely destroyed and the few timber dwellings that had escaped destruction had been tossed into various positions far from their original sites. The streams of the town were so clogged with mud and rocks that the network of bridle paths was obliterated by the sludgy overflow. Royal Street itself had changed into a sinuous river. By late Sunday afternoon, scores of families who had lost their homes were snuggled together inside the Anglican church of St.Paul, with the bodies of the dead children. On Monday the 13th, a mother and her three children were buried in the same grave in

the churchyard because the level of mud and giant boulders had made access to the Victoria cemetery virtually impossible. In any case, the island’s oldest cemetery was an appalling mess, with more than a few limestone tombs ruined or reduced to rubble, that were scattered about in detached remnants of their former artistic structures: a most gruesome sight in the vast bleakness of the day. Some fresh graves were washed away by the torrents of water so that afterwards there was no discernible trace of the burial sites in order for tombs and headstones to be erected. For the interment of the bodies in the churchyard, the corpses, tied up in mattresses, had to be weighted down as the graves were half full of water. The two nuns were buried in the foundation of the cathedral of Immaculate Conception that was then being constructed. On Wednesday the 15th, a Comité de Secours was formed by some inhabitants to consider the best means of bringing relief to the victims of the Lavalas. Dr. James Henry Brooks, a government medical advisor, established a temporary hospital where those suffering from fractures, lacerations and contusions were attended to. He made an emergency request to the medical officer of Mauritius for an urgent supply of medicine and other items. At noon every day the bell of the Anglican Church rang to call those who were in need of food. Three hundred habitants came daily to receive meals. The stock of rice in the government

Above: St. Paul’s Church where many inhabitants found refuge.

The devastation that it caused and the suffering that it inflicted to the population of around 7,000 inhabitants have no doubt made the Lavalas the most dreadful event in the history of Seychelles.

Above: French translation of Bishop Rhyan’s poem.

store was badly damaged and in late October 1961, when he was eventually informed of the dreadful calamity that Mahé had experienced, the colonial secretary of Mauritius ordered an immediate shipment of 1,800 bags of rice. Sergeant R. Brunton who diligently conducted a survey to assess and evaluate the scope of damages that Mahé had suffered, estimated that there were 60 bags of rice and 6,0007,000 metro tonnes of maize available in the shops, just enough to feed the population for the last two weeks of October 1961. By Friday the 17th, the number of people who had perished in the lavalas had reached 67: 19 men, 27 women and 21 missing. “The mud is beginning to dry up, but the town is in a pitiable condition.” Sergeant Brunton’s report said on 19 October 1961. Indeed, the mud in Royal Street was forming into a compact mass now that the October sun had returned with the usual scorching heat. Labourers had to cut a canal into it to enable the St. Louis River to flow through. Dead poultry and pigs were in a petrifying state, and the stench combined with that of so many tons of rotten vegetable matter created a miasma of such abhorrence that Dr. Brooks advised the residents of Victoria to move out and go to the remoter areas. Hundred of inhabitants heeded the doctor’s warning and hastened to other districts in fear of the prospect of disease. Landslides occurred at other places on the east coast of Mahé, particularly at Petit Paris and Anse Aux Pins, but no loss of lives was reported there. The hurricane caused

such considerable damage to coconut plantations at Anse Royale and Baie Lazare which prompted Sergeant Brunton to observe that “It will take from two to four years to repair the damage meanwhile, the manufacture and export of oil will be much diminished.” On St. Anne, Cerf, Anonyme and La Digue, many properties were destroyed. On Fregate Island, where a rum distillery was established, 30 acres of sugarcane plantation were destroyed, and one large house and all outhouses were unroofed. However, Praslin and Curieuse were exempted from the hurricane’s wrath. In fact, the inhabitants on these two islands were not even aware that a Lavalas had occurred at Victoria, until a couple of weeks after the calamity when the dreadful news eventually reached their shores. For many days, Indian labourers from Mauritius and prisoners, with the assistance of liberated Africans who had started to arrive at Mahé the previous year also helped with the work. When civil commissioner Swinburn Ward arrived on 27 October, 1961 he found the Dependency in great distress and suffering but fortunately the arrival of three boats from Mauritius precluded the possibility of famine. Dart, Surprize and Romp brought an abundance of food provisions to the stricken inhabitants. The final inventory of houses etc destroyed, people and animals killed during the Lavalas on Mahe was alarming: 210 houses, 108 outhouses, 295 huts, 22 roads and 11 bridges were destroyed. 25 men, 27 women and 23 children were killed. Twelve oxen, 25 sheep and 12 asses were killed. Many books, paintings and historical documents of inestimable value were destroyed. On 11 November 1961, Bishop Vincent William Rhyan, the first Bishop of Mauritius, arrived at Mahé. The Bishop had first visited Seychelles in 1856 to see the site where the church of St. Paul was to be built in Victoria. The second visit was in 1859 when he had consecrated the church on 15th May. He was profoundly moved by the distressed state of the island. He visited many places on Mahé and heard the heart-wrenching accounts of many families who had lost a loved one. He was greatly sympathetic when he saw the tower of St. Paul’s church stocked with bags of rice. He was especially affected when he learned that the grave of Commissioner Wade had been swept away in the raging flood. The Bishop had fond memories of the late commissioner’s hospitality and companionship during his last visit to Seychelles. On his last evening on Mahé, the many scenes of destruction and utter ruins led him to immortalise the Lavalas in few Latin verses “… Nec tempestatum vistetigisse valet”$

A small hotel with a big heart

The Coco D’or Hotel, is built on 3 hectares of lush tropical land, on the north west coast of Mahé. The hotel is a mere four minutes walk from Beau Vallon, one of the island’s most beautiful beaches. The Coco D’or sets itself apart from other hotels in Seychelles by virtue of its location, amenities and unparalled service philosophy. 27 appointed rooms and suites, each with a private bath, balcony, terrace and/or living room are divided into two categories:Standard room Deluxe suites

24 rooms with a verandah and tropical garden, 6 rooms with a terrace and 2 with a lounge. 3 rooms with a private patio terrace and mountain and garden view, two bathrooms, a kitchenette and a separate living room.

Coco D’or Hotel & Restaurant • T/A Nalini R. Properties (Pty) Ltd Beau Vallon, Mahé, Seychelles • P.O. Box 526 Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles Phone: +248 4247331 • Fax: +248 4247454 • E-mail: cocodor@seychelles.sc

by Glynn Burridge.

Carnaval International de Victoria

Photos © Seychelles Tourism Board

he Seychelles Islands continue to make a It is with these credentials that Seychelles resplash in the world of carnival with the third entered the world of carnival in 2011, bringing a edition of the highly successful Carnaval spectacle to the normally sleepy streets of the nation International de Victoria scheduled to take which, by some estimates pulled one third of the place between 8-10 February 2013. population into the capital over three days of carnival Seychelles’ credentials for holding carnivals stretch extravaganza, live entertainment, international food back some 40 years when the then Chief Minister of stalls and an electric atmosphere which, arguably, Seychelles, Sir James Mancham, organised the islands’ the capital had never before witnessed in its entire first carnival at which the guest of honour was Her history. Royal Highness Princess Margaret and her husband, In the audience, a coterie of foreign dignitaries the Hon Anthony Armstrong-Jones. joined the President of the Republic and members This particular carnival was also designed to bring of government to listen to music legend and United the Seychelles Islands to the attention of the world Nations Food & Agriculture Representative, Dionne following the opening of Seychelles’ International Warwick as she argued passionately on behalf of the Airport on 4 July 1971, when the first BOAC VC10 planet’s poor. aircraft landed to officially launch Seychelles as a The second, 2012, edition drew the largest tourism destination. The carnival was followed by cohort of foreign press ever to come to Seychelles another in 1976 and formed part of the Independence and witnessed live entertainment and cultural Celebrations of 29 June 1976 when the Duke and manifestations from both local and international Duchess of Gloucester, representing groups such as guest artists Micheal Her Majesty the Queen, joined the Quinn and the Bourbon Kings of the then President Sir James Mancham ‘What Seychelles United States, Francois Dal’s from La and Prime minister Albert René as is today, the world Réunion and Lima Calbio of Trinidad guests of honour. and Tobago. High on the entertainment will be tomorrow’, agenda was the 2012 carnival theme song Seychelles, then, is hardly new for there can be few – Sa Karnaval- performed by Jean-Marc to the world of carnival, whose mantle it again took up in 2011 better examples of Volcy and supporting local musicians. In with the first edition of what has people of different a show of support for the carnival, Talib become known as the ‘Carnival of Rifai, Secretary General of the United ethnicity living Carnivals’, This, on account of how Nations World Tourism Organisation peacefully together made an appearance, as did BBC’s famous it welcomes representatives from as one, than some of the world’s most famous anchor Aaron Heselhurst. carnival events: Brazil, Notting The 2012 ‘Carnaval International de Seychelles. Hill, Dusseldorf and Trinidad & Victoria’ attracted over 30 international Tobago, among others, as part of its spectacular groups and countries such as the United Kingdom carnival procession parading alongside cultural groups Notting Hill Carnival, Indonesia, China, Zimbabwe, La from the Community of Nations who are happy to Reunion, Dusseldorf, South Africa, the United States of showcase their respective culture and their people as America, India and Italy and set the tone for the third they proudly fly their country’s flag for the world at edition which is due to burst onto the Victoria scene large to see. in February 2013. Another name for the Carnaval International “With its innate spontaneity, great natural beauty de Victoria is the ‘melting pot of cultures’ and this, and wonderful racial mix, Seychelles is a natural where Seychelles is concerned, is particularly apt home for a carnival”, enthuses Elsia Grandcourt, because of the islands’ ethnic composition, weaving Chief Executive Officer of the Seychelles Tourism exotic strands from the world over into a tightly knit Board whose Celebrate Seychelles Events Team is society in which harmony remains a way of life. It is responsible for organising the annual carnival, “We on account of this rare and beautiful homogeny that may only be small in terms of size and influence but some even go as far as to claim that “What Seychelles it is heartening to see how our carnival has captured is today, the world will be tomorrow”, for there can be the imagination of a world so lacking in harmony and few better examples of people of different ethnicity camaraderie and how it has inspired people to believe living peacefully together as one, than Seychelles. in friendship and collaboration.”

Now, with two successful carnivals already under its belt, the third Carnaval International de Victoria is planned for 8-10 February 2013 and at present there are several expected international participants including Notting hill, South Africa, Brazil, La Reunion, Zimbabwe, Italy, Emirates, S. Korea, Indonesia, Trinidad & Tobago and India. The format will be similar to that of previous editions, with an official launch in the presence of President James Michel before members of Seychelles’ government and foreign dignitaries to be followed by live music shows by foreign and local artists and other forms of entertainment, all complemented by international food stalls featuring cuisines from across the world. Once again, members of foreign press and media organisations are expected to be present in force to bring the Seychelles carnival to the world.

“With its innate spontaneity, great natural beauty and wonderful racial mix, Seychelles is a natural home for a carnival”.

The second day will feature the carnival procession with representatives from the world’s most renowned carnivals, local floats from Seychelles and contingents from foreign navies whose presence in port will be timed to coincide with the carnival. Navies from the Community of Nations all rally in Port Victoria as a show of solidarity against the ‘armed bandits from Somalia’, the 20th century plague impacting on the sea routes of the East Coast of Africa and the Gulf of Aden, which has so increased in shipping costs and heaped misery on African communities. After the floats there will be further live entertainment as the carnival atmosphere picks up-tempo. The carnival will finish with a family fun day and an opportunity for everyone to descend on the capital to celebrate in true carnival – and Seychelles spirit – which after 40 years of carnival, is alive and well. $

• Silhouette • Vol 24 No 1 • 47

Diving the Dream Islands of the Seychelles Archipelago by Glynn Burridge.

wo divers slice the pristine, crystal waters off the north-west coast of Mahé, principal island of the jewel of the Indian Ocean: the stunningly beautiful Seychelles Archipelago. What they are seeking lies some 40 metres beneath the ocean - the hull of an old fishing trawler, deliberately scuppered to provide a diving site in what is arguably one of the best kept secrets among the international diving fraternity: the amazing Seychelles diving experience. One diver is Imran Ahmad, Singapore-based renowned Nikon professional photographer and educator and he is amazed by the world class diving he has found around these islands long celebrated for their world-beating beaches, warm, dappled, sapphire waters and the final word in laid-back island lifestyle but with all the trimmings. “At 40 metres she is fully intact and teeming with marine life and coral growth”, he enthuses, “and with visibility for as far as the eye can see, this is a definite ‘must’ dive for wreck lovers”. Imran is one of an increasing number of divers all making the same discovery – the magnificent Seychelles Islands. Secluded from the world since the dawn of time, Seychelles is only now awakening to its true potential as a dream tourism destination and much of what you will find here is still wonderfully untouched, thanks to Seychelles’ strong conservation laws. With 115 granite and coral islands and an exclusive economic zone of 1 million square miles, this cyclonefree cluster of island gems offers year-round diving in a land of perpetual summer. Together, the islands offer awesome diversity for diving aficionado and novice alike on both granite and coral reefs which can

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be nothing less than living aquariums for diverse and spectacular forms of coral and marine life. Myriad, dazzling coral reef fish, shark, moray eels, turtles, lobster, giant rays and even the odd migrating whale shark propose a kaleidoscope of diving entertainment in a host of unspoiled venues. On one dive alone, near Aride, 800 species of marine life were spotted! Seychelles boasts a number of world-recognised dive sites, such as the famous Ennerdale Wreck and Brissare rocks as well as the lesser known, more remote but even more spectacular sites around Marianne, the Sisters, Aride, Trompeuse and several other islands. Some of the more remote locations are only accessible by live-aboard charter dive boats. Diving in Seychelles is refreshingly unprocessed as well, with un-crowded dive boats and unhurried dive schedules, in keeping with the leisurely pace of life. Local dive centres and a range of live-aboards will provide access to great diving while offering a taste of the unique Seychellois lifestyle with beach barbecues (BBQs) and other island-style entertainment. All diver training is conducted by internationally qualified instructors, most of whom are members of PADI, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, the world’s largest sport diver training organisation. Now, more than ever, is the time to visit Seychelles and discover just how extraordinary - and affordable diving can be in one of the very last natural aquariums on our planet where pristine waters, leisurely diving schedules and an astonishing variety of marine life all conspire to offer one of the finest dive vacations on the planet. $ For more information about diving in Seychelles, please visit: www.seychelles.travel and www.subios.com.

Photo © Imran Ahmad

• Silhouette • Vol 24 No 1 • 49

The East is Red

Chinese New Year Story by Brian Johnston

Photos courtesy of Peter Holthusen

The fun and celebrations last no mere evening, but continue for 15 days over a period known as Spring Festival, during which families get together for enormous banquets, lions and dragon dances in the streets, and fireworks displays light up the night sky.

hile virtually all societies around the world celebrate some form of New Year, surely none do so more heartily than the Chinese. The fun and celebrations last no mere evening, but continue for 15 days over a period known as Spring Festival, during which families get together for enormous banquets, lions and dragons dances in the streets, and fireworks displays light up the night sky. The last day of celebrations, Lantern Festival, is a good excuse for final round of partying under the glow of lucky red lanterns. The fireworks – along with the din of 1,000 exploding firecrackers and the banging of drums and cymbals – are designed to scare away evil spirits for the coming year. (As firecrackers are banned in places such as Singapore, people relay the sounds of exploding firecrackers through loudspeakers instead.) Chinese New Year is about hope, happiness and renewal, and its most important focus is the family. Chinese homes are decorated for the occasion with tangerines – symbolic of enduring friendship – and with ‘trays of togetherness’ containing tangerines, lychees (harmony), candied melon (good health). This New Year, which falls on 10 February 2012, bodes well on the family front, since it ushers in the Year of the Snake, a creature commended for its peaceful living, intuitive intelligence and creativity. The traditional Chinese calendar runs on lunar months, so New Year falls any time between late January and mid-February, on the first day of the first lunar month. It’s a time of celebration, superstition, strange omens and symbolic greetings and goodbyes, and all about making a fresh start by attracting as much good luck as you can for the year ahead. At the heart of all the celebrations is an abundance of food in the hope that this will set the pattern for the future.

Much of the food served for Chinese New Year is rich in symbolism and cultural associations. Black seaweed and red dates (prosperity), abalone (abundance), oysters (success in business), lotus seeds (fertility) and noodles (longevity) are all favoured. These associations are often related to the names of these ingredients. Red dates, for example, are considered auspicious not only for their lucky colour but because their Chinese name, hong zao, also sounds like the phrase ‘prosperity comes soon’. In Korea, where the lunar New Year is also celebrated, chestnuts and pine nuts are the traditional snack, and rice wine is drunk chilled, where it’s generally enjoyed warmed at other times. Equally, certain plants are also symbolic. Bamboo shoots aren’t only eaten but presented in pots as gifts, and represent long life. Flower shops serving Chinese communities around the world dazzle with a kaleidoscopic display of colour at this time of year. Plum blossoms, bamboo, sprigs of pine, water lilies, kumquats and narcissus are the plants traditionally associated with Spring Festival. If you can get your plants to bloom right on New Year’s Day, then you’re sure to be exceptionally lucky in the coming year. In Vietnam, where Chinese New Year is called Tet, the yellow blossom of the hoa mai flower is favoured for decoration. Families also ‘plant’ a tree or branch in front of their homes from which all the leaves have been removed; the tree is then wrapped or decorated with red paper, remaining there until the final day of New Year. Red has long been considered a lucky colour in Chinese societies, representing good luck and happiness. It’s for this reason that the Chinese get married in red, and keep carp and goldfish as pets. (One of the carnival-like pastimes of New Year

Opposite and right: There are many traditions and customs associated with the 15 days of the Chinese New Year, including the Lantern Festival and an elaborate Dragon Dance, which usually mark the last day of the celebrations.

• Silhouette • Vol 24 No 1 • 51

Above: The bustling Chinese community of restaurants and businesses in London’s Chinatown has been an integral part of the capital’s history since the 1950’s, and the New Year festivities here are always an experience to behold.

It’s a time of celebration, superstition, strange omens and symbolic greetings and goodbyes, and all about making a fresh start by attracting as much good luck as you can for the year ahead.

markets is the very tricky task of trying to catch goldfish using a net made of tissue paper.) Over Spring Festival, the thresholds of houses are hung with strips of red paper on which prayers or poems celebrating spring are written. The giant red Chinese characters for ‘spring’ and ‘luck’ proliferate. Money in red envelopes is handed out to children and unmarried friends, signifying the transmission of good fortune and good wishes. Superstitions and traditional beliefs have always imbued Chinese New Year. These days they’re more likely to be observed among Chinese communities overseas, since many have fallen into abeyance in mainland China, where New Year has become very secularised. Among observances, many avoid bad language and unlucky words, knives and scissors (which will ‘cut’ your luck), and even fresh tofu because it’s white, the traditional colour for Chinese mourning. People try not to fall, stumble or cry, as this will only set the pattern for the coming year. This is also a time to pay off debts and be nice to dogs: according to tradition, the second day of New Year is every dog’s birthday. In Korea, footwear is hidden away, since ghosts are supposed to enter the house in order to take away the best pair of shoes – should they be able to find them. In Korea, bells toll 108 times on the stoke of midnight, a Buddhist ritual which is said to free you from the 108 earthly desires. In Seoul, huge crowds gather for the sounding of the gigantic Chonggak bell, one of the most significant moments of New Year. In Yokohama in Japan, one of the world’s liveliest Chinatowns is presided over by the Kantei-byo Shrine, beautifully decorated and wonderfully illuminated at night. Dedicated to the Chinese god of prosperity and business, it buzzes with energy over New Year as visitors pray for success.

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Meanwhile in Singapore, the much-loved God of Prosperity presides over a New Year parade and sprinkles gold dust over the crowds, bringing fortune for the year ahead. At Thian Hok Keng Temple, where guardians with scimitars and angry eyes goggle at you as you step over the threshold, visitors place lighted cigarettes into the outstretched hands of two statues known as the Gambling Brothers in the hope they’ll influence lucky lottery numbers. Parades and public events mark Chinese New Year around the world. Hong Kong has the best fireworks display with the harbour and laser-lit skyscrapers as backdrop. In Taiwan, the Lantern Festival is marked by a giant parade of floats decorated with lanterns and displaying mechanised heroes from Chinese legend, including the God of Happiness. And in Singapore, the Chinagay parade is the culmination of Spring Festival, featuring 3,000 street performers, rock bands and dragon dancers. Chinese New Year is also increasingly a major event in cities across the world with large Chinese immigrant populations. Sydney’s three-week Chinese New Year celebrations are the largest outside Asia, centred on its Chinatown and involving food markets, dragon boat races on the harbour and a parade that shuts down the main thoroughfare in the city centre. Melbourne, Vancouver, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Paris and London are other good spots to be for the occasion. Expect more parades, dancing Chinese lions, beauty pageants and plenty of good food. Even Buenos Aires gets in on the act, with a Chinese New Year parade through its compact Chinatown and colourful decorations on shop facades. For a moment, it seems the whole world turns Chinese – and red – in the spirit of a happy New Year. $

Useful Cantonese Phrases English

Cantonese

Welcome

(fùnyìhng)

Language difficulties English

Cantonese

Do you speak English?

(neih sīkm̀hsīk góng yìngmán a?)

Does anyone speak English?

(yáuhmóuh yàhn sīk góng yìngmán a?)

Do you speak Cantonese?

(neih sīkm̀hsīk góng gwóngdùngwá a)

Yes, a little Long time no see

(ngóh sìk góng síusíu a) (hóunoih móuhgin)

Hello

(néih hóu) (wái) - on phone

How are you?

(néih hóu ma), (dím a)

I’m fine, thanks, and you?

(ngóh géi hóu, néih nē) (hóu hóu), (géi hóu)

Long time no see

(hóunoih móuhgin)

What’s your name?

(néih giu(jouh) mātyéh méng a) (néih dím chìngfù a)

My name is ...

. (ngóh giujouh ...)

Please say that again

(m̀hgòi néih góng dō yātchi a) (m̀hgòi joi góng)

Where are you from?

(néih haih bīndouh yàhn a) (néih yàuh bīndouh lèih ga) (néih haih bīngwok yàhn a)

Sorry, I didn’t get that

(deuim̀hjyuh, ngóh m̀h mìhngbaahk)

What did you say?

(néih góng mātyéh wá?)

I’m from ...

(ngóh haih ... yàhn)

Please write it down

(m̀hgòi néih sédài a?) (m̀hgòi bātgei)

Pleased to meet you

(hóu hòisàm yihngsīk néih) (hóu hòisàm gindóu néih)

Can you translate it for me?

(néih hóm̀hhóyíh bòng ngóh fáanyihk a?)

Good morning

(jóusàhn)

What does this mean?

(nīgo dímgáai a?)

Good afternoon

(ńgh ōn)

How do you say ... in Cantonese?

... (... gwóngdùngwá dím góng a)

Good evening

(máahn ōn) (máahnseuhng hóu)

Good night

(jóutáu)

Goodbye

(joigin) (bāaibaai)

Good luck

(jūk néih hóuwahn)

Bon voyage

(yāt louh seuhn fùng) (yāt louh pìhng ngòn)

Excuse me

(chéngmahn) - to get attention (m̀hgòi) - to get past (sàtpùih) - used when leaving for a while

How much is this?

(Nīgo géidō chín a?)

I don’t speak Cantonese

(ngóh m̀hsìk góng gwóngdùngwá)

(néih hóm̀hhóyíh góng maahn síusíu a) (chéng néih góng maahn di)

Please speak more slowly

How do you pronounce that?

(nīgo dím duhk a?)

I understand

(ngóh mìhngbaahk la)

I don’t understand

(ngóh m̀h mìhngbaahk)

Do you understand?

(néih mìhngm̀hmìhng a) Making a lunch/dinner date

English

Cantonese

Are you free for lunch?

(ngóhdeih yātchàih sihk ngaanjaufaahn hóu ma?)

Are you free this evening?

(néih gàmmáahn dākm̀hdākhàahn a?)

Can you suggest a place for lunch?

(hóyíh gaaisiuh go sihk ngaan ge deihfòng ma?)

Can you suggest a place for dinner?

(hóyíh gaaisiuh go sihk máahnfaahn ge deihfòng ma?)

I’ll meet you there

(ngóhdeih hái gódouh gin)

Sorry

(deuim̀hjyuh)

Thank you

dòjeh) - for a gift, (m̀hgòi) - for a service

Response

(m̀hsái), (m̀hsái haakhei) (móuh mahntàih)

I’ll meet you then

(néihdeih dousìh gin)

Where’s the toilet?

chisó hái bīndouh a? sáisáugāan hái bīndouh a?

Can I have your phone number?

(hóyíh góng néih go dihnwá houhmáh ngóh jì ma)

Would you like to dance with me?

(néih yium̀hyiu tùhng ngóh tiumóuh) - inf (séungmíhn tùhng ngóh tiujek móuh ma) - frm

Can I have your address?

(hóyíh góng néih go deihjí ngóh jì ma)

This is my phone number

(nīgo haih ngóh ge dihnwá houhmáh)

I love you

(ngóh oi néih)

This is my address

(nīgo haih ngóh ge deihjí)

Get well soon

(jóuyaht hòngfuhk) (faaidi hóufàan a) In the hotel

English

Cantonese

There’s a problem in the room

(gàanfóng yáuhdī mahntàih)

The tap/faucet is leaking

(séuilùhngtàuh lauhséui)

The drain is blocked

(hàangkèuih sākjó a)

The air conditioner is too noisy

(láahnghei hóu chòuh a)

I would like to move to another room

(ngóh séung wuhngwo gàanfóng)

When should I vacate the room?

(ngóh géisìh yiu teuifóng a)

There’s no hot water

(móuh yihtséui)

I’d like to check out

(m̀hgòi màaihdāan)

Please call a taxi for me

(m̀hgòi bòng ngóh giuga dīksí a)

May I see the bill please?

(ngóh hóm̀hhóyíh táihá jeungdàan a)

How much is the total bill?

(jeungdàan jóngsou haih géidō chín a)

Can I have an itemised bill?

(m̀hgòi, béi jèung chèuhngsai jeungdàan ngóh a)

I think there’s a mistake on this bill

(ngóh gokdāk ni jèungdàan yáuh yātdouh cho jó) Special occasions

English

Cantonese

Merry Christmas

(singdaanjit tùhng sànnìhn faailohk)

and Happy New Year

(gùng héi faat chōi) - used at Chinese New Year

Happy Easter

(fuhkwuhtjit faailohk)

Happy Birthday

(sàangyaht faailohk)

Eating out English

Cantonese

Is there a restaurant near here?

(fuhgahn yáuhmóuh chāangún a?)

I’d like to reserve a table

(ngóh séung dehng yātjèung tói)

We have a reservation

(ngóhdeih dehng jó juèng tói ge la)

Do you have an English menu?

(néihdeih yáuhmóuh yìngmán chāanpáai a?)

Can I see the wine list?

(ngóh hóm̀hhóyíh táiháa go jáudāan a?)

I am a vegetarian Bon appetit

Cheers/Good health!

(ngóh sihk jāai)

(sihk faahn) - eat

(yám sing), (yám bùi) (ging jáu), (gòn bùi) Emergencies

English

Cantonese

Help!

(gau mehng a!)

Fire!

(fóh jūk a!)

Stop!

(tìhng dài!)

Leave me alone!

(m̀hhóu gáau ngóh!)

Call the police!

(giu gíngchaat) (bou gíng) Other phrases

English My hovercraft is full of eels

One language is never enough

Cantonese (ngóh jek heidínsyùhn jòngmúhnsaai síhn) (yātjúng yúhyìhn wíhngyyúhn bātgau) (yātjúng yúhyìhn wíhngyyúhn m̀gau)

Perhaps you are on your way out to Seychelles and have opted for self-catering accommodation; or you are on your way home and thinking back to the food you have been enjoying in the past few weeks. Judith Skerrett makes a few suggestions for fish feasts which will bring you the real taste of Seychelles.

ish naturally features highly on the Seychelles menu. There is a wide variety available, but particular favourites are fresh tuna, sailfish, red snapper or bourzwa, parrot fish and job. Some of these can be obtained in the supermarket back home these days, and you can always substitute; experiment until you find the best equivalent for your recipe, or one which gives the dish an entirely new dimension. For tuna, why not try salmon; for red snapper, what about monkfish or any other firm white fish? If the worst comes to the worst, you can always resort to chicken! The other ingredients should be found on supermarket shelves, or in specialist Indian or Chinese supermarkets. As for accompaniments, all you need is some rice, a dish of chopped chillies in vinegar,

oil or lime juice and a satini. The latter can be as straightforward as grated fresh carrot, cabbage or cucumber tossed in a little oil, lime juice and pepper or – more exotically – grated green pawpaw, green mango, pumpkin or golden apple (if obtainable) mixed with some onion and lime juice. So let’s get cooking! For a super soup you first of all have to make a good fish stock using fish bones and a fish head. These should be washed and broken up, then added to some hot oil with sliced onions and tomatoes. If the thought of cutting up a whole fish is just too much, you can always buy pre-made fish stock or use a stock cube. When the onions are browned, add about two litres (three pints) of water, some tomato puree, ginger, garlic, sugar, fish sauce, thyme and turmeric and, if you would like

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a slightly sour twist, 50 grammes (2 ounces) of tamarind pods. In Seychelles they use bilimbis to give this sourness but tamarind pods are perhaps more easily obtainable at home. As for the fish, if you are in Seychelles it should be easy to buy some bourzwa or baksou. Back home you can sometimes buy Red Snapper in supermarkets and it is available at specialist fishmongers or from online suppliers, but failing this you can use mullet or even cod, though with cod numbers on the decline, people are turning to more ‘ethical’ alternatives including coley, pollack, black bream or sea bream. After adding salt and pepper, leave the stock to simmer for about 30 minutes. Strain the bones from the stock carefully and add chunks of fish to the liquor. Cook the fish pieces in the stock for about five minutes until the fish is cooked through. Remove the fish and strain the soup again. Take the bones out of the fish pieces, break the flesh into flakes and add to the soup before serving. Next on the menu is a cooking good curry! Tasting a delicious Seychelles fish curry is one of the best things about a visit to the islands. The locals use meaty fish such as tuna or bonito for their curries but again you could use any of the cod alternatives mentioned above. Having cut the fish into cubes and finely chopped an onion, grind together an inchlong piece of fresh ginger with a few cloves of garlic (according to taste). In a dry pan gently heat the spices for the curry mix, including two teaspoons of

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Next on the menu is a corking good curry! Tasting a delicious Seychelles fish curry is one of the best things about a visit to the islands.

coriander seeds, half a teaspoon of cumin or caraway seeds and three or four finely chopped chillies (add more according to taste). For convenience you can buy ready-made curry powder; or better still buy some of the local carry pile from the market in Victoria whilst you’re in Seychelles. Heat oil in a pan and add the onions, the curry mix and a teaspoon of turmeric. Add the fish pieces and cook for a few minutes adding tomato paste, garlic and ginger and tamarind if desired. Add water until the sauce is of the desired thickness, cover and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes. As an alternative for those who like their food a bit less spicy, you could serve a gorgeous grilled fish. For this you can use whole mackerel or salmon steaks. Make cuts in the skin and leave to marinate in a mixture of sliced onions, chopped garlic, ground ginger, salt, pepper and, depending on your tastes, some chopped chillies and tamarind paste. Put some of the mix into the slits to ensure the flavours penetrate well into the flesh. Set aside for half an hour and then cook under a hot grill, basting occasionally with a mix of oil and lime juice. Alternatively you can stuff the slits with slices of lemon, rosemary, chopped garlic and onion, baste with apple juice and wrap in foil. Cook in a hot oven for about 20 to 25 minutes until the fish flakes easily with a fork. A Seychelles speciality is the fabulously flavoursome carri koko which is usually made using octopus. Octopus is often available in supermarkets if you don’t mind preparing it. To get it really tender, give it a good bashing with a steak hammer; then cook it in salted water and allow to cool. If this seems like too much of a bother, just use any white fish of your choosing. Fry onions gently in oil until transparent, then add some turmeric, the fish or octopus and chilli powder (or chopped chillies). A coconut curry is usually more gently spiced than

other curries so you might want to add less in the way of chilli than you usually would. After cooking for a few minutes, add ground ginger (about an inch) and a few finely chopped garlic cloves and then the coconut milk which is easily available in tins and cartons. Simmer very gently for about half an hour. It is easy to make great garlic prawns for a tasty appetiser. Fry three or four peeled, chopped garlic cloves in oil, and add three chopped tomatoes, a teaspoon of chopped chillies and a teaspoon lemon juice, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the prawns and cook quickly, stirring often until they are cooked through. You can make beautiful fish-balls using cod, (or an alternative as suggested earlier), haddock or salmon. In Seychelles you might like to use bonito. Cook the fish pieces in water with salt and pepper, drain well and squeeze out excess water, then set aside. To make the sauce, heat olive oil and fry chopped ginger, garlic and onions, add some chopped fresh tomatoes, tomato puree, two chillies (for a spicier sauce) and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep warm whilst you prepare the fish-balls. To make these, finely chop two onions and combine in a bowl with some ginger, garlic and the

carefully shredded fish. Add two eggs, thyme, three tablespoons of flour, salt and pepper and mix together into a firm mixture which you can shape into little balls and set aside in the refrigerator for a few hours to firm up. Heat some oil and roll each ball in flour before frying for a few minutes, turning carefully. Drain on a kitchen towel and then add to the warm rougaille sauce. You could alternatively also use tinned or fresh mackerel or salmon, and make the balls as above but instead of adding eggs, mix in mashed potato and add the juice of half a lime. Shape into balls or cakes, dip in beaten egg and coat with breadcrumbs before frying until golden brown and serve the sauce separately. To complement your fish feast you will want to serve rice cooked the local way. To serve four, use eight ounces of rice (reduce the amount according to the numbers you are cooking for), and wash carefully in several changes of water. Drain and boil for up to half an hour in a pint of water, then drain and wash again. Add water to cover and cook very gently with the lid on the pan until the water is absorbed (about 20 minutes). To accompany the fish, you could try aubergine chutney or aubergine fritters. To make the chutney, take two or three aubergines and grill them in their skins in a baking dish in a hot oven. When you can easily push a knife or skewer into them, remove, cool and peel. Mash the flesh and set aside. Chop a large onion, squeeze the juice from two limes and chop chillies (as many as you wish). Mix the aubergine with the onions and a little oil, add salt and pepper and the lime juice. This makes lovely cooling chutney to serve with a spicy main. To make aubergine fritters slice the aubergine and soak in salted water for five minutes. Squeeze the salt water out of the slices and dry. Make a batter with two eggs and two tablespoons of flour whisked together. Dip the slices of aubergine in the batter and deep fry. Your fish feast is complete. Light a few scented candles (bought in Seychelles of course), pour out a Seybrew (if you have some) or brew a pot of citronelle tea, put on a CD of camtole music and enjoy your Seychelles experience no matter where you are. $

• Silhouette • Vol 24 No 1 • 57

Photos © Wikimedia

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58 • Silhouette • Vol 24 No 1 •

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usic therapy is where art and science meet in improving the physical and emotional health of patients, and some of its effects are simply extraordinary. Scientific music therapy originated after World War One, when it was noticed that visiting musicians greatly aided traumatised soldiers in hospital. Since then, neurologists have shown that music directly affects both our physical and mental processes and can greatly speed the recovery of patients in hospitals, special-education centres and aged-care facilities. Why music has this therapeutic effect is poorly understood, but the results are clear: music influences everything from heart rate and blood pressure to skin responses and the immune system. It has a positive impact on chronic fatigue syndrome, sleep patterns and recovery from drug and alcohol abuse. It relieves anxiety in the terminally ill and reduces the medication required among the sick. Music therapy even improves the memory and communication and motor skills of stroke and brain-injury victims, speeding their recovery. Of course, music has long been used to promote wellness and manage stress; indeed, that’s what all of us are doing every time we switch on the car radio. Most of us would agree that music is relaxing. Indeed, it actually reduces our respiratory rate, heart rate, blood pressure and stress hormones. But music can do a lot more than just alleviate our road rage. It has the ability to reduce anxiety in dental clinics, calm patients in mental wards and alleviate perceptions of pain – even among women in labour. But there is much more. Music therapists in hospitals around the world use music therapy to help treat the symptoms of chemotherapy and bone-marrow transplants. They also find music alleviates the feelings of loneliness and emotional stresses of being in hospital and getting diagnosed with serious illnesses such as cancer. Making, rather than listening to, music also affects patients’ motivation and desire for social interaction. The magic works even on the very young, suggesting we have a wired connection to music beyond social conditioning. Even premature babies show amazing improvements when exposed to music. It has now become apparent to many doctors that there is more to looking after sick babies than turning up the oxygen or giving feeds. Music therapy has a big part to play in the care of babies.

Florida State University in the USA (United States of America) is a world leader in the effects of music on premature babies and has conducted studies that show babies who are played just 15 to 30 minutes of music twice a week benefit enormously – especially if they’re girls. Every time the music is switched on, the babies’ heart rates drops and blood oxygen saturation increases. They gain weight more quickly and shorten their hospital stay. Baby boys leave a day and a half sooner, but for some reason, baby girls leave an extraordinary 11 days earlier. American hospitals now routinely play music to premature babies, saving up to 15 percent of their medical costs. Premature babies show a preference for simple classical arrangements and female vocals, perhaps because they mimic the heartbeat tempo and voice they hear in the womb. This is also the key to lullabies, which have a repetitive, almost monotonous nature – just like the predictable music that soothes during massages or meditation.

We may not know exactly why music soothes the mind, but no one doubts that it does ... there is something magical about music. The International Society for Music in Medicine, among others, is now looking at specific kinds of music and their characteristics. The amount of repetition, melody, tonic chords and things the ear wants to hear again seem to matter. One Harvard study found that patients listening to Mozart piano sonatas show a decrease in blood pressure, stress hormones and the traumaresponse chemical cytokine, while another found Mozart the best at calming epileptic seizures. The theory is that the human brain loves patterns. Mozart’s music is highly patterned, with musical sequences repeated every 20 or 30 seconds, just like many brainwave functions. Bach and Haydn also score well when tested on patients. That said, it seems that what’s crucial is whether patients like the type of music that’s playing. Neurologists have shown that parts of the brain are stimulated, and others relaxed,

by listening to music. However, the type of music doesn’t seem to matter; what matters is whether the listeners enjoy the kind of music they are listening to. Indeed, several psychological studies have shown that patient responses improve when they are listening to anything they enjoy – even a Stephen King horror story read out loud. Conversely, listening to something you dislike has quite the opposite effect. Rather amusingly, some railway stations in Britain have trialled Mozart over the loudspeakers on its platforms. The result: a 70 per cent drop in the amount of petty vandalism and graffiti, presumably because delinquent teenagers no longer care to hang about in a place that plays music so offensive to their ears. We may not know exactly why music soothes the mind, but no one doubts that it does. But as you unwind, do you also feel smarter? The popular notion that listening to Mozart in particular makes you smarter originated some 40 years ago in the work of Dr. Alfred Tomatis, a French ear, nose and throat specialist. To his amazement, he discovered that listening therapy had a profound impact on children with learning problems such as dyslexia and attention deficit disorder (ADD). Developing a programme called the Tomatis Method, he also demonstrated its impact on adults. Listening therapy could fight depression, improve creativity, enhance on-the-job performance, and even help adults learn foreign languages more quickly. Because Tomatis used electronically modified music from Mozart in particular, popular interest became focused on the Austrian composer. In one US study, college students listened to Mozart’s Sonata in D Major and scored better on spatial reasoning tests. What’s more, even rats that listened to Mozart both before and after birth navigated their way around mazes three times as fast as those poor rodents that had listened to the random noise of more modern music. Other researchers since have had mixed success in showing any link between music-listening and improved abilities. What’s certain is that there is something magical about music. So kick back at home with some soothing sonata, shuffle some hip-hop onto your iPod, prick up your ears the next time you’re in an elevator. It could be music to your ears. $

• Silhouette • Vol 24 No 1 • 59

Destination

Abu Dhabi

The Creation of the

UAE

When you gaze upon the glittering towers and gleaming hotels of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the other emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2012; it is sometimes difficult to believe that all of this land was nothing but desert a little more than 50 years ago, reports Tony Smart.

ear 2012 marked the 50th anniversary of the very first cargo of crude oil being exported from Abu Dhabi after western oil companies had carried out preliminary surveys and found that Abu Dhabi and the UAE were sitting on vast oil fields. Abu Dhabi is one of the seven emirates that make up the UAE (United Arab Emirates), the others being Dubai, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain. Yet Abu Dhabi is also the capital of the UAE and the state’s centre of political, industrial, and cultural activities. And it was Abu Dhabi’s visionary ruler Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan who first thought of using the huge revenues generated by the discovery of oil to undertake a massive construction programme, building schools, housing, hospitals and roads. When Dubai’s oil exports began in 1969 their ruler Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum was also able to use the huge sums of money generated to improve the quality of life of his people. At this stage there was no UAE though it was to be created a couple of years later and the story of its creation is quite fascinating. Prior to the discovery of oil the area that is now the UAE, plus Bahrain and Qatar, had been known as the Trucial States because of a 19th century truce between the local sheikhs and the United Kingdom. Since that truce and into the early 1920s the area’s main industry had been pearling, which thrived in the calm seas of the Gulf, becoming a good source of income for the local people.

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Unfortunately World War One, followed by the global economic depression of the 1920s and 1930s had a severe impact on pearl fishing. Then the invention by the Japanese of the cultured pearl all but destroyed the area’s pearl industry and the industry faded away completely shortly after World War Two when the recently independent government of India imposed severe taxation on pearls imported from the Arab states of the Persian Gulf. This led to a very difficult economic period until the discovery of oil in the 1960s. That discovery quickly led to calls for unification by the various sheikhdoms that now make up the UAE. At the same time the British started losing their oil contracts to United States oil companies. The sheikhs of the emirates then created the Trucial States Council to coordinate matters between themselves, though Britain still officially governed the region, and appointed Adi Bitar, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum’s legal advisor, as Secretary General and Legal Advisor to the Council. By 1966, it was clear that the British Government could no longer afford to govern what is now the United Arab Emirates. British MPs debated in Parliament that the British Armed Forces were seriously overstretched and dangerously under-equipped to defend the trucial sheikhdoms, yet to continue spending even along current lines would mean imposing an increasing burden on the British people which none of their competitors in world trade were carrying.

Photos courtsey of Abudhabi/Dubai Tourism

Consequently on 24 January 1968, British Prime Minister Harold Wilson made the decision, reaffirmed in March 1971 by Prime Minister Edward Heath, to end the treaty relationships with the seven trucial sheikhdoms which had been, together with Bahrain and Qatar, under British protection. It’s a decision that, with ever rising oil prices, the British people are still regretting to this day. Days after the announcement, the ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, fearing vulnerability, tried to persuade the British to honour the protection treaties by providing the full costs of keeping the British Armed Forces in the Emirates. However the British Labour government rebuffed the offer, insulting the Sheikh in the process, and the nine Gulf sheikhdoms attempted to form a union of Arab emirates, but by mid-1971 they were still unable to agree on the terms of union even though the British treaty relationship was to expire in December of that year. So Bahrain opted for solo independence in August 1971 and Qatar followed a month later. The rulers of Abu Dhabi and Dubai decided to form a union between their two emirates independently, prepare a constitution, then call the rulers of the other five emirates to a meeting and offer them the opportunity to join. It was also agreed between the two that the constitution be written by December 2, 1971, the day after the treaty with the British expired. On that date, in Dubai, four other emirates agreed to enter into a union

Dubai - Burj al Arab at sunset.

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called the United Arab Emirates. Ras al-Khaimah joined a little later, in early 1972. And the rest, as they say, is history. Or almost. Whilst the UAE’s oil reserves are ranked as the world’s seventh largest, those of Dubai are not that large. In fact they’re expected to run out in the next 10-15 years. Realising this in the mid-1980s Dubai’s leader Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum made the decision to make Dubai a tourist centre, inspirationally realising the power of golf tourism as he made the revolutionary move to develop a grass championship golf course at the Emirates Golf Club in the middle of a barren desert. His decision paid off with the Dubai Desert Classic, an event on the European Tour that began in 1989 and has been won by the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. Other golf courses quickly sprang up in Dubai (the emirate now has nine world class championship courses) and in 2009 a second European Tour event was added in Dubai, the season ending Dubai World Championship, and the season long European Tour Order of Merit was renamed The Race To Dubai in the same year. Abu Dhabi followed Dubai’s lead by opening the Abu Dhabi Golf Club in 1998 and now has four world class courses plus one of the richest events on the European Tour, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship. And Ras al-Khaimah now has two great courses with another course in Sharjah. However it’s not just golf that has drawn the tourists to the UAE, helping to drive the staggering developments that have been seen there in the 21st century, and it’s not just oil and tourism that have helped the economic development of the country over the last 50 years. Dubai quickly established itself as a shopping and resort centre with the first Dubai Shopping Festival being held in 1996. Luxury resort hotels like the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi and the Burj al Arab

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Above: Abu Dhabi Ferrari World.

Celebrating its 42nd anniversary this year the UAE now possesses one of the most developed economies in Western Asia. Below: What a difference 13 years can make in modern Dubai.

in Dubai began springing up all over both emirates. Dubai started to build off-shore residential islands like the Palm Islands, the world’s tallest building in Burj Khalifa, and the world’s biggest shopping mall in Dubai Mall. Meanwhile Abu Dhabi started to develop Yas Island which now hosts the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on the Formula One circuit and has the incredible Ferrari World tourist attraction. Ras al-Khaimah and Sharjah are now also developing rapidly. As part of Sheikh Rashid’s vision for the future, Dubai created Emirates Airlines in 1985 with Abu Dhabi establishing Etihad Airways in 2003. Both are now major international airlines. The UAE has also sought to establish itself as an international financial and business centre, beginning with the creation of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), which began operations in 2004. Strategically located between the east and west this provides a secure and efficient platform for business and financial institutions to reach into and out of the emerging markets of the region and will aid growth, progress and economic development in the United Arab Emirates and the wider region. Celebrating its 42nd anniversary this year the UAE now possesses one of the most developed economies in Western Asia. Per capita income is the world’s seventh highest. It has a relatively high Human Development Index, ranking 30th globally. The country has been classified as a high-income developing economy by the IMF. And in 2011 the UAE was ranked the 14th best nation in the world for doing business based on its economy and regulatory environment by the World Bank Group. The country has come a long way in a short time, and its development shows no signs of slowing down. As anyone who’s even seen photos of the modern UAE can guess the country is the most amazing success story of the last 50 years. Long may it continue. $

Photos courtesy of Peter Holthusen

Le Morne Brabant

A Monument to Freedom The great rock that towers to some 556 metres above sea level is much more than a distinctive landmark. It bears witness, like no other mountain can, to a very painful period in the history of Mauritius. But it also carries an underlying message: one of man’s unquenchable thirst for freedom, says Peter Holthusen.

Above: Le Morne Brabant is an impressive peak that stands in eternal watch over the Le Morne peninsula, and provides a spectacular backdrop to one of the island’s finest beaches.

he first view the air traveller has of Mauritius is of an emerald-green island set in the deep blue of the vast Indian Ocean. Situated just north of the Tropic of Capricorn, 20˚15’ south of the Equator and 57˚35’ to the east, this small pearshaped island was once an active volcano that formed part of a chain stretching like a string of pearls from La Réunion in the south to the Seychelles in the north. Many millions of years ago the earth’s crust burst open and some of its molten rock gushed out and piled up on the floor of what is now the Indian Ocean. As the boiling lava steadily cooled, a chain of roughly hewn, conical-shaped land masses formed, creating a crescent of volcanic peaks which protruded from the surface of the sea. Slowly, nature sculpted those stark peaks in many different ways and in the process bequeathed a sprinkling of spectacular mountains. In a few places the walls of those ancient volcanoes have been able to resist the onslaught of nature’s weathering, and the monuments to these are the island’s mountains with their pointed and striated peaks. In the far southwest of Mauritius, overlooking the coast of the Black River, the silently brooding peak

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of Le Morne Brabant mountain rears its massive and weather-beaten head for all to see. Le Morne Brabant is an impressive peak that stands in eternal watch over the Le Morne peninsula, and provides a spectacular backdrop to one of the island’s finest beaches. At times, when the rain clouds are low, it is sullen and brooding, but often the sun’s early rays reflect its varied colours. Silently brooding as it looks down upon the developments that have taken place at its feet, Le Morne Brabant is more of a gigantic rock than a mountain, yet it is unquestionably the most famous peak in the Indian Ocean. It is imposing, not because of its height or size, but rather because of its precipitous cliffs which are reputed to be unscalable. However, early in the 19th century a band of runaway slaves managed to make it to the summit where they hid to escape from the cruelty and miseries inflicted upon them by their masters. Le Morne has long been associated with slavery in popular memory. Most Mauritians and other inhabitants of the region have been aware of its function as a hideout for fugitive slaves, the so-called ‘maroons’. The most widely known legend about the mountain recounts how

Le Morne Brabant is more of a gigantic rock than a mountain, yet it is unquestionably the most famous peak in the Indian Ocean.

Above and below: The mountain is imposing , not because of its height or size, but rather because of its precipitous cliffs which are reputed to be unscalable. Now it stands sentinel, over and above everything else, as a natural monument to freedom.

a group of maroons threw themselves off the cliff when they saw what they thought were a troop of British soldiers making their way to the summit to recapture them – not realising that whilst they were in hiding, slavery had been abolished on Mauritius on 1 February 1835. The mountain thus became a place of mourning, hence its name, Le Morne, the ‘mournful one’. Since then the date has been celebrated by Mauritian Creoles as the ‘Annual Commemoration of the Abolition of Slavery’, and Le Morne Brabant, a reminder of the dark days of slavery, now stands sentinel, over and above everything else, as a natural monument to freedom. This particular legend, just as some other oral history accounts are debated, awaits documentary corroboration. Similarly, while maroonage has undoubtedly been widespread in all colonial periods, the number, living conditions and possible social structures of maroons in the Le Morne area have not yet been clarified. However, besides the oral histories, there are archival sources as well as archaeological traces suggesting that there were a significant number of maroons living in the region, who had formed bands or possibly even small communities outside colonial control.

The slaves were brought to the island by the Dutch settlers during their occupation of Mauritius between 1638 to 1710, when their last Governor, Abraham Momber Van de Velde, left the island on the ship Beverwaart bound for Batavia. He left behind depleted forests, neglected sugar-cane fields and angry runaway slaves who were forced to live a beachcomber existence. Many subsequent visitors to the island such as the French astronomer, Abbé de la Caille, and Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, the eminent French writer and botanist, mentioned the presence of maroons or maroon bands on or near Le Morne Brabant. Such accounts are confirmed by official historical documents detailing the problems created by the maroons residing in the region that attacked the nearby settlers and their plantations. Notorious maroon leaders that are known to have been associated with the mountain are Bellaca, Sans Souci and Barbe Blanche. Even though the meaning and story of Le Morne had been popular knowledge previously, the mountain only started attracting significant public attention as from 1999. Awareness increased when developers revealed plans to construct a cable-car leading up to the top of the mountain and a golf resort at its base. Given the historical and symbolic meaning of Le Morne, academics and some members of Mauritian civil society launched a public campaign against these plans and for the preservation of the mountain. Following the protests the government decided to protect the mountain by declaring it a National Heritage Site and, moreover, submitting an application for World Heritage Status to UNESCO. A Trust Fund was set up in 2004 and charged with the compilation of the Nomination Dossier and the Management Plan, key documents to be submitted to UNESCO to achieve World Heritage Status under the title (Le Morne Heritage Trust Fund Act 2004). After a first attempt had failed, Le Morne Brabant was finally inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2008.

• Silhouette • Vol 24 No 1 • 65

Right: Memorial at the foot of the mountain.

The mountain and sorrounding peninsula benefits from a unique micro-climate and as such supports an abundance of flora and fauna.

Above: Up the Morne Brabant, Island of Mauritius.

66 • Silhouette • Vol 24 No 1 •

The mountain has been in the limelight of Mauritius’ heritage sector ever since, and it certainly dominates much of what is being said and thought about slavery. An eminent journalist from The Sunday Times recently commented: “All eyes are now on Le Morne whereas other sites on Mauritius now take back stage”. The government, which had previously celebrated abolition in Mahebourg, and most sociocultural groups have held their ceremonies there since 2008. With Aapravasi Ghat, the first World Heritage Site on Mauritius, Le Morne highlights the historical significance of slavery and indenture, the two labour systems that shaped modern Mauritius. It is a unique conjunction in the Indian Ocean and abroad, and UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has promoted a symbolic meeting of those two systems to foster a better understanding among the descendants of both the slaves and indentured labourers in the colonial plantation system. Khal Torabully, the Mauritian and French poet, who coined the concept of ‘coolitude’, springing from the intercultural strata of his native island, dreams that the memories of slavery and indenture will enhance debate on identity in Mauritius and elsewhere. For him Le Morne Brabant and the Aapravasi Ghat have to be considered as two characters of a collective narrative that will enhance openness and exchanges between cultures and dispel exclusive and sectarian views of identities. In February 2009, the mountain received another boost when UNESCO unveiled a memorial at the foot of the mountain as part of their Slave Route Project. The memorial comprises a central piece, designed and sculpted by the local artist Jean Marie Hotentote: A black granite block, engraved with an image of a slave captured in the moment of breaking out. Nine paths stretching out from the centre lead to seven stones and two sculptures. The paths symbolise arms that tend towards the regions from where slaves were brought to Mauritius – the African mainland, Madagascar, India, and south-east Asia.

Le Morne Brabant is a particularly impressive mountain, highlighted by an eponymous basaltic monolith with its 556 metre summit covering an area of over 12 hectares (30 acres). There are three large caves and a considerable number of overhangs on its steep slopes, making the mountain very popular with climbers. It was the Victorians who first conquered its summit, but given its location on private land and status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, should you wish to climb the mountain today you will need a permit and a guide. Nevertheless, these are quite readily available and the climb to the summit normally takes between 3-4 hours, but the views from the mountain are simply breathtaking. The three caves on the mountain have attracted the attention of archaeologists from all over the world, for when members of a distinguished historical and archaeological team from the University of Mauritius first surveyed the site in 2003, they discovered that one of the caves located on the edge of a precipice had in front of it a small wall made of stone that seemed to have been constructed by humans. This cave showed signs of having been inhabited by humans, with the presence of a fireplace and bone remains. In another cave the team members found pieces of stone that had been brought into the cave. The bones were sent to South Africa and the Netherlands for analysis. The latter confirmed that the bones belonged to a young lamb of nine months that had been brought to the top of the mountain during either the Dutch or French settlement period, and slaughtered for food. Located on the northern face of Le Morne Brabant is Morcellement Cambier, an exclusive gated private community of residential villas with views across the lagoon which is managed by a resident’s association and not open to the public. To the north of the mountain you will find the picturesque village of La Gaulette, and to the south Le Morne Village, an aboriginal fishing village which was founded after the abolition of slavery. The mountain and surrounding peninsula benefits from a unique micro-climate and as such supports an abundance of flora and fauna. Le Morne is a refuge for two extremely rare endemic plants, the Mandrinette and, growing only on the steep slopes of the mountain, the Boucle d’Oreille. The mountain also supports a good breeding population of Fairy Tern, Sooty Tern, Red-tailed Tropic Birds, Paradise Flycatcher, Madagascar Fody and the rare Magpie Robin – an aptly named bird, since it does indeed resemble a robin masquerading as a magpie. When you spy an island on the lip of the horizon, a powerful force takes over. It’s as if the human psyche demands that we discover and explore. If that island is Mauritius, and the mountain you seek to explore is Le Morne, you’ll be well rewarded for charting a course to her shores. $

Seychelles Plus Joins Etihad Guests Loyalty Programme We are pleased to announce improved benefits, services and flexibility for our valued and loyal travellers. Since 16 june 2012, the Air Seychelles Plus Programme has been fully integrated into Etihad Guests, the award winning loyalty programme of Etihad Airways. All members of the Air Seychelles Plus Programme have automatically become new Etihad Guest members, earning eight Etihad Guest Miles for every Seychelles Plus point in their account as at 15 June 2012. Their current Seychelles Plus tier level has been carried over to their new Etihad Guest membership. For example, Air Seychelles Plus Gold Members have automatically been enrolled as Etihad Guest Gold members. On becoming an Etihad Guest member, they now enjoy more benefits and rewards, including: • Immediate rewards - with the 1 MileRedemption feature, fly once and enjoy instant rewards. • No blackout periods - GuestSeats are available on all flights, and if a seat is available, the guests can book it. • Anytime availability - all seats on a flight, including the very last seat, are available at any time. Redeem OpenSeats at a mileage

•

cost equivalent to the commercial price of the seat. The widest choice - redeem for flights, products or services using the exclusive Etihad Guest Reward Shop. Expanded network - redeem and earn points on over 3000 routes worldwide, with Etihad Airways and its partner airlines, including Air Berlin, Virgin Australia and American Airlines. Also, as Etihad Guest members, our Guests can automatically earn and redeem Etihad Guest Miles with the entire Etihad Guest Partner network worldwide, which includes international hotel chains, car hire companies and retailers as well as 1 5 airline partners.

Guest Programme This level enables the member to enjoy permanent membership to the programme after earning 500 miles. Guest Enjoys • Earn Etihad Guest Tier Miles for journey • Redeem Etihad Guest Miles for journey/Upgrades / kilos • Seat selection upon availability

Silver Tier Guest Enjoys • Waitlist priority • 10 kg excess baggage • Earn Etihad Guest Tier Miles for journey • Redeem Etihad Guest Miles for journey/Upgrades/kilos • Seat selection upon availability • 25% Tier Bonus Miles Gold Tier Guest Enjoys • Priority Check-in • Lounge Access • Priority Boarding • 50% Tier Bonus • Earn Etihad Guest Tier Miles for journey • Redeem Etihad Guest Miles for journey/Upgrades/kilos • Seat selection upon availability • 15 kg excess baggage Gold Elite Tier Guest Enjoys • Priority Check-in • Lounge Access • Priority Boarding • 50% Tier Bonus • Earn Etihad Guest Tier Miles for journey • Redeem Etihad Guest Miles for journey/Upgrades • Seat selection upon availability • 20 kg excess baggage

For more information call us on +248 4391069 / 4381016 / 4391366 / www.airseychelles.com/guest

John David Turner

1167 2695 6467

Valid Thru 05/2012

Air Seychelles Plus rejoint le programme de fidélisation Etihad Guest Nous sommes heureux d’annoncer une amélioration de prestations, de nos services et de la flexibilité pour notre fidèle clientèle. Depuis le 16 juin 2012, le programme Air Seychelles Plus a été entièrement intégré dans celui d’Etihad Guest, le programme de fidélisation primé d’Etihad Airways. Tous les membres du programme d’Air Seychelles Plus deviennent automatiquement des nouveaux membres d Etihad Guest, obtenant huit miles d’Etihad Guest pour chaque point sur leur compte au 15 Juin 2012. Les membres d’Air Seychelles Plus conserveront le même statut dans le nouveau programme d’Etihad Guest. Par exemple, les membres Gold d’Air Seychelles ont été automatiquement inscrits comme membres d’Etihad Guest Gold. En devenant membre d’Etihad Guest, ils vont maintenant bénéficier de plus d’avantages et de récompenses, y compris: • Des récompenses immédiates – avec la formule 1MileRedemption, voyagez une fois et de profitez des récompenses immédiatement. • Aucune période d’interdiction – les GuestSeats sont disponibles sur tous les vols, et si un siège est disponible, les clients pourront le réserver. • Disponibilité à tout instant - tous les sièges sur un vol, y compris le dernier, sont

•

disponibles à tout moment. Échangez vos miles pour les OpenSeats à un coût équivalent au prix commercial du siège par kilométrique. Le plus grand choix – échangez vos miles contre des billets d’avion, des produits ou services en utilisant la boutique exclusive Etihad Guest Reward Shop. Un réseau étendu - échangez et accumulez des points sur plus de 3000 destinations à travers le monde, avec Etihad Airways et ses partenaires, dont Air Berlin, Virgin Australia et American Airlines. Par ailleurs, en tant que membres d’Etihad Guest, nos clients peuvent obtenir automatiquement et échanger leurs milles avec l’ensemble de ses partenaires à travers son réseau mondial qui comprend des chaînes hôtelières internationales, les compagnies de location de voitures et les boutiques, ainsi que 15 compagnies aériennes.

Guest Programme Ce statut permet de devenir membre permanent du programme après avoir obtenu 500 miles. Avantages • Optenez des miles pour chaque voyage • Echanges de miles contre des billets d’avion/surclassement /kilos

Silver Avantages • Liste d’attente prioritaire • 10 kg d’excédent de bagages • La sélection de sièges selon disponibilité • 25% de bonus sur les miles • Gagnez des miles pour chaque voyage • Echanges de miles contre des billets d’avion/ surclassement /kilos Gold Avantages • Priorité au Check-In • Accès au Salon • Embarquement prioritaire • 50% de bonus sur les miles • Gagnez des miles pour chaque voyage • Echanges de miles contre des billets d’avion/ surclassement /kilos • Sélection de siège selon la disponibilité • 15 kg d’excédent de bagages Gold Elite Avantages • Priorité au Check-In • Accès au Salon • Embarquement prioritaire • 50% de bonus sur les miles • Gagnez des miles pour chaque voyage • Echanges de miles contre des billets d’avion/surclassement /kilos • Sélection de siège selon la disponibilité • 20 kg d’excédent de bagages

Pour plus d’informations appelez-nous au +248 4391069/4381016/4391366 / www.airseychelles.com/guest

H e a l t h y Tr a v e l l i n g

These gentle exercises, which you can carry out easily during your flight, will help blood circulation and reduce any tiredness or stiffness that may result from sitting in one place for several hours. Check with your doctor first if you have any health conditions which might be adversely affected by exercise. Foot pumps: Start with both heels on the floor and point feet upward as high as you can. Then put both feet flat on the floor. Then lift heels high, keeping the balls of your feet on the floor. Continue cycle in 30-second intervals.

Knee lifts: Lift leg with knees bent while contracting your thigh muscles. Alternate legs. Repeat 20 to 30 times for each leg.

Forward flex: With both feet on the floor and stomach held in, slowly bend forward and walk your hands down the front of your legs towards your ankles. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds and slowly sit back up.

Shoulder roll: Hunch shoulders forward, then upward, then backward, then downward, using a gentle, circular motion.

Overhead stretch: Raise both hands straight up over your head. With one hand, grasp the wrist of the opposite hand and gently pull to one side. Hold stretch for 15 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

Shoulder stretch: Reach right hand over left shoulder. Place left hand behind right elbow and gently press elbow toward shoulder. Hold stretch for 15 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

Arm curl: Start with arms held at a 90-degree angle: elbows down, hands out in front. Raise hands up to chest and back down, alternating hands. Do this exercise in 30-second intervals.

• For your own comfort try and travel light. • Wear loose clothing and elasticated stockings made of natural fibre.

Knee to chest: Bend forward slightly. Clasp hands around the left knee and hug it to your chest. Hold stretch for 15 seconds. Keeping hands around knee, slowly let it down. Alternate legs. Repeat 10 times.

OTHER TIPS FOR A COMFORTABLE FLIGHT

Ankle circles: Lift feet off the floor, draw a circle with the toes, simultaneously moving one foot clockwise and the other foot counterclockwise. Reverse circles. Do each direction for 15 seconds. Repeat if desired.

Neck roll: With shoulders relaxed, drop ear to shoulder and gently roll neck forward and to the other side, holding each position about five seconds. Repeat five times.

• Increase your normal intake of water and only if need be, drink alcohol but in moderation. • Use moisturising cream to keep your skin from drying out. • Take off shoes in the plane to prevent your feet from swelling up or wear shoes that will cope with expanding ankles. • Avoid heavy meals during the flight. • Short walks once every two hours are excellent for circulation. • Try to touch your toes when waiting in the aisle to stretch your hamstrings. • On arrival at your destination, have a hot shower or a relaxing bath. • On arrival a quick jog, brisk walk, or a vigorous scrub will help stimulate your circulation.

Air Seychelles disclaim any responsibility in the unlikely event that you may suffer an injury as a direct result of these gently exercises.

International Route Map NOTE: Graphics representation only. Not to scale. The actual flight paths may vary.

AIR SEYCHELLES LTD (Head Office) • PO Box 386, Mahé, Seychelles • Telephone: (248) 4391000 Fax: (248) 4224305 • E-mail: info@airseychelles.com • www.airseychelles.com

Fleet Airbus A320

Wet-leased from Etihad Airways Business Class seats: 16 Economy seats: 120 Mauritius route only

Airbus A330-200 (Aldabra) Cruise speed: 870 k/hr Business Class seats: 18 Economy seats: 236 Wing span: 197 ft 10 inches Length: 191ft 5.5 inches Maximum range: 4200 nm at maximum payload Maximum Takeoff weight: 233,000 kgs Maximum Landing Weight: 182,000 kgs

Fuel Capacity: 139,000 lts Engine thrust: 71,100 lbf Seat Configuration Two aisle passenger cabin Pearl class: 2-2-2 six abreast Economy: 2-4-2 eight abreast

Bird Island

Denis Island

Praslin Island

Fregate Island

Mahe Island

Air seychelles

Domestic Route Network

D´Arros Island Desroches Island Alphonse Island

SHORTS 360-300 Aircraft: 1 • Seat Capacity: Total 36 Max. Gross Weight: Take Off, 12,292 kgs Range: 630 nautical miles (1,165.5 km) Engines: Pratt and Witney PT 6A-67R Sea Level Thrust: SHP 1281

DHC-6 (TWIN OTTER) Aircraft: 4 • Seat Capacity: Total 19 Max. Gross Weight: Take Off, 5,669 kgs; Range: 490 nautical miles ( 907.5 km) Engines: Pratt and Witney PT 6A-27 Sea Level Thrust: SHP 680

Online Offices

South Africa

Capital: Pretoria Languages: English, Afrikaans Currency: Rand Area: 1,221,037 km2 Population: 45,919,000 Air Seychelles destination: Johannesburg Lu Dowell Representations

Mauritius

Capital: Port Louis Languages: French, English, Creole Currency: Rupees Area: 2,040 km2 Population: 1,243,000 Air Seychelles destination:

United Arab Emirates

Capital: Abu Dhabi

Languages: Arabic, English Currency: Emirati Dirham (AED) Area: 83,600 km2 Population: 8, 264,070 Air Seychelles destination: Abu Dhabi

Greenstone Hill Office Park Emerald Boulevard, Building 1, Unit F4. Modderfontein, Edenvale South Africa Tel: (0027-11)-452-0244 Fax: 0866578741 or (0027-11) 781-2144 E-mail: airseychelles@ludowell.co.za

Plaisance Airport Rogers & Company Ltd Rogers House 5, President John Kennedy Street PO Box 60, Port Louis Tel: (00230) 202 6671 Fax: (00230) 208 3540 Sita: mrurrhm E-mail: info-mu@airseychelles.com

DUBAI

Asian Air Travel and Tours Agency PO Box 65006 Dubai, UAE Tel: (00971 4) 286 8008 Fax: (00971 4) 283 2115 Email: info-ae@airseychelles.com

Worldwide Offices THE CREOLE SPIRIT PO Box 386 Victoria, Mahé Tel: (00248) 439 10 00 Fax: (00248) 439 10 05 (Head Office) Fax: (00248) 432 41 94 (Marketing & Sales) Email: info@airseychelles.com Fax: (00248) 422 59 33 (Sales & Reservations) Email: marketing@airseychelles.com ABU DHABI Omeir Travel Agency, Shk. Khalifa Street PO Box 267, Abu Dhabi Tel: (00971 2) 612 3470 Fax: (00971 2) 622 6799 Email: info-abu@airseychelles.com BALTIC COUNTRIES Katusepapi Street 6, Tallinn 11412, Estonia Tel: (00372) 6681 009 Fax: (00372) 6228 115 Email: AirSeychelles@airlinemanagement.eu

CHINA Beijing Jinzhihong Aviation Services Co.Ltd H.J.J.H Group, 1/F Qinglan Plaza, No. 24 Dongsi Shitiao, Beijing PRC 100007 Email: charlie_anny@hotmail.com Tel: (00 8610) 840 18745/51296988 ext 559 Fax: (00 8610) 640 22093 MELBOURNE Sky Air Services, Level 7, 24 Albert Road, South Melbourne 3205 Tel: (0061 3) 9699 9355 Fax: (0061 3) 9699 9388 Email: info-mel@airseychelles.com AUSTRIA Aviareps, Airline Management Service Gmbh Argentinierstrasse 2/4 A - 1040,Vienna, Austria Tel: (0043 1) 585 3631 55 Fax: (0043 1) 585 3630 88 Email: airseychelles@aviareps.com info-at@airseychelles.com

BAHRAIN Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo W11 Al Khalifa Road, Building 302 Block 304 PO Box 45, Manama Tel: (00973) 17 220 800 Fax: (00973) 17 213 458 Email: info-bh@airseychelles.com

CHENNAI Chennai Global Aviation Services Pvt Ltd 733, Anna Salai, Chennai 600006 Tel: +91 44 4295 9600, 4203 6220 Tel: +91 44 4295 9696 extn: 632 Fax: +91 44 42959656 sophia.tallent@globalaviationindia.com jitesh.grover@globalaviationindia.com

BELGIUM/LUXEMBOURG Kales Airline Services Park Hill, Mommaertslaan 18A B –1831, Diegem, Brussels Tel: (0032 2) 716 00 64 Fax: (0032 2) 716 00 86 Email: info-be@airseychelles.com

Comores Ario Ltd, Route magoudjou Bp 1285, Moroni Tel: (00269) 733 144 Tel: (00269) 733 820- airport Tel: (00269) 732 388- reservations Fax: (00269) 730 719 Email: info-km@airseychelles.com Email: ario.comores@snpt.km

CZECH REPUBLIC Aviareps Czech Republic Na Rybnícku 5/1329, 120 00 Praha 2, Tel: (00 420) 296 368 273 Fax: (00 420) 224 233 412 Email: info@airseychelles.cz

DUBAI Asian Air Travel and Tours Agency PO Box 65006, Dubai Tel: (00971 4) 286 8008 Fax: (00971 4) 283 2115 Email: info-ae@airseychelles.com

Wo e fOf ifcf iecse s Wo r l dr lwd iwd ied O DENMARK Discover the world Marketing Trommesalen 5, DK – 1614 Copenhangen V Tel: (0045) 33252588 Fax: (0045) 33252586 Email: Johnny.schou@dtwm.dk carsten.hein@dtwm.dk

IRELAND Aviareps plc Commercial Office, 11 The Anchorage, Charlotte Quay, Dublin 4, Ireland Tel: (00353 1) 6319604 Fax: (00353 1) 6674228 Email: hmsupport@aereps.ie

PAKISTAN Seypak Aviation (Pvt) Ltd 4 J.C.H.S. Main Sharea Faisal Karachi 75350 Tel: (0092 21) 454 5912/ 4536348/ 4543044 Fax: (0092 21) 454 5905 Email: info-pak@airseychelles.com

FINLAND Yellow Sky Ltd Kauppakaarre 1 (4th floor) Fin-00700 Helsinki, Finland Tel: (00358 9) 6122 0240 Fax: (00358 9) 6122 0255 Email: info-fin@airseychelles.com

THAILAND TT Aviation Co. Ltd, 140/19 ITF tower, 11th floor Silom Road, Suriyawongse Bangrak, Bangkok 10500 Tel: (00662) 235 8282 Fax: (00662) 231 6488 Email: info-th@airseychelles.com

ISRAEL Open Sky Limited 23 Ben Yehuda Street, Tel Aviv 63805 Tel: (00972 3) 795 1333 Fax: (00972 3) 795 1330 Email: info-il@airseychelles.com

PHILIPPINES MC Travel Corporation, UGL-A Grand Hamptons Tower 31st Street corner 2nd Avenue Bonifacio Global City Taguig City, Metro Manila Philippines 1630 Tel: (0063 2) 856-2336 Tel: (0063 2) 856-2808 Email: cecile@quevenco.com

TAIWAN Aviation Travel Services Co Ltd 10F, No. 19, Sec 3 Nan Jing E. Road Taipei , Taiwan R.O.C. Tel: +886- 2 2567 8956 Fax: +886- 2 2563 7596 General email: info-ta@airseychelles.com Email: mckoy@atstpe.com.tw

GERMANY Aviareps Airline Management Group AG Josephspitalstrasse 15 80331 Munich Tel: (0049 89) 552 53338 Fax: (0049 89) 545 06855 Email: info-de@airseychelles.com GREECE Intermodal Air 25 Filellinon Str, 105 57 Athens Tel: (0030 1) 371 6357/3249300 Fax: (0030 1) 324 9152 Sita: athgdco Email: info-gr@airseychelles.com HUNGARY Aviareps Magyarorszag Kft Capital Square/First Clients Offices Vaci ut 76, 1133 Budapest, Hungary Tel: (0036 1) 4113880 Fax: (0036 1) 411 3881 Email: jvaradi@aviareps.com HONG KONG Incola Air Services Ltd. Suite A,6/F, Wah Kit Comm. Centre 300-302 Des Voeux Road Central Tel: (00852) 2866 8826/36 Fax: (00852) 2527 7837 Email: info-hk@airseychelles.com

ITALY (NORTH) Sima International Via Albricci, 8, 20122 Milano (Mi) Tel: (0039 02) 89096106 Fax: (0039 02) 316180 Email: info-mi@airseychelles.com JAPAN Air Solution Service Ltd 2F, Hashimoto Bldg., Shiba 5-16-1, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0014, Japan Email: pax-sales@air-sos.co.jp Tel: (0081 3) 5765 5392 Fax: (0081 3) 5765 5351 KENYA Safari Travel Kenya Ltd 2nd Avenue, Parklands PO Box 58716-00200 GPO Tel: (254 20) 3747276, 3521872 Fax: (254 20) 3747286 Email: info-ke@airseychelles.com KOREA Pacific Air Agency Group, 12th Floor Donghwa Building 58-7, Seosomun Dong Choong-Ku, Seoul 100-110, Korea Pacific Air Agency Ltd. Tel : (0082 2) 317 8710 Fax: (0082 2) 755 9758 E-mail : bkkoo@paagrp.co.kr

Walshe Group Suite 906, Orient Tower, 33 Lockhart Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong. Tel 00852 3979 3488 Or 00852 3979 3489 Email: info@walshegroup.com Website: www.walshegroup.com

KUWAIT Pan Arab Travels Co PO Box 2842, Safat Pc 13029 Tel: (00965) 241 5554/ 241 5556 Fax: (00965) 241 0873 Email: info-kw@airseychelles.com

INDONESIA Aviation Services co. Ltd Menara bdn, 9th floor, Jl.Mh thamrin no.5 Jakarta 10340 Tel: (0062 11) 392 9949 Fax: (0062 11) 392 9948 Email: avs@aviatioindonesia.com

MALYSIA Aviation Services co. Ltd Cp12, suite 1302, 13th Floor, Central Plaza, 34 jalan sultan ismail, 50250 Kuala Lumpur, Tel: (0060 3) 2143 3755 Fax: (0060 3) 2148 8499 Email: chew@avs-worldwide.com.my

INDIA Global Air Transport Services Pvt. Ltd. N.K.M.International House,6th Floor, 178 Backbay Reclamation,B.M.Chinai Marg, Mumbai -400 020 (India) Tel : (+91 022) 22829000/66205600 Fax: (+91 022) 22829004/66205656 Email: info-in@airseychelles.com Email: padmaja@globalaviationindia.com Reservations and Ticketing Tel: (+91 022) 6621 3807 / 3811 Fax: (+91 022) 6621 3818 Email: deepak@globalaviationindia.com Ahmedabad: Tel: 079 - 4021 6599 Email: dharmesh.rami@globalaviationindia.com Bangalore: Tel: (080) 22275091/22275416 Email: kishore.rao@globalaviationindia.com Kolkata(Calcutta) Tel: (033) 22806336 /22872550 Email: mazumdar.p@globalaviationindia.com Delhi Tel: (011) 23737471/3 Email: brij@globalaviationindia.com Hyderabad Tel: (040) 66613450 / 23241586 Email Suchitra.c@globalaviationindia.com

MALDIVES Universal Travel Department 39 Orchid Magu, Malé 20-02 Republic of Maldives Tel: (00 960) 3334 004/3314910 Fax: (00 960) 3316 156 Email: info-mv@airseychelles.com MAYOTTE Air Moyotte 21 place MAriage, 97600 Momoudzou, Tel: (00 269) 623 100 Fax: (00 269) 623 118 Email: info-may@airseychelles.com NETHERLANDS Kales Airlines Services B.V Building:Triport 1, E. V.d Beekstraat 46 1118 CL Schiphol Airport Tel: (0031 20) 655 3670 Fax: (0031 20) 655 3651 Email: info-nl@airseychelles.com peter.kales@kales.com johan.six@kales.com OMAN United Travels Llc PO Box 599, Muttrah Postal Code 114 Sultanate of Oman Tel: (00968) 247 80057/61 Fax: (00968) 247 80094 Email: info-om@airseychelles.com

POLAND UI. Sienna 72, Apt. 3 00-833 Warszawa, Poland Tel: (0048 22) 6323205 Fax: (0048 22) 6324046 Email: info-pl@airseychelles.com

DENMARK Target Marketing of Scandinavia Vesterbrogade 6 D, ISAL - DK1620 Kobenhann V, Denmark Tel: (0045) 33 12 60 55 Fax: (0045) 33 93 05 09 Email: info-dk@airseychelles.com

QATAR Qatar Tours PO Box 1683, Doha Tel: (00974) 441 1414/443 6002/441 9753 Fax: (00974) 4433 197, 4351926 Email: info-qa@airseychelles.com

FINLAND Yellow Sky TMS Kauppakaarre 1, 4th Floor, FIN-00700 Helsinki, Finland Tel: (00358 9) 6122 0217 Fax: (00358 9) 6122 0255 Email: info-fin@airseychelles.com

REUNION Air France 7 Avenue De La Victoire, BP 845 F-97477 Saint Denis Cedex Tel: (00262) 262 40 38 38 Fax: (00262) 262 40 38 40 Email: info-run@airseychelles.com

NORWAY Flyservice TMS Fr. Nansens Pl 8, 0160 OSLO Tel: (0047 24) 14 8754 Fax: (0047 24) 14 8751 Email: info-no@airseychelles.com

ROMANIA Aviareps Magyarorszag Kft Capital Square/First Clients Offices Vaci ut 76, 1133 Budapest, Hungary Tel: (0036 1) 411 3880 Fax: (0036 1) 411 3881 jvaradi@aviareps.com RUSSIA Aviareps, Moscow, Prospect Mira, 39 BLDG 2 129110 Moscow Tel: (007 495) 937 5950 Fax: (007 495) 937 5951 Email: info-rus@airseychelles.com SAUDI ARABIA Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo PO Box 37, Dammam 31411 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia EASTERN PROVINCE Air Seychelles, Airline Center PO Box 1878 Al Khobar 31952, Saudi Arabia Tel: (00966 3) 8355832 Fax: (00966 3) 835573 Email: info-sa-e@airseychelles.com CENTRAL PROVINCE Air Seychelles Kanoo Building, One Block off King Abdul Aiz Road, PO Box 753 Riyadh 11421, Saudi Arabia Tel: (009661) 4772228 Ext 288/305 Fax: (009661) 2833041 Email: info-sa-c@airseychelles.com WESTERN PROVINCE Air Seychelles Kanoo Center, Kilo ‘7’ Madinah Road PO Box 812, Jeddah 21421, Saudi Arabia Tel: (009662) 2632959 Ext 121/108 Fax: (009662) 2632948 Email: info-sa-w@airseychelles.com SWEDEN Riddargatan 17, 114 57 Stockholm, Sweden Tel Direct: (0046 8) 545 259 42 Fax: (0046 8) 241 888 Email: HMRes.Scan@aviareps.com

SPAIN Air Marketing Representatives S.A.-AMRC/Monte Esquinza, 30, Oficina 5 28010 Madrid Tel: (0034) 91 319 5189 Fax: (0034) 91 310 5098 Email: info-es@airseychelles.com SRI LANKA North South Lines Pvt Ltd 400 Deans Road, Colombo 10, Sri Lanka Tel: (0094 11) 4740760 Fax: (0094 11) 4740765 Email: info-Ik2@airseychelles.com SWITZERLAND AirPass Services Switzerland Schaffhauserstrasse 115 Airport City, CH-8302 Kloten Tel: (0041 44) 220 19 00 Fax: (0041 44) 220 19 15 Dedicated phone number for Air Seychelles: Tel: (0041 44) 220 19 20 Fax: (0041 44) 220 19 15 UKRAINE Aviareps AG 9/2, Chervonoarmijska str of 4 001004 Kiev Tel: (0038 44) 490 65 02 Email: nilyashova@aviareps.com USA AND CANADA I Penn Plaza Suite 1416, New York, NY 10119 United States Tel: (001 646) 8773597392 Email: info-us2@airseychelles.com VIETNAM Worldwide Agency 127-129 Nguyen Hue Street, District1 1 HoChiMinh City, Vietnam Tel: (0084) 3915 2264 Fax: (0084) 3915 2265 Email: grace@itlavs.com

Tr a v e l Fa c t s

Currency

Language

The Seychelles Rupee (SCR1 = 100 cents). Notes SCR 10, 25, 50, 100 and 500. Coins SCR 1, 5 and Cents 1, 5, 10, 25. Most credit cards and travellers’ cheques are accepted. There is no restriction on the import and export of domestic and foreign currency in the country. Banks and Bureaux de Change are authorised dealers in foreign currency. For rates of exchange contact authorised dealers for which information can be otained on Central Bank’s website at www.cbs.sc

Creole, English and French are the official languages of the Seychelles. Restaurant bills normally include a service charge. Although not widely expected, tips are warmly received for personal service.

Clothes

Credit Cards American Express, Mastercard, Diners Club and Visa cards are widely accepted.

Time Seychelles is four hours ahead of GMT and three hours ahead of Central European Time.

Public Holidays New Year Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday Labour Day Liberation Day Corpus Christi National Day Independence Day Assumption Day, (festival on La Digue) All Saints Day Immaculate Conception Christmas

Tipping

January 1-2 March 29, 31 & April1 May 1 June 5 May 30 June 18 June 29 August 15 November 1 December 8 December 25

Climate 26°-29° C all year round. Annual rainfall totals approximately 90 inches, with heavy showers between November and February. As the Islands lie beyond the cyclone belt, high winds and thunderstorms are rare.

Electricity

Very casual. For men, shorts and T-shirts during the day, and slacks for evening. Jackets and ties are rarely worn. For women, cotton wrap-arounds or shorts for daytime, cool dresses for evening wear.

Transport: An efficient bus service operates on Mahé, Praslin and La Digue between 0530-1900. Taxis are available and cars can also be hired on Mahé and Praslin and bicycles on La Digue. A valid international license is required for self-driving. Air Seychelles operates flights between Mahé and Praslin throughout the day. Charter flights are also operated to other islands. An inter-island ferry service operates daily between the islands of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue. L’Air Dezil operates a shuttle service between Mahé, Praslin and La Digue and other islands.

Customs Duty Free items are permitted for up to: - 200 millilitres of Perfume and Eau de Toilette. - 2 litres of beverages with less than 16% alcohol i.e beer, wine. - 2 litres of beverages with more than 16% alcohol i.e whisky, gin, rum etc. - 250 grammes of tobacco or 200 cigarettes. - Personal goods worth SCR 5000 for adults and SCR 3000 for under 18 years. For more information visit www.src.gov.sc

Accommodation

Tourist Information

Seychelles offers a variety of accommodation, from international resorts and medium-sized hotels with all facilities to guest houses, lodges and chalets on the smaller islands. Camping is not allowed.

The Seychelles Tourist Office is located in Independence House, Victoria, Mahé.

Sports and Watersports

240 volts AC 50 Hz. Adaptors are provided by hotels.

Emergency Services The Emergency number for fire, police or ambulance is 999. Victoria Hospital: 4388000.

Medical Services Victoria has a large and efficient hospital and most islands have health clinics. Some hotels provide duty nurses. Private doctors are available on call at all hotels – contact reception.

Many hotels have excellent facilities for watersports centres offering a wide range of activities. Some also have dive centres and tennis courts. There is an 18-hole golf course at Lemuria Resort on Praslin and Seychelles Golf Course, a 9-hole golf course at Anse aux Pins, Mahé.

Museums and Libraries

The central office in Victoria is open from 0800-1600 Monday-Friday and 0800-1200 Saturday.

The History Museum is situated on Francis Rachel Street, Victoria in the National Library Building. The Natural History Museum is situated on Independence Avenue, Victoria near to the Post Office. Kenwyn House directly opposite the main entrance to the National Library on Francis Rachel Street is one of the best preserved 19th century buildings of Victoria, renovated in 2005.

Telecommunications

Shopping

Post Office

Cable & Wireless Seychelles (CWS), the islands leading communications provider, is the operator of choice across mobile (3G+), broadband and fixed services. As a subsidiary of Cable & Wireless Communications PLC (listed on the LSE), the company delivers first rate business and consumer solutions including turnkey solutions for major international investors. CWS’ mission is “To provide world class communication services and solutions wherever and whenever people work, play and have fun”. No one knows Seychelles better. Telecom (Sey) Ltd, AIRTEL. Provider of Mobile GSM Telecom Services with 3G & Edge Network, Mobile broadband Data Services for High Speed Internet Access. Roaming with over 200 operators worldwide. Prepaid starter kits & recharge options available at Airtel Centres in Victoria, Providence, Praslin & selected retail outlets on main islands. Coverage on Mahè, Praslin, La Digue, Inner Islands, Fregate & Coetivy.

Local handicrafts include basketware, table-mats, hats, jewellery and paintings. Shops are open from 0800-1700 hours Monday-Friday and 0800-1200 hours Saturday. Some open Sunday morning.

Restaurants A range of cuisine is also available, from traditional Creole and French cuisine to Chinese. In addition to hotels and restaurants, several take-away outlets can be found in Victoria.

Nightlife Most hotels offer programmes for evening entertainment ranging from barbecues and dinner dances to folk singing. There are two cinemas in Victoria. Theatrical productions are sometimes staged in Creole, English and French.

Informations Utiles

Langues

Devise

Une roupie seychelloise = 100 sous. Il existe des billets de 10, 25, 50 , 100 et 500. Il existe de la monnaie à 1 et 5 roupies, 1, 5, 10 et 25 sous. La majorité des cartes de crédit et des chèques de voyage sont acceptés. Il n’y a pas de restriction sur l’importation et l’exportation de devises étrangères et locales dans le pays. Les banques et les bureaux de change sont autorisés pour toutes les transactions en devises étrangères. En ce qui concerne les taux d’échange, prenez contact avec les courtiers autorisés qui obtiennent leurs informations de la Banque Centrale ; site web : www.cbs.sc

Cartes de crédit Les cartes American Express, Mastercard, Diners Club et Visa sont généralement acceptées.

Décalage horaire Les Seychelles ont trois heures d’avance sur Paris.

Jours fériés

Nouvel An Vendredi saint, Dimanche de Pâques Fête du travail Jour de la Libération Fête Dieu Fête Nationale Fête de l’Indépendance Fête de l’Assomption (La Digue) Toussaint Immaculée Conception Noël

1 et 2 janvier 29, 31 mars & 1 avril 1 mai 5 juin 30 mai 18 juin 29 juin 15 août 1 novembre 8 décembre 25 décembre

Climat Entre 26 et 29 degrés Celcius, tout au long de l’année. Saison des pluies entre novembre et février (env. 200mm de précipitation). Les Seychelles étant hors de la zone des cyclones, les tempêtes sont rares.

Electricité Courant alternatif 240 volts. Les hôtels mettent des adaptateurs à disposition.

Information Touristique

Le créole, l’anglais et le français sont les langues officielles des Seychelles.

Pourboires Le service est compris dans la plupart des restaurants. Bien qu’ils ne soient pas obligatoires, les pourboires sont toujours reçus avec un grand sourire.

Tenue vestimentaire Décontractée. Pour les hommes le port du short et du T-shirt la journée et du pantalon le soir. Pour les dames le port du short ou d’une jupe en coton la journée et robe légère le soir.

Transport : Un service de bus efficace fonctionne sur Mahé, Praslin et La Digue entre 5h.30 et 19 heures. Des taxis et des voitures en location sont aussi disponibles sur Mahé et sur Praslin et des bicyclettes peuvent être louées sur La Digue.Un permis valable de conduite international est exigé en cas de location de voiture sans chauffeur. Air Seychelles fournit des vols entre Mahé et Praslin durant la journée. Des vols charter sont aussi organisés vers les autres îles. Un service de ferry interîles fonctionne aussi entre les îles de Mahé, Praslin et La Digue. L’ »Air Dezil » propose aussi une navette entre Mahé, Praslin, La Digue et d’autres îles.

Les produits hors-taxe sont limités à : - 200 ml de parfum et eau de toilette - 2 litres de boisson contenant moins de 16% d’alcool, par ex. la bière, le vin. - 2 litres de boisson contenant plus de 16% d’alcool, par ex. le whisky, le gin, le rhum etc. - 250 grammes de tabac ou 200 cigarettes. - des biens personnels pour une valeur de 5.000 Rs par adulte et de 3.000 Rs pour les jeunes de moins de 18 ans. Pour plus d’informations, visitez notre site: www.src.gov.sc

Hébergement Les Seychelles disposent d’une grande diversité d’hébergement – allant des hôtels de grande, moyenne et petite capacité aux “lodges”, chalets et bungalows sur les plus petites îles.

Sports et sports nautiques

Urgences

Beaucoup d’hôtels ont d’excellents centres de sports nautiques offrant une large gamme d’activités. Certains ont également des clubs de plongée et des courts de tennis. Il y a un golf de18 trous à l’hôtel Lémuria à Praslin, et le Seychelles Golf Course, un neuf trous à Anse aux Pins, à Mahé.

Pour toutes urgences (ambulance, police, pompiers), il faut composer le 999. Victoria Hôpital: 4388000.

Museums et librairies

L’office du tourisme est situé à L’Independence House à Mahé.

Services médicaux Victoria est dotée d’un hôpital tandis que la plupart des îles possèdent une clinique. Certains grands hôtels ont un service d’infirmerie.

Bureau de poste Les heures d’ouverture du bureau de poste à Victoria sont: de 8:00h à 16:00h, du lundi au vendredi et de 8:00h à 12:00h le samedi.

Télécommunications

Cable & Wireless Seychelles (CWS), le principal opérateur de télécommunications de l’archipel, propose des services de téléphonie fixe, mobile (3G+) et internet (ADSL). En tant que filiale du Groupe Cable & Wireless Communications PLC (coté à la bourse de Londres), la société offre des prestations innovantes pour les entreprises et les particuliers, ainsi que des solutions intégrées pour les grands comptes internationaux. Notre mission est “de fournir des solutions et services parmi les meilleurs au monde, partout et pour chaque instant de la vie”. Personne ne connaît mieux les Seychelles que nous. Telecom (Sey) Ltd, Airtel propose des Réseaux GSM, 3G, et Edge avec couverture intérieure/extérieur dans les îles de Mahè, Praslin, La Digue, Frégate et Coetivy. Des cartes de téléphone cellulaires sont disponibles dans les bureaux d’Airtel et des locaux spécifiques. L’accès au réseau ‘roaming‘ avec plus de 200 opérateurs internationales.

Le Musée d’Histoire est situé dans la rue Francis Rachel, à Victoria, dans le bâtiment de la Bibliothèque Nationale. Le Museum d’Histoire Naturelle est situé dans la rue de l’indépendance, à Victoria, près du bureau de Poste. Kenwyn House, en face de l’entrée principale de la Bibliothèque Nationale dans la rue Francis Rachel, est l’un des bâtiments du 19ème siècle les mieux préservés à Victoria. Il fut rénové en 2005.

Shopping L’artisanat local offre des travaux en fibre (chapeaux, paniers etc.) en coquillages, en nacre ou encore en or (bijoux et objets décoratifs) ainsi que des œuvres d’artistes locaux. Les heures d’ouverture des magasins sont de 8:00h à 17:00h du lundi au vendredi et de 8:00h à 12:00h le samedi. Certains commerces restent ouverts le dimanche matin.

Restaurants Les Seychelles offrent une cuisine variée: créole et internationale. En dehors des établissements hôteliers et des restaurants, des services traiteurs sont à votre disposition à Mahé (Victoria) ainsi qu’à Praslin.

Vie nocturne La plupart des hôtels organisent des spectacles nocturnes: danses traditionnelles, dîners dansant ou barbecues sur la plage. Il y a deux cinémas à Victoria. Régulièrement, des pièces de théâtre en français, en anglais et en créole sont à l’affiche. Il existe aussi des boîtes de nuit à Victoria et Beau Vallon ainsi qu’à Praslin.

Dining Out RESTAURANTS – MAHÉ A LA CARTE Al Mare Restaurant

Beau Vallon Tel: +248 462 02 40 / 251 21 17 / 251 21 13 Fax: +248 462 02 42 E-mail: almare@email.sc

CREOLE

Anse Soleil Cafe

Anse Soleil, Mahé Tel: +248 436 10 85 / 436 17 00 / 251 12 12

Boat House

Address: Beau Vallon Mahé Tel: +248 424 78 98 E-mail: davejoubert@yahoo.com

Cap Lazare

Tel: +248 428 01 00 / 252 46 42 Fax: +248 422 58 17 E-mail: info@creoletravelservices.com

Chez Batista Restaurant

CHINESE

Le Canton Chinese Restaurant

Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Beach Resort & Casino Tel: +248 428 72 87 Fax: +248 424 79 43 E-mail: bhrseysm@berjayaseychelles.com

Zez

Four Seasons Resort Tel: +248 4393 000 ext. 1902 E-mail: Restaurants-Reservation.SEY@ fourseasons.com

GOURMET

Cyann “Signature Cousine” Constance Ephilia Resort Tel: +248 4395 001

Maia Restaurant

Luxury Resort Spa Tel: +248 4390 000 E-mail: reservations@southernsun.sc

Takamaka, Mahé Tel: +248 436 63 00 Fax: +248 436 65 09 E-mail: batistas@seychelles.net

Chilli Bar & Steakhouse

Domaine Du Soleil Restaurant

Mahék Indian Restaurant

Tel: +248 428 55 55 Fax: +248 424 72 24 E-mail: sun@seychelles.net

La Louise Tel: +248 4344 155

INDIAN

Bel Air Restaurant

Le Corsaire Restaurant

Bravo

Le Jardin du Roi

Hotel Bel Air Bel Air, Mahé Tel: +248 422 44 16 Fax: +248 422 49 23 E-mail: belair@seychelles.net Eden Island Tel: +248 4346 020 bravo@seychelles.net

Carefree Guesthouse & Restaurant Anse Aux Pins Mahé Tel: +248 437 52 37 Fax: +248 437 56 54 E-mail: honey@seychelles.net

Chez Plume Resturant

PO Box 211, Victoria, Mahé Tel: +248 435 50 50 Fax: 248 435 50 33 E-mail: plume@seychelles.net

Fairyland Restaurant

Fairyland Small Hotel Pointe au Sel, Mahé Tel: +248 437 17 00 Fax: +248 437 16 10 E-mail: fairylan@seychelles.net

Address: Bel Ombre, Mahé Tel: +248 424 71 71 / 251 51 71 E-mail: corsaro2@intelvision.net Domaine de L’enfoncement Anse Royale Tel: +248 437 13 13 Fax: +248 437 13 66 E-mail: brymich@seychelles.net

Le Mangrovia Restaurant

Le Meridien Barbarons Tel: +248 467 30 00 Fax: +248 467 33 80 E-mail: reservation.barbarons@lemeridien.sc

Le Rendez-vous Restaurant & Lounge Bar

1st Floor, Victoria House Victoria, Mahé Tel: +248 432 35 56 Fax: +248 432 32 16 E-mail: patti@seychelles.net

Le Surmer Restaurant

Le Surmer Hotel Pointe Conan, Mahé Tel: +248 424 18 11 Fax: +248 424 15 27 E-mail: lesurmer@seychelles.net

Coral Strand Hotel Tel: +248 462 10 00 Fax: +248 424 75 17 E-mail: info@coralstrand.sc

Green Valley

Anse Faure Tel: +248 4375 453

LEBANESE & PIZZERIA

Maia

Le Marinier Restaurant

Bel Ombre Tel: +248 2527 000

Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa PO Tel: +248 429 90 00 Fax: +248 429 90 03 E-mail: reservations@thenortholmehotel.com

Jolie Rose 2 Restaurant

Katiolo

Inter Island Quay Victoria, Mahé Tel: +248 422 49 37

Le Reduit Restaurant

Tel: +248 436 61 16 / 436 62 25 E-mail: lereduit@seychelles.net

Marie Antoinette Restaurant Serret Road St Louis Tel: +248 426 62 22

News Cafe

1st floor, Trinity House Victoria, Mahé Tel: +248 432 29 99

INTERNATIONAL

Doubleclick Seychelles

Maison La-Rosiere Palm Street Victoria, Mahé Tel: +248 461 05 90 Fax: +248 461 05 91 E-mail: bureau@seychelles.net

Helios Restaurant

Constance Ephilia Resort Tel: +248 4395 001 info@ephiliaresort.com

Konoba Restaurant Bar Launge Angel Fish Bayside Marina Tel: +248 4345 400 contact@konoba.sc

La Scala Restaurant

PO Box 962 Victoria, Mahé Tel: +248 424 75 35 Fax: +248 424 79 02 E-mail: silscala@seychelles.net

Sahara Pub and Restuarant

PIZZA

Anse aux Pins Tel: +248 437 1670

The Hilltop Restaurant

SOUTH ASIAN

Kaz Kreol Restaurant

Montezuma Restaurant

Kannel

Four Seasons Resort Tel: +248 4393 000 ext. 1902 E-mail: Restaurants-Reservation.SEY@ fourseasons.com

INTERNATIONAL/ JAPANESE Teppanyaki

Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Beach Resort & Casino Tel: +248 428 72 87 Fax: +248 424 79 43 E-mail: bhrseysm@berjayaseychelles.com

INTERNATIONAL/ CREOLE Anchor Cafe

Anse a la Mouche, Mahé Tel: +248 437 12 89 Fax: +248 437 17 53 E-mail: keith@seychelles.net

Au Jardin D’Epices

Banyan Tree Seychelles Tel: +248 438 35 00 Fax: +248 438 36 00 E-mail: reservations@banyantree.com

Aubergine Restaurant

Anse Royale Mahé Tel: +248 436 16 80 E-mail: chefinparadise@hotmail.com

La Cocoteraie Restaurant

Le Meridien Barbarons Hotel PO Box 636 Barbarons, Mahé Tel: +248 467 30 00 Fax: +248 467 33 80 E-mail: reservation.barbarons@lemeridien.sc

La Palma Restaurant

Coco D’Or Hotel PO Tel: +248 424 73 31 Fax: +248 424 74 54 E-mail: cocodor@seychelles.sc

La Perle Noire Restaurant Beau Vallon Mahé Tel: +248 462 02 20 Fax: +248 462 02 01 perlnoir@seychelles.net

La Voliere

Mahé Beach Resort Tel: +248 438 53 85 Fax: +248 437 81 17 E-mail: bmbsm@seychelles.net

Lazare Picault Restaurant

Lazare Picault Hotel Tel: +248 436 11 11 Fax: +248 436 11 77 E-mail: lazarpco@seychelles.net

Baobab Pizzeria Restaurant Beau Vallon, Mahé Tel: +248 424 71 67 / 258 38 68

(Fisherman’s Cove) c/o Le Meridien Fisherman’s Cove Tel: +248 467 70 00 Fax: +248 462 09 00 / 01 E-mail: reservations@lemeridien.sc

Beach Side Bistro

Le Cardinal Restaurant

Glacis exvista do mar, Mahè Mobile: 2746808

Manresa Restaurant

Manresa Small Hotel Anse Etoile PO Box 692 Victoria, Mahé Tel: +248 424 13 88 Fax: +248 424 13 88

Uncle Will’s Pizzeria

Restaurant 8 Lounge

Luxury Resort & Spa Tel: +248 4390 000 E-mail: reservations@southernsun.sc

Selwyn Selwyn Clarke Market Victoria, Mahé Tel: +248 422 54 51

Port Launay Tel: +248 4324026/2523968 Coco D’Or Hotel Tel: +248 424 73 31 Fax: +248 424 74 54 E-mail: cocodor@seychelles.sc

Tel: +248 429 90 00 Fax: +248 429 90 01 E-mail: reservations@thenortholmehotel.com

New Port -Victoria Tel: +248 4610 888

Docklands Pizzeria

The Wharf Hotel & Marina Providence, Mahé Tel: +248 467 07 00 Fax: +248 460 17 00 E-mail: thewharf@seychelles.net

The Sea Shell

Les Cocotiers Restaurant

Coral Strand Hotel PO Tel: +248 462 10 00 Fax: +248 424 75 17 E-mail: info@coralstrand.sc

Le Bourgeois Restaurant

c/o Le Meridien Fisherman’s Cove Tel: +248 467 70 00 Fax: +248 462 09 00 / 01 E-mail: reservations@lemeridien.sc

Mahé Beach Resort Port Glaud Mahé Tel: +248 438 53 85 Fax: +248 437 81 17 E-mail: bmbsm@seychelles.net

The Parrot

Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Beach Resort & Casino PO Box 550 Victoria Mahé Tel: +248 428 72 87 Fax: +248 424 79 43 E-mail: bhrseysm@berjayaseychelles.com

The Board Walk Lounge & Bar Eden Island Tel: +248 443 63 03

Pirates Arms

Tel: +248 422 50 01 Fax: +248 422 44 50 E-mail: pirates@seychelles.sc

Pizzeria Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay

Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Resort & Casino Tel: +248 28 472 87 Fax: +248 424 79 43 E-mail: bhrseysm@berjayaseychelles.com

Saffron

Banyan Tree Seychelles Tel: +248 438 35 00 Fax: +248 438 36 00 E-mail: reservations@banyantree.com

Sam’s Pizzeria

Francis Rachel Street, Victoria, Mahé Tel: +248 432 24 99 / 32 34 95 Fax: + 248 432 43 59 E-mail: sulemane@seychelles.net

Seselwa Bar

Constance Ephilia Resort Tel: +248 4395 001 info@ephiliaresort.com

Diner a l Extérieur

Silhouette Restaurant

Black Parrot Restaurant

Sunset Beach Resort PO Box 372 Glacis, Mahé Tel: +248 426 11 11 Fax: +248 426 12 21 E-mail: sunset@seychelles.net

Black Parrot Suites Anse Bois de Rose, Praslin Tel: +248 429 05 55 Fax: +248 429 04 40 E-mail: cocodeme@seychelles.net

Skychef LTD

Bonbon Plume

Seychelles International Airport PO Box 450 Victoria Tel: +248 438 17 50 Fax: +248 437 34 56 E-mail: skychef@seychelles.net

Sundown Restaurant Port Glaud, Mahé Tel: +248 437 83 52 Fax: +248 437 83 52

Takamaka Restaurant

Takamaka Residence Takamaka, Mahé Tel: +248 436 60 49 Fax: +248 436 63 03 E-mail: infobox@seychelleshotel.com

Tyfoo Restaurant

La Plaine St. Andre Au cap, Mahé Tel: +248 437 14 85

Vye Marmit

Domaine de Val de Pres Au Cap, Mahé Tel: +248 437 61 55 / 437 61 00 Fax: +248 437 61 18

The Wok Chinese Restaurant Coco D’Or Hotel PO Box 526 Beau Vallon, Mahé Tel: +248 424 73 31 Fax: +248 424 74 54 E-mail: cocodor@seychelles.sc

RESTAURANTS – PRASLIN CREOLE Capricorn Restaurant

Islanders Guesthouse Anse Kerlan, Praslin Tel: +248 423 32 24 Fax: +248 423 31 54 E-mail: islander@seychelles.net

Coco Rouge

Baie Ste Anne, Praslin Tel: +248 423 22 28

Le Chevalier Bay Restaurant

Anse Lazio, Praslin Tel: +248 423 23 22 Fax: +248 423 23 22 E-mail: chevalierbay@seychelles.sc

Les Lauriers Restaurant

Les Lauriers Petit Hotel Cote d’Or, Praslin Tel: +248 423 22 41 Fax: +248 423 23 62 E-mail: laurier@seychelles.net

INTERNATIONAL/ CREOLE

Acajou Hotel Restaurant Cote d’Or Praslin Tel: +248 423 24 00 Fax: +248 423 24 01 E-mail: acajou@seychelles.net

Beach Bar and Grill

Anse Lazio, Praslin Tel: +248 423 21 36 Fax: +248 423 22 77

Bonm Ange

Hotel L’Archipel Anse Gouvernement, Praslin Tel: +248 428 47 00, Fax: +248 423 20 72 E-mail: archipel@seychelles.net

Britannia Restaurant

Britannia Hotel Grand Anse, Praslin Tel: +248 423 32 15 / 423 39 15 Fax: +248 423 39 44 E-mail: britania@seychelles.net

Chateau de Feuilles

Pointe Cabris, Praslin Tel: +248 429 00 00 Fax: +248 429 00 29 E-mail: info@chateaudefeuilles.com

Feuille d’Or

Lemuria Resort Anse Kerlan, Praslin Tel: +248 428 10 88 Fax: +248 428 10 01 E-mail: fnbmgr@lemuriaresort.com

Octopus Diving Center Berjaya Praslin Beach Hotel Anse Volbert, Praslin Tel/Fax: +248 423 26 02 Tel Hotel: +248 423 22 22 Mobile: +248 271 54 41 E-mail: bpbfc@seychelles.net

Pool Deck Restaurant

Lemuria Resort Anse Kerlan, Praslin Tel: +248 428 10 88, Fax: +248 428 10 01 E-mail: fnbmgr@lemuriaresort.com

Pool Grill Restaurant

La Reserve Anse Petit Cour, Praslin Tel: +248 429 80 00 Fax: +248 423 21 66 E-mail: resa@lareserve.sc

Port Side Cafe

Address: Baie Ste. Anne Jetty, Praslin Tel: +248 271 28 00 / 276 64 00

Hotel L’Archipel Anse Gouvernement, Praslin Tel: +248 428 47 00 Fax: +248 423 20 72 E-mail: archipel@seychelles.net

Sea Horse Restaurant & Bar

The Fregate

Tante Mimi Restaurant

Berjaya Praslin Beach Hotel Anse Volbert, Praslin Tel: +248 428 62 86, Fax: +248 423 22 44 E-mail: bpbres@berjayaseychelles.com

The Britania

Grand Anse Tel: +248 423 32 15

Hibiscus Restaurant

Coco de Mer Hotel Anse Bois de Rose, Praslin Tel: +248 429 05 55 Fax: +248 429 04 40 E-mail: cocodeme@seychelles.net

Indian Ocean Lodge

Grand Anse, Praslin Tel: +248 423 33 24 / 23 34 57 Fax: +248 423 39 11 E-mail: iol@seychelles.net

The Jetty Restaurant

La Reserve Hotel Anse Petite Cour, Praslin Tel: +248 429 80 00 Fax: +248 423 21 66 E-mail: resa@lareserve.sc

La Goulue Cafeteria

Cote d’Or, Praslin Tel: +248 423 22 23 Fax: +248 423 22 23 E-mail: richmond@seychelles.net

Le Beach Restaurant

Paradise Sun Hotel Anse Volbert, Praslin Tel: +248 429 32 93 Fax: +248 423 20 19 E-mail: paradise@seychelles.net

Le Dauphin

Lemuria Resort Anse Kerlan, Praslin Tel: +248 428 10 91 Fax: +248 428 10 01 E-mail: fnbmgr@lemuriaresort.com

Hotel Le Duc de Praslin Baie Ste. Anne, Praslin Tel: +248 423 22 52 Fax: +248 423 23 55 E-mail: leduc@seychelles.net

Beach Bar Restaurant

Le Kato Noir

Acajou Hotel Cote d’Or, Praslin Tel: +248 423 24 00 Fax: +248 423 24 01 E-mail: acajou@seychelles.net

Legend Restaurant

Palm Beach Hotel Grande Anse, Praslin Tel: +248 429 02 90/429 02 92 Fax: +248 423 30 90 E-mail: palmbeach@seychelles.sc

Lemuria Resort Anse Kerlan, Praslin Tel: +248 428 12 43, Fax: +248 428 10 01 E-mail: resa@lemuriaresort.com Cote d’Or, Praslin PO Box 301 Victoria Mahé Tel: +248 423 25 00 Fax: +248 423 25 03 E-mail: desisles@seychelles.net

INTERNATIONAL/ CREOLE Cafe Le Monde

Grand Anse Tel: +248 274 22 65/ 278 11 21

Cafe Le Monde

Baie St Anne Tel: +248 423 21 11

Chateau St Cloud

La Passe, La Digue Tel: +248 423 43 46, Fax: +248 423 45 45 E-mail: stcloud@seychelles.net

La Vanille

Anse La Blague Tel: +248 423 21 78

La Digue Island Lodge Anse Reunion Tel: +248 429 25 25

L’Ocean

Anse Patates Tel: +248 423 43 33

Pool Side Restaurant

La Digue Island Lodge Anse Reunion, La Digue Tel: +248 429 25 25, Fax: +248 423 41 32 E-mail: reservation@ladigue.sc

Pecheur Restaurant

La Digue Island Lodge Anse Reunion, La Digue Tel: +248 429 25 25 , Fax: +248 423 41 32 E-mail: reservation@ladigue.sc

Restaurant Le Dauphin C/o Le de Praslin Hotel Tel: +248 429 48 00

Touchdown Restaurant

Restaurant Patatran

Amitie Airport Praslin Tel: +248 423 36 55 Fax: +248 423 35 66

Hotel L’Ocean Anse Patates, La Digue Tel: +248 423 41 80, Fax: +248 423 43 08 E-mail: hocean@seychelles.net

Village de Pecheur

Tarosa Restaurant

RESTAURANTS LA DIGUE CREOLE

PIZZERIA/CAFE-BAR

Praslin Tel: +248 423 20 00

Bernique

Anse Reunion Tel: +248 423 42 29

Patatran Restaurant

Patatran Village Anse Patates, La Digue Tel: +248 429 43 00 Fax: +248 429 43 90 E-mail: patatran@seychelles.net

Tournesol

Tournesol Guesthouse La Passe, La Digue Tel: +248 423 41 55 Fax: +248 423 43 64 E-mail: tournesol@seychelles.sc

Villa Authentique Restaurant & Bar Villa Authentique La Passe, La Digue Tel: +248 423 44 13 Fax: +248 423 44 13

Villa Mon Reve

Anse Reunion, La Digue Tel: +248 423 42 18 Fax: +248 423 42 18 E-mail: vmonreve@hotmail.com

Zerof Restaurant

Anse Reunion, La Digue Tel: +248 423 44 39 Fax: +248 423 40 67

La Passe, La Digue Tel: +248 423 44 07 Fax: +248 423 43 44 E-mail: patatran@seychelles.net

Gregoire’s comples Tel: +248 429 25 25

SEA FOOD

Cafe Des Arts

Cote d’Or Tel: +248 423 21 70

RESTAURANTS - OTHER ISLANDS CREOLE Jolly Roger’s

Moyenne Island Tel: +248 429 70 00 Fax: +248 422 58 17 E-mail: info@creoletravelservices.sc

INTERNATIONAL/ CREOLE

L’habitation Restaurant

PO Box 910 Cerf Island Tel: +248 432 31 11 Fax: +248 432 13 08 E-mail: habicerf@seychelles.net

English- Creole

Hello How are you? I am well Thank you Very much Goodbye Hotel Room Bed Food Coffee Beer Cold Hot Tea Meat Fish Bread Butter Sugar Salt Bad Today Tomorrow Now Quickly Slowly Hospital Police Mr. Mrs. Miss. I

Bonzour Konman Sava? Byen Mersi Mersi Mersi bokou orevwar Lotel Lasanm Lili Manze Kafe Labyer Fre So Dite Lavyan Pwason Dipen Diber Disik Disel Pa bon Ozordi Demen Konmela Vitman Dousman Lopital Gard Msye Madanm Manmzel Mon

You’re welcome Where do you come from I come from....... What is your name? My name is.... Can you speak Kreol? Only a little I would like to learn more How do you find Seychelles? I like it here The weather is hot, isn’t it? Where are you going? I am going to... Please stop here How much? Wait a minute I have to get change Excuse me Where is the toilet? In the back Where may I get a drink?

You He, She We They What? Who? Where? When? How? Why? Which? Yes No To eat To drink To sleep To bathe To come To go To stop To buy To sell Street/road Airport Shop Money Cent One Two Three Four Five Six

Pa dekwa Kote ou sorti? Mon sorti...... Ki mannyer ou apele? Mon apel..... Ou kabab koz Kreol? Zis en pe Mon oule apran ankor Ki mannyer ou war Sesel? Mon kontan isi Sesel Letan i so, wi? Kote ou pe ale? Mon pe al...... Aret isi silvouple Konbyen? Esper mwan en pti moman Fodre mon ganny larzan sanze Ekskize Kote kabinen i ete sivouple? Deryer lakour Kote mon kapab ganny en keksoz pou bwar?

Ou Li Nou Zot Kwa? /Ki? Ki? /Lekel? Kote? Kan? Ki mannyer? Akoz? Lekel? Wi Non Manze Bwar Dormir Bennyen/Naze Vini Ale Arete Aste Vann Lari/Semen Erport Laboutik Larzan Sou Enn De Trwa Kat Senk Sis

Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen Fourteen Fifteen Sixteen Seventeen Eighteen Nineteen Twenty Twenty-one Twenty-two Twenty-three Twenty-four Twenty-five Thirty Forty Fifty Sixty Seventy Eighty Ninety One hundred Where is the hotel? Good morning Good afternoon Good evening Please come in Please sit down

How much does this cost? That’s quite expensive Help! No, thanks Please You’re welcome No problem Ok That’s right! A little bit Is everything ok? Not now Attention/watch out! We are looking for... I’m very thirsty I am hungry Where are we? How old are you? What do you need? What do they call that in Creole? How do they say... in creole?

Set Wit Nef Dis Onz Douz Trez Katorz Kenz Sez Diset Dizwit Diznef Ven Venteen Vennde Venntwa Vennkat Vennsenk Trant Karant Senkant Swasant Swasanndis Katreven Katrevendis San Kote lotel i ete silvouple? Bonzour Bonnapremidi Bonswar Antre silvouple Asize silvouple

Konbyen i vann? I ase ser Ed mwan! / O Sekour! Non, mersi Silvouple Pa-de-kwa Napa problenm oke Wi i bien! Piti piti Tou keksoz i oke? Pa kounye-a Atansyon! Nou pe rod Mon swaf Mon lafen Kote nou ete? Ki laz ou anan? Ki ou bezwen? Koman zot dir sa an Kreol? Koman zot dir an Kreol ?

K i d s Co r n e r

G R E E D D O E S N O T PA Y

ne fine afternoon during the month of May, when there are usually a lot of fish around, Mr. Tortoise decided to go fishing. He took his fishing line and hook and walked down towards the beach. It must have been his lucky day, for he had never seen so many fish before. By midday, there was a big pile lying on the beach beside him. “Now for a fire to cook my dinner,” he exclaimed happily. He quickly collected a few sticks and, fetching three large stones, rested a pot on them. Then he began cooking his fish. The smell of the cooking fish was delicious and it travelled through the air. Brer Soungoula who happened to be close by, stopped in his tracks. He sniffed once, twice, three times, and then followed his nose. This led him to Tortoise’s house. “Good morning old fellow,” he said. “I see that you’ve found much to eat today. You look so tired. Let me help you cook your food.” Tortoise, who was tired after spending so much time in the sun, agreed. He watched as Brer Soungoula added chillies to the fish. He watched as Brer Soungoula prepared a delicious chutney. After they had finished cooking, Brer Soungoula told Tortoise to keep an eye on the cooking pot while he went down to the river to wash. As soon as he was out of sight, he ran to his home and painted himself in a most horrible way. Then he ran back towards Tortoise’s house uttering strange cries. Poor Tortoise was terrified. “Help! Help!” he shouted, as he ran for cover. ”I have never seen such a terrible creature! It must be a demon!” Brer Soungoula quickly sat down and ate all the food. Then he went back to the river and washed himself. He then strolled slowly up the bank to where the cooking pot stood. When Tortoise saw him, he said, in a trembling voice, “Brer Soungoula, did you see what I saw?” “I saw nothing, my friend!” said Brer Soungoula as he walked calmly towards the cooking pot. “But come, let us eat now.” He removed the lid and looked inside. “Where is the food? What has happened to it?” he asked. Tortoise looked at the empty pot. “I am sure it was that terrible creature,” he said. ‘“It frightened me away so that it could eat my food.” “You are lying! You ate it while I was washing at the river!” shouted Brer Soungoula. Tortoise tried to protest and said that he was innocent, which indeed he was, but Brer Soungoula did not want to listen. “There is one way of finding out who stole our food,” said Tortoise. “I know what I shall do. I shall make a fine bow and arrow, and if the creature comes again, I shall kill it.”

Brer Soungoula watched Tortoise as he shaped the wood with his knife, and when it was almost finished, he said, “Give me your bow, I shall show you a good way to make it better. I’ll finish it for you.” Tortoise, suspecting nothing, gave up the bow and knife to Brer Soungoula, who began to cut it in a special way, making it so weak in one place that it was bound to break as soon as it was used. Then he said goodbye to Tortoise and promised to come back the next day at lunchtime. The next day, Tortoise woke up early and cooked another big pot of food. When it was time for lunch, Brer Soungoula said to Tortoise, “There, my good friend. Keep this bow and arrow beside you while I go down and wash, incase that creature comes again.” He went down to the river once more and again painted himself. Tortoise waited beside the pot. Once again he heard the strange noise. Then the ugly-looking animal appeared before him. Tortoise took his bow and put an arrow in it. He pulled, but SNAP! It broke in his hands. The creature came closer and closer. Tortoise was very frightened. For the second time, he had to run for cover. So, once more, Brer Soungoula had all the food. When he finished, he went back to the river and washed himself. He again returned to accuse Tortoise of stealing the food. He opened his mouth so wide that, while he was speaking, Tortoise noticed a little piece of fish stuck in his teeth. “Aha,” said Tortoise to himself. “If that’s the way it is, I shall be ready for you tomorrow, my friend.” That night Tortoise made another bow. It was a good one. The next day, everything happened as before. The food was cooked and, at midday, Brer Soungoula went down to the river to wash. Tortoise took his new bow and crept away to hide in some long grass nearby. Then the noise was heard and again the ugly-looking creature appeared. Tortoise raised his bow and shot. The arrow went straight into the creature’s right leg and the creature fell to the ground. Tortoise took another shot and this time the arrow went through the creature’s left leg. “Stop, stop! Don’t do it again!” shouted the creature. Tortoise went to where the creature lay. He bent over the body and was not surprised when he saw it was really Brer Soungoula. “Oh well,” Brer Soungoula remarked. “My mother always told me that greed did not pay, and now I know she was right.” You might think that Brer Sougoula learnt a lesson from this, and gave up his bad habits, but I am sorry to say that, in no time at all, he had forgotten all about it and was soon up to his old tricks again. $

Crossword & Sudoku

1. Panto provides beer – but not bottled. (2,3) 6. Fasten, but there’s a snag. (5) 9. Reverse. Sounds harmful to heath. (4,3) 10. Box for a body part? (5) 11. Make one to cause a fuss! (5) 12. A dose of flu should produce blushing. (5) 13. Southern alpine mix-up to find dog. (7) 15. A lettuce for corporate businesses perhaps. (3) 17. Jaunty inside super thing. (4) 18. Trod back around 7” record and remove from country. (6) 19. Food shops sound like they belong to Indian city. (5) 20. Fe and queen for laundry worker. (6) 22. Rise out for male parent. (4) 24. One world embraces the unused. (3) 25. Window feature in camera. (7) 26. Paste for glaziers. (5) 27. High flying person? (5) 28. Five in two points for climbers. (5) 29. I go in gun after writer for flightless creature. (7) 30. Surrendered in five notes. (5) 31. Just say yes! (5)

Clues down 2. Oh open out for despair. (2,4) 3. It’s said the heart grows fonder if you are this. (6) 4. Tap out name of woman. (3) 5. Southern murder has proficiency. (5) 6. Sue hiss out at shameless women. (7) 7. An irritation in the kitchen. (4) 8. He is used to cutting things out. (6) 12. This should raise the temperature! (5) 13. Health resort in European country. (5) 14 A right argument for weapon. (5) 15. Encounter trouble – from the police? (3,2) 16. Guide the animal. (5) 18. Attractive type of food presentation? (5) 19. Put in deed and assigned authority. (7) 21. Arranged price before easterly direction. (6) 22. Pop star right inside thin cord. (6) 23. Go backwards (not south) and venerate. (6) 25. Produce on the platform. (5) 26. Keep open mind to embrace religious leader. (4) 28. By way of Latin thoroughfare. (3)

9 11

10 12

13 17

18 19

25 26

28 29 31

Answers across 1. On tap 6. Hitch 9. Back out 10. Chest 11. Scene 12. Flush 13. Spaniel 15. Cos 17. Pert 18. Deport 19. Delis 20. Ironer 22. Sire 24. New 25. Shutter 26. Putty 27. Pilot 28. Vines 29. Penguin 30. Ceded 31. Agree

Clues across

Answers down 2. No hope 3. Absent 4. Pat 5. Skill 6. Hussies 7. Itch 8. Censor 12. Fever 13. Spain 14 Arrow 15. Cop it 16. Steer 18. Dishy 19. Deputed 21. Recipe 22. String 23. Revere 25. Stage 26. Pope 28. Via

Take time and relax ... have some fun testing your wit!

Sudoku Place a number from 1 to 9 in every empty cell so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains all the numbers from 1 to 9. No number can appear twice in a row, column or 3x3 box. Do not guess – you can work it out by a process of elimination. Good luck!

4 6 5

3 7

9 2

9 5 3

6 9

3 7

2 5

8 9

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Please drop a line to the publishers: Camerapix Magazines Ltd. Email: rukhsana@camerapix.co.ke or camerapixuk@btinternet.com Thank you. Rukhsana Haq, Editorial Director

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