A Nature's Paradise- Seychelles

My eyes could not believe what I was seeing! It was a giant turtle almost 4 feet long and shoulder high craning its long neck, staring directly into my eyes! I had never seen one such before. This was not a scene from ‘Jurassic Park’ but in real life. There were a couple of them, in the small sanctuary of the hotel where I stayed and apparently they were more than a century old and weighed more than 200 kg! I learnt later that these are called Aldabra Giant turtles and breed in Aldabra Atoll in Seychelles.

I along with my friend had landed in Victoria on Mahe island, the capital of Seychelles the previous evening! The view of the islands was spectacular and unforgettable as I looked out of the window of the aircraft while it encircled the airport. There were many islands and the water sparkled as the waves merrily bounced on the white sand coastline. The coconut trees and palm trees looked beautiful as they swayed with the strong gust of the breeze. The landing of flight on the narrow strip of land with azure sea on either side was a memorable event. As we stepped out of the customs we saw a scary notice warning passengers that penalty of carrying drugs was a death sentence!

We hailed a taxi and reached the hotel located on Beau Vallon Bay Beach, around sunset. The drive through the town to the resort along small winding road by the coast was enjoyable as one can see very small islands jutting from the blue waters at small intervals. During the high tide some of these islands disappear! The waves gently caressed the shore strewn with coconuts along the coast.

Miss World pageant was scheduled at one of the sister hotel at Lake Berjaya Mahe Beach resort, the same night, which we were eager to attend. The tickets were exorbitantly priced  and were unavailable, to our bad luck. So even though we had come this far, it was not possible to go to the event!  Diana Hayden from India, handed down the crown to Linor Abargil, Miss Israel we learnt the next morning.

After the early morning meeting with the giant turtle I headed out on the road which was still wet after the downpour early in the morning. Water had collected in small puddles as I maneuvered the road, jogging along.  Going a little further, I saw a large number of mango and jack fruit trees, laden with fruit. A lot of ripe mangoes had fallen off the trees and the road and the storm water drains were overflowing with the fruit. So many mangoes, for which there were literally no takers! On return, I headed for the breakfast in the restaurant by the seaside which resembled a huge hut with thatched roof. It had hundreds of birds of all hues and colors chirping. It was a heavenly feeling to be so close to the nature, and watch the white sand, the deep blue sea and a cool breeze, with chatter of birds for music, merrily pecking on the food offering on the table!

This is an island nation north east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. There are approximately 115 islands with a very small population. A little more than 50000 residents stay in Victoria. The main languages spoken are Creole and French.

 Later, we went to see Victoria which is the smallest capital of the world, and it had only one traffic light on the main city intersection. The people are very friendly and kind hearted. It was a great experience to learn Scuba diving from a trainer, as despite having served in the Navy, I did not get an opportunity to dive except for clearing a compulsory medical test in a dive chamber!

Next day,we headed for Mahe Beach. It is located at idyllic spot and was well worth a visit with sprawling white sand beaches. There are around 65 beaches in Mahe itself! At the resort we came across some of the contestants of the Miss World pageant that had not yet left and a huge board where all the participants had put in their autographs.

The next destination was the Botanical Garden! There are many natural trails on this lovely island for exploring. Seychelles is a living museum of natural history and a sanctuary for some of the rarest species of flora & fauna on earth. With almost 50% of its limited landmass set aside as national parks and reserves, Seychelles prides itself on its record for far sighted conservation policies that have resulted in an enviable degree of protection for the environment and the varied ecosystems it supports.It nurtures the smallest frog to the giant turtles. There are some very interesting places like Praslin island, which was originally believed to be the Garden of Eden. and The Birds island. The only way to commute in La Digue, an island, is on bicycles! 

 A brush with nature in its pristine form on this island has gone down the memory lane as a wonderful experience etched forever!