The Seychelles is a small island nation located in the Indian Ocean northeast of Madagascar and about 1,600 km (1,000 miles) east of Kenya. The nation is an archipelago of 155 tropical islands, some granite and some coral. Thirty-three islands are inhabited.
At official exchange rates Seychelles remains the richest country in Africa in terms of GDP per capita. (US$7,504 as of 2005), although if the parallel exchange rate, or purchasing power parity rates, are used, it ranks behind Mauritius and Botswana. Because of economic contraction (the economy declined by about 2% in 2004 and 2005 and is set to decline by at least the same level in 2006) the country is moving downwards in terms of per capita income.
As the islands of the Seychelles had no indigenous population, the current Seychellois are composed of immigrants, mostly of French, African, Indian, and Chinese descent. French and English are official languages along with a French-based Creole. Most Seychellois are Christians; the Roman Catholic Church is the predominant denomination
Many of the beaches are untouched by man's influence. They offer clear blue skies and a tranquility you will rarely find. Visit the Vallee de Mai which is a world heritage site, and home to the world's largest seed: the coco de mer.
Dear Canarymoon...thanks for your comments re. my photos Sapphire Princess Beiging to Bangkok this October past.
Our next trip is with the Costa Marina to the Seychelles and it seems you have a great knowledge of this area.
We are planning to do 2 or 3 of the ships excursions.....but there are several that we would prefer to do privately, in particular the following:
(a) Port Luis (as we will be there more than one day); (b) Mahe in Seychelles, (c) Nossi-Be y (d) Nosy Be and Tamatave both in Madagascar, (e) St. Denis, Reunion.....& (f) Mayotte.
Any ideas?
In particular we are interested in seeing the giant tortoises and I have also seen a helicopter trip advertised...but no idea yet of their price!!!!
Also any tips regarding distances from the port where the ship will berth to the town centers etc. would be a great help, or any useful internet sites would be great.
What about the language...is it only French....or will English speakers find it easy to communicate if they donīt speak French?
And 2 last questions: Currency....must one change to the local currency or do they accept any others: dollars, euros?
And what vaccinations would be necessary and how long in advance should one have this done?
OH, I wish I could help you, as that would mean I had some great first hand knowledge... but, unfortunately, the only thing I know about these area is what I hav read and found out by researching.
It looks SO beautiful there... though I'm sure there may be some not so beautful things. There usually are.
I hope someone who has been there can giv you some great ideas about specific excursions in the ports you'll be visiting. I am sure going to be watching for some responses!
Cruise Line Fans: Cruise Reviews and Chat From Real Cruisers
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Centrum Deck
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Cruise Places
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Africa
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Seychelles
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No Sand Beach
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