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Seychelles Travel
Information:
Almost every description of the Seychelles appears
to be a bit over the top. Is it only the easily impressed who get
to visit and write about the Seychelles? The magic of these islands
is however real. Impressions gained of this dream island paradise
will be your refuge when you return to those long working hours.
Just like everybody imagines paradise, the Seychelles islands are
far away, peaceful and stunningly beautiful.
The Seychelles is a year round destination. But
if you must undertake a specific activity, then you need to pick
the most suitable season. Windsurfing and sailing are best at the
start and end of the trade winds - May and October. Diving enthusiasts
should go for dates between March and May or September to November,
although conditions are excellent year round.
Below is some basic info concerning Seychelles:-
Health
The Seychelles offers a healthy climate and malaria, yellow fever,
cholera and other diseases common in tropical environments are not
a problem. Visitors entering Seychelles from countries where yellow
fever is prevalent need an international certificate of vaccination.
Although no other vaccinations are mandatory, it is advisable to
consult your physician before travel.
Visas
Visitors to Seychelles must have passports valid for at least 6
months beyond end of stay. Visas are not required for most visitors.
It is however advisable to check with Seychelles embassies and inbound
airlines at least one month before travel. But you need an onward
air ticket/passage, pre-booked accommodation and sufficient funds
to cater for your stay.
People & Culture
The Seychellois have emerged from peoples with mainly French, African,
Indian, Chinese and Arab roots. Creole is the language that has
resulted from the positive interaction of these people for the last
400 or so years. It is the language of the street though the official
languages are French and English and are both widely spoken.
The people are very friendly and you will notice
it right from the time you set foot on the islands. The food in
the Seychelles reflects the islands mixed heritage. Fish together
with a variety of exotic vegetables, herbs, spices and fruits form
the basis of Creole cuisine.
In this mainly Catholic country, the principal non-religious
festival is Festival Kreol. The festival is held annually for a
week around the end of October with the intention of celebrating
Creole cuisine, fashion, art music, puppetry, literature and dance.
Masters of these arts hail from the all over the world and bring
along a welcome infusion of colour to this quiet corner of the globe.
The dates for the festival for the current year are 25-31 October.
Communications
Telephone, fax, telegram, post and Internet services are available.
Direct
dialing to most countries is available at most hotels. The country
code for the Seychelles is 248. Mobile phones are based on GSM 900
network. You
can obtain a GSM card that will allow you to make international
calls to any country.
Accommodation
The Seychelles can hardly be described as budget destination. There
are no youth hostels and camping is not allowed. The bigger hotels
and resorts come equipped with air-conditioning, private bathrooms,
swimming pools and a variety of sporting facilities. Some smaller
establishments may lack some of theses facilities but make up by
way of privacy and seclusion.
You can get reasonable rates (by Seychelles standards)
for apartments, bed-sitters and bungalows. Most of the hotels sit
on Mahe Island while some of the smaller islands host only a single
hotel. The Seychelles is deliberately not a mass-market destination.
Accommodation can get very tight especially in the high season.
It is always advisable to book and if required confirm with a deposit.
Money
The local currency is the Seychelles Rupee (SR). Foreign currency
can be freely exchanged at hotels and banks. The currencies that
will get you the most reasonable rates are US dollar and Euro. Travelers
cheques (i.e checks) enjoy wide acceptance especially at hotels,
shops and restaurants frequented by tourists.
Visa and American Express cards are widely accepted
except at the very smallest establishments. Diners Club and Mastercard
and other minor cards are honoredin fewer places.
Climate
The islands experience a sub tropical climate that is generally
warm and humid. The weather is stable and nearly perfect year round.
Hurricanes, cyclones and similar disturbances are absent here. The
mean temperature is 29ºC and is usually mitigated by a gentle
breeze. July and August are the coolest months at 28°C and at
which time sea temperature
drops to 27°C! Being so near the equator you can expect 12 hours
of daylight.
Between May and September it is cooler, less rainy
and the humidity is also lower due the activity of trade winds.
In the November – March period it rains more, humidity is higher
and is also warmer. Mid December to Mid January is the period with
the highest rainfall. When it rains, it is rarely for more than
a continuous hour or two. The rainy season need not worry you, as
there is still sufficient sunshine to sunbathe!
International Travel
Only a few airlines offer direct flights to Seychelles. Air Seychelles
offers direct flights from selected cities in Europe and Africa.
Connections to North America, Australia and the Far East are widely
available.
Scheduled airlines flying to and from the Seychelles
include: Air Seychelles, Kenya Airways, Aeroflot, Air Austral, Air
France, British Airways, Air Mauritius and Inter Air (South Africa).
There is a departure tax of USD 40 payable in foreign currency.
This tax will however most likely be included in your air ticket.
Local Travel
You can get from Mahe to Praslin, Fregate, Desroches,
Bird and Denis Islands by using regular Air Seychelles flights.
The same airline runs charter services to some of the less visited
locations such as Silhouette and Alphonse. Schooner ferries have
a regular run between Mahe, Praslin and La Digue. But you can also
charter a boat to get you around the other islands.
The Seychelles is a small place with the main island
Mahe being only 27 km long. The capital Victoria is reported to
be the smallest in the world. Most visitors take this as a blessing
and you can confirm at the airport that there is a disproportionate
number escaping from some infamously huge metropolis.
Walking is a quite a good way to get around. Bus
services are only availablein Mahe and Praslin islands. Taxi service
is to be found in these two islands and also in La Digue. Small
cars (mainly open Jeeps and mini mokes) are also available for hire
in Mahe and Praslin.
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Get to our Seychelles Car Rental page to check out what is available:
http://www.africapoint.com/cars/seychelles.htm
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Travel Insurance
The Seychelles islands are far away for anywhere.
For this reason make
sure your travel insurance includes emergency evacuation. Evacuation
in
case of illness or injury even to a hospital in Victoria can be
quite expensive and means of payment may need to be ascertained
in advance.
What to Wear
Light comfortable casual clothing is advised. Except
for those attending
church you will find very few people in suits and neck ties. Even
on business, turning out in a safari suit and open neck shirt is
perfectly acceptable. Light cotton dresses, slacks and shorts are
sufficient for women in this tropical climate. Sandals or light
canvas shoes are usually adequate. The Seychellois are a modest
people and you should avoid wearing swimwear except on the beaches
To read more info related to Seychelles travel click
on the links below
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