Peter Greenberg TODAY Travel Editor • Profile • E-mail

One of the biggest surprises about a visit to Seychelles will hit you after you return home: When you show off your trip photos to your friends and family, they will inevitably ask if you used a color filter on your camera lens, convinced that no ocean could have that color.

But the truth is, no ocean looks quite like the Indian Ocean, and the sight of that magical green water is a wonderful and indelible memory.

So is getting to the Republic of Seychelles. It’s in the Indian Ocean, about 1,000 miles east of Kenya. The Seychelles is comprised of 115 islands, many of which have deserted beaches with untouched sand — sand that is fine and white like talcum powder.

Some figures claim that the Seychelles has 155 islands, not 115. Why the disparity? Well, when the tide rises, some of the islands can disappear! But one thing is certain: The Seychelles is not overpopulated. Only about 81,000 people live there full time, and most of them reside on the main and largest island of Mahé. Praslin is the second most populous, with about 6,500 residents. La Digue (the fourth-largest island) is home to the remainder of the population. The smaller islands are either sparsely populated or uninhabited, and many of them are granite-and-coral outcrops, with the smallest of all being nothing more than “crags” (Les Mamelles and Chauve-Souris Island).

History
The history of Seychelles is rich with myth and legend. One thing is true: It was once a haven for pirates and traders, and the then uninhabited islands were explored by Westerners in the mid-1790s, by Lazare Picaul and Grossin, who were commissioned to explore the region by the governor of what is now Mauritius.

England and France battled over sovereignty of the islands for years. Mauritius was surrendered to the British in 1812, which meant that Seychelles came along with it — Britain gained official control in 1814 with the Treaty of Paris. In 1903, they broke away from the Mauritius colony and became a separate crown colony of Britain. They became self-governing in 1975 and independent in 1976.

Most Seychellois are descendants of early French settlers and the African slaves brought to the Seychelles in the 19th century by the British, and have a strong Creole influence. But the islands are also a melting pot of other cultures, including political exiles, prisoners and traders from Arabic and Persian cultures, along with a small mix of Chinese and Indian settlers.

Tourism and fishing are the main source of income in the Seychelles. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami caused major damage to the infrastructure of Mahé and Praslin. The tsunami killed two people and displaced 950 families, and there was intense rainfall and flooding for three days following the disaster. According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Mauritius and Seychelles, “the number of floods, landslides, domestic and general fire outbreaks have increased over the past years causing deaths, injuries and damages to property and loss of income.”

When to visit
The best time to go is April and October, when the trade winds are milder and the climate is warmest. The rainy season is from mid-November until mid-February. And because of the islands’ location, you’re guaranteed about 12 hours of daylight year round.

Getting there
No visa required. That’s the good news. The bad news: You’re welcome to visit, but not to stay. You must present a passport that is valid for the entire length of your stay, show immigration officials a return/onward ticket to leave, proof of accommodation including contact details and sufficient funds (at least $150/day) for the duration of your stay. All of this will grant you a visitor’s permit that is given free of charge and is valid for one month.

Seychelles International Airport is located on Mahé island. Emirates has one-stop flights from JFK to Mahé, and Air Seychelles has several flights a week departing from London, Frankfurt, Paris, Milan and Rome, and also flights once or twice weekly from Johannesburg, Mauritius, Bangkok and Singapore.

Island-hopping
By air
Air Seychelles operates about 20 daily flights between Mahé and Praslin. You can also fly Air Seychelles to Frégate, Bird Island, Denis Island, Desroches Island and Alphonse Island, but you must arrange those flights through your hotel, not the airline directly. airseychelles.com

Helicopter Seychelles charters flights between Mahé and Praslin, La Digue, Bird Island, Aride and several other islands. helicopterseychelles.com

By sea
Cat Coco is a catamaran that travels from Mahé to Praslin twice daily. It’s a 45-minute ride and costs about $125.

You can also travel from Mahé to several other areas such as Aldabra Atoll (three hours), Cerf (10 minutes), La Digue (three hours), Moyenne (20 minutes), Silhouette (50 minutes) and Sainte Anne (15 minutes). To do so, you must contact your hotel to charter a boat — you cannot book it independently.

From Praslin, you can contact your hotel to charter a boat to: Aride (1.5 hours), Chauve Souris (three minutes), Cousin (15 minutes), Cousine (two minutes), Curieuse (20 minutes), Grand Soeur (30 minutes), Ile Cocos (45 minutes) and La Digue (15 minutes). For Chauve Souris you must contact your hotel; for the rest, you can contact the operators, which include Creole Travel Services (creoletravelservices.com), Mason’s Travel (masonstravel.com) and Inter Island Ferry Service (seychelles.net/iif).

A guide to the islands
Mahé: Mahé has about 60 white-sand beaches surrounded by coral. One of the most popular (and crowded) is Beau Valon; other beautiful options include Anse Soleil, the more off-the-beaten-path Ile Souris, which is a calm, protected area that is excellent for snorkeling, and Anse Major, which you can get to by walking two hours through the jungle from Danzilles.

The Marine Charter Association (seychelles.net/mca) oversees most fishing charter operations, yachting companies and diving centers. However, you can also contact the operations individually to book your excursion.

Sainte-Anne Marine Park is one of the first sites in the Indian Ocean to be classified as a nature reserve. It surrounds the islands of Ste-Anne, Moyenne, Longue, Cerf, Round and Cachée. From Mahé, you can take a glass-bottomed, semi-submersible vessel around the islands to observe sea life. (Prices vary by company: Coral Magic is about $70 per person; Mare Sports Limited is about $150, and Teddy’s Glass Bottomed Boat is about $60.) If you’re a guest at the Sainte Anne Resort, you can also charter a private ferry to Sainte Anne Island.

The Morne Seychellois is a national park that covers about 20 percent of Mahé. Ideal for a moderate walk, it’s a lush, hilly area with 12 or so clearly marked trails and paths. The climb to the summit of Morne Blanc is 2,188 feet up — it’s a short, but relatively steep trek.

Le Digue: Residents of this island like to boast that it is a place where time stands still — and indeed, a lot of people still get around using ox carts and bicycles.

One of the most beautiful beaches in Seychelles is Anse Source D’Argent on Le Digue. The soft, pink-sand beach is sheltered by a reef so the water is calm and safe, great for snorkeling. It’s a spot that shouldn’t be missed (you might never want to return home), but unfortunately that also means that it can get crowded, especially as it’s gotten a lot of attention in the media in recent years as being one of the best beaches in the world.

Praslin: Within Praslin National Park, Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This incredible palm forest is filled with flora and fauna, including the famous coco-de-mer palms, which have the largest seeds of any plant in the world. Much of the national park is a nature conservancy, with little tourism allowed except for Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve and the coasts.

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