The Seychelles: Your island paradise awaits

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Seychelles

TODAY

Beauty of the Seychelles
May 2: TODAY’s Matt Lauer talks with Republic of Seychelles' director of tourism Maurice Loustau-Lalanne about the beauty of the Island of Seychelles, a vacation destination likened to paradise.

Where is Lauer on Day 5?

How Lauer got to Seychelles

The Seychelles: Your island paradise awaits

Lauer tours island nation

Hopping island to island

Gifts from the Seychelles

What to know

With 12 hours of daylight in every 24-hour period, be sure to use sunscreen — and lots of it.
The shells on the beach are beautiful, but don’t remove them. Shell collecting is prohibited.
While there are gambling casinos on the islands, my advice is to avoid them. You’ll need all the money you brought with you, and then some. The Seychelles can be as expensive as it is beautiful.

Where to stay
Mahé
Banyan Tree Seychelles: This paradise getaway is a five-star resort with nothing but five-star reviews. If you can pay the price (average rates are about $1,500 a night), this resort offers 60 poolside and beachfront villas where the celebrities flock (discreetly). banyantree.com

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Coral Strand Hotel: This is a more affordable beachfront property on Beau Valon Bay, with 131 rooms, a main restaurant, a bistro, an Indian restaurant and a beach bar. It’s quite basic compared to some other properties on the island, but it’s well located and relatively affordable. You can also go stargazing from the rooftop through a partnership with Laupheim Observatory. Rates start at about $240, including breakfast; coralstrand.com

Anse Soleil Beachcomber: This is a small, 14-room property located on the beautiful beach of Anse Soleil that’s quite affordable, with rates including breakfast that start at $102 for adults, and $9 for kids 3-5 and $22 for kids 6-12. beachcomber.sc

Praslin
Indian Ocean Lodge: This hotel is located on the west coast of Praslin, amid abundant flowers and plants, and just a one-minute walk from Grand Anse beach. Rates start at about $250 a night including breakfast; E-mail iol@seychelles.net

Amitié Chalets: This spot is a series of bungalows just about 20 steps from the Amitié beachfront, with self-catering apartments and open, airy rooms. Rates start at about $130 a night including breakfast; martin@seychelles.net

Food and drink
From beach shacks to hotel restaurants to trendy nightspots, there is an abundance of dining options on the islands. Much of it is Creole and international cuisine, but you can also find quite authentic Chinese and Indian restaurants. Dishes include lots of grilled fish, such as Maquereau Boucaner (mackerel steamed in coconut palm or banana leaves). You can also expect curries, chicken dishes, breadfruit and mangos.

Boat House on Mahé is a popular Creole buffet restaurant. It’s a great spot for families and those who just want to kick back and sample all types of local cuisine for about $20. boathouse.sc

Le Jardin du Roi is located in the beautiful spice garden on Mahé, where you can enjoy a quiet hike followed by lunch among all the flora, with several dishes and drinks flavored with spices straight from the garden. A prix fixe Sunday “Plantation Lunch” is available for about $15.

For an upscale and romantic experience, check out Tante Mimi Restaurant on the island of Praslin. Located in the upstairs of the Casino Des Iles, this white-tablecloth restaurant serves fine Creole cuisine paired with wines. (I recommend the lobster bisque.)

On La Digue, Villa Authentique is a lovely little guesthouse on the northwest side of the island, with a pink-hued café that serves authentic, home-style Creole cuisine in an outdoor setting.

Travel packages
The real challenge of the Seychelles is that it is very expensive. So here are the best deals we found (other than just the RTW airline ticket) and the Indian Ocean Pass (see below):

Silversea Cruises: This company offers several Africa and Indian Ocean cruises that include the Seychelles islands (airfare NOT included). 800-722-9955; silversea.com

January 29, 2009: Nine-day tour from Mombasa to Mahé. Book before August 2, starts at $4,496.
February 7, 2009: Seven-day tour from Mahé to Mahé (this includes several islands: La Digue, Curieuse Island, Silhouette Island and Praslin). Book before August 11, starts at $3,676.
February 14, 2009: Eleven-day tour from Mahé to Madras, India. Book before August 18, starts at $4,747.

Costa Cruises: This Italian cruise line has several itineraries that include Seychelles (airfare NOT included). 877-882-6782; costacruise.com

Departing November 2008 from Savona (northern Italy), this is a 28-day cruise that includes Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Oman, Seychelles, Kenya, Madagascar, Réunion and Mauritius. Rates start at $3,240.
Departing December 2008 from Port Louis, this 14-day cruise includes Mauritius, Seychelles, Kenya and Madagascar. Starts from $2,843. The same trip in January 2009 starts at $2,127.

African Travel: This isn’t the cheapest option, but it’s certainly a comprehensive trip. African Travel offers an eight-day Seychelles Island Hopper which includes Mahé and Praslin. For Americans the islands tend not to be a standalone visit, so they usually add this onto an existing package to Africa. A common package is the inclusive Southern Explorer (Cape Town, Victoria Falls, Johannesburg and Kruger Park), which starts at $3,695 plus $2,275 for airfare, and then add on the Seychelles for an additional $2,095 plus airfare to the islands. Airfare can be as low as $500 if you're flying from the African mainland via South African Airways or Air Seychelles. The lower prices are in May through August. 800-421-8907; africantravelinc.com

Indian Ocean Pass: The Indian Ocean Pass was created in 2002 by Air Seychelles, Air Mauritius and Air Austral so that you can build your own trip throughout the Indian Ocean. Here's how it works: You need to have an international ticket on just one of the three airlines to one of the listed islands. So, for example, you can buy an international ticket on Air Seychelles from London to Mahe, and then buy an Indian Ocean Pass ticket that gets you from Mahe to other islands such as Reunion and Mauritius.

You have to buy a minimum of three “sectors” and you cannot purchase two sectors in the same direction. Prices do not include airport taxes. You can buy the Pass through Air Seychelles or through a travel agent, but it MUST be purchased before you arrive in the Indian Ocean. Air Seychelles, +248 38 1000; airseychelles.com/flightinfo/iopass.html

Borton Overseas: Packages from this company are usually customized, but a sample nine-day “Island Hopper” program starts at $1,395 per person. This includes Mahe, Praslin, La Digue and back to Mahe and covers guided tours, accommodations and some meals. Rates will go up depending on the season and the level of hotel that you choose. This does NOT include international airfare. 800-843-0602; bortonoverseas.com

Perhaps the best advice for those seeking to get to — and through — the Seychelles on a budget: You should consider “half-board” accommodations that include breakfast and dinner. Self-catering can also offer some savings, but when you factor in getting to the grocery store and the prices at the store, it’s not the best option. Half-board allows you to have a late breakfast/brunch and dinner included — if you’re going out for dinner, expect to pay at least $50 a head. (Several hotels and guest houses offer the half-board option, so make sure you ask.)

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