This isolated island paradise offers fine beaches, turquoise seas and warm weather. As a result of their extraordinary, isolated history,Seychelles are also rich in rare plants which flourish nowhere else on the planet. No less than 81 species are unique survivors from the luxuriant tropical forests that covered the islands until humanity's belated arrival two centuries ago. Outstanding amongst these is the coco-de-mer (sea coconut), native to Praslin, which grows in the Vallée de Mai. Its seed is the largest in nature, and gave rise to many legends when it was washed ashore on the coasts of Africa, India and Indonesia. Since the islands were unknown, the nuts were thought to have grown under the sea - hence the name.

The Seychelles are also a major attraction for birdwatchers. Millions of terns nest on the islands - among them that most beautiful of seabirds, the fairy tern. Up to two million sooty terns nest on Bird Island, and on Aride can be found the world's largest colonies of lesser noddies, roseate terns and other tropical birds. It was only some 30 years ago that active conservation of endangered species began in the Seychelles. Since then, with the establishment of island sanctuaries and nature reserves, much has been done to make the Seychelles a paradise for birds - and for those who love to watch them.

The first recorded sighting of the Seychelles was by the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama at the beginning of the 16th century. In 1756, French planters claimed Mahé and seven other islands for France. The islands, until then known as the Amirantes (Admiral da Gama had named them after himself), were re-named in honour of the French king’s accountant, Vicomte Moreau de Séchelles. The Seychelles, annexed by Britain in 1794, were placed under the administration of Mauritius. Over the course of the 19th century, administration was handled by ‘old India hands’ – men and women with some experience of the tropics.

For the next 150 years, isolated from the rest of the world and all but ignored by the major European powers, the Seychelles developed their own traditions, language and culture. The islands became a Crown Colony in 1903. Internal self-government was granted in 1975 and independence a year later. Despite several coup attempts, multi-party democracy was restored in the Seychelles in 1991 under pressure from the country's main aid donors, particularly France and Britain.

History

It is thought that the Seychelles archipelago was visited by early Arab, Phoenician and Indonesian traders, but the first recorded sighting was by the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama at the beginning of the 16th century. Until as little as just over 200 years ago, it remained uninhabited. In 1756 French planters claimed Mahé and seven other islands for France. The islands, until then known as the Amirantes (Admiral da Gama had named them after himself), were re-named in honor of the French king’s accountant, Vicomte Moreau de Séchelles. The Seychelles, annexed by Britain in 1794, was placed under the administration of Mauritius. Over the course of the 19th century, administration was handled by ‘old India hands’ – men and women with some experience of the tropics.

For the next 150 years, isolated from the rest of the world and all but ignored by the major European powers, the Seychelles developed their own traditions, language and culture. The islands became a Crown Colony in 1903. Internal self-government was granted in 1975 and independence a year later. This isolated island paradise might have seemed an unlikely setting for the cut and thrust of Cold War politics, but in the years after independence, Seychellois politics were dominated by precisely that. The first post-independence Prime Minister, James Mancham, leader of the Seychelles Democratic Party, believed that tourism and offshore financial services offered the best economic future for the islands. While Mancham attended the 1977 Commonwealth Conference, armed supporters of the left-wing opposition Seychelles People’s United Party (SPUP) staged a coup.

Party leader, Albert René, took power, and despite several externally sponsored attempts to depose him, retained control of an authoritarian one-party state throughout the 1980s. However, aid donors, particularly France and Britain, put the Seychelles under pressure to follow the African trend of introducing multi-party politics. This had its effect in December 1991, when René announced to a stunned People’s Progressive Party (renamed from SPUP) congress that presidential elections would be held in the near future. James Mancham returned to the islands to contest the presidency as leader of the newly-formed Democratic Party. The election, which was eventually held in July 1993, was essentially a straight fight between René and Mancham. The incumbent René won comfortably. Since then he has won two further terms of office, while Mancham retired from active politics soon after his 1993 defeat. René’s fifth and most recent victory was in September 2001, when he defeated Wavel Ramkalawan, standing for the Seychelles Democratic Party (which now forms the nation’s main opposition party).

Since the end of the Cold War, the strategic position of the Seychelles has become less important and the government has undertaken something of a rapprochement with the West while seeking to build up its links with South and South-East Asia. In July 2003, the government announced the Seychelles’ withdrawal from the South African Development Conference, which caused some dismay in the region’s main economic and trade organization. On the domestic front, René’s success in building up infrastructure (especially for the vital tourism industry) and basic public services meant that, despite the often intolerant attitude of the government towards opposition and a tendency towards cronyism and nepotism, he continued to enjoy the support and confidence of much of the population. However, in April 2004, after more than a quarter of a century in power, René retired and handed presidency over to his vice-president, James Michel. There is debate whether Michel can win the 2006 elections. Doubts persist as to the Seychelles' slow and halting process of democratization under the ruling FPPS party.

Tourism is the largest industry in the Seychelles’ economy; it now accounts for over 20% of GDP, and draws 70% of foreign exchange earnings. The service sector as a whole covers three-quarters of the Seychelles’ economy.

Despite a shortage of fertile land, the agricultural sector produces copra for export, a variety of cash crops including tea and vanilla, and staple foods like cassava and sweet potatoes for domestic consumption. Fishing became increasingly important from the 1980s onwards, both through expansion of domestic operations and the lucrative sale of licences to foreign fleets..

Industry comprises a small mining sector which extracts guano (rich in minerals) and some natural gas, plus light and small-scale industries including food and drinks (notably a tuna-canning operation), boat-building, metals, chemicals, wood products and tobacco. There is also a thriving re-export business based on a recently established export-processing zone. Extensive searches for offshore oil and gas reserves have so far been unsuccessful.

The economy’s heavy dependence on tourism makes it especially vulnerable to external factors (such as the 9/11 attacks on the USA). In 1995, in an attempt to diversify the service economy away from tourism, the government started to promote the Seychelles as an ‘offshore’ financial services centre. This has been moderately successful, especially given that this is now a highly competitive and, because of concerns about fraud and money-laundering, controversial field.

Creole, the mother tongue of 94 percent of the nation in 1990, was adopted as the first official language of the nation in 1981. English is the second language and French the third, all of them officially recognized. The increased emphasis on Creole is designed to facilitate the teaching of reading to primary-level students and to help establish a distinct culture and heritage. Opponents of the René government thought it a mistake to formalize Creole, which had no standardized spelling system. They regarded it as a great advantage for Seychellois to be bilingual in French and English; treating Creole as a language of learning would, they feared, be at the expense of French and English.

Some 90 percent of the population was Roman Catholic as of 1992. The initial white settlers in Seychelles were Roman Catholics, and the country has remained so, despite ineffective British efforts to establish Protestantism in the islands during the nineteenth century. The nation has been a bishopric since 1890, and mission schools had a virtual monopoly on education until the government took over such schools in 1944. Sunday masses are well attended, and religious holidays are celebrated throughout the nation both as opportunities for the devout to practice their faith and as social events. Practicing Catholicism, like speaking French, confers a certain status by associating its adherents with the white settlers from France.

Approximately 7 percent of Seychellois are Anglicans--most coming from families converted by missionaries in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Evangelical Protestant churches are active and growing, among them Pentecostals and Seventh Day Adventists. Some 2 percent of the population are adherents of other faiths, including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. No temples or mosques, however, exist on the islands. No restrictions are imposed on religious worship by any of the denominations.

Although clergy and civil authorities disapprove, many Seychellois see little inconsistency between their orthodox religious observance and belief in magic, witchcraft, and sorcery. It is common to consult a local seer--known as a bonhomme de bois or a bonne femme de bois--for fortune-telling or to obtain protective amulets or charms, called gris-gris, to bring harm to enemies.

The islands lie outside the cyclone belt but receive monsoon rains from November to April with the northwest trade winds. This hot and humid season gives way to a period of cooler weather, though the temperature rarely falls below 23°C (73°F), and rougher seas when the trade winds blow from the southeast (May to October).

Required Clothing: Tropical lightweights, with rainwear advisable during the rainy season. Sun hats and sunglasses essential all year round.

Currency:
Seychelles Rupee (SCR) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of SCR100, 50, 25 and 10. Coins are in denominations of SCR5 and 1, and 25, 10 and 5 cents.

Exchange facilities are available at the airport banks, which are open for all flight departures and arrivals. The following banks have branches in the Seychelles and will exchange traveller's cheques and foreign currency: Barclays Bank, Bank of Baroda, Banque Française Commerciale, Central Bank of Seychelles, Development Bank of Seychelles, Habib Bank Ltd, Nouvo Banq and Seychelles Savings Bank. Currency exchange receipts should be kept in order to facilitate re-exchange on departure

Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs:
American Express, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted; Diners Club has more limited use. ATMs are available in Mahé and Praslin.

Traveller's Cheques
Accepted in most hotels, guest houses, restaurants and shops. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller's cheques in US Dollars or Pounds Sterling.

Banking Hours
Mon-Fri 08:30-14:30, Sat 08:30-11:00.

• Time: GMT + 4

• Electricity: 240 volts AC, 50Hz. British three-pin plugs are in use.

• Country Code: 248.

Custom Regulation

The following items may be imported into the Seychelles by persons of 18 years or older without incurring customs duty:

• 400 cigarettes or 500g of tobacco.

• 2L of spirits or 2L of wine

• 200ml of perfume or eau de toilette.

• Other items not exceeding SCR3000.

• One video camera and one camera.

• Musical instrument

• Portable electronic or electric equipment.

• Sports requisites and other leisure equipment.

Prohibited Imports

The import of non-prescribed drugs and all firearms, including air pistols, air rifles and spearfishing guns, and plants and plant products, animals and animal products, radioactive substances and apparatus, dangerous drugs, biological specimens, fireworks and explosives, medicines and poisons are prohibited, unless prior authorisation has been granted. Video tapes must be declared and may be retained for security reasons. The import of animals and food and other agricultural produce is strictly controlled and subject to licensing.

Prohibited Exports

Shells, unprocessed coco-de-mer, processed or live fish and live tortoises may not be exported.

Getting there by Road:
Traffic drives on the left. There are paved roads only on La Digue, Mahé and Praslin; elsewhere the roads are sandy tracks. Visitors should be aware that Mahé is mountainous with narrow, winding roads, rarely with safety barriers.

SPTC buses run on a regular basis on Mahé and Praslin. There are a number of 18-seater coaches for airport transfers and excursions.There are about 300 independently operated taxis on Mahé and Praslin, with a handful on La Digue, with government-controlled rates. There is a surcharge for taxi fares on Praslin between 2200-0600.There are over 550 cars or mini mokes for hire on Mahé, and a limited number on Praslin. It is advisable to make advance reservations, especially in the high season. Hire is on an unlimited mileage basis and the price includes Third Party insurance and tax. The minimum age is 21. Petrol is approximately a third more expensive than in Europe.

There is a speed limit of 65kph (40mph) on the open road, decreasing to 40kph (25mph) in built-up areas and throughout Praslin. A national driving licence is sufficient, for up to three months.

Getting There by Boat
Privately owned schooners provide regular inter-island connections between Mahé, Praslin and La Digue. Boats can be chartered privately to get to the other islands..

Getting there by Air
Airwave Air Seychelles provides an efficient network of scheduled and chartered services from Mahé to Alphonse, Bird, Denis, Desroches Islands, Frégate and Praslin. Helicopter (Seychelles) Ltd. provides an inter-island shuttle service and scenic flights. Charter flights can be arranged from any heli-stop.

No foreigners require a visa to enter Seychelles. A one-month visitor's permit is issued on arrival and may be extended on application. All visitors do, however, require a passport valid for the duration of their visit, return or onward ticket, sufficient funds to cover their stay (a minimum of 150 USD per day), and proof of accommodation. Extensions are possible if applied for at least a week before expiry of original visa.

Entry requirements for Americans: United States citizens with a passport valid for the duration of their stay will be issued with a visitor's permit valid for up to a month on arrival.

Entry requirements for UK nationals: British citizens need a passport valid for the duration of their stay, and will be issued with a visitor's permit on arrival, valid for a month.

Entry requirements for Canadians: Canadians require a passport valid for the length of their stay. A visitor's permit, entitling them to stay for a month, will be issued on arrival.

Entry requirements for Australians: Australians need a passport valid at least for the length of their stay. A visitor's permit, allowing for a one-month stay, will be issued on arrival.

Entry requirements for South Africans: South Africans must have a passport valid at least for the duration of their stay. A visitor's permit, allowing for a stay of up to a month, is issued on arrival.

Entry requirements for New Zealanders: New Zealanders require a passport valid for the length of their stay. A visitor's permit, allowing a stay of one month, is issued on arrival.

Entry requirements for Irish nationals: Irish citizens require a passport valid at least for the length of their stay. A visitor's permit for a stay of one month is issued on arrival.

Vallee de Mai contains a prehistoric forest that contains 4,000 examples of the giant coco de mer fruit palm (unique to Seychelles), vanilla orchids, palmiste, latanier, splayed traveller's palm and Chinese fans. The trees form an overhead canopy, and large prehistoric boulders are strewn over the forest floor.The valley is home to many species of lizards and rare birds such as the Seychelles bulbul, fruit pigeon and the national bird of Seychelles, the black parrot. A nature trail is marked and rated an Easy hike. It takes from 45 minutes to 2 hours depending on your route.

Curieuse Island is a 3 sq.km/1 sq.mi islet features a Marine National Park that is home to a breeding program for giant tortoises. The island has a wild population of about 250 Giant Tortoises, brought over from Aldabra in the 1980s and a breeding scheme has been in place there for several years. Curieuse was once a leper colony, and the ruins of the houses can still be seen. There is also a large, restored colonial villa, know as the Doctor’s House, where the island doctor lived in the 1870s. Nature trails wind their way across the island, notably through the extensive swamps, home to eight different species of mangrove.