What We Did in Mahe (Seychelles)

So sad to leave La Digue!

We had such a relaxing time here biking around and sightseeing the island. Except for when I kept falling off my bike. Mostly because Diana kept stopping short in front of me. The last fall was the worst – I not only fell but got my shorts stuck on the bike seat and couldn’t untangle myself so some passerby had to help me pull my shorts out and pick me (and my bike) back up.

Luckily I only sustained a few scrapes, bruises, and a sprained pinky toe but I think the soursop and mangoes (local fruit we bought off the side of a road) I was carrying were the worse for wear.

It just occurred to me that I have not been on a bike since 2003. Wow, 5 years. Where does the time go?

We took the 7:30am ferry from La Digue back to Praslin and then the 9am ferry from Praslin to Mahe. This time around, the ocean was a lot rougher than when we first arrived. Many people were sea sick on the ferry and even Diana felt a bit queasy. I had popped a Dramamine so felt just fine. Oh, and remember those coco de mer nuts that look like buttocks? Well, here they are as part of the ferry logo. Incidentally, the coco de mer image is also used as the entry/exit stamp for passports at Seychelles immigration.

At 59 square miles Mahe is, by far, the largest island, and it is home to the capital (Victoria), the international airport, the fishing and commercial ports, most of the population as well as many resorts and hotels, plus four casinos.

In Mahe, we booked one night at Choice Villa in Beau Vallon bay which is northwest of Victoria. We were picked up at the jetty by Cecile, the owner of Choice Villa, who took us to the guest house which, although not directly on the beach, is on a hill overlooking Beau Vallon bay.

Again, the seas were a bit rough and we could hear the crashing waves from our room. The beach can be easily accessed across the the street and through the Le Meridien hotel. I’m sure those rooms are a lot more than the 50 Euros we paid for ours!

Cecile had upgraded us to a 60 Euro room (woo-hoo!) which had a kitchen, sitting room, and best of all – two queen beds!

After Cecile oriented us to the restaurants and facilities around the area, we took our beach towels and headed out for some pizza and more sunbathing. It was a nice 15-20 minute walk along the beach to the center of Beau Vallon.

Mahe - Beau Vallon beach

We were spoiled by the beaches in Praslin and La Digue so didn’t think the Beau Vallon beach was as nice. Also, at high tide, the beach completely disappears.

Poor Diana! She learned this the hard way as she had picked a spot in the middle of the beach, then fell asleep, then was rudely awoken when the tide came in and almost swept her and her flip flops away.

I had picked a spot under a tree and closer to land so was nice and dry – but not for long as within another hour, the tide had reached me as well. Oh well, back to the guest house for some reading and napping before dinner.

The next day, we checked out of Choice Villa and jumped into the rental car that Cecile had been so kind to arrange for us. We had a whole day to kill before our red-eye flight at 2am and figured a car would be the best way to see the rest of the island.

We drove into Victoria, the capital, where we walked around a bit and enjoyed some lunch from a take-away stand.

As it was market day, we were able to visit the local fish, fruit, and vegetable market which also had some souvenir shops on the upper level:

We walked around gawking at all the exotic fruits and veg.

Many of the island produce were unknown to us but they make pretty pictures!

Then we drove towards Grand Anse (yes, it does seem like there is a Grand Anse on every island), stopped at Anse a la Mouche for some photos, then one last day of basking in the Seychellois sun at Anse Intendence, which is by the lovely 1100-Euro per night Banyan Tree resort.

We enjoyed our last Seychelles sunset and said our final goodbyes to the lovely beaches.

Mahe - Anse Intendance

After that, we headed towards Vye Marmit in Anse aux Pins for dinner of crab curry and “flying fox” braised in a red wine sauce (flying fox = local fruit bat). All quite tasty! Here is a photo of Diana’s braised bat entree:

"flying fox" braised in a red wine sauce

Then it was off to the airport and back to Dubai.