Anyone for Denis?

Jan 11 2008 Travel by Simon Hadley

Simon Hadley discovers how to relax on the paradise islands of the Seychelles.

On these cold wintry English days imagine a place where the weather is always warm. The sea is the same balmy temperature as the air, you can walk barefoot along your own beautiful sandy beach.

No mobile phones, no television and although this is a luxury desert island experience there are no keys to your elegant cottage, hidden away among the tropical foliage. You can simply relax and unwind, take time to follow the slow progress of the giant tortoises, listen to the birdsong and watch the antics of the brilliant green geckos. Welcome to another world a thousand miles from anywhere: welcome to Denis Island in the Seychelles.

The first sight of Denis Island is of a small green jewel like dot among an endless expanse of azure ocean. Situated on the north-easterly edge of the Seychelles bank where the Indian Ocean drops 2,000 metres into the abyss.

Skimming low across the wave tops in our Air Seychelles Twin Otter island hopper, after our 35 minute flight from the capital island Mahe, we line up with the whitewashed welcome sign painted on the grass runway. After bouncing down the short, palm tree lined, landing strip we taxi to the grass roofed terminal building.

Denis Island is named after Denis de Trobriand, who landed in 1733 and claimed it for the King of France. The privately-owned island is now home to the Denis Island Resort, a small and exclusive collection of 25 cottages on the north-western tip surrounded by casuari trees and coconut palms.

Just to add to the bliss, it is a mere stone's throw from the pristine white beach and calm waters of the reef protected lagoon. Visitors to Denis soon enter into a state known as "Denis time", where you forget the outside world exists. You can do what you want when you want even if that amounts to doing absolutely nothing.

Although doing nothing should not really be an option. Most activities involve the sea in one form or another: scuba diving or snorkelling (swim with turtles, rays and sharks on the expanse of reef surrounding the island); world class deep sea fishing (tag your catch and have it cooked by the chef); sailing and windsurfing.

Inland you can explore its host of wildlife, such as the huge (and harmless) palm spiders, Toby the giant tortoise and his friends as well as a wide variety of endemic and protected birds.

Conservation is an important issue to the people and the government of the Seychelles, with more than 50 per cent of the land protected and two World Heritage sites. Influenced by this as well as the need for self sufficiency driven by its isolation, Denis has its own organic farm producing most of the meat, fruit and vegetables for the restaurant.

In addition to this the trees cleared for the runway have been used by a team of carpenters to build all the furniture as well as the the buildings in the resort.

The Seychelles archipelago consists of 115 islands each with their own distinct character. About 150 million years ago a huge seismic event ripped apart the super continent of Pangaea, which comprised of present day Africa, India and Eurasia.

As the tectonic plates drifted a chunk of granite the size of Great Britain was left exposed in the middle of the newly-formed ocean. Millions of years of erosion have reduced the granite to a thousandth of its original size and formed the inner islands of the Seychelles. More recently the outer islands were being created from coral reefs exposed by falling sea levels.

Man only settled here 200 years ago. The ancient granite inner islands, of which Mahe is the largest, tend to be rugged and mountainous, the slopes covered in forests. The outer coral island such as the Amirantes, Farquhar and Aldabra groups low lying and sandy. It is however not just the physical characteristics that vary, it is the whole feel of the place, the people, the food, the atmosphere and the accommodation.

In almost complete contrast to Denis Island is Sainte Anne Island, home to The Sainte Anne Resort and Spa, located within a nature reserve, a 15-minute boat ride away from Victoria, the capital of Mahe.

Whereas Denis was barefoot desert island luxury with a hint of natural wildness, St Anne is immaculate. No sandy footpaths, here the sand is all on the beaches; beautifully manicured paths lead you through the jungle growth, if a palm leaf falls a team of gardeners will rush in and tidy it away and should you start to wilt in the tropical heat a porter will soon be along to pick you up in his electric golf buggy. No giant tortoises to trip over and definitely no palm spider webs to accidently walk into.

After three days of "Denis time", this level of perfection takes a while to get used to – about 40 minutes, in fact (the length of a relaxing Clarin's massage at the island spa). While Denis Island inspires relaxation with its escapist other worldliness, St Anne does it through sheer comfort and elegance. However, should you tire of St Anne’s sea, sand, sun and spas, its proximity to the main hub of the Seychelles, Mahe, provides the opportunity for day trips to other nearby Islands.

Out of a total population of 80,000 Seychellois, 70,000 live on Mahe, with just 23,000 in the islands' capital (one of the smallest in the world) Victoria. This quirky old colonial town is easily negotiated on foot. At its centre is the "Lorloz" , a miniature version of the clock tower outside Victoria Station in London.

Legend has it that when it was delivered in 1903, to commemorate the year that the Seychelles was declared a crown colony, the clock was dropped overboard into the harbour, as a result it has never struck.

From Victoria, hop onboard the high speed catamaran and make the 40-minute crossing to Praslin. This crossing has a reputation for being rough and although I wasn’t affected too badly myself, other members of my party would definitely recommend taking the 15-minute Air Seychelles flight.

Whichever way you travel it is worth making the trip. Not only does Praslin have some of the best beaches in the world, but its virgin forest, The Vallée de Mai, is a World Heritage site and home to the rare Coco de Mer palm.

The toughest choice on St Anne was where to eat that evening. Choose between the private gazebo at your villa complete with your own personal maitre d’, L’Abondance restaurant beside the pool, or a reservation at Le Mont Fleuri. For me the ultimate dining experience has to be Le Mont Fleuri, tucked away at the far end of the beach, perched on stilts rising over the water, open to the soft tropical night breeze blowing across the bay of Mahe.

The combination of its remote location and the government's determination to preserve its natural heritage and beauty means that the Seychelles should never be overrun by tourism. And the fact that the Seychellois people appreciate what it is that makes their islands so special will hopefully ensure that it stays that way. 

•  Simon Hadley was a guest of Beachcomber Tours. For details, call 01483 445 630 or visit www.beachcombertours.co.uk for details on holidays in the Seychelles.

 Prices for three nights on Denis Island, full board in a deluxe cottage with internal flights and four nights at Sainte Anne Resort & Spa on half board basis in a Villa Beau Sejour with airport transfers and economy flights with Air Seychelles start from £5,027 for two adults depending on date of departure.

Tourist information on the Seychelles is also available from the Seychelles Tourist Office on 0207 333 0147 or at www.seychelles.travel.