Seychelles with backpack, without passport

We land on a hot February afternoon and the first impression is clear. Laundry. The hot tropical air saturated with moisture immediately embraces us and does not let go for the next seven days. But then I raise my head and open my mouth in amazement. The small airport on the largest island of Mahé surrounds the incredible magic mountains, overgrown with deep green tropical vegetation… Picture as if from a catalog, and we haven’t left the airport area yet. I will like it here.

Mahé is the largest island of Seychelles – an archipelago located in the Indian Ocean about 1,500 km east of Africa. It consists of 115 islands and is famous above all for its azure sea and golden beaches with typical granite boulders. You can see them in almost every picture from the Seychelles. They seem romantic, some are really massive and are scattered all over the coast.

You will not find many luxury hotel resorts with all inclusive services on Mahé, they are more likely to be found on the surrounding islands. Here you will discover a tropical island pulsating with life. Around 72,000 inhabitants live here (90% of all the inhabitants of Seychelles) and you can get to know the life of the locals perfectly during the drives. You will see children in uniforms heading to school and women in decent suits hurrying to work, workers or sellers of fresh fruit or fish standing by the roadside waiting for customers. Or groups of young people who are currently preparing an evening picnic on one of the beaches… In general, there is an atmosphere here relaxed mood and there is no rush. Also where in the heat.

If you want to get to know Mahé more closely, the best way is to rent a car and drive around here. You drive on the left and the roads are narrow, so it takes nerve and a bit of driving skill. Especially when you meet a bus on a bend, which happens every now and then. And the traffic here is quite heavy, especially around the capital city of Victoria. But thanks to this, you can spend each day in a different place or go to the mountains.

Beaches on the island they are clean and freely accessible. However, you won’t be able to swim in some of them as you are used to, for example, from the Mediterranean Sea. We are on the Indian Ocean and in some places the water is only knee deep at the shore. The photos for Instagram will still be perfect. Of course, you will also find long and almost deserted white beaches with big waves here, and you can wade to your heart’s content in the pleasantly warm sea. But it’s not much for lying in the sun for a long time, we are only a little below the equator, so the pale skin of Central Europeans turns bright red in no time, even after applying a high factor. It is much better to hide in the shade of the coconut palms that line most of the beaches.

Seychelles has a reputation as a paradise for the rich, and the local government is quite confident about it. That is also why the entire island is clean and all the infrastructure works like clockwork. The islands are also accessible to regular travelers, just buy a ticket and book accommodation. There are many such options on Mahé, the villas are beautiful and affordable. In addition to swimming, the island also offers the opportunity to try one of the mountain treks. It’s a great experience, you just need a bit of fitness, expect to arrive at the top completely sweaty, so bring plenty of water with you. The impressive views with which you will be rewarded for the effort will make up for everything.

Prices in the Seychelles are generally roughly twice as high as in the Czech Republic, and you will pay even more in restaurants. For a regular lunch with a drink, you can pay from 700 crowns and above. Of course, seafood and fish predominate on the menu, but there are also facilities for European tastes, the menu does not lack soups or spaghetti or burgers. However, you can also have it in small bistros scattered throughout the island, where you can find it at much more affordable prices. For example, a hamburger, served by a nice lady directly from the window, will cost you 60 rupees (110 CZK), fried shrimp for 100 rupees (180 CZK). Alcohol is generally more expensive here, a bottle of ordinary wine in the store costs around 250-300 crowns.

The local rum is famous. You can find the distillery in the eastern part of the island of Mahé, not far from the famous Anse Royale beach. During the tour you can taste it here, they offer several different flavors, learn a bit about the history and production and buy a bottle of the rum that you like best. Part of the area is also a pleasant garden, where even the locals like to go for a glass of a good cocktail. It is very likely that they will be happy to talk with you here, so you will learn even more about the beauties of life in the Seychelles.

Tips for the trip