Review of an expedition cruise to the Seychelles with Ponant from January 25 to February 2, 2026 (page 11 of 11)

Thank you, Alain, for your message. It must have been a truly beautiful destination back when you visited—so different from what it’s become today. Hold onto those wonderful memories; you’d be bitterly disappointed to go back. Overtourism and all its excesses now rule these three main islands.

Hello,

A few good and bad memories from our trip, if you don’t mind:

- The most terrifying first: On La Digue, we’d rented bikes to head toward Grand Anse and Petite Anse in the southeast. We had to cross a large plantation of towering coconut trees. A coconut fell just as my wife was passing—it grazed her shoulder before crashing to the ground with a sound I’ll never forget. I still shudder to think what could’ve happened if it had hit her head!!

- Arriving at Praslin Airport, we took a bus to the small hotel we’d booked for our stay. At one stop, an elderly woman boarded holding a big, beautiful fish. Not wanting to set it on the floor, she hung it on the back of the driver’s seat 😉. I didn’t dare take a photo!!!

- On Mahé, we hiked into the mountains toward a peak whose name I’ve forgotten. We crossed a forest where the tree leaves were enormous (between 10 and 15 square meters each???!!). It was incredibly impressive. A shower fell, but those leaves kept the rain from reaching the ground. The forest was also covered in huge spiderwebs (with equally large spiders), and we found tiny wild pineapples...

- After getting a flat tire on our rental car (from hitting a rock) and finding the spare flat too, someone offered to "put some air in the tire" 😎 😉—which really saved us.

- So many amazing snorkeling trips, especially along a rocky needle near Praslin... but also around Mahé and La Digue...

Etc., etc.

And everywhere, kindness and smiles...

Thank you for bringing all this back with your photos (especially in these "troubled" and anxiety-inducing times).

Puma2A

Hi Alain,

Thanks for sharing these beautiful memories—authentic moments full of emotion that feel like they belong to another era, a time when travelers were far fewer and tourism was still underdeveloped.

What a retrospective scare you must’ve had with that falling coconut! These accidents aren’t uncommon. A naturalist told us they kill more people each year than sharks do.

... @Catherine,

I forgot to ask you something:

In Victoria, when we visited Mahé, in the middle of an intersection downtown, there was a metal "Clock Tower" with four faces. At the time, it was "THE" landmark of Victoria. Does it still exist? Would you happen to have a photo to share, please?

Thanks.

...

I’d also read that the Clock Tower was “the monument” in the city—it still exists, right in the middle of the intersection, though it’s usually lost in traffic. But sometimes you can see it standing alone. 😉

... Huge THANKS!!!

Absolutely a rare moment with no vehicles in sight or around! You must’ve waited quite a while to capture this peaceful shot.

Cheers. ...

It was Sunday morning, when everything is closed. 😎