A super classic trio: Praslin, La Digue, Mahé (Seychelles) (page 5 of 7)

The rain finally lets up and the sky clears a bit... off we go for a tour of Victoria! Heading to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and, next to it, the Domus (former Capuchin friars' lodgings).



A great chance to photograph a very common bird in the Seychelles (but photogenic), the red fody (or Madagascar fody).



The church is (to our great surprise) packed. A Seychellois woman explains that during Lent, there’s a mass every noon ... and that it’s always this crowded. Once mass is over, we discover a simple and modern interior with beautiful stained glass windows.

To wrap up our discovery of Victoria, we head to the Bel Air cemetery, where we wander among the oldest graves in the Seychelles (and the mosquitoes! ).



One last photo to end on a sunny note

Time to head to the airport!

A smooth return (with a much shorter layover than on the way there) and we arrive in France under a gorgeous blue sky. Okay, the temperatures are a bit cooler than in the Seychelles 😛, but it still softens the return 😉.

Your images of Anse Major reminded me that we’d done that hike too. We’d also headed toward Mahé’s highest peak, with some pretty special memories: huge trees with massive, tangled "leaves" going every which way. We felt like dwarves in a fantasy world. There were also giant spiderwebs everywhere, and the spiders were as big as a hand... I spent the whole time clearing a path with a stick to avoid touching those webs. We also found wild pineapples. Like you, we got caught in a heavy downpour, but the size of the leaves diverted the water so it didn’t reach us...!!

Thanks again for bringing all this back with your story and photos.

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Thanks Muriel for this travel journal that brought back some really great memories! 😊 The upside of tropical countries is that even when it rains, it’s not cold! 😄

The upside of tropical countries is that even when it rains, it’s not cold 😄

Totally... which unfortunately isn’t the case where we are :/

I just realized this travel journal seems... finished. !! 😐 Too bad Sniff!

Anyway, Thanks Muriel for the whole story. See you soon, I guess, for other stories.

Didn’t have too much trouble with driving on narrow roads or driving on the left?? It was my only experience driving on the left, and I have tons of memories...

All the best.

Puma2A

Thanks Muriel for this lovely travel journal! :)

I’m thinking it must really be a lovely break for a short winter getaway :)

Hi there, For me, the issue would be (will be? 😕) the weather... It’s recommended to go during the dry season, which runs from May to October. I feel like it’s a shame to travel so far in winter just for beach time or hiking, with a high risk of rain or unpredictable weather. For this kind of trip, I’d prefer to be sure of optimal weather during the heart of our winter.

I wonder if we can still trust weather stats 🤪 Last year, we went to Kenya in January, where it's supposed to be dry or even very dry, and we had rain (not much, but not "normal"), and there were floods in the Masai Mara further south... Then again, on islands, the weather changes fast—it can rain in one spot and be sunny 10 km away... or not 🤣 But I get you, I’m also looking for sunny winter destinations 😎

This wasn’t my first time driving on the left (South Africa and Malta, my most stressful experience). The issue is that I always think I’m more to the right than I actually am, so I tend to hug the left too much ("Watch the curb!!!!"), but knowing that, I’m careful 😛

In a few weeks, another set of islands—the Cyclades 🙂.

Christelle, I've done my part of the deal... your turn now ;) 😏

Hi Kate,

I agree with Muriel: we really can’t rely on the weather anymore 🤪 But for a destination like the Seychelles, it can definitely ruin your vacation... I’d still give it a shot though !

No no Muriel, we added a paragraph to the contract, a whole new chapter on the Cyclades 😛

Thanks for this travel journal!

And if I were you, I’d give diving another shot (my husband was in the same boat as you during his first try and had no issues afterward)

If I were you, I’d give diving another try (my husband was in the same boat during his first try and had no issues afterward)

So, I might give it another shot if the opportunity comes up—I thought it was great aside from that issue.

For this kind of trip, I’d prefer to be sure of optimal weather during the dead of winter here.

Hello, For the past 3 or 4 years, "El Niño" has been wreaking havoc in the Indian Ocean, with a severe impact and major disruptions to the climate of the islands and the African countries bordering this ocean. There’s no longer any certainty in the climatological data from past years.

Right now, certainties in this region are being shelved... and all extremes (temperatures or rainfall) are greatly amplified.

That doesn’t take away from the charm of the Seychelles Islands or the Seychellois people, though!!

Best regards.

Oh shoot, already—I’m not ready, Muriel 😅. I still haven’t polished up Sumatra, so I think I’ll just tell you about "our" Kenya instead 😊. Anyway, thanks so much for this feedback—it made me discover a few spots we missed. You’re sneaky; now we’ll have to go back 😆. Have a great weekend, everyone! 😊

Let's go for Kenya (for now 😉 😏)! On a self-drive trip, we’ll have some new experiences 😎

Thanks for this detailed travel journal and the beautiful photos 👍

Hi Muriel,

Your photos really made me want to go—thanks and well done! 🙂

It’s even more timely since I’m looking for our next destination, and it’ll be an island (or several... 😉

I’m so glad you liked this travel journal! 🙂

Hi JF

Will you share a little travel journal when you get back? 😇 😉