Vallée de Maye Nature Reserve(Vallee de Mai - "Valley of May") is a natural park and UNESCO World Heritage Site on the island of Praslin, Seychelles. Vallee de Mai is one of the smallest natural paradises on earth. This quiet, remote valley is the center of Praslin National Park and is home to the famous and interesting coco de mer palms. The Vallee de Mai Palm Forest is a remarkable living remnant of prehistoric forests that existed when the Seychelles granite islands were still part of Gondwanaland, a huge landmass that included what is now Africa, Madagascar and India. Millions of years of isolation have allowed unique groups of animals and plants to emerge here, some species of which are found only in the Seychelles.
I highly recommend that boaters spend a few hours visiting Vallede May. The reserve is located 4 km from the Praslin yacht marina. You can get there by taxi, asking to order it at the marina office or charter company.

Flora Vallee de Mai

Coco de mer palm trees are surrounded by myths and legends. This is partly because the strange double nuts were discovered long before the palms themselves were discovered, and partly because the supposed male and female forms that occur on split palms are coco de mer. Unfortunately, even the "facts" about these unique and slow-growing palms have not been thoroughly examined by scientific research, so there is now a small amount of controversy described in biological statistics.
Coco de mer palms come in "male" and "female" genders. Male palms grow up to 30 meters in height, females only up to 24. These palms produce the largest grain in the world, it can weigh more than 20 kg. The grain is in the shell and the fruit takes about 6-7 years to ripen. After planting, feather leaves appear after one year. On Vallee de Mai, the length of the leaves of young coco de mer palms reaches 14 meters and even more. These palms typically live between 200 and 400 years.
There are five other natives growing in the Vallee de Mai palm varieties: millionaire's salad (Dekenia nobilis), thief's palm (Phenicophorium borsigianum), palm piles of Seychelles (Verschaffeltia splendida) latanier millepattes (Nephrosperma vanhoutteanum) and latanier palm (Roscheria melanochaetes).

Fauna of Vallee de Mai

The park is home to several species of birds associated with palm trees as habitat. This is a black parrot ( Coracopsis barklyi), dubbed the "mystery bird" that feeds on palm fruits, Alectroenas pulcherrima- Seychelles Blue Pigeon; Hypsipetes crassirostris- Nightingale of the Seychelles; Nectarinia dussumieri- Sunbird of the Seychelles; Collocalia francica- swiftlet Mascarene and Falco araea- kestrel of the Seychelles.

Walking tour of the Vallee de Mai

You can move around the park only on foot. All paths are beautifully made and kept clean. The Vallee de Mai has very few steep climbs or long walks, and they are all usually marked on maps. All of the Vallee de Mai's treasures are accessible from all paths, so use your eyes and ears to recognize them.

You can make a request

Praslin Island is the second largest in the archipelago, but nevertheless it takes less than an hour to cross its width.

Praslin Island is located 36 km from the capital of the Seychelles, Victoria. Territory 26 sq. km. About 5,000 people live on the island. Praslin Island can be reached from Mahe Island in 15 minutes by plane or 2.5 hours by boat.
Surrounded by a coral reef, the island is the only place on earth where a grove of the “sea coconut” has survived.

The island's landscape is typical of the Seychelles: gently sloping mountains, a coastline indented by large and small bays, and wide sandy beaches. There is no strong swell here thanks to the coral reef that surrounds the entire island. Popular crowded beaches alternate with small bays, where even at the height of the tourist season a feeling of loneliness and seclusion is created.

Many consider Praslin to be the most beautiful island Seychelles archipelago. It is called the "Garden of Eden".
Surrounded by a coral reef, the island is the only place on earth where a grove of the “sea coconut” has survived. IN national park Valley de May (“Valley of May”) is home to more than 7,000 unique coco de mer palms and is home to the rare black parrot. The beaches of the island are also beautiful.
The island's small size makes it easy to explore on foot or by renting a bicycle. There are few cars here, but you can get to any part of the island by bus. The village of Grand Ance is the main settlement. There are two ancient churches, a district administration building, a football field and, of course, souvenir shops. An interesting attraction of the island is two monuments crowned with images of the fruits of "Coco De Mer" - the sea coconut palm, which is the pride and symbol of the Seychelles. "Coco De Mer" is the main element of the Seychelles coat of arms. The National Park Valee De Mai ("Valley of May") on Praslin has the largest palm grove in the archipelago, numbering about 7 thousand trees. One of the rarest birds in the world lives here - the black parrot. The park is included in the list World Heritage UNESCO.

Here are such wonderful places as the unique national park Valley de May ("Valley of May", included in the UNESCO World Heritage List), where more than 7 thousand unique coco de mer palms grow and such rare birds as black parrot, as well as the beautiful landscapes of the Côte d'Or, Volbert, Consolacion, St. Anne's Bay, Cape St. Mary, Lazio bays, La Blague, Petit-Lance-Kerlan, etc. There is also a copra factory and vanilla plantations, as well as the beautiful beaches of Grand Anse, Budem, Georgette, Ari-Matelo, Ari-Petit-Cours, etc. The island has 8 diving and 4 fishing centers, luxury hotels and gourmet restaurants, but just a stone's throw from you can see a mountain stream covered with a green canopy of palm trees and breadfruit trees, and walks around this small island bring a lot of pleasure to many tourists.

Pasquière Bay and the northern parts of Volbert and St. Anne bays are seaports, where those who prefer a sea voyage to relaxing on the beach can enjoy comfortable yachts and boats. From here you can travel to the nearby islands of Mahe and La Digue.

The most popular beaches are in the bays of Maria Louise, Lazio, Consolacion, Volbert or Cote D'Or (Gold Coast), as well as in Bois de Rose, Boudin and in Kerlan Bay, where the Lemuria Resort de Praslin hotel opened in 1999. , which has become the most luxurious hotel in the Seychelles.

When is the best time to go?
All year round. Temperature fluctuations throughout the year are insignificant.

Geography
Seychelles archipelago, 40 km or 15 minutes by plane or two hours by boat from international airport Pointe Larue on the island of Mahe.

How to get there
You can get to Praslin Island from Mahe Island: by plane, boat or ferry.

Restaurants
Seychelles cuisine can be described as European with Creole influences. Lots of fish and seafood dishes. The most famous restaurant is Britania.

For children
Playgrounds on beaches and on hotel grounds.

Sport
Great places for all types water sports. There are 8 diving and 4 fishing centers on the island.

Shopping
The main souvenirs of the Seychelles are the fruits of the sea coconut palm, as well as the liquor made from their peel. The nuts are polished, varnished, and decoratively carved. Floor and wall cabinets made from sea coconut are popular.

Night life
Praslin's Casino in the north-eastern part of the island. Large hotels have night discos. The most popular night club on the island - The Jungle. Night picnics are arranged on the coast.

We can always offer you individual tours anywhere in the world according to your taste.
You can make a request

I really wanted to go to Mahe because the Morne National Park is located there. Especially after I accidentally found information that Nepenthes grow there, whose carnivorous pitchers we were never able to find on Mount Kinabalu in Borneo.

In the morning, a hefty jeep with a crew and a German shepherd attached to the car came to pick us up. Cheerful representatives of "Mervin & Fadmini Mathieu" ( [email protected]) turned out to be husband and wife. This is their family business, from which they apparently make good money.
We had to be taken to a certain place in the mountains, and then my wife took the car and then had to meet us on the other side of the mountain. And we, her husband and the dog had to go through the pass and go down to the agreed point on the other side of the mountain at 5 pm.


But the circumstances turned out so miraculously that the workers dug up the road and dropped us off earlier, which increased our route by an hour.


It is generally accepted that the Seychelles is sea, sand, islands... beach holiday and complete relaxation. And, of course, tourists need entertainment - excursions. Therefore, the most advanced part of tourists knows that on the island of Praslin there is National Park Valley de May (May Valley). Coco de Mer palm trees grow there. And almost no one knows that on Mahe there is a huge Morne National Park, in which five species of endemic palm trees also grow (except Coco de Mers with their erotic fruits, so popular among tourists). In Morne unique nature, fantastic views, at least seven tourist routes varying degrees of severity, and you can even climb to the top of the mountain - Morne Blanc. And that is not all! There is a real cloud forest with its own unique vegetation and a completely unique swamp. (The swamp was the last thing I wanted to see. But oh well. I read that you can see endemic freshwater turtles there).

We began our climb into the mountains from a still residential section of the road. For a long time, rare houses could be found here and there. How do they live there? You can’t get out of there without a car and there’s nowhere to go to the store...

They showed us how it grows and gave us a taste of passion fruit. Seychelles passion fruit turned out to be quite pleasant, with a light exotic aroma.

Wild guava fruits are absolutely superb! They are quite sweet and very tasty. It’s a pity that we were only given one fruit each)

Mervyn said that the dog was specially trained and would look for snakes and frogs for us.

And... I forgot to say... if you are going to Morne, do not expect to see animals and exotic birds there. The inhabitants of Morne are lizards, geckos, non-venomous snakes, frogs, including the world's smallest frog and a couple of other endemics, freshwater turtles, fish, some birds and tenrecs - animals like a hedgehog.

But you will most likely see only lizards, frogs and birds.

During two trips to the national park, I only saw a bulbul and one that accidentally flew there Seychelles Rock Pigeon (Seychelles Blue Pigeon / Seychelles Blue Fruit Dove).

A! I forgot the most important thing! There is a tiger chameleon in the Morne National Park. It is very rare and there are fewer and fewer of them. These chameleons live on endemic trees, which have now largely replaced the cinnamon and others brought to the Seychelles.
I tried to ask the natives how to see a chameleon? They looked at me sympathetically, like I was crazy, and said that as soon as they saw me, they would call me...))

Mervyn did not see any mental illness in me and said that they exist on Morna. And his little son finds them perfectly. To do this, you need to have superhuman powers of observation, since chameleons masterfully camouflage themselves.

Upon my return, I found an article on the Seychelles website that an international expedition had discovered a second species of chameleon in the Seychelles. They searched for them at night with torches. And perhaps in the near future, night excursions in search of chameleons will become another tourist attraction.

Now no one drives at night. In general, this is difficult to imagine in the Seychelles, since the locals religiously comply with labor laws and will not overwork you, rest assured. We didn’t manage to get them going on a night dive.))

In Morne they look at nature, forest, landscapes, who understands - unique endemic plants (but this is not a botanical garden where the ideal jungle is created, which is shown to us in films).
If you want to see other Seychelles, then go to Morne.

The road was smooth until the moment when Mervin announced to us that he usually goes all the way here, since the car cannot go any further. And then the tourists paddle on foot. But further on the road was mostly flat. Apparently someone is watching her. In some places there was even a strong smell of cut lemongrass.

In Morne it grows like ordinary grass here.

Mervin is carrying a heavy backpack, in which he has some essential supplies, fruit, cookies and water.

We walked quite briskly (but not running, like in Tamarind in Mauritius) through the forest. While my darling was chatting with the guide, I was filming all sorts of interesting things. In my opinion, there were a lot of interesting things, so I traditionally lagged behind.

It was interesting to me that there were plants that were the same as in Borneo. Where are they from? Well, you can bring one, well, two... In particular, a dilemma was discovered...

And also ferns. Nesting ferns on this side of the mountain were extremely rare. Therefore, when the guide saw that I had discovered something and was taking pictures, he said that I was great.


I also independently discovered the first vanilla vine on our way. For which I received another plus from the guide in my record book) Perhaps, I could tell him more about the vegetation of the forest than he did to us) But he certainly was useful.

There are several types of vanilla. One of them, Vanilla planifolia, is considered the best in pod quality and is one of the export crops of Seychelles. Vanilla vines are found quite often in Morne. Unfortunately, there were no flowers on the vines. The guide said that vanilla on Mahe blooms in August and the pods are harvested in September.The pods then undergo special processing and are used in cooking and perfumery.

I was very interested in the jellyfish tree, about which so much has been written on the Internet. But Mervin had never heard of any jellyfish and suggested looking for it himself)

But he turned out to be simply invaluable, showing us the endemic dancing snails Pachnodus niger. I couldn’t even imagine that snails could make such movements!

These snails are also quite rare on Mahe. You can see them on some routes in the Morne National Park. When I later went to Copolia with other aborigines, they found two snails for me and could not understand what I wanted from them)) That is. they didn't even know about their amazing ability.

These are tiny black snails that are sometimes found on paths or on the undersides of palm leaves. You have to shake the shell with your finger, then the snail starts shaking the shell in response - you can’t do that, you can’t...))

It was so amazing and dynamic that we then had fun all the way pestering the poor snails)) Perhaps this is one of the most amazing impressions of visiting the Seychelles in general))

The path ran through the forest, steadily climbing up the mountain. Sometimes the road was smooth, and sometimes we had to climb.

Somewhere in the middle of the route I already wanted to offer them to leave me here)


We reached the first gazebo and rested there for a while. The guide took out fruits and cookies with dried berries. Very delicious. One liver fell. I asked if I could offer it to the dog. Mervin himself took the cookie and handed it to the animal. The shepherd sniffed the cookies indifferently and turned away. Mervyn said that the dog is specially trained to eat and drink only at home from certain dishes in certain time. So as not to be poisoned.

And he said that he brought her to the island from Europe. To get such a dog in the Seychelles, you need to justify it and obtain special permission.

We sat in the gazebo, blown by a pleasant breeze. And the guide shrank. He said that he was used to the warmth and felt cold here. He said that he tried to live in Europe, but could not because of the climate. And then I asked a question that has always interested me very much: do blacks sunbathe?)

He answered in the affirmative. He said that those places that are usually open, the face, hands, are less exposed to the sun and they are more tanned than, for example, the part of the hand under a T-shirt. Those parts of the body that are hidden from the sun can get sunburned on the beach. He also said that he and his wife have dry skin and use creams. But those blacks who eat a lot of coconuts have oilier skin and are less exposed to the sun. Hence the conclusion - you need to eat coconuts))

We moved on. The forest gradually changed. It became thicker and darker. Tree ferns appeared, and some other local ferns that grew in a rosette, but the leaf height reached two meters. I've never seen anything like this before.

This route we walked was named after a Roman Catholic priest (monk) who lived there in the mountains with his novices on pilgrimage in the early 1900s. The remains of his destroyed home can still be seen along the route.

In one place, the guide showed us the endemic Seychelles salad palm. He said that all the salad palms on the island belong to someone - a private individual or the republic. You can’t just come and cut down such a palm tree. She needs to be redeemed.

Heart of palm salad is prepared in South America, but there is a different type of salad palm there. Its core is thin and tastes like bamboo stems. Seychelles salad palm is 15 centimeters in diameter. Its core is cut into slices and pickled. Then added to various dishes or served as a separate salad. Similar to pickled daikon.

In my opinion, the most interesting thing about it is the seed pods. They look like a lamp or some kind of plant from a horror movie, as these shades are equipped with spikes. It seems like she’s going to bite now.)) Young palms are unremarkable.

At one point the route passes through abandoned plantations and an abandoned settlement. Plants were grown high in the mountains, apparently to avoid pirate attacks. Since then, the plants have scattered across the mountains, but some still grow where they were planted. Marvel showed how to use a long stick to reach a tall growing citrus (sour, it’s creepy!)

We saw a breadfruit tree with flying dogs circling high in its branches (like meat with a side dish)). In the Seychelles there is a legend that whoever tastes the breadfruit will certainly return to the Seychelles. And the Seychellois actually cook it somehow. We got breadfruit chips at the restaurant. We'll have to go back. Well, I don't mind...))

But the coolest thing was the nutmeg. A huge tree with plums hanging on it.

If you break a plum, there is a beautifully packaged nut inside.

But the ripe nuts fall out on their own and lie in their beautiful wrappers under the tree. Marvin collected pockets full of nuts. For what? For his beloved mother-in-law!)) He talks about baking pies... He's making something dark... Either she bakes for the whole island, or she sells them. After all, nutmeg can be eaten in very limited quantities. And he hangs out here often.

One of the English-language sites described what can be seen in the Seychelles, including a chameleon. And at the end it was written that if you are very lucky, you will see a Seychelles butterfly!)) And I saw it! She fluttered under the dark arch of the forest and sat down for a minute. I showed the trophy to Mervyn. He congratulated me and invited me to work as a guide!))))))))))

To be continued...

Seychelles is one of the few countries that can be confidently called a real a piece of paradise on the ground. The reason for this is primarily the luxurious combination of incredibly beautiful nature, exotic birds and animals, snow-white beaches and crystal clear water.

In addition, absolute peace and idyll reign in the Seychelles, which is a rarity in our busy world. Thanks to such excellent conditions Seychelles They are especially popular among couples and newlyweds. In addition, holding romantic weddings here has become quite a fashionable trend.

Thus, the Seychelles offers absolute peace, incredibly beautiful landscapes, excellent service and a relaxed pace of life - in short, ideal conditions for a wonderful holiday.

Capital	Victoria
Population
Population density	193 people/km²
	French, English and Creole
Religion	Catholicism
Form of government	Presidential republic
	SCR (Seychelles rupee)
Timezone
International dialing code
Domain zone
Electricity

Climate and weather

The Seychelles Islands have a tropical climate, due to which the weather here is warm and mild, and there is practically no sweltering heat. Significant temperature fluctuations on the islands are extremely rare, with the average annual air temperature being +26..+31° C. Conventionally, the year is divided into two seasons: cool (from June to November) and hot (from December to May). Largest quantity rain falls directly from December to May, and although they are quite intense, they do not last at all. In general, it is worth noting that short-term tropical downpours can occur here at any time of the year. The most favorable months for traveling to the Seychelles are May and October, during which the weather is literally perfect.

Nature

The Seychelles is an island nation that consists of 115 islands, of which only 33 are inhabited. The Seychelles archipelago is located slightly south of the equator, in the western part Indian Ocean. All Seychelles islands are of coral or volcanic origin. Of these, the largest are Mahe, Silhouette, La Digue and Praslin.

Due to its rather long isolation, the Seychelles is home to unique birds, reptiles and plants that are found only in this archipelago, for example, Aldabra tortoises and Seychelles palms.

Attractions

Seychelles is rightfully considered one of the most great places on Earth, which boasts its amazing flora and fauna, as well as endless sandy beaches. The main attractions of this paradise are the pristine unique nature, the clearest waters of the ocean and sand with a pinkish tint.

The main island of the Seychelles archipelago is Mahe, where the capital of the country is located Victoria. The island is notable for its large number of coconut trees and cinnamon plantations, as well as fantastic views of other islands. Among the city's attractions it is worth highlighting:

• Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception;
• clock tower;
• United Party Museum;
• natural history museum;
• Botanical Garden;
• St. Anne's National Marine Park;
• village of artisans.

The second largest island of the archipelago is Praslin. First of all, it is remarkable Valley de May National Park where palm trees grow "coco de mer" and black parrots live. Cousin Island is nature reserve and is home to several rare species of animals and seabirds, as well as turtles, two of which are 150 years old. Bird Island is famous for being home to black terns and other unique birds. Arid Island serves "gathering place" roseate terns and red-tailed tropical birds. In addition, it is the only place on earth where the lemon tree grows. La Digue Island is considered the most welcoming and cozy, and the island of Moyen belongs to a private individual and is a real hotel on the water.

Nutrition

Almost everything local menu are based on islander recipes, which are found here big influence influenced by French and Indian traditions. The basis of the national rural cuisine is a variety of seafood, rice, exotic fruits and curry, and the most popular dish here is considered "pvason ek diri"(sea fish with rice). Also noteworthy are such culinary delights as sea shell soup, lobsters in lemon sauce, octopus in coconut curry, pork in banana leaf and bat stew. Moreover, rice serves as a side dish for all these exotic dishes. Also common in the Seychelles are dishes that are quite unusual for Europeans: cucumbers "patoli", stewed breadfruit, broth of young sprouts and flowers, stir-fried Chinese cabbage, etc. In addition, local fruits are extremely popular and are used to prepare excellent desserts. Of these, you can most often try coconut nougat, stewed bananas "saint jacques", fruit filled pancakes, candied bilimbi and pudding "how-kat" from bananas and coconuts.

Among the drinks, the most popular are tea with vanilla and imported coffee, as well as freshly squeezed juices. Well, the most common type of alcohol you can find is "kalu"(fermented coconut juice) "bakku"(fermented sugar cane juice), beer "Sabre" and French wines.

It is worth keeping in mind that almost all Seychelles restaurants are open only until 22:00, but they work until the last customer.

Accommodation

In the Seychelles, which is rightfully considered a real paradise, literally all the flora and fauna have been preserved in their original form, so here all hotel facades are in harmony with the environment and do not exceed the height of palm trees. Official "star" classifications local hotels no, that’s why tour operators themselves assign them conditional categories. On large islands There are mainly luxury expensive hotels, as well as small hotels and loggias. Moreover, here, literally anywhere, excellent conditions, cozy rooms and excellent service are guaranteed. In addition, on the small islands there are stylish bungalows of different levels of comfort.

Entertainment and relaxation

In the Seychelles, one of the most popular types of entertainment is excursions around the islands, where you can enjoy incredibly beautiful nature, as well as watch rare birds and animals. In addition, romantic cruises at night are in great demand.

However, the most common pastime option here is a beach holiday. This is not surprising, because on each island there are many magnificent sandy beaches and small bays, and each hotel has its own beach area. Among active species The most popular entertainment is diving, since the underwater visibility here is simply ideal, and the local waters contain more than 1,000 species of marine life and corals. The best places for diving, which are chosen by divers from all over the world, are St. Anne's National Park on the island of Mahe, Aldabra Atoll Reserve, Praslin Island and a shark spot nearby La Digue Islands. In addition, in the Seychelles you can go surfing, fishing, windsurfing, snorkeling and water skiing.

It is worth noting that time in the Seychelles flows slowly and measuredly, and night life does not differ in particular variety and richness. There are, of course, discos and casinos on the islands, but most of them are located on the island of Mahe. The lack of entertainment facilities is made up for by numerous festivals, holidays and sporting competitions that are famous throughout the world. Of these, the brightest and most colorful are Creole Festival and Grand Regatta.

Purchases

Large shopping centers and there are large stores only on the island of Mahe, and on the other islands there are only small grocery stores and small shops. It is worth noting that prices in Seychelles stores are quite high, and the assortment is not particularly diverse.

As souvenirs from Seychelles Usually they bring men's straw hats, works of local painters, aromatic spices, exotic teas, CDs with national music, jewelry and original boxes made of mother-of-pearl and coral. You should also pay attention to T-shirts with country logos, pareos, various shells and pearl products. Well, the most famous Seychelles souvenir, without a doubt, is coconut palm nuts "Coco-de-mer", which are prohibited from being exported without a special certificate. They weigh about 20 kg and are considered the largest in the plant kingdom. You need to keep in mind that such a nut is not cheap at all. (from 180 to 300 $), although its price already includes an export permit. Boxes, scoops, cups, plates, flasks and other crafts are also made from these nuts. In addition, it is prohibited to export corals, shells and products made from the shells of local turtles from the Seychelles without a certificate of purchase.

When going shopping, it is worth considering that Seychelles All shops are open from 8:00 to 17:00, although small shops owned by Indians are open until late in the evening.

Transport

Seychelles are island state, so you can travel between cities here by plane state airlines (Air Seychelles and Seychelles Helicopter), ferries and private helicopters.

Paved roads are available only on the islands of Mahe, La Digue and Praslin. The main means of transportation there are buses, which differ greatly high quality service. The fare depends on the distance of the trip and varies in the area from 0.36 to 0.55 $. In addition, on the island of Mahe there is civil service taxi, all vehicles of which are equipped with meters (about $0.6 per km). Well, on small islands it is customary to travel by bicycle or ox cart.

Connection

In all Seychelles populated areas There are pay phones installed that operate on magnetic cards. Such cards are sold at post offices and kiosks, as well as in some hotels. In addition, you can make any call from a restaurant or hotel, however, it is worth considering that in this case you will have to significantly overpay.

Cellular communications in the Seychelles are standard GSM 900, and roaming is available to subscribers of all major operators.

Internet access is available in most hotels. In addition, there are Internet cafes on the larger islands. Mobile Internet is also available on all islands, which is provided by cellular operators. Cable&Wareless and AirTel.

Safety

There is virtually no crime in the Seychelles, and the natives here are harmless and friendly. This is explained primarily by the fact that in fact the country lives off wealthy tourists, so everything necessary is done here for their comfort and safety. Besides this the streets major cities They are patrolled by the police, so you can walk there without fear even at night. Well, on hotel islands there is no danger at all. However, it is worth noting that petty thieves are sometimes caught, so it is advisable to follow the most basic security measures.

It is worth noting that some troubles can cause sea ​​urchins, which can injure your leg. However, on almost every beach there are safe places where these marine inhabitants are not found. As a last resort, you can purchase special swimming slippers.

Business climate

The Seychelles economy is based on tourism and fishing (mainly exports). In addition, the Seychelles is part of the International Organization of Countries ACT . Moreover, the country’s legislation allows the registration of offshore companies (international business companies) throughout the islands. It is worth noting that the Seychelles economy is highly dependent on external factors and is quite vulnerable. Thus, any decline in the tourism business leads to a sharp drop GDP and budgetary difficulties.

Real estate

Despite high prices, Seychelles real estate is in very high demand among foreign investors. The most in demand here is luxury housing on the islands of Mahe or Praslin. To purchase any property, you must obtain permission from the Ministry of Land Management, and the transaction amount must be at least one million Seychelles rupees (about 80 thousand $). It is worth keeping in mind that real estate owned by foreigners can only be used for personal residence, and it is prohibited to rent it out.

It is not recommended to even try to exchange currency anywhere other than in a bank, hotel or casino, since exchanging money for "black market" is strictly prohibited here. It is also worth considering that the removal of corals and coco de mere nuts an export permit must be obtained, otherwise a heavy fine will be imposed. In addition, you should not buy souvenirs made from turtle shells in the Seychelles. The fact is that local turtles are an endangered species, so the export of products from their shells is strictly prohibited

Visa information

This is exactly that piece of Earth for which the name “paradise” fits perfectly.

Nature here is perfect. Weather - 24/7 summer. No autumn winds, winter cold, spring floods after snow. Steady sun, bottomless blue ocean, beautiful palm trees indifferent to the dollar exchange rate, and bliss, bliss, beach bliss.
According to many travelers - maniacs who have 67 countries behind them, better beaches and nature cannot be found anywhere else than in the Seychelles.

I have put together a list of things to do in the Seychelles other than “Beach lazing - cocktail - ocean”. They are fascinating, Seychelles!!

1. Visit Valley de May National Park(Praslin Island) to see how coco de mer palms grow and who black parrots are.
Important: Coco de mer coconuts are the symbol and talisman of the Seychelles. It is impossible to take them outside the Seychelles without special permits.

2. Be brave and try kala- fermented coconut juice.

3. C head and give yourself completely to diving. There are more than enough options for this: St. Anne's National Park on Mahe Island, Aldabra Atoll Reserve.

Snorkeling is also wonderful in the Seychelles. Ocean coral fish)

4. See the Anse Source d’Argent beach with your own eyes(Silver Spring), which according to Conde Nast Traveler is one of the top five beautiful beaches Earth. Lie on the snow-white sand, take pictures of black granite blocks and be sure to check out the giant tortoise farm.

5. Ride turtles at L'Union Estate(La Digue island).

6. Catch marlin. They're big here. Well, or tiger sharks if your soul craves even more impressions.

7. Swim in one of the most beautiful bays on the planet – Source d’Argent

8. Swim with marine life off the coast of Cote d'Or Beach

9. Turn into an ornithologist for a couple of hours and study strange birds on the island - the Kuzin Nature Reserve.

10. Join the stories about the pirates of Silhouette Island, and then go around it all by bike or walk. The island is pristine and exotic - the nature here is untouched, highways no and never has been.

11. Go surfing. The island of Mahe and Grand Anse Bay are perfect for this - the waves here often reach 2 meters.

12. Buy spices(patchouli, ginger, cinnamon) in the Royal Garden of Mahe Island.

How to Fly: There are no direct flights to the Seychelles from Ukraine. It is better to get there with a connection in Dubai or Paris.
The most common form of transport between the islands is boats and planes. airlines Air Seychelles.

Difference in time: with Kiev - plus 2 hours in winter, in summer plus 1 hour.
Visa: need not

Currency: Seychelles rupee

Where to live: Hilton Seychelles Labriz resort & Spa 5* (Silhouette Island), Patatran Village 3* (La Digue Island), Constance Lemuria Resort 5* (Praslin Island), Maia Luxury Resort& Spa 5* Deluxe, (Mahe Island)