Week 2 on the Seychelles Islands

Despite all the troubles (sickness and all) that I experienced during my first week in Seychelles, there were many positive and interesting things I want to note down here before moving on to week two.

The first is the view. Our mountain-top abode was scenic. You could wake up every day and see God’s majesty, displayed in the rolling hills, the aquamarine seas, and the blue skies. Nature’s beauty was all around us.

The second was the breeze. The winds around the mountain were so cool and powerful that you did not need an AC. In fact, on some nights you could literally hear the wind howl by. That’s how strong it was.

The third and final memory from week 1 has to be the slopes. The roads leading up and down the mountain were so steep that they struck fear into the hearts of some drivers. Even as pedestrians, walking up or down the mountain was a challenge.

I remember that those who tried it had to be taught a special zig-zag approach to walking up and down the mountain so that they didn’t fall and hurt themselves. When I tried to navigate the slope, I didn’t know the trick so I found it quite difficult and didn’t get very far down the mountain before I decided to turn back. Luckily, I was with my Dad who made sure I didn’t topple over and fall to my doom.

That’s it for the interesting memories of week 1. Now let’s talk about week 2. Week 2 began with a change of venue. We moved from Beau Seyjours on the mountaintop, to a Double Tree Hilton by the beach. Our rooms overlooked an infinity pool on the ground floor, the beach, and the ocean; An equally beautiful sight to wake up to every morning.

The only stain on the superb view was the smell. It wasn’t a bad smell, just an unfamiliar one: The smell of the ocean. You would think that by now, having grown up in a city on the coast, I would know what the ocean smelled like. But I didn’t. It was my mom who had to tell me.

Anyway, in moving from Beau Seyjours to the Double Tree, there were a number of changes. No slopes, No winds, and amazing internet. I streamed anime like mad at the Hilton. We also had two restaurants on the ground floor and room service. In short, I had everything I needed.

My parents and I slept in a lot and had lunches together. Sometimes we took the leftovers back up to our rooms to do the meals justice. I loved sitting on the balcony overlooking the beach and reading or dozing off. On one of the days, my dad and I went out with a tour guide to explore Mahe. We ended up on Eden Island (a spot frequented by the rich), and we got to see their parked yachts and super yachts. This was complemented by a meal and some ice cream.

But more importantly, we got to have an “under the sea” experience, where we were taken out on a submarine with viewing windows and could see all the different fish in the Seychelles waters. This was probably the main unique experience I had on this holiday. Oh! Lest I forget, Danny (our tour guide), also took us to his secret? viewing spot, from which you can see the whole expanse of Mahe and some of the nearby islands. This view probably beat Beau Seyjours’ hands down.

Finally, on our last day, the hotel coincidentally had a Creole night where they had some music and dancers and creole food for us to listen to, watch, and enjoy on the beach, as we rounded up our holiday.

That concludes my experience of the Seychelles Islands. Here are some more pictures for you. I’m sure that you will agree that it is a beautiful place.