Africa

Seychelles

vital statistics

CapitalVictoria
Population92,000
LanguageEnglish, French, Seychellois Creole
CurrencySeychellois rupee

about Seychelles

The Seychelles is the kind of destination you might imagine when someone says “go to your happy place”. These 115 islands, many of them uninhabited, rise from the Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa. Britain and France fought over them for a long time before the country finally gaining independence in 1976.

Spend a few days and you’ll discover why they were worth fighting for. With white sands, clear blue skies and a seemingly never-ending summer, it’s easy to spend your entire time here lazing on one of the famous beaches, like Anse Lazio and Anse Source d’Argent, in your bathing suit with a book and pretending nothing else exists.

If that sounds a bit too relaxing (yep, we sometimes get a tad bored with perfection) there’s enough to keep an adventurous traveller busy. Visit the giant tortoises on Curieuse, hike to the centre of La Digue for views of the surrounding islands and ocean, or snorkel off the beautiful horseshoe beach at Port Lanauy on Mahé for an impressive underwater show.