Sainte Anne is the largest of the satellite islands that surround Mahé. İt is one of the lesser known islands of the Seychelles. Although the first settlers of the Seychelles lived here, the island has since been left to the coconut palms..
It used to be a whaling station. As the headquarters of the Marine Parks Authority during the Second World War, it was used as a fuel store. Now it is the site of a five star hotel called the Sainte Anne Resort, and only its guests are allowed access to the island.
This is the second largest island, next to Mahe. It is home to Valee de Mai, which is a primeval forest and one of the country’s greatest natural treasures. This is a World Heritage Site. There are the beaches, white sands and palm trees available on all the other islands too in plenty. Praslin has something more than these for those who would like to explore.
There is the pretty village of Baie Ste Anne which is the first thing you see as you arrive on the island by boat. The Cote d’Or or Anse Volbert as it is also known is the island’s main tourism centre, which has safe beaches ideal for snorkeling and swimming. Cote d’Or also has many hotels, guest houses and restaurants. The presence of more than a few boat operators and souvenir shops make this place quite a hub of tourist activity.
Other places worth exploring include Grand Anse, which is the largest village on Praslin, Curieuse Island or “The Red Island” just off the north coast of Praslin in the centre of a Marine National Park.
The best time to visit the island is June through October. There is a wide variety of accommodation available. Luxury hotels like the Paradise Sun or L’archipel are on the north coast of the island.
The pace of life is leisurely. Public transport exists, but hired cars and bicycles are good methods for exploring the island.
You can fly to Praslin by Air Seychelles from Mahe, the journey takes just 15 minutes. There is also the option of a fast catamaran ferry or a more relaxed schooner to get to Baie Ste Anne on Praslin.
Mahe is the largest of all the islands of the Seychelle and also the main island where most of the population of the Seychelles live, mostly on the northern and eastern coasts.
Most visitors who come to Mahe are in transit to some of the other islands, but Mahe itself certainly deserves a second look if you have the inclination. There are the beaches of course, but to the interior of the island the topography changes to hills densely covered in rainforests shrouded in mist frequently.
Victoria, which is the capital of the Seychelles is situated on the east coast of Mahe. It is a natural harbor created by a string of six small islands that surround it. Sainte Anne is the largest of these islands. It is home to the five star resort Sainte Anne Resort and only guests of this hotel can visit the island. The remaining islands have some interesting piece of history or story of their own. The novelist Wilbur Smith used to live on Ile au Cerf. The island Ile Moyenne has a story about a pirate treasure and the ghost of an old woman and her dogs. Ile Longue which was once a quarantine station is now a prison. Ile Ronde’s famed restaurant, Chez Gaby, was once a leper’s camp!
On the west coast, is Beau Vallon the main tourist centre of Mahe. Beau Vallon has a good beach with facilities for various water sports like sailing, waterskiing, windsurfing, banana boat rides and par ascending.
Other interesting places on Mahe are Baie Lazare with its long expanse of beach, and the artists’ studios in Anse a la Mouche and Anse aux Poules Bleues.
Islands of Seychelles | admin | 
2008/10/27 1:37 pm | 
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