Seychelles travel
The history of independent Seychelles starts from 1976 but even before this date, the culture of Seychelles had evolved slowly under French and then British rule. The French found the island in 1770 and settled there with a small group of whites, Africans and Indians. The descendants of these people make up the population of the country today. Seychelles passed into British hands in 1814 and the British ruled over the island until 1976. During this time, coconut, food crops, cotton and sugarcane industries were established for which the island is known for even today.
The most productive industry in Seychelles today is tourism. With natural beauty, rare creatures, clean beaches and excellent facilities, 115 islands combine to make Seychelles one of the world's topmost countries for ecotourism. Seychelles is probably the only country in the world where about 50% of the land consists of national parks and reserves. Aldabra, the world's largest coral island, is situated in Seychelles as also Praslin's Vall'e de Mai, which was considered to be the Garden of Eden. Both of these are designated as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. Apart from these, Seychelles also boasts of treasures such as the largest seed in the world, coco-de-mer, jellyfish tree, the only flightless bird in the Indian Ocean as well as a wide variety of other rare and beautiful species of flora and fauna.
Not only do the islands welcome you with beauty and service, but you also do not have to go to the expense and trouble of procuring a visa in order to visit Seychelles. Irrespective of your nationality, you are eligible to enter Seychelles without any visa as long as you have a valid passport, a return ticket, proof of accommodation and sufficient funds. Upon arrival, a visitors permit will be issued free of cost, valid for three months at the Seychelles International Airport. You can also extend your trip up to one year, three months at a time. Each extension only costs SCR1000.
Seychelles boasts of a wide variety of marine life and is a delight to visitors. Clean and clear waters have preserved the marine animals and plants to such an extent that they survive and multiply giving a delightful color to the sea. The island reefs are inhabited by many types of fish, invertebrates, corals and sharks. The biggest striped bonito, bonefish, giant guitarfish, bigeye trevally, bluefin trevally, giant trevally, moustache grouper, humphead maori wrasse and dogtooth tuna have been caught in Seychelles. A profusion of wahoo, sailfish, dorado, tuna, rainbow runner and marlin are also to be found in these islands.
Many types of Butterfly fish, Angelfish, Soldier fish, Squirrelfish, Sweepers are rampant in the Inner Islands, the remains of a submerged mountain range. These islands with regular current flows also support species such as octopus, Spiny Lobster, and many types of Nudibranches as well. Larger fishes such as Napoleon Wrasse, Giant Grouper, Reef Sharks, and Ribbon tailed Stingrays and Whale Sharks are also found in this area. It is also famous for coral tree and fan formations.
The Outer Islands are a rich with species such as Potato Bass, Grey Reef, Silver Tip, Long nosed Hawk fish, Nurse Sharks and Hammerhead Sharks. This area also houses the rare African Pygmy Angelfish and Yellow Rubber Lipped Sweet lips among others.
With such a diverse marine life, it is no wonder that Seychelles offers a plethora of nature activities for visitors. Some of these are diving fishing, sailing, snorkeling, surfing, hiking and bird watching.
Diving
Seychelles offers excellent diving opportunities for the novice as well as experienced divers. The Inner Islands offer a wide variety of marine life as already described as well as excellent facilities for diving. The Outer Islands are full of beautiful corals and diving from here is a unique experience.
Fishing
Seychelles offers some of the best fishing in the world. Both beginners and experience fishermen are given utmost facilities to have their best fishing experience ever. Seychelles is also well known for its saltwater fly-fishing. Bottom fishing is also practiced here and might enable you to catch coral reef fish. International sport fishermen frequent these islands every year in March when the International Fishing Competition is held.
Sailing
Sailing through the islands is a beautiful experience. With reputed companies offering specialized vessels as well as a guide on request, safety is also taken care of. Sailing is done all through the year in Seychelles. The Seychelles Sailing Cup, an international event, is held in January.
Bird watching
With a large amount of rare species of birds and large national parks, Seychelles is the perfect place to go bird watching. April is the breeding time and bird watching is rewarding in the months April to September. The islands can be visited any time during the year due to its warm tropical climate though a lot depends on the activities that you are interested in. Seychelles, with its numerous islands, superb beaches, primitive forests, rare species of animals, birds and plants, colorful marine life is the ideal getaway from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
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