Tag Archives: Vacation

Seychelles: 7 Things To Do In Mahé

Posted on July 31, 2017 | Leave a comment

1. To Go Around The Most Beautiful Bays

Road Trip

Travel at your own pace! The island tour of Mahé is on average 2h30. It took me the double and I don’t think I saw it all. Depends on your curiosity. You can rent a car, or a taxi.

It is an excellent way to discover the littoral with beautiful bays like Anse Louis, Anse Boileau, Anse Lazare, Anse Takamaka (…), as well as the interior of the island and the mountains. I prefered the beaches of the south of the island (wilder and quieter) than the more lively northern ones.

2. To Discover The Mountains of The Island

Tea Plantations And Hiking Trails

As always during the hottest hours, I seek the freshness. So we go up to Mission Lodge that offers one of the most beautiful views of the island. The road crosses big plantations of teas, forests with gigantic trees and marked hiking trails!

I regret not having brought my hiking shoes and planning a hike. It will be for a future trip! Frankly for many of us, you don’t think of hiking in the Seychelles! And I was wrong! 

    

3. Venn’s Town, Mission Lodge

A Bit of History

After the abolition of slavery in 1835, Mission Lodge, formerly Venn’s Town, became a missionary school for freed African slaves (for more details see photo 3 below).

Today, Mission Lodge is part of the largest national park in the Seychelles: the Morne Seychellois National Parc which represents more than 20% of the area of Mahe. 

     

Photomontage below: some of the different tree species (endemic or introduced) that can be seen at the Morne Seychellois National Park. 

4. Lunch at The Eden Island Marina

Yatchs, Sailboats … And Chili

This pleasant marina can accommodate yachts of more than a hundred meters! Stunning! If you need at midday to enjoy a beautiful view without suffering from the heat, I recommend a long lunch break in one of the restaurants in the Eden Island Marina. Chic relaxed atmosphere (photos 2 and 3 of the photomontage below).

Above: Photo 1. I learn how to eat a creole dish very very spicy. The fish is covered with a sauce with pieces of chilli (type pili pili). Tips of the waitress: to mix a small piece of the ultra-spicy fish with a little rice and tomato sauce. Eat very slowly and stop to chat with friends, then eat very slowly again! 4, the fruit of the children: I discovered the Santol with a bitter and sweet taste. Very good.

  

5. To Visit Victoria

The Smallest Captital City in The World 

I went to Victoria quickly and enjoyed the little market in Market St. (pictured above). There is a little bit of everything: food but also (for exemples), beautiful bouquets of exotic flowers, a myriad of natural coconut oils and tea produced in the Seychelles

Pictures below: 1 and 2, fresh fish market located opposite the hindu temple, Arul Mihu Navasakthi Vinayagar, 3, La Domus, and 4. the Victoria Clocktower.

    

6. To Decipher The Word “Takamaka”

A Bay or Rum?

Lol! I help you: it is a very nice bay, the Anse Takamaka (have a look to the two penultimate pictures of the first paragraph). And it’s also the name of the famous rum Takamaka produced at La Plaine St André (photos 2, 3 & 4 of the estate and distillery). I tasted a tear of the Takamaka Coconut Rum, because the other rums were far too strong for me!

On the road, I stopped at the University of Seychelles (photo 1 above). Yes, knowledge in Paradise.

7. Sunset in Beau Vallon

The Post Card

What could be more exciting than this beautiful sunset on the lively Beau Vallon beach (in the North of the island)? We had delicious giant mocktails (non-alcoholic cocktails) at the Coral Asia (the best sushi restaurant in Mahé according to a local friend). You can also eat grilled fresh fish on the promenade that runs along the beach.

Bye bye gorgeous Seychelles, I will go back!

Photos : © Mademoiselle Le K – Tous droits réservés.

Informations  

Seychelles Tourism Board, Air Seychelles

Where to sleep : ,  & 

Related posts : DESTINATIONS & HOTEL REVIEWS

Many thanks to the Seychelles Tourism Board and Air Seychelles for this fantastic discovery of the Seychelles islands.

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I Tested Air Seychelles Business Class

Posted on June 1, 2017 | Leave a comment

Long Break At The Lounge First & Business Class

After many adventures on my Brussels-Paris route, here I am at Charles de Gaulle airport (Paris, France), where I take my flight to Mahé on Air Seychelles! Awesome, isn’t it? After the checked-in and customs, I head towards the Air Seychelles First & Business Class Lounge which is the Etihad’s one (Photo 1 on the above photomontage).

The Lounge’s entrance is in the center of the posh part of the terminal, between the beautiful shops of Hermès (2), Dior, Prada, Gucci, Ladurée etc … The space is divided in a restaurant with a buffet and small comfortable lounges (photos below). Very soon, I was offered a snack. The perfect spot to work on computer.

  

Ready For a 10-Hour Flight

My long legs say thank you!

Ideally seated in the first seat of the first row, window side, I am pleasantly surprised by the large space in the Air Seychelles Business class. Three portholes just for me and some sega (music of the Indian Ocean) as a sound illustration in the cabin! Quickly, I sympathize with my neighbor, Lisa, a young lady from the Seychelles. And we take off. 

A la carte Dinner

At our request, soon after the take-off, the hostess who looks after Lisa and I, serves our meals in a table service decorated with a stylized design of Coco de mer (the famous fruit of Seychelles endemic palm tree).

I chose steamed shrimps as a starter, then a fish with steamed vegetables (sorry, I forgot to take the picture) and as a dessert (absolutely not reasonable), a rich chocolate tart (above photomontage). Everything was good and the service discreet and efficient. 

Good Night!

Easy-Peasy Wake-up

As always I didn’t sleep the day before and I am exhausted! Once the dinner is over, I simply collapse! No film, no chat, nothing … I pick up the useful Air Seychelles travel pouch to brush my teeth and moisturize my skin. I like disposable toothbrush with mini toothpast tube (above photomontage)! Then I slide my seat into bed position for a short night’s sleep: good night everyone!

As soon as I woke-up, the hostess serves me this gargantuan breakfast (below picture)! White beans in sauce, potatoes and bacon in the morning: an absolute no-no for me, LOL! But everything else was delicious. And most of all I feel rested. 

Welcome To Mahe

  

Beautiful Light

Hi Indian Ocean, I’m back! Yes, it’s been a while since we saw each other! This is my first time in the Seychelles, but I already dived in the Maldives. Guess what, this Paris-Mahé flight was so fast! Now, let’s the discovery begins! I can’t wait to land, get out of the plane and jump in the first ferry to Praslin! To be continued…

Photos : © Mademoiselle Le K – Tous droits réservés.

Informations  

Air Seychelles, Seychelles Tourism Board

Dear Belgian travelers, you can fly with Air Seychelles from the airports of Charles de Gaulle (France) or Dusseldorf (Germany). The flights are direct to the Seychelles.

Related posts : DESTINATIONS & HOTEL REVIEWS

Many thanks to Air Seychelles and the Seychelles Tourism Board for this beautiful invitation. As always, these are my opinions.

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Switzerland, Graubünden: Biathlon & Night skiing (Day 2)

Posted on March 15, 2017 | Leave a comment

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

The Biathlon Arena Lanzerheide

Okay, today the weather is not good. But this second day in Grisons is one of the most exciting of the last months! This morning, our small team is going to try a new activity: biathlon at the Biathlon Arena Lenzerheide. As always, I don’t think too much before. Guess what? I have no specific idea about the program! I imagined a very physical cross-country session, plus something, but what exactly? Nope!

According to the definition of Wikipedia: “The biathlon, from the Latin bi,” two “, and the Greek athlon (ἆθλον) “combat, struggle”, is a competition combining two disciplines. By tradition, when we talk about biathlon, we talk about the combination of cross-country skiing and rifle shooting”.

Quickly we forget Nordic skiing and concentrate on the sporting shooting, partly due to the fact that it is snowing and also to avoid disturbing the Swiss national team training. I’ve never done sporting shooting! After a theoretical initiation given by a famous trainer, we are all aligned, lying on the snow, facing our respective targets. And it’s great, despite the cold and bad weather!

 

Above: Photo 1, I try to aim one of the small targets facing me. To shoot when you are stand up is much more difficult than laid on the ground. It is not easy to remain perfectly still, to aim well, arm and reach the target. Very quickly the arms shake! Photo 2, the training air seen from the cafe of the Biathlon Arena Lenzerheide.  

Below: Photo 1, the biathlon rifle. Photo 2, the targets with the bullet impacts. When l am not stand up, I can reach the small targets without problem. But standing it is very disappointing! The small targets are the inner darker circles in the the big black circles. Photo 3, While training: one of the athletes of the Swiss national team.

Back To The Hotel

The weather Clears Up

Light lunch and long break at the restaurant of the Hotel Schweizerhof Lenzerheide. Then we pick up our ski equipment rented at the Sportshop Pesko, located opposite the hotel. Surprising detail: an ibex seems to climb one of the store’s giant walls (pictured above).

Night Skiing

SnowNights 

You won’t see much! My smartphone has a very poor definition in low lights, sorry! I ski at night for the first time (video below)! And frankly, it’s GREAT! I loved it so much that we did twice the slopes for the beginners before we stopped at a mountain restaurant!

And I prefered skiing quiet with a monitor, because all the rest of our little team has a very good level of skiing and snowboarding. Just a tip: forget the dinner in a slope restaurant, because then going back on slopes becomes pretty problematic! Especially if you are tired (LOL)!

 

Photos & Vidéos : © Mademoiselle Le K – Tous droits réservés.

Informations  

Graubünden Ferien, Ferienregion Lenzerheide, Arosa Tourism, SWISS, Swiss Travel System (STS), Switzerland Tourism, Biathlon Arena Lenzerheide, SnowNights

Related posts : DESTINATIONS & HOTEL REVIEWS

Many thanks to the Graubünden Ferien, Lenzerhaide, Arosa, Switzerland Tourism, SWISS and Swiss Travel System (STS) for this beautiful invitation. As always, these are my opinions.

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