Inner Island Package

EXCURSIONS – November 2022 to October 2023

In the Garden of Eden 2022-23

PRASLIN – Duration approximately 3 ½ hours

The tour combines Praslin’s World Heritage Site, the Vallee De Mai Nature Reserve, and Cote D’ Or Beach, one of the most beautifulbeaches in the Seychelles, if not the world. Discover the original Garden of Eden -the Vallee De Mai -home of the unique coco de mer(double coconut), bearing the largest nut in the plant kingdom. The rare Black Parrot also haunts the Reserve feeding on the abundantfruit. This World Heritage Site is a magical forest, thick with wild tropical vegetation, and many species of rare, endemic palms.Refreshments are served at Cote D’ Or Beach where time is allocated for swimming, relaxing or simply strolling on the beach.

LA DIGUE – Duration approximately 3 ½ hours

Experience the Old World beauty and charm of the Seychelles during an orientation tour of the picturesque La Digue, one of theprettiest islands in the Seychelles. On our scenic drive from La Passe Harbor to L’ Union Estate you will daily life to be punctuated byox carts and a relaxed pace. Upon arrival at L’ Union Estate you will see its old Creole house and coconut factory: a reminder of howlife was on the island many years ago.

We continue to La Digue’s famous beaches, which are considered to be amongst the finest inthe world, especially Anse Source d’ Argent, a bather’s paradise and photographer’s dream. For centuries, the soft white sands anddramatic granite boulders have enchanted visitors to the island. Along the way you may catch a glimpse of La Digue’s paradiseflycatcher, a bird with a distinctive black plumage.

ARIDE – Walking tour guided by the local ranger

A visit to Aride Island is an essential part of the itinerary for any visitor to Seychelles to discover what the islands were like 250 yearsago before human settlement. Aride hosts one of the most important seabird populations in the Indian Ocean with more breedingspecies than any other island in Seychelles. Eighteen species of native birds (including five only found in Seychelles) breed on Aride.

The island is managed as a nature reserve by the Island Conservation Society of Seychelles and the only human inhabitants are thereserve’s staff, including the Island Manager, Conservation Officer and rangers. Aride Island hosts thousands of breeding seabirdseach year, especially during the southeast monsoon and land birds that breed year round. Aride is also an island where native plants
find fertile soil for growth. Because of this, it plays a very important role in the conservation of Seychelles wildlife both terrestrial andmarine (with a 200m of protected area from the coastline).

COUSIN – Walking escorted tour by the local ranger

Cousin Island is a granitic island covering 27 hectares and lies approximately 2km from Praslin Island. It became the world’s firstinternationally owned-reserve when it was purchased in 1968 by the International Council for the Protection of Birds (ICBP), nowBirdlife International. The objective was to save the last remaining population of the Seychelles warblers.

First made into a Nature Reserve in 1968 it was afforded further protection when it was designated a Special Reserve in 1974. It is notonly significant for sea birds and endemic land birds but is also the most important breeding site for Hawksbill turtles in the WesternIndian Ocean. The reserve is managed solely by local staff and benefits local communities on the neighboring Praslin Island througheco-tourism. Today, Cousin is managed by Nature Seychelles. Conservation activities include monitoring of the island’s biodiversity,research, re-introduction of endangered species such as the Seychelles Magpie Robin.

CURIEUSE – Walking tour guided by the local ranger

Lying about one mile to the north-east of Praslin, this island of about 2 miles long was first given the name Ile Rouge on account of itsred earth. As part of the Marine Park the island is strictly protected and only a few families live there. Like Praslin, Curieuse is home tothe Coco-de-Mer palm. The island has a wild population of about 250 Giant Tortoises, brought over from Aldabra in the 1980s and abreeding scheme has been in place there for several years. Curieuse was once a leper colony, and the ruins of the houses can still beseen.

There is also a large, restored colonial villa, known as the Doctor’s House, where the island doctor lived in the 1870s. Naturetrails wind their way across the island, notably through the extensive swamps, home to eight different species of mangrove.