Must See

Mahe

The largest of the islands, and home to the airport, port, capital, and most of the hotels and population. Despite this, Mahé is not spoilt. Protected by coral reefs, and with 70 powdery white sandy beaches; rich, lush vegetation; cinnamon and coconut palm plantations; and forested peaks, it is the stuff of dreams.

Victoria is the only town in the country; any other settlement is a village. The town is home to the National Cultural Centre (celebrating celebrates Seychellois history, folklore and music), a replica of London's Vauxhall Bridge Tower Clock, the Natural History Museum (containing examples of living and extinct flora and fauna of Seychelles, including crocodile, giant crab and other stuffed and mounted birds and animals) and the Botanical Gardens (with coco-de-mer, elephant apple trees, giant tortoises and orchids).

Visitors can also tour the island to see colonial-style mansions in graceful decline, old plantations of cinnamon and vanilla, and everywhere the greenest of vibrant green jungles. Glass bottomed boat trips can be taken to nearby islands, some closed, some national parks, and others home to botanical gardens and giant tortoises.

Desroches

Only recently developed as a resort, the largest of the Amirantes archipelago is surrounded by coral reef, providing calm waters ideal for watersports. Water-skiing, wind-surfing, sailing, fishing, scuba diving and wave runners can all be enjoyed from here. Sea cliffs, tunnels, caves and multitudes of fish make for interesting diving. Visibility is best from September to May.

Cousin

Only accessible as part of an organised tour, Cousin is run as a nature reserve by the International Council for Bird Protection. The brush warbler, the Seychelles toe-toe, and the fairy tern are all protected. In April and May, 1.25 million birds come to nest on the island, including the White-faced Tropic bird, magpie robins, Seychelles Foxy, white-tailed tropic birds, the Seychelles Turtle Dove, the Wedge-tailed Shearwater, noddies and Bridled Terns. It's only two hours from Mahe and 2 km/1 mi SW of Praslin. The boat ride from Grand Anse to Cousin takes about 15 minutes.

Aldabra

The world's largest atoll is home to 150,000 giant land tortoises, five times as many as their more famous home on the Galapagos Islands. These 13 islands make up one third of the total Seychelles landmass and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A land tortoise research station is located on Picard Island in the atoll, and trained staff may be available to answer questions.

The atoll also contains thousands of birds, including the white-throated Aldabran Rail (the only flightless bird in the Indian Ocean), Red-footed Boobies, Aldabra Sacred Ibis, Dimorphic Egrets (found only here and in Madagascar), the Malagasy Kestrel and Greater Flamingos.

The central lagoon fills and empties twice a day through four channels, revealing mushroom-shaped pinnacles known as champignons. The clear water is sometimes home to tiger sharks and manta rays.

Travel to Aldabra is possible only by a 3 hour chartered flight from Mahé to nearby Assumption Island or by chartered yacht (taking 5 days).