The secret Seychelles

A group of 12 GCC travel agents were whisked off on a fam trip to uncover the secret side of the Seychelles.

A group of 12 travel agents were whisked off to the Seychelles for a four-day trip round the islands in January, hosted by Emirates Airlines and Seychelles Tourism Board.

With Emirates having recently announced plans to launch a double-daily service to the Seychelles by the end of the year, the airline and tourism board were keen to give local agents some first hand experience of the destination.

The group comprised of travel agents from the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. As part of the whistle-stop tour of the islands agents visited Sainte Anne, Silhouette, Praslin and Mahé Islands.

While the focus is usually on the big chain hotel brands, this was the first fam to be shown some of the islands’ smaller accommodation establishments, that are part of the ‘Seychelles Secrets’ portfolio — such as: Augerine Guesthouse, Les Villa’s d’Or, Cote d’Or Chalets and Villa de Mer.

The group also heard a ‘Seychelles Secrets’ presentation which was delivered by Amia Jovanovic-Desir and Peter Moncherry of the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB).

Throughout their stay, agents enjoyed overnight stays at a number of different hotels, including the Constance Hotels: Lemuria and Ephelia; Labriz Seychelles and BeachComber St Anne Resort.

And at the end of the trip the group was hosted at a gala dinner at the Constance Ephelia Resort by the STB, with the agents dancing the night away to entertainment from Seychellois artist Dave Sinon.

Mohammad A Almasoud, Riyadh branch manager, Almojil Travel & Tours said it was great to experience the ‘secret Seychelles’: “We discovered new places not promoted very well in our local press,” he said.

“My impression of the accommodation was that it was very good. We found all the hotels to be very luxurious. The highlight of the trip for me was the resorts. They all provided great services.”

Sujesh from Al Qayed Travel and Tours, Doha described Seychelles as a “dreamland.” “This calm, quiet island is a paradise for the tourists, especially for honeymooning couples and small families who like to spend their time mingling with nature.

The exotic beaches and climate are the gift of god. The fish dishes are too tasty and we experienced the taste of octopus salad for the first time,” he added.

Mohammed Ashraf, Holidays and Travel consultant, Trans Arabian Sea Air Travels agreed: “Seychelles is a dream destination with exotic beaches.

It’s a perfect way to relax and make the best out of holidays. This destination will be popular thanks to the beautiful islands and the luxurious accommodation.

I would sell it to honeymooners, UAE nationals and to our corporates. The highlights of the trip were the great cuisine, the peaceful and relaxing spas and the variety of accommodation for a comfortable stay.

The resorts were just excellent and it gave us a clear insight as to how a beautiful place with the best of services has made Seychelles truly a ‘Dream Destination’”.

Top Five: Things to do

1 Underwater world
The Seychelles has an amazing underwater world to explore which makes it a top spot for scuba diving and snorkelling. People of all levels can enjoy the incredible fish life as just stepping into the walm, turquoise waters is like stepping foot in an aquarium. There are some Marine parks to explore such as the corals in the Sainte Anne National Marine Park.

2 Island hop
There are many islands to explore in the Seychelles and they are all different, so it makes sense to fit try and fit in a few when taking a trip there. Most visitors choose a two or three-stop holiday, flying into the mainland of Mahé before heading off to explore one of the larger islands Praslin or Digue, before ending up on an isolated one-resort hideaway for that ultimate Robinson Crusoe experience.

3 Delicious food
Surrounded by sea life, its no wonder the food in the Seychelles is so delicious. The seafood is as fresh as can be and the Creole flavours are an experience not to be missed.

4 The natural world
Seychelles is an eco-tourism champion and almost half the landmass is a protected nature reserve. Inland there are jungle trails to explore and amazing wilderness housing rare birds and giant tortoises.

5 Coco de Mer
The gobsmacking Coco de Mer is the biggest nut in the world and the symbol of the Seychelles. You can only find it in the Vallée de Mai (a nature reserve and UNESCO heritage site) on Praslin Island.

When to travel

Seychelles is blessed with a perfect climate year-round

January - February
Average temperature 29C.

March - April
Average temperature 29C.

May - June
Average temperature 29C.

July - August
Average temperature 29C.

September - October
Average temperature 29C.

November - December
Average temperature 29C.

What the travel trade said...

Sibi.M.Oommen, Sales Manager, Al Abbas Travels
The trip gave us a lot of information on Seychelles in general, particularly the wide array of possibilities available for tourists to enjoy, relax and to get rejuvenated.

Ranging from family run guest houses to the most luxurious resorts and spas in the world, Seychelles caters to every walk of life suiting all budgets. Beaches, hills and sky — things in nature that we have seen a thousand times before, when in the Seychelles are a breathtaking sights.

The people of the Seychelles are very jovial and special, being a perfect blend of European, African and Asian. Altogether it was an unforgettable experience we had in the Seychelles Islands.

The staff of STB and the employees of the resorts deserve a good round of applause as they could easily win our hearts with their special attitude.

Mahmood Butt, General Manager, Al Jaraf Travel, Tourism and Logistics
It is a beautiful destination especially for honeymooners, people who wish to get away from the bustling and hectic everyday city-life and for families who wish to go on short breaks. There are various accommodations ranging from the most luxurious to low-budget.

Still a lot needs to be done on the activities side to keep people occupied especially for families with small children. There is a myth attached to Seychelles that it is a luxury destination meant for high-end people only.

After our visit, we have to come to know that Seychelles can be suitable for the low budget travellers too with a variety of accommodation to suit all pockets, but it will take a while to break this old myth. Proper marketing and exposure will definitely assist us travel agents to sell the product more.

Gajanan Joshi, Senior Leisure Travel Consultant, Mannai Air Travels
The fam trip really changed my perception about the Seychelles. Before landing at Mahe airport I thought Seychelles was an island destination like the Maldives.

But it has so many things to offer other than water sports activities, such as trekking and nature walks. Seychelles is not only about water but greenery too.

Seychelles will certainly be popular because it has a good network of airlines and with Emirates launching a double – daily this will further enhance the popularity.

Visas are not a problem because most nationals can avail a visa on arrival here. The only factor which goes against the destination is it is slightly overpriced. But it was well explained by various officials as to why it is expensive. So for clients for whom money does not matter, they will still travel to Seychelles.

Elaine Pereira, Leisure Travel Consultant, ANTA Travels and Tours
The trip was a dream come true. It’s a destination which is very much for honeymoon couples.

It was a wonderful trip and as we explored the islands we got more than we expected — ranging from family-run guest houses to the most luxurious resorts and spas in the world, and fabulous food especially mouth-watering fish dishes.

This destination is really well maintained and you can actually feel the fresh air with the greenery on one side and the blue waters on the other side. It would be popular for guests who look for luxury or just want go away and hide out from the noisy place. It’s a big ‘no’ to bachelors. I like the Labriz and MAIA properties the best.

Where to stay

Augerine Guesthouse
Situated on Mahé’s beautiful beach of Beau Vallon, the guest house features 12 comfortably furnished rooms and three junior suites, all with modern conveniences.augerine@seychelles.sc

Les Villa’s d’Or
Situated on the famous Côte d’Or beach on Praslin Island, in the vicinity of the Casino des Iles and Vallée de Mai. The villas offer self-catering or breakfast and dinner on request. www.seychelles.net/villador

Villa de Mer
On Grand Anse Beach overlooking the islands of Cousin and Cousine. Newly renovated, it features a restaurant, swimming pool and 10 mini-suite bedrooms in three bungalows.
www.seychelles-holidays.com