Seychelles premium sailing cruise
Itinerary varies in summer and winter due to wind direction.
No single supplement/low single supplement where available.
Description of Seychelles premium sailing cruise
Isolated in the Indian Ocean and the only mid-ocean islands of granite formation to be found on earth, the Seychelles archipelago is often mentioned in the same breath as the lost 'Garden of Eden'. The highest peaks of a submerged mountain range that broke apart from the supercontinent of Gondwana millions of years ago, the Seychelles' inner islands are the most ancient islands on earth - no other mid-ocean isles of granite formation can be found anywhere else.
This curious geological feature was one of several curiosities about the islands that led the famed British General, Charles Gordon, to declare Seychelles the site of the biblical Garden of Eden. Situated some 1,500 kilometers east of mainland Africa, and northeast of the island of Madagascar, this tiny island group boasts a population of just 90,000 people, with a warm, tropical climate all year-round and some of the most stunningly beautiful beaches in the world. Mahé, the largest island, is home to the majority of the population and represents the archipelago's commercial and transportation hub, with the country's only international airport linking the islands to the rest of the globe.
The island is characterised by its towering granite peaks, lush mist forests and dozens of striking coves and beaches. The second largest island, Praslin, is home to the legendary Vallée de Mai, the UNESCO World Heritage Site where the Coco de Mer grows in abundance. This double coconut, which curiously resembles the shape of a woman's pelvis, was another facet of General Gordon's theory about Seychelles as the Garden of Eden - he believed it to be the real forbidden fruit.
La Digue, the third-most populous island, moves at an even slower pace: bicycles remain the most common mode of transportation, for both its residents and visiting tourists. The huge granite boulders that adorn the coastline at Anse Source D'Argent have led some to believe that it could very well be the most photographed beach in the world. While Mahé, Praslin and La Digue may be the principal islands, dozens of smaller 'satellite' isles nearby offer further opportunity to explore and admire.
Every island has a character and charm all of its own, with colourful individual histories and unique natural features, some with steep granite cliffs and others comprising pristine coral atolls. Together, they make up a diverse destination of great natural beauty, rare flora and fauna that have been cocooned in isolation for millions of years.
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Price information
Itinerary varies in summer and winter due to wind direction.
No single supplement/low single supplement where available.
Check dates, prices & availability
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Reviews
3 Reviews of Seychelles premium sailing cruise
Reviewed on 09 Mar 2022 by Elizabeth Kennedy
Fabulous beaches, friendly people, lovely islands, fantastic fish to eat Read full reviewReviewed on 31 Dec 2019 by Maurice Robinson
The last day when we finally got to do some decent snorkelling Read full reviewResponsible Travel
Planet
Sailing has obvious advantages, and while we cannot use the sails 100% of the time we try to whenever the conditions are suitable.The smaller size of our ship and the smaller passenger numbers ensures that any detrimental social and environmental impacts are minimised whilst allowing the passengers to visit smaller communities that don’t usually benefit from this form of tourism. Most tourists to Seychelles stay (and often don’t leave) some large resorts in a few restricted locations, so by enabling our passengers to visit some different areas without putting any strain on local amenities, we are spreading the financial benefits and the load of our visit.
We will visit Aride Island, a bird sanctuary run by Island Conservation Society of Seychelles. The only human inhabitants are the reserve's staff. Our visit, apart from educating our guests to the fantastic work being done on the Seychelles, provides a little funding to the NGOs that are working to preserve some of the world's rarest species. Aride is the northernmost island of the granitic Seychelles. It covers roughly 68 ha, is 1.6 km long and 0.6 km wide. Aride hosts one of the most important seabird populations in the Indian Ocean with more breeding species than any other island in Seychelles. In 1973, when Aride was acquired as a nature reserve, there were no endemic land birds on the island. Today, there are five.
We rely heavily on small local businesses for providing local excursions for our passengers, providing an income to several smaller local firms.
All the food on board is bought in the Seychelles; fruit, vegetables, plenty of fish, meat and other staples are all locally grown and produced, and much of it is bought from small retailers or even directly from the grower or fisherman.
People
We encourage all our passengers to engage with the local community on a social and economic level to ensure that this tourism has a benefit to both the visitors and the hosts.The ship’s managers will buy as much of their produce as possible from local communities, and we will also encourage our passengers to spend money in the communities that we visit. By trying some local fruit juice instead of a well known American brand of soft drink, you will support the economy, it will be better for you and, who knows, you might find you enjoy it more too.
We will endeavour to maximise the benefits of tourism and to minimise or eradicate any downside, socially, environmentally & economically.
We will encourage our passengers to learn and understand as much as possible about the local traditions and way of life to enable them to appreciate the reality of life in the Seychelles.
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