11th Febr, 2022 – Friday Departure, Budapest

Seychelles Journey Diary

The Seychelles Islands are located approximately 6,800 km from Budapest, which means a flight time of 9 hours. Although there are several airlines that fly to the island of Mahé (the main island of Seychelles), we chose Emirates, and with a transfer in Dubai and a 2-3 hour wait, we reached the destination country in about 12 hours. As surprising as it is, the time difference is only +3 hours in favor of Seychelles (only 2 in the summer), so – even though we traveled to the east – jetlag didn’t bother anyone. The all-night flight was solely responsible for our slight drowsiness, lack of sleep, and excitement.

12th Febr, 2022 – Saturday Mahé Island – Eden Island Marina

We arrived at Mahé Island on Saturday morning. The original name of the island is Ile d’Abondance, or Island of Abundance, it covers an area of ​​154 km2, is only 28 km long and 8 km wide, and the world’s smallest capital is the city of Victoria located here. The official language is Seychellois Creole, which is a French-based creole language – completely understandable to French speakers. A total of about 75,000 people live on the island, which is 90% of the citizens of Seychelles.

After the cold Budapest and the 80% humidity, the long journey drained our remaining energy in the tropical heat. We hung out in a cafe at our base port until we were picked up by the ship. I won’t say that the time passed quickly when I was tired and sweaty, but the colors, smells and sights made me forget the “trials” of the trip. Sometime in the afternoon the boats were handed over, checked, moved in, and after we filled up the fridges, we celebrated the start of our tour with a “team building” dinner and some champagne in a wonderful restaurant – swimming in the lights of the harbor at night.

13th Febr, 2022 – Sunday Mahé Island – Port Launay

On Sunday, for the first time during our tour, we launched our vessels. According to our plans, Baie Beau Vallon was the final destination for the evening, but the waves played tricks on us, so we changed the schedule. Baie Beau Vallon was washed by spectacular but uncomfortable waves for anchoring, so the decision was made to moor in the sheltered bay of Port Launay. The truth is that we didn’t mind this spontaneous change of program at all, because the bay where we anchored was paradise itself. The lush, steep, “jungle-covered” coastlines were replaced by flat parts with white sand, and in some places the ocean-licking classic Seychelles rocks appeared. After a refreshing tropical rain (which is quick and warm), as the murmur of the water subsided, nature suddenly came alive around us. Exotic birds of all colors and sizes chirped among the trees, flying fish appeared and then plunged into the water again looking for the day’s prey. We fell into an Edenic cacophony. A part of the team went ashore with a dinghy, and the other part splashed in the pleasantly warm (about 28 degrees) ocean after the tropical rain. That day we spent the night in the soft lap of nature.

I didn’t know then, but looking back, I myself clearly cast my vote for the breathtaking overnight stay. Nights at the port also have their own romance, but when the jungle and the ocean slowly and delicately come to life around you, that’s the miracle itself. The morning singing of the birds, the splashing of the water, as the predatory fish prey on the smaller ones and a real oceanic clash develops on the surface of the water, cannot be compared to anything. There’s no wake-up call that I’d change it for. (Then, of course, as you like it.) I have to add that this nomadic way of life is comfortable as long as you can get rid of the salt and there is enough food on the ship so that you don’t have to beg for food (fish). In our case, all the nomads exhausted their total needs at night – we had a fresh water maker and air conditioning – so I can only tell about them in superlatives. However, a luxury catamaran here, a garden of Eden there, at this point I would like to mention the serious organizational work and skipper’s performance, thanks to which – and I boldly declare this on behalf of the entire team – we were able to feel safe and comfortable in all circumstances.

14th Febr, 2022 – Monday Mahé Island – Eden Island Marina

Originally, we would have left Mahé behind on the first day of the week so that the tropical breeze would fly us all the way to Praslin, but like Sunday, we played a little trick on Monday. We decided to go around the island and return to the starting point, our base port, and only embark on the adventures in Praslin the next day.

So we set off south on the west side of Mahé, including two stops in the day’s tour. We first stopped at Anse Gouvernement, where the entrance to the wonderful little bay is guarded by a rock samurai, and our second “rest” was Police Bay. The team was impressed by the features of Police Bay, an almost untouched coast well hidden from civilization. However, it turned out to be a reckless choice when it came to landing. Well, it’s not like we were in danger, but it could also be seen from the boat that those who want to go ashore are forced to swim the last few meters, since the waves break at the land line, which means shallow water due to the coral reef. (The dinghy is out of the question in such cases, because it can easily get stuck.) Despite the challenge, there were a few who set off on the land visit with SUP. Of course, everyone remained, only one pair of sunglasses was lost, which was forever swallowed up by the endless blue ocean. Since pleasure boating is prohibited in Seychelles after sunset, we left in time to get back to our origin, Eden Island Marina, while it was still light.

15th Febr, 2022 – Tuesday Praslin – DreamYacht Marina

A beautiful new day dawned on Tuesday morning, the team started the long journey to Praslin fresh and fit. Before leaving, we quickly filled up the refrigerators, so a little bubble (champagne) came in handy to start the day. We had two stops that day as well. For the first one, we planned a random snorkeling at some small island, and the other one was Cousin Island, i.e. the bird island, and the final destination for the evening was the Dream Yacht Marina, in Saint Anne Bay. However, the wind that day thought otherwise. It didn’t cause any problems – thanks to our experienced skippers – but the slower progress forced the organizers to make a decision. Either two rapid stops, or one, but we will maximize that. (The crew always received accurate information about program changes, and/or we decided on the next steps together by voting.) The team chose “minus one stop in exchange for one longer one” and how well it did: next to Round Island, we found a wonderful bathing place where they could get ready the first iconic Seychelles rocky photos, and we even got to balance on dry, fallen, snow-white tree trunks. In the meantime, the professional fishing members of the crew caught a sufficient amount of fish, and upon arriving at the port, our chefs prepared an authentic dinner from it, which would have taken its place on the à la carte menu of any Michelin-starred restaurant with the name “fish of the day”. It was a wonderful day. Cousin Island was left out, but I don’t think any of us regretted it.

16th Febr, 2022 – Wednesday Curieuse Island – Dream Yacht Marina

Our first day of our adventures so far, which went according to plan from the first moment to the last. The ocean was peaceful and our spirits unwavering.

That day we targeted Curieuse Island, the island of leprosy – or, if you prefer, turtle island. As the coastline became more and more clear as we approached the mainland, we were shocked to find that the two things we thought were rocks were actually moving. The two small rocks were actually two giant turtles feasting on the beach. The discovery filled the crew with so much excitement that the more impatient members of the team decided to set off with a single flipper and a snorkel and swim ashore to be the first to welcome the armored barnacles. The less impatient ones calmly followed their companions in a dinghy with hiking boots, sunglasses, and other equipment useful for hiking, and after the turtle hunt, they comfortably set off to cross the jungle. The road to the house of the former doctor who cured leprosy leads through the swampy remnants of an ancient mangrove forest, where the wooden stilts are replaced by rock steps going uphill – this would also indicate that the walk of about a couple of hours was not specifically designed for bare feet. Among the first to swim ashore, they soon became the last – it’s not very comfortable to hike in the jungle barefoot – but thanks to their kind companions, they received minimal equipment – absolutely necessary for survival – such as beach slippers size 42 (for feet size 37) and sunglasses in the shadowy darkness of the jungle. However, the goal justified the means: we reached the doctor’s residence, bathed on the beautiful beach in front of the house, and even our feet survived – well, not dry. Before heading back, we stumbled upon another animal on the beach who wanted to get to know each other, small lemon sharks were swimming around us with interest. (They are completely harmless.) Returning to our temporary home, our beloved boats, we again headed for the Dream Yacht Marina in Praslin, where we spent the night.

I would like to write a few thoughts about the Dream Yacht Marina because I am sure that the word “luxurious” comes to mind first when most of us hear the “Seychelles yacht marina”. Modern buildings, fancy washrooms, great restaurants and cafes, an army of shops, Gucci and Chanel on cruise ships, the wealthiest ones sipping the most expensive champagne…

Dream Yacht Marina is different. It’s great in its simplicity: a tiny harbor consisting of a single jetty, with a single tent-roofed building (bathroom) and the almost untouched nature around it. In the morning, you wake up to the sound of the local fruit vendor offering you fresh bananas and avocados – fresh here means that he picks them at dawn and brings as much as he can handle. After a quick cleaning, you can walk to the nearest shop, which is on the outskirts of the small town, an 8-10 minute walk from the port, and on the way you will become a local. At least I felt a bit Seychellois on those mornings when I woke up at the Dream Yacht Marina. Walking among their colorful houses, picking through their small delicacies, smelling their endlessly colored and fragrant flowers that bend over the fences to the road, or just watching as mother and daughter get on the bus and go about their business, I was one of them in the blink of an eye. I wanted to completely blend into the community of the natives, forget where I came from, and never leave that small town, which is as far away from modern luxury as possible, but in terms of its natural features and atmosphere, it is simply majestic…

So I loved these mornings. And in the evenings, the harbor almost comes alive, unbelievably. As the sunset, resplendent in all shades of orange, purple and pink, is taken over by the darkness of the night, the shadows of the palm trees illuminated by the light of the street lamps slowly move. Giant snails (married snails) cover the lawn of the harbor. No bustle or noise, just a pleasant hum: The symphony of the ocean, air and nocturnal animals.

17th Febr, 2022 – Thursday Cocos Island – La Digue

Like Curieuse, we were really looking forward to Cocos Island, as it is a tiny garden of Eden in the middle of the Indian Ocean. We had plans for this day, such as going to the beach, taking photos, or snorkeling as long as you wish. Of course, the bait was also constantly hanging in the water, just in case there were one or two more red tuna that appeared. I haven’t talked about this in more detail so far, but for fishing lovers, this tour is the Canaan itself. Each boat has fishing equipment, and the Indian Ocean itself ensures a good catch. The best thing is that – thanks to the super kitchens built into the ships – you can make a fantastic dinner out of the dishes with some creativity. And there are few things better than freshly caught halibut that one could wish for while rocking at sea. It’s true, by that time most of the team had already had several – home-caught and prepared – fish dishes, so I don’t think everyone really wanted to hear halibut, but we just threw in that hook anyway, if only for the sake of taste.

Arriving at Cocos Island, the group split into two. One half wandered among the granite rocks of the island, swam and snorkeled, or went around the island in a dinghy, and the other half hunkered down on the boat. Swimming in the water among colorful corals, grazing turtles, stingrays, and fish of all colors and shapes, it is easy to forget the passage of time… until you suddenly realize that the equatorial sun baked your back to a crisp, despite the 100 factor sunscreen, and made you sweat all remaining water reserves of your body. After spending a few hours on the beach, the land team came to the conclusion that – here is a garden of Eden, there is swimming among stingrays there – sunbathing, taking photos and snorkeling is really tiring. After everyone returned to the ship, we headed for La Digue, but since we had no information about the occupancy of the port, we decided to drop anchor on the south side of the island, at Petite Anse, and spend the night there, in the gentle lap of nature. We managed to stop a few hundred meters from the shore, but even from there it was clear that landing with a dinghy was not easy due to the breaking waves. However, the bar rising up between the trees was so tempting to the crew that we sent out a reconnaissance team to investigate the possibilities offered by the shore. So the triumvirate set off, sailing as close to land as possible on rafts, then swam out to scout with a privateer companion. They walked from the beach to the bar between the trees, which they caught just in the last moments before closing, but they still managed to buy a bottle of Takamaka (rum) soda. They walked back to the shore elated by the alcoholic drink, and the raftsman waved to indicate the best place to swim back to the dinghy. However, the battle between the waves and the private man ended 1:0 for the first time, and he clumsily rolled back to the shore, laughing with a mouth full of salty water. In the end, of course, all three “made it to the ship” safely, and – although the evening beach party didn’t work out – we had a party on the boat, seasoned with toasts, music and a lot of laughter, lasting well into the night.

18th Febr, 2022 – Friday Mahé Island – Eden Island Marina

We wanted to maximize the last day. We were aware that we had a long way ahead of us and that we had to refuel the boats, so we headed back to Mahé to the gas station early. We planned to spend the night at anchor in front of Ile au Cerf, only intending to return to the base port for the handover on Saturday morning.

However, the wind got a little stronger and caused interfering waves, so we moved more slowly. The route chosen for our comfort was a bit longer than we thought, but the crew was once again super accommodating and planned the evening – the last evening together – all the way back. By the time we got to clear water and the gas station, we had to realize that we were not the only ones who included Friday’s refueling in our daily tasks – there was a massive line in front of us. At this point, we unanimously voted down the breathtaking Ile au Cerf, and instead voted for a “team building” dinner similar to the very first night, in the same restaurant where we “officially met” a week earlier. After refueling, we set our course, and our captain steered our ship towards the base, the soft lap of nature, the juicy steak from the port of Hellosia. In the evening, we toasted the fantastic adventures of the previous days, and the glow of the farewell dinner could only be dimmed by the knowledge of leaving home the next day.

19th Febr, 2022 – Saturday Mahé Island – Airport

On Saturday, between the morning boat transfer and the evening departure, we had several hours to explore the island from a land perspective. So we passed the time with a bus trip. We visited Victoria, the capital, went to the market, then went uphill to see a wonderful waterfall in the middle of the jungle. Since you can never have enough time in sea water, we even included a visit to the beach on our last day in Seychelles. As the evening approached, we sadly returned to Eden Island Marina, the place where all the adventures began. We changed into travellers and took a bus to the airport.

The trip home was not similar at all to our departure 9 days earlier, but everything went according to plan. We flew from Victoria to Dubai, and from there, after waiting for a few hours in the morning, we reached our capital, Budapest. We got home sometime in the early afternoon, and the tearful goodbye was followed by 12 hours of sleep – speaking about myself.

And how would I sum up this week?
In one sentence: Every moment was a miracle!
Are we going again? For sure!

Natural factors, wind, tropical rain and waves can cause surprises, and there is no precisely compiled schedule that can be followed without changes, but thanks to the prepared organizers and experienced skippers, there will always be a practical solution that will not affect you to experience adventure.