SEYCHELLES

Floating in the Indian Ocean between Africa's East Coast, Madagascar and India, India, lie the granitic islands of Seychelles - the only mid-oceanic granite islands in the world. Made up of 115 magnificent islands of striking beauty, this archipelago is spread like a string of gemstones across the Indian Ocean, harbouring diverse and fascinating life forms.

Seychelles remained uninhabited until the late 18th century when the French finally made the islands their home. By the time Seychelles was ceded to Britain in 1814, the population had swelled to 3,500 people. The islands remained a British colony until Independence in 1976. The Seychellois people today represent a harmonious blend of different races – a fusion of ethnic diversity which has evolved into a colourful and peaceful Creole nation, whose lingua franca is Kreol, but whose official languages are French and English.

There are two categories of islands: the granitic inner islands that cluster around the principal islands of Mahe, Praslin and La Digue. Here you will find virgin forest and powder soft white beaches. The outer islands are a sparkling array of flat, coralline islands extending eastwards toward the coast of Africa. These islands include legendary Aldabra, the world's largest raised coral atoll and UNESCO World Heritage Site. The outer islands remain almost untouched by man. Island hopping is made possible by scheduled and charter light aircraft and helicopter flights and marine ferry services operate on some routes.

Seychelles takes its role as custodian of a truly unique environment very seriously and, over many years, enlightened conservationist policies have set aside nearly 50 % of a limited landmass as natural reserve.

There are two UNESCO World Heritage sites – Aldabra, as mentioned, and the Valle-de-Mai on Praslin, the only place on earth where you will find the Coco-de-Mer and the rare Black Parrot.

Air Seychelles, the national airline, currently operates scheduled flights from the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Mauritius, Johannesburg South Africa, and a number of Asian cities. The flying time is between 8 and 10 hours from European destinations and 5 hours from South Africa. Air France and Emirates also currently operate routes to Seychelles.