Mahé

Introduction

Worth the hike!

© baluba

Mahé is the main island and the largest one of the Seychelles. It contains the capital city of Victoria and accommodates 86% of the country's total population. The island was named after Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais, a French governor of Mauritius.

Geography

Mahé's tallest peak is Morne Seychellois at 905 metres, which lies in the Morne Seychellois National Park. The southern and western parts have Baie Ternay Marine National Park, Port Launay Marine National Park, and University of Seychelles. The Sainte Anne Marine National Park lies offshore, as do Conception Island, Thérèse Island, Anonyme Island and several smaller islands.

Mahé's forests have rare endemic plants found only in Seychelles, such as the critically endangered Medusagyne oppositifolia (the jellyfish tree), the carnivorous Nepenthes pervillei (Seychelles pitcher plant), and many unique species of orchid.

Cities

• Victoria - the capital of Mahé and the Seychelles

Events and Festivals

Round Table Beau Vallon Regatta

Held during the pleasant high season months of August and September, the hotly anticipated Beau Vallon Regatta is comprised of yacht races and a myriad of other water events. There is a swimming competition, tug-of-war (on land) and all sorts of events that tourists can get in on at the beach. Beau Vallon is especially busy at this time, so be sure to pre-book hotels as far ahead as you can.

Seychelles International Carnival of Victoria

This fun, annual event is spread over three days at various locations on Mahé Island to highlight the various cultures that have helped shape the Seychelles. It features float parades during the day, while all main hotels host special events that take place the first few weeks of February.

SUBIOS Underwater Festival

This three-day event at Mahé’s main beach (Beau Vallon) takes place in early October and is all about promoting underwater conservation. People come from all over to see films and photographs of the world beneath the waves. Accompanying the event are boat rides, screenings, a natty craft bazaar and lots of competitions.

Creole Festival

A must for tourists visiting Mahé, Praslin or La Digue in the last week of October is this fabulous six-day foodie event. It celebrates everything Creole, including their arts, crafts, music, dance and food. Hit any main area on these islands, including (and especially) Victoria, Beau Vallon and Anse Royale on Mahé Island, and you are sure to be in for a treat.

Weather

Mahé have a warm and humid climate but as the distance to the sea is never more than a few kilometers in most places, there usually is nice and cool breeze during most of the year. Temperatures are around 30 °C during the day and still above 20 °C at night most of the year. The best time to visit Mahé is during the southeast monsoon season which lasts from late May to September when both temperatures and rainfall are lowest. The warmer and wetter season is during the northwest monsoon which lasts from March to half May.

Getting There

By Plane

Air Seychelles is the national airline of the country and is based at Seychelles International Airport (SEZ) near the capital Victoria on the main island of Mahé. It has flights to and from Abu Dhabi, Mumbai, Mauritius and Johannesburg. They have several daily domestic flights to/from Praslin (20min duration).

Other airlines reaching Seychelles (SEZ) are London (British Airways), Paris (Air France), Frankfurt (Condor), Zurich (Edelweiss Air), Vienna (Austrian), Istanbul (Turkish Airlines), Doha (Qatar Airways), Abu Dhabi (Etihad Airways), Dubai (Emirates), Colombo (SriLankan Airlines), Addis Ababa (Ethiopian Airlines), Nairobi (Kenya Airways), Moroni (Turkish Airlines) and Reunion (Air Austral).

Smaller planes fly to La Digue and the islands of Bird, Denis, Fregate, Desroches and Alphonseand and Assumption Island and Coetivy can be reached by air charter. To end, there also are many VIP charters to private islands.

By Boat

There are several daily round trips between Mahé and Praslin with a high speed catamaran, taking around one hour. Cat Cocos now offers fast and reliable transport between the two islands.

Getting Around

By Car

Renting a car is possible and can be surprisingly cheap. Most international as well as local companies have rental cars at the international airport on Mahé. You can get anywhere with a car and with so many beaches and viewpoints to explore, this is probably the best way to get around if you are with at least 2 people. Most roads are paved, but roads on Mahé can sometimes be narrow and winding. Traffic drives on the left and your national driver's license is sufficient.

By Bus

The SPTC (Seychelles Public Transport Corporation) runs daily bus services on during most of the day except late evening and night times. Most buses usually pass by every 15 minutes or so along the main roads. These buses are an excellent and cheap way of getting around but don't give you the opportunity to go everywhere.

Eat/Drink

Sleep

• Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Resort & Casino (On the Northwest Coast), ☎ + (248) 4287 287, toll-free: +1 800 88 3236 (Malaysia only), fax: +60 (3) 2145 7190, e-mail: [email protected]. 232 rooms and suites, 3 restaurants and 3 bars, 2 meeting rooms, business centre, travel agent desk, car rental, children services: baby-sitting services (upon request), laundry, massage, gift shops.

External Links