My version of the Royal honeymoon...
Couldn't quite stretch to the royals North Island
I have just come back from my truly wonderful honeymoon in the Seychelles. There are numerous islands in the Seychelles including the wonderful and very exclusive North Island, where the Royal couple spent their honeymoon. Our budget couldn't quite stretch to that, so we stayed on the main island of Mahe, in the Banyan Tree Resort. We had a beautiful beach front villa, (bigger than our flat!) with private pool, Jacuzzi, indoor and outdoor shower. The beach was a stones throw from our bed, and probably the most beautiful beach on Mahe - long, white, Palm fringed and very private. We also had Gavas - our wonderful butler, who looked after our every need - he even BBQ'd a fish we bought from the local market. Nothing was too much trouble, service and attention to detail was faultless.
The last Mini Moke on Earth?
Apart from our wonderful hotel, another favourite was the Mini Moke! It might have been one of the last Mini Mokes on the island (or on earth!). Old, decrepit, a pain to drive, certainly not the most glamorous way to get around much to the amusement of everyone else! But it was great fun have the freedom to drive in the open air, with the wind on your face and taking in all the sights and smells. Most days, we would set off exploring in the Moke, armed with, swimming cosi, towel and snorkelling equipment. We found some fantastic secluded beaches with great snorkelling with very few people apart from the odd beach boy selling coconuts.
Striking colours
One of the most overwhelming memories I have, apart from being with my new husband (obviously!), were the incredible colours. You really can't believe that the different shades of blue in the ocean, or just how white and soft the sand is, or the vivid reds from sunsets and the trees and bushes full of bright red, yellow, pink flowers. There was colour everywhere you looked, and around every corner was another beautiful beach with crystal clear waters. It really was the most Idyllic beach destination that I have been too - and I am not just saying that because it was my honeymoon.
Home cooked Creole seafood
We found some lovely local places to eat. To my surprise, apart from the capital of Victoria, Mahe is not built up at all. There are no big bars, restaurants or night clubs. The restaurants are small family run places with no frills but great views and awesome home cooked Creole food, predominantly based around fish caught that morning. I had some fantastic meals - squid curry and Creole crab being my favourite, all washed down with the local Seybrew larger. Unfortunately I missed out on the well known delicacy of curried fruit bat, the bat man hadn't caught any that day.
Exploring the beautiful island of Praslin
Although Mahe has more than enough to keep you occupied, we explored other islands and spent a day on the beautiful island of Praslin, an hour's ferry ride away. Praslin has no cars but you can hire bikes at the main harbour and ride round the island at leisure, exploring its beautiful beaches and interior. We also squeezed in a visit to the tea plantations. High in the hills (yes, it killed the moke) with fantastic views over the islands and the chance to wander around local artists studios. When we weren't out and about we relaxed at the Banyan Tree, made the most of our villa and the wonderful Banyan tree Spa.
Too busy chilling
We could have visited more beautiful islands, gone deep sea fishing, diving and sailing, but we must have been too busy just chilling out. Before we knew it we were being dragged kicking and screaming back on to the plane. contact Original Travel