Seychelles, Island nation in Indian Ocean, East Africa.
Seychelles forms an island group in the Indian Ocean north of Madagascar and east of the East African coast, spread across several dozen inhabited islets and numerous uninhabited reefs. The inner islands are made of granite and rise into forested hills, while the outer ones form flat coral formations with turquoise lagoons.
Arab merchants knew about the uninhabited islands before Portuguese seafarers reached them in the 16th century. France claimed them in 1756 and founded plantations with enslaved workers from Africa and Madagascar, until Britain took control in 1814 and independence followed in 1976.
The population speaks Seselwa, a creole language rooted in French, as the everyday tongue, while English and French serve in official contexts. Local festivals like the Kreol Festival each October show how music, dance and food from different continents merge into a shared experience.
International flights land on Mahé, from where ferries and domestic flights connect the inhabited islands. Best travel times are April to May and October to November, when the sea is calm and temperatures remain comfortable between monsoon periods.
The Vallée de Mai on Praslin protects the endemic Coco de Mer palm, whose seeds can weigh up to 25 kilograms and are the heaviest in the plant kingdom. Female palms begin bearing fruit only after 25 years, and the seeds take seven years on the tree before dropping when ripe.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
