Day 92 Sun April 16 Cruise Indian Ocean
SEZ-008 THE NORTHERN HIGHLIGHTS Date: Apr 17, 2023 Duration: 3.50 Hrs Time: 02:00 PM Price: $149.00
OVERVIEW
Treasure Mahé’s exceptional beauty during this alluring drive through the central and northern parts of the Seychelles’ largest island. Settle in for a leisurely ride through Mahé, which is renowned for the greatest contrast in scenery found anywhere in the Seychelles archipelago. You’ll discover spectacular views and photo opportunities as you pass towering granite peaks and travel through luxuriant vegetation, small villages and magnificent white-sand beaches. Visit the Seychelles National Botanical Gardens and spot giant Aldabra land tortoises, fruit bats and more than 200 species of indigenous flora, including elephant apple trees, octopus trees and double coconut palms, or coco de mer, before making a stop at a picturesque hotel in Victoria for refreshments; take a quick dip in the Indian Ocean, if you wish. While in Victoria, (you’ll) NOT enjoy a brief guided walking tour of the town center and see local landmarks, including a clock tower that is a replica of the one outside London’s Victoria Station. During your gratifying stroll, (DID NOT) view the old courthouse, the National Museum, lively markets and numerous colonial-era buildings, creating everlasting memories of this bewitching island. (We walked one-half block and then spent 20 min. in a market.)
HIGHLIGHTS
• Admire the lush vegetation, quaint villages, powder-sand beaches and dramatic granite peaks of Mahé, the Seychelles’ largest island.
• Roam the National Botanical Gardens to survey giant tortoises and indigenous flora, including the unique double coconut palm.
• Refresh with a quick swim in the gin-clear Indian Ocean at an inviting hotel in Victoria.
• Gaze at a clock tower modelled after London’s Vauxhall Clock Tower during a guided walking tour of Victoria. (Drove by)
• Take in enchanting Victoria’s colonial-era buildings, such as the Creole-style old courthouse and the National Museum. (NOT)
HELPFUL HINTS
• Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable walking
shoes.
• If you wish to swim at the hotel, wear swimwear under your clothes. • Pack a towel from the ship.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.
PLEASE NOTE
This tour includes approximately 1 1⁄4 hours of moderate walking. There will be some uneven and sandy grounds to negotiate. The tour is not recommended for guests who utilize a wheelchair or guests with mobility concerns. The markets and shops are closed in downtown Victoria on Sundays and public holidays. Guests who participate in any water activities do so at their own risk and responsibility.
The average high is 88 and the average low is 77. The prime agricultural products currently produced in Seychelles include sweet potatos, vanilla, coconuts and cinnamon. Beginning in the 70’s, tourism became the primary industry. The government has been promoting the development of farming, fishing, and small-scale manufacturing.
The Aldabra land tortoises are endemic to Seychilles and are one of the world’s largest land turtles. They can weigh up to 550 pounds and live for 150 years. Males are larger than females and have longer, thicker tails. The males upper shell can measure four feet. The females can measure three feet and can weigh 350 pounds. The largest Aldabra tortoise weighed 672 pounds.
Tortoises will wallow in the mud to protect themselves from mosquitoes. Giant tortoises sleep an average of 18 hours each day.
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