Splendours of the Seychelles

Sailing in the tropics, when back at home the UK is in the depths of mid-winter, is a pleasurable enough thought; when the destination is the Seychelles such thoughts are irresistible. The islands and atolls of the Seychelles are quite simply some of the most beautiful on earth and remain a natural paradise of deserted beaches of white sand washed by warm, clear turquoise seas and shaded by abundant palms and kindly towering takamakas. The Seychelles epitomises all that is faraway and exotic. Indeed as you stand back to admire the vista there is sometimes an almost surreal quality where the light and nature conspire to produce an impossibly romantic scene. Such beauty also comes with its cast of characters, giant tortoises roam, colonies of birds congregate overhead and in the seas a kaleidoscope of tropical fish swim amongst the coral.

Those who have sailed with us through these extraordinary waters have experienced the magic of dropping anchor off a remote atoll at first light and watched the dawn illuminate the watery horizon. Then as the sun rises, have ventured ashore by Zodiac, landing on a deserted beach to discover the rich bird and marine life, the exotic flora, nature reserves and working estates of cinnamon and coconuts, breadfruit and bananas and all wonder of strange tropical fruits.

If ever there was a region perfect for expedition cruising it is here and the MS Hebridean Sky is the perfect size and equipped vessel for our voyage. Our journey will include all aspects of this extraordinary island nation from the developed Inner Seychelles with staggeringly beautiful islands such as Praslin and Grande Soeur to the less known and rarely visited Outer Seychelles. Here we will sail all the way to Aldabra, the world’s largest coral atoll and a World Heritage Site. Being one of the most difficult places in the world to access and having a lack of freshwater has saved Aldabra from any tourism development and only small vessels like the MS Hebridean Sky are allowed to visit. It is therefore a great privilege to be able to land on the untouched beaches of Aldabra, the breeding ground for thousands of giant tortoises and home to some of the rarest birds in the Indian Ocean. To explore the abundant crystal clear waters of the vast lagoon and to set foot on atolls which have never been exploited by the hand of man is a rare experience.