Seycellende. 98-104_Dominican Republic. 12-19 15.05.11 13.30 Side 3
THE SEYCHELLES
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he night’s heavy downpour is followed by a beautiful fresh morning, where the dew drops glisten like diamonds in the sun. As the birds sing praise to the new day on the island of Praslin in the Seychelles, I can just make out the golf course with its tempting green behind the mangrove and palm trees. This is going to be a delightful round of golf – warm and exotic. It’s been said of the Seychelles that this archipelago is the closest you can come to paradise on Earth. Of course, we all have our own favourite places, but as an idyllic island there are few that surpass the Seychelles with its lush vegetation, beautiful white beaches, turquoise waters, delicious cuisine and happy locals. Add to this a wonderful 18-hole golf course on Praslin, and personally I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be.
An unspoilt destination The Seychelles consists of 155 islands scattered like green jewels in the Indian Ocean, about 994 miles east of Kenya on the African mainland, seven degrees south of the equator. The country is not a big golf destination – as it only has one 18-hole course – but what a beautiful and challenging golf course! So much so that the World Travel Awards named Lemuria the Indian Ocean’s Leading Golf Resort in 2009. The golf course is located on the island of Praslin (the second largest in the Seychelles), and is a wonderful par-70 link meandering through the dense vegetation around Lemuria Resort. Lying on the north-west tip of the island, the hotel itself is like an exotic dream. It is only a15 minute journey by plane from the capital Victoria.
Lemuria – tranquil and exotic Praslin is so small that you can drive around the island in an hour along a fairly narrow and enjoyable road that follows the coast. Here the pace of life is slow, and everywhere there are people strolling along the road, which has very little traffic, selling fruit, tending to their small colorful shops, cozy local restaurants or small hotels, most of which are close to the beach. You can see the sea from just about anywhere on Praslin, it is part of everything and everyone. The island is quite hilly, but barely 400 metres above sea level at its highest point, and is covered by dense and lush vegetation. Many of the plants grow only here on Praslin – like the wonderful double coconut, Coco de Mer. In fact, you’ll find a whole forest of these coconut palms. Vallee de Mai is a protected national park full of marked trails and with guides who can tell you about all the different types of trees. And just a few miles away is Lemuria, an exotic hotel with two gorgeous white beaches, a lovely terraced pool between large granite rocks leading up to the pool bar and main hotel building. The hotel has three excellent restaurants: the main restaurant, Legend, with delicious Asian touches; the delightful seafood restaurant, Beach Bar & Grill, which is located on the edge of the cliffs; and the Seahorse Restaurant, for fine dining. This is a beautiful and intimate hotel with small, low buildings along the beach and an idyllic spa facility.
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the other. And the latest addition is Ephelia Resort, part of Mauritius-based group, Constance.
Gradual growth
Ephelia Resort - new and stylish
My first visit to the Seychelles was in 1979. At that time there were hardly any tourists, and of course, no golf course. The airport had just opened and the few hotels that existed were concentrated around Beau Vallon Bay on the northern tip of the main island of Mahé. Today it’s rather different. The south still remains relatively undisturbed, while along the west coast new hotels have popped up along all the beaches, each one more impressive than
The hotel opened in February 2010 and is beautifully situated at Port Launay, north-west on Mahé and next to two of the island’s most attractive beaches. Here Constance Hotels purchased 120 acres of land, between a majestic and lush national park that stretches up the slope towards one of the island’s jagged peaks and the sea. The sea itself also constitutes a National Park – a marine national park teeming with fish and colorful corals. On the
G R E AT G O L F M A G A Z I N E