When anybody says “Seychelles”, the only image which grasps our mind is of a tropical paradise destination. It is said that Seychelles is the bejeweled remnants of a continent, perhaps Africa. Every time one visits Seychelles, one finds some unknown mysteries revealed. The rocks forming this island are said to be somewhere 650 million years old.
The Republic of Seychelles is a group of 115 islands out of which 41 are granitic and 74 are coralline embellishments. The best part is many of them are still uninhabited and desolate. This group of tiny islands is engraved in the Indian Ocean in the north of Madagascar and forms part of the Indian Ocean island groups connected with the African subcontinent. The capital city of Seychelles is Victoria and it is also a major port which lies on the island of Mahe.
This isolated island is an amalgamation of marvelous beaches, emerald sea water and cozy warm weather. Seychelles is also said to be rich in rare plant species indigenous to this island and found nowhere else in the world. One can find a sojourn stock of 81 species which could be said to have existed since humanity’s belated arrival two centuries ago.
Exceptional among them is the coco-de-mer (sea coconut), native to Praslin island in Seychelles, its seed is the largest to be found in nature. The shape of this coconut is weird enough catching human eyes with bewilderment. It is shaped in the form of a human organ.
Previously, tourists collected these coconuts and they took them with them free of cost but now one needs to pay a hefty amount to buy one. So precious are these coconuts that they are also engraved with a unique identification number and one needs to keep it intact to carry it with them. It is said these coconuts possess some mystical powers of bestowing children.
Seychelles is also said to be an ultimate paradise for bird watchers. One can find up to two million sooty terns nest on bird island and on the Aride island, one finds the largest colonies of lesser noddies, Roseate terns and other tropical birds.