Get to know Seychelles Islands – African Beach Holiday Paradise perched on granites

The Seychelles is the name for an archipelago of 115 small islands in the heart of the Indian Ocean. All the islands are splendid in their own right, one more exotic than the other, yet they share a common denominator: lush tropical vegetation, lined by white sandy beaches running down to crystal clear water in shades from emerald green to dark blue. It is a sight which never fails to impress the newly arrived traveller: beach after beach, sometimes appearing as unending expanses of white sand and sometimes as rare white pearls enclosed by small coves and lagoons. The dazzling white and extremely fine sand is a product of erosion, from the coral reefs and from seashells. Ones first impulse is to dive straight into the warm crystalline water where the abundant fish can be spotted right up to the shoreline.

Immediately upon arriving at Mahe International Airport - Mahe being the main island - one feels as if one has entered another world, a world shrouded by an exotic calm accentuated by the sweet fragrances of red jasmine, vanilla and chilli.

Mahe, the main island of Seychelles covers roughly 150 square kilometres and is 27 kilometres long and seven kilometres wide. The highest point, Morne Seychellois, is 930 metres above sea level. Even high up in the interior the roads are good. There are plenty of opportunities for walks through winding paths to appreciate the lush flora and fauna at close quarters, especially in the Morne Seychellois National Park.

The airport, south of Victoria, is built on reclaimed land. Landing there is an interesting experience - offering stunning views of the verdant island and its coastline.

Victoria, the national capital of Seychelles, with a population of some 20,000, is spread around a large bay at the foot of Morne Seychellois and the Trois Freres. This small town is the islands' economic and administrative hub, as well as their only international port.

The clock tower in the city centre is a replica of the clock that stands at the junction of Victoria Street and Vauxhall Bridge Road in central London. Erected as a memorial to Queen Victoria in 1903, the Seychelles clock tower is today more readily associated with the declaration that year of Seychelles as a Crown colony.

Then there are the beaches, the glory of Seychelles. The east coast, on which the airport is situated, has long beaches such as Anse Marie-Louise, but there are also many small beaches, some of which you can call your own at times. To many, the king of beaches is Beau Vallon, in the north of the island - a huge two-mile-long curve of white sand with crystal-clear water that is especially calm and welcoming. Several hotels on Beau Vallon offer excellent watersports and diving facilities.

Praslin : the second-largest granite island of Seychelles is about 40 kilometres from Mahe. It is 15 minutes by Air Seychelles service, which offers 20 scheduled flights a day. By boat, it takes about one hour with the powerful catamaran 'Cat Cocos'.

The Praslin island has a population of about 6,000. Praslin is not as mountainous as Mahe - the highest point being 330 metres - but it has similarly great granite outcrops surrounded by beautiful beaches, and a coral reef enclosing the crystal-clear waters which are so typical of Seychelles.

The majestic bays and beaches alternate with smaller ones on which, even in the busy season, you could believe you were the only person on the island.

One of the eternal symbols of Seychelles, the huge coco-de-mer nut, grows in the Vallee de Mai forest of Praslin, also home to one of the world's rarest birds, the Black Parrot. To walk through the Vallee is to step back in time into a primeval forest, canopied by thick palm fronds that block out the sun. The silence is broken only by the call of the black parrot and the clatter of huge sturdy leaves as the wind blows through the trees.

La Digue: This is the third-largest granite island in Seychelles in terms of population, housing about 2,000 people. It is a half-hour trip from Praslin, or three hours by schooner from Mahe.

The pace of life is slow, about the same speed as its traditional way of transport - the ox cart. Very few cars are allowed on the island and bicycles are popular.. At 1'Union a fine old traditional planter's house has been carefully restored. It used to be the centre of a vanilla plantation of which the treatment factory can still be seen.

On the agricultural estate, you can see furnace-dried coconuts, or copra, being turned into oil. The old cemetery at 1'Union is also an attraction. La Digue is noted for its superb beaches, and snorkelling (particularly in front of La Digue Island Lodge).

There are more spectacular granite formations which have been shaped by wind and sea over millions of years. Eagle's Nest Mountain rises dramatically to 300 metres, taking up most of the island. Beaches at Pointe Cap Barbi have, like so many other beaches, a dramatic granite backdrop. The remote beaches at Grande Anse, Petite Anse and Anse Cocos with pink-tinged sand are beautiful, but beware of dangerous undercurrents.

Most parts of the island can be reached in under an hour. Among the birds you will encounter is the unique Seychelles Black Paradise Flycatcher, one of the rarest birds in the world (less than 100 pairs), the symbol of this island.

Solomon Okila is Editor African Voyages Ltd Kenya Travel Guide and Tourist Information and African Hotels, Lodges and Tourist Information.