Seychelles: Mahe

 Monday, April 17, 2023, Victoria, the island of Mahe, Seychelles


We were due to arrive in Mahe, the largest island of Seychelles, at 2 pm. We got there before 1:30 pm. There was a blues trio playing on the cruise ship dock upon our arrival, and we could enjoy them from the veranda.



We had debated about what to do, and decided to keep our scheduled tour, first stop the botanical gardens, ditch the tour and walk into town from there instead of continuing with the tour group. It didn’t start until 2:30 pm so there was no rush. 


Once ashore we talked to the tour guide about our plans and she was ok with it. The botanical gardens were lovely. The best part were the tortoises. There were quite a few, and of course we didn’t have as much time as desired. By then we had decided to continue on with the tour. It was hot and humid, plus I wasn’t feeling great so wasn’t sure if I could do the extra walking.







Next stop on the tour was the downtown area. We viewed an especially unique and beautiful Indian building. Then a brief stop at a vegetable and craft market. Charlie bought a bunch of the short, really sweet bananas for $2.





Then, back on the bus. This was a mistake. We were headed for Beau Vallon, a lovely beach 15 minutes away. Unfortunately the bus took the long route. This was not an open vista. It was a narrow, bumpy road along the ocean, and we were on the hill side which was whizzing by at 50 MPH. The bus stopped for a moment at some interesting rock formations the island is famous for, but there was nowhere to get out of the bus. We played games on our phones for 45 minutes. The tour guide proudly pointed out fancy American hotels on the other side of the bus.


Photo taken through the bus window (hence line through the middle & phone i lower right)

We finally arrived at Beau Vallon, were given slips of paper for a soft drink at a hotel. By now we needed a stiff drink instead. We were told to be back at the bus in 30 minutes. We went to the beach which was breathtakingly beautiful. I took off my shoes and waded. Charlie took off his shoes, shirt, and pants (!) and went swimming in his briefs. That seemed to help his mood. 


Beau Vallon

Me wading. No photo of Charlie in his underwear. 😊



Back in the bus, we got dropped off at the dock wishing we had stuck to our original plan and ditched the tour after the gardens.


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