Life in the Seychelles is shaped by tourism. As such, there is always stuff to do at any given time as long as you have the animation and energy simmering up inside you.

Be it a seaside sip from a chilled out cocktail, a casual walk into the only cinemas in the island, or the need to expend some energy on the dance floor at dark, you are bound to call it a day (or night for that matter) with a smile on your face.

Victoria, the capital city of the island, portrays the real picture of life in Seychelles. Forget the stashed away five star hotels where the height of activity and buzz involves ocean waves crashing onto the establishments walls every few moments. The city is a cultural melting pot of mainly French and British colonial influence, with dashes of Chinese, Indian and African thrown in.

Together with the variation in colours of the inhabitants, the Victoria market keeps the mornings in the city alive and happening. Upstairs, the brightly painted boutique units mainly aimed at tourists, sell clothes, jewellery and mementos. Most of the souvenirs are plastic tat made in China with a Seychelles sticker attached, but not to worry, there are a few locally crafted items to be found. The best being the coconut derived products, hand-dyed pareos and silk paintings.

Art lovers will find solace on Revolution Ave at the Kaz Zanana ‘the pineapple house’-a wooden gallery standing firm and offering wonderful pieces of art including silk painting, watercolor images and collages depicting everyday Creole life. Fiennes Esplanade is an avenue a bit on the shady side of things with cheap tacky souvenir stalls and dodgy sales-folk. The stalls are jam-packed with dyed-pink coral, shells and shark jaws.

For the down-to-earth visitor without an environmental hygiene conscience, this is a perfect place to shop. The Government has set up Camion Hall on Albert St. to promote local craftsmen and many items here are more expensive in comparison. However, some of the boutiques are only found there so it might be a good idea to check them out.

Eating, for many people goes beyond its functional use and is more of a culture and lifestyle factor. If top notch Cuisines with names hard to pronounce are your cup of tea-pun unintended, then Victoria’s small restaurants are not your perfect choice. Most of the best restaurants are to be found in the major Seychelles hotels in the beach lined outskirts.

Generally though, Seychellois cuisine revolves around fish and rice, and there is nothing tastier than a whole marinated red snapper or grilled jackfish. Like everything else, meals in Seychelles are expensive even in the centre of the capital. The Pirates Arms on Independence Ave is the most popular place in town with a huge, busy room with screens showing satellite music channels. The food is a bit hit and miss with their pizzas (from £8) floating in grease just to mention one. However, the toasted sandwiches (around£6) are good.

Rendezvous is a wooden jungle restaurant overlooking the Clock Tower with an extensive menu, with main courses starting from around £12. Their cocktails which are served in massive plastic cacti are quite something. The sides of the restaurant are open air, and a window table gives a good view point to watch Victoria life passing by.

A better bet for eating is found a ten minute bus journey away in Beau Vallon, such as the excellent Boathouse, which specializes in a substantial Creole buffet (from £17 for two courses and all drinks), and the good Italian Al Mare.

For a peek at cultural events you might be lucky to witness the National Fishing Competition held every year in April at the Beau Vallon Regatta. In August-September, it includes swimming/tug of war contests on the beach, not to mention the yacht racing. The Regatta in La Digue takes place in September too with October’s Creole Festival following closely with vibrant atmosphere hovering above it. Environmental consciousness is emphasized in November during the Subois, which is also a celebration of the Seychelles’ underwater World.

The night life in the so called Garden of Eden might come about a bit curmudgeon considering that most tourists are there on their honeymoon and not looking for a night at the local bars. However, the scattering of bars, casinos and discos are undoubtedly lively, friendly and fun, and mainstream hotels do a good job of making sure their guests are kept entertained.

Again the Pirates Arms, springs into the itinerary as an ample drinking hole when the Sun goes down. It is the main place to meet in town and the service is friendly but dawdling. Several slot machines provide for alternative diversion.

Many of the larger hotels put on live shows in their bars, whether it's a straightforward band playing covers or some form of Creole cultural fest, with guests enjoined to get to their feet and join in towards the end of the show. It is worth noting that few Hotel bars serve beyond midnight.

Perhaps the most glamorous entertainment the Seychelles has to offer is provided by its gaming houses which range from fairly routine agglomerations of slot machines, to three full-fledged casinos.
The Deepam, in Albert Street, Victoria is the only Cinema in the City. Movies run the scope from Hollywood blockbusters to Bollywood favorites, as well as French and Chinese titles, in an attempt to appeal to the widest possible audience. Hotel DVD libraries are also an option to consider.

In place of the cinema, which you could find anywhere else, imagine a sunset cruise, or a romantic dinner on the beach or a specially-hotel-staged scrub and massage therapy before retiring with your loved one to the privacy of the treatment suite. In Seychelles, you need not imagine all these dreamy choices. Just get your Seychelles tours ticket now and live the images in your mind.