Mahe Island being the commercial centre of the Seychelles and holding almost 90 per cent of the inhabitants will most probably be the best place to start your Seychelles tour.

Even though the best beaches are on the Praslin Island, the Beau Vallon in Mahe is definitely one you want to lie on as u let the magical waves sweep all your fatigue back at sea.

With a bit of knack, you could make use of the sporting facilities provided by most Seychelles hotels and lodges and try out some deep sea fishing, snorkeling or even deep sea diving just to mention a few. There is also the chance for you to go paragliding for a birds view perspective of the Seychelles islands. This is definitely not for the faint hearted so the alternative choice of hiring one of the helicopters available.

Away from the beach, stands the famous clock tower at the centre of the Victoria capital. A present from England in 1903 and a copy of the clock tower in the Vauxhall Bridge Road in London, it was apparently given to symbolize the separation away from Mauritius and the building of a new separate colony for the Seychelles. Move on swiftly to the Botanical gardens to feel the real meaning of going green.

Beneath the touristic beauty of the Seychelles lies the real Seychelles in which political strife and less talked about coups are part of the rich history. For this intrinsic view, you will need to visit the Natural History Museum. On a different wavelength, St. Anne Marine National Park will relieve your need to be at one with the wild after which you can later cool your visual senses with a view of the cascading Sauzier Waterfall.

The beauty of this paradise is that different Islands present a different set of landscape, atmosphere and hidden secrets. Praslin Island is grandly blessed with the most pristine beaches in the world hands down. Amongst them, Anse Lazio, Anse Georgette, Anse Kerlan and Anse Volbert: widely praised for having longer and wider stretches than those on Mahe.

As a souvenir, make sure to buy at least one ‘coco de mar.’ First, because Praslin is the only place in which the special coconut grows and second, because it has been considered an object of mystical sexual powers. Need I say more? The shape alone is convincing: its resemblance to female pelvis is absolutely uncanny. You’ll need to keep in mind that it will be expensive and you will need a registration number authorizing its sale. Now that is a special coconut right there. Almost fit for the perfect wedding gift.

Talking about special, how would you fancy a tour to where it all started? Valle de Mai is said to be the Garden of Eden where Adam set the trail for all men by falling prey to the forbidden fruit. Debating the truth to this myth takes a back seat immediately you set your eyes on this splendid nature reserve. It’s open to the tourist and is an absolute must with well laid out paths leading you on a Seychelles discovery tour you will never forget. A peek at one of the world’s rarest birds, the Seychelles Black Parrot will be one of the highlights though not the only one for the ardent birdwatcher.

You don’t need to imagine the privilege to toss one beautiful beach to the back of your mind and sail a few minutes away to the next amazing one. La Digue Island is merely a 30 minute ferry ride from Praslin and, as you land on this magical island where the main forms of transport are still bicycle and ox-cart, you will experience a dejavu feeling of years gone by.

For a completely serene vacation away from the hustle and bustle of civilization, this is definitely a dream destination. Host to one of the world’s most famous – and certainly most-photographed beaches, Anse Source d’Argent, the Island holds relics of another age, including a cemetery of the first settlers, a working calorifer (oven for refining coconut oil) giant tortoise pen and magnificent Creole mansion.

Further away in the horizons low corals ascend gradually into islands lands which churn up images from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” where Jack Sparrow is stuck in an abandoned mystic island devoid of human life. Minus abandoned, add elegant accommodation, amid surroundings of breathtaking natural beauty and you have yourself the perfect hideaway Islands. The glimmering world of the coral isles of Bird and Denis are located some 52miles north of Mahé.

Seabird colonies, nesting turtles, silver surf and golden sands adore these secreted gems.When they say that Seychelles has the clearest waters in the word, the waters around these Islands are precisely what they have in mind. At the edge of the shallow Seychelles bank, the ocean plummets to 2000m thus creating a nirvana in which fishing, snorkeling and diving fanatics go hysterical.

Whatever tickles your fancy, Seychelles has it. You want to go sailing smoothly away from the stresses of corporate life? Seychelles offers some of the finest sailing on earth with easy distances, safe moorings and myriad islands, just for you.  A number of charter companies offer modern fleets of mono-hulls and catamarans, either bareboat or skippered.

It would be abominable to depart Seychelles, without seeing the Giant Tortoises en Masse in Aldabra Atoll, one of the two World Heritage Sites in the region. Though a hard island to reach, it embraces more than 150, 000 of the slow veggie-eating giants: by far the largest population of tortoises anywhere on earth and a spectacle to cherish.

With only one life to live, an itinerary choice larger than the World Wide Web and the chance to own a registered coconut, The Seychelles will sweep you off your feet from the second you land on Mahe. Good thing you can float all the while on its vacillating blue waves sipping on a chilling cold cocktail.