SEYCHELLES

The Seychelles is a nation of 115 islands scattered over 400,000sq km of Indian Ocean, a few degrees south of the equator. Some islands are grand and granitic, others are tiny coral outcrops poking out of the sea. Once known as a five-star destination with three-star hotels, the new-look Seychelles offers areas of outstanding man-made beauty from which to appreciate its teeming wildlife and sweeps of white sand.

WHERE TO STAY

• BANYAN TREE SEYCHELLES

  Anse Intendance, Mahé, Seychelles(00800 300 200 00)
  Situated on a stunning beach on Mahé, the main island, these 60 stand-alone villas, each with a private plunge pool, are hidden by lush planting: half are on the beach, the rest on palm-forested slopes. The style is whitewashed-colonial and the main infinity pool (overlooking the ocean which can be rough at times) and spa are unbeatable.

• CHATEAU DE FEUILLES

  Pointe Cabris, Praslin Island, Seychelles(00 248 290 000)
  Set among mango and coconut trees with spectacular views of the ocean, the Château de Feuilles has nine rooms divided between the château and various thatched bungalows built of local architecture. It is a member of and offers activities such as sailing, fishing, diving, snorkelling and trips to nearby islands.

• COUSINE ISLAND

  Cousine Island, Seychelles(00 248 321 107)
  There are no tree houses or butlers or portable barbecues on Cousine Island. Here the conservation programme came first, the tiny four-villa hotel being built as an afterthought; and it still comes first. The hotel buildings are exquisitely pretty in the Seychellois French-colonial style, with steep-pitched roofs, white-painted wood, trellising and frilly fretwork along the eaves. There's an excellent chef, the waitresses are kind and motherly, and there is a spa in the old plantation house overlooking the beach. On Cousine you don't have to schedule a 'nature walk', although the island's two ecologists will glady take you on one: there's really no other kind of walk available. Full board; minimum stay three nights.

• FOUR SEASONS SEYCHELLES

  Petite Anse, Baie Lazare, Mahé, Seychelles(00 248 393 000)
  The Four Seasons Seychelles opened its doors in February and was one of the most hotly anticipated openings of 2009, with a dramatic position on a steep jungle hillside and a glamorous castaway vibe. The 67 villas resemble private residences, spilling dramatically down a forested hill on the southwest coast of Mahé. Some are perched high up in the hillside, others nestle closer to the beach, all offer the utmost privacy, giving the impression that you are totally and blissfully alone. Designed in the style of a village, if you find yourself staying in a villa far from the beach or restaurants, you will be reliant on a buggy to take you around the resort. Nevertheless, the views are more than enough to keep even the most demanding guest happy. As befits a more intimate Four Seasons outpost, there are fewer restaurant options. Zez offers a glorious breakfast spread and Mediterranean dishes in the evening and has a lovely position overlooking the ocean. Beach-side Kannel serves local and Asian cuisine, including excellent fresh sushi. If you're dining in your villa, you can order equally good sushi boxes from the room service menu.

• FREGATE ISLAND PRIVATE

  Frégate Island, Seychelles(00 27 21 556 9984)
  Frégate Island Private was the pioneer among these nature reserves combined with resorts, and it's still the one from which the others learn their lessons. North Island (see below) has the wilderness-chic, but Frégate has the wilderness. It's large enough to ensure that even if you stay a week you can take a different walk each morning, through dense forest, over bare upland terrain with thousands of seabirds wheeling overhead, along the coastline above the island's seven beaches or through groves of coconut palms beneath which the tortoises graze ceaselessly. Nothing is too much trouble of too fanciful for the staff. At night, the 18th-century Plantation House is a creole restaurant, while the 17 villas and main restaurant are built on a hillside above the longest beach. Colours are bright, wall hangings are boldly patterned, and there are lots of louvred doors, slow-turning fans, large pieces of dark-varnished wooden furniture. Full board; minimum stay three nights.
  LA DIGUE ISLAND LODGE
• Anse Reunion, La Digue, Seychelles(00 248 292 525)
  The lodge is set among a peaceful and exotic garden of coconut palms and takamaka trees on Anse Reunion beach overlooking Praslin Island. Among its many assets, the lodge boasts the only swimming pool on the island and accommodation in a variety of rooms and villas.

• LE MERIDIEN FISHERMAN'S COVE

  Bel Ombre, Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles(00 248 677 000)
  Located on the southern tip of Beau Vallon, this well-established Mahé hotel was restored in 2004 and features granite walls, thatched roofs and a maze of fountains. There are 68 rooms and suites, decorated in contemporary or Creole style.

• L'UNION ESTATE

  Anse Reunion, La Digue, Seychelles(00 248 292 525)
  There are just four villas on L'Union Estate, right on the beach, among gardens and coconut palms. Each has two air-conditioned double bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, a large sitting/dining room, fully equipped kitchen and a balcony, from which you can look west across to Praslin, or watch the sun set over the Indian Ocean. The estate is closed to the public at night, so it's very peaceful. Meals are served in the palm-thatched restaurant at the La Digue Island Lodge, where L'Union guests can use all facilities.

• MAIA LUXURY RESORT

  Anse Louis, Mahé, Seychelles(00 248 390 000)
  Landscape artist and architect Bill Bensley took full advantage of Maia's rocky location high above Anse Louis beach to position the resort's 30 villas for maximum privacy, set among tropical flowers and palms in the undulating grounds. Generous terraces with panoramic views include dining areas, day beds, outdoor baths and private, infinity-edged swimming pools that seem to merge with the Indian Ocean below. A dedicated butler takes care of everything from unpacking to packing, and diving and deep-sea fishing trips are easily arranged. Yoga classes can be organised at the Balinese-staffed spa, and there is an open-air dining pavilion with a beachfront bar for sundowners. The food is excellent, particularly the private barbecues cooked at the villas, which include tandoori chicken and local lobster served with a spicy Creole sauce. Featured in the Gold List 2011.
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• PATATRAN VILLAGE

  Anse Patates, La Digue, Seychelles(00 248 294 300)
  Located at the northern tip of La Digue island, Patatran Village offers good accommodation at a slightly lower cost. Each villa is detached, with a bright air-conditioned double bedroom, bathroom, and fridge, plus large sliding windows on to a private balcony overlooking Anse Patates. The restaurant is pleasantly located high above the ocean to catch the sea breezes, and looks out over Soeurs and Félicité Islands. Meals are unhurried, generous and good, with live Creole guitar music some nights.

• NORTH ISLAND

  North Island, Seychelles(00 248 293 100)
  An assembly of airy, thatched tree houses and suspended walkways slung on a hillside between woods and ocean, this is the kind of home Robinson Crusoe might have built if he'd had a whole squad of Man Fridays. North Island is a beautiful place for beautiful people. The guests are glamorous, and the staff likewise. No one will oblige you to take an interest in the island's ecology, but you can hardly ignore it. At lunchtime you'll eat under the shade of a venerable takamaka tree on the edge of the beach, and the forest surrounds your villa on every landward side. The tortoises, once down to a population of only five, are breeding. And the breakfast your butler serves you on your terrace tastes all the better after an hour or two spent scrambling over the island's rocky escarpments, looking down on the pure-white fairy terns dipping and turning above the newly restored forest. Full board. North Island featured in The Gold List 2009.

• WHAT TO DO

  Because each island in the Seychelles is very different, many visitors choose a two or three-stop holiday. Inter-island plane transfers (see Getting Around) are efficient and well-run, as well as thrilling.
  
  BIRD ISLAND
  Bird Island is situated about 60 miles from the main island of Mahe, and is easily reached by plane. Its 170 acres are covered in corals and lined with the purest white sand.
  
  COUSINE ISLAND
  A speck about 6km off the west coast of Praslin, Cousine Island is owned by a South African businessman, who has embarked on an intensive conservation programme to restore it to its primal state. About 2,000 indigenous trees have been planted, and 12 endangered magpie robins have been introduced to share the island with a couple of thousand nesting birds (fairy terns, sooty terns, shearwaters, Seychelles brush warblers, Fodies) and four giant tortoises (each of which, apparently, command around the same market value as a giraffe). Much of the rocky island is out of bounds to visitors.
  
  FREGATE ISLAND
  There are wonderful walks to be had on Frégate - through primeval jungle, up enormous granite outcrops and along white-sand beaches. Away from the resort, the rest of the island is given over to conservation projects (protecting the endangered magpie robin population, among others), cultivation (vegetables produced with a very sophisticated hydroponics system), livestock (pigs, cows, chickens) and recreation (water sports and scuba-diving; fishing boats, yachts, catamarans and motorboats).
  
  LA DIGUE ISLAND
  The island's stunning beaches of silky white sand are lapped by turquoise seas. The best beach, Anse Source D'Argent, is reachable by bicycle. Other good places to swim are Petite Anse, with its large smooth boulders. La Digue's west coast, south of La Passe, is protected by a reef, creating calm water, ideal for snorkelling. Besides the pleasures of beach life, La Digue offers horse riding, diving, fishing and boat trips. The bird sanctuary is a woodland of takamaka and badamie (Indian almond) trees, home to several nesting pairs of the rare, endemic black paradise flycatcher. Horse riding is available at L'Union Estate and diving instruction, expeditions and boat trips to tiny Félicité Island (population 12) can be arranged at La Digue Island Lodge.
  
  MAHE ISLAND
  Mahé is the largest island, and home to 65,000 people. It has the highest mountain ranges in the Seychelles and the world's smallest capital, Victoria. For a stylish souvenir, Michael Adams, Seychelles' most famous artist, has a studio/gallery at his home at Anse aux Poules Bleues (00 248 361 006; www.michaeladamsart.com).
  
  PRASLIN ISLAND
  The archipelago's second-largest island is a 15-minute plane hop from Mahé. It is most famous for the Vallée de Mai (open 8am-5.30pm), a World Heritage Site home to the distinctive coco de mer palm. It is a fascinating, friendly and unspoilt island to explore by foot, bicycle or hire-car. A number of excursions, including cruises, bird-watching and photographic expeditions are available from both Mahé and Praslin.

• HOW TO GET THERE

  AIRPORT
  The main international airport is on Mahé. All flights within the Seychelles arrive and depart from Mahé.
  
  AIRLINES FROM THE UK
  Air Seychelles (01293 596 655;www.airseychelles.co.uk) flies directly to Mahé from Heathrow; Air France (0871 663 3777;www.airfrance.co.uk) flies via Paris, and Emirates (0844 800 2777; www.emirates.com) flies via Dubai.

  WHEN TO GO

  The Seychelles are a good year-round destination, with daily highs of between 27ºC and 30ºC. However, December and January are the wettest months, and humidity is highest from February to May. The best months to visit are June-September.

• GETTING AROUND

  BY AIR
  
  Air Seychelles (01293 596 656; www.airseychelles.com) runs an efficient inter-island service using Twin Otter planes. All flights arrive and depart from Mahé.
  
  Helicopter Seychelles (00 248 529 924;www.helicopterseychelles.com) flies to Denis, Praslin, Frégate, Cousine and Silhouette islands. Transfers are expensive, and not included in accommodation prices.
  
  BY SEA
  
  Cat Cocos (00 248 324 843; www.catcocos.com) operates a catamaran between Mahé and Praslin; Inter Island Ferry Services (00 248 232 329; www.seychelles.net/iif) offers catamaran crossings between Praslin and La Digue; La Belle Seraphina (00 248 511 34;www.seychelles.com) is a traditional schooner which operates between Mahé and La Digue.

• TOUR OPERATOR

  Abercrombie and Kent (0845 618 2200;www.abercrombiekent.co.uk)
  Carrier (0161 491 7650; www.carrier.co.uk)
  Elegant Resorts (01244 897 505;www.elegantresorts.co.uk)
  ITC Classics (01244 355 380; www.itcclassics.co.uk)
  Seychelles Travel (01202 877 330; www.seychelles-travel.co.uk)

  TOURIST INFO

  The Seychelles Tourism Board (00 248 61 08 00; www.seychelles.travel) has its main office in Victoria on Mahé, but there are smaller offices on Praslin and La Digue. Open Mon-Sat.