48 Hours In: The Seychelles

WHY GO NOW?

The rainy season in the Seychelles, from November to February, is nearly over, and the crowds who flocked to the islands over Christmas have disappeared. The archipelago is sunny, the ocean calm and green and the people welcoming. And even if you are heading for a luxury resort on another island, it is well worth spending a couple of days in Victoria, capital of the archipelago.

TOUCH DOWN

The gateway for all 115 of the Seychellois islands is Pointe Larue on the largest, Mahe, five miles south of Victoria. Air Seychelles (01293 596 655; www.airseychelles.com) flies non-stop to Mahe from Heathrow twice a week. Other carriers involve a connection. Emirates (0870 243 2222; www.emirates.com/uk), for example, flies from Birmingham, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow and Manchester via Dubai.

Taxis meet all incoming flights; expect to pay around 50 Seychelles rupees (SR50, around £5.50) for the journey into Victoria, SR100 (£11) to Beau Vallon beach, three miles north-west. The airport is also on several of the island's bus routes; any marked Victoria will take you into the capital's bus terminal (1).

Tickets cost SR3 (35p) for any length of journey and can be bought on the bus. An all-day ticket costs SR6 (70p) and can be bought on the bus or at the terminal.

GET YOUR BEARINGS

The Seychelles are in the Indian Ocean, a thousand miles east of Kenya, some 625 miles north of Madagascar, and their capital is Victoria, on the east coast of Mahe. The beaches, particularly at Beau Vallon are extremely popular, and many visitors combine a visit to Mahe with a trip to the islands of Praslin and La Digue to the north-east. Regular inter-island ferries connect the three islands and depart from the harbour (2). There are frequent buses along the road that encircles Mahe, and others which connect the east coast with the west by means of six roads across the island. The main tourist office (3) in Independence House on 5th June Avenue (00 248 610803; www.seychelles.com) opens 8am-5pm from Monday to Friday, 8am-noon on Saturday; there is a smaller office at the airport.

CHECK IN

Victoria itself has remarkably few hotels, but the Hotel Bel Air (4) is a good base from which to explore the city. This small guesthouse (00 248 224416; www.seychelles.net/belair) has double rooms from €90 (£64) for bed and breakfast, €85 (£61) for singles.

Mahe boasts a number of five-star hotels with excellent facilities in stunning locations. These include the Northolme Hotel and Spa (00 248 299000; www.thenortholmehotel.com) at the north end of Beau Vallon beach. It has been completely rebuilt and reopened last month. Double rooms are available at this time of year - the low season - from £349 including breakfast. Even if these prices are out of your bracket, don't dismiss Beau Vallon, which is a 10-minute drive from Victoria and has plenty of accommodation. Augerine Guesthouse (00 248 247 257) offers simple rooms and a magnificent location with beach access through the garden. Double rooms start at €100 (£71) including breakfast. It will close in the next couple of months for refurbishment but will reopen within three months. Nearby, on the beach road, Georgina's Cottage (00 248 247016; www.aspureasitgets.com) is a family-run guest house with ensuite rooms from £37 for a double including breakfast.

TAKE A VIEW

For the best panorama of Victoria and the islands of the Sainte Anne Marine National Park and beyond, take any bus from the terminal (1) that is marked Via Sans Soucis. Get out at the stop by the Hotel Rose Garden. Walk along the path opposite the hotel for a hillside view over the area.

TAKE A HIKE

Start your exploration of one of the smallest capital cities in the world at its main monument, the Clock Tower (5). Built in 1903 in memory of Queen Victoria, this small, ornate structure is the pride of the city. The two-storey buildings along Albert Street are left over from colonial days, but turn your back on these and look to the right for a glimpse of the State House (6), the office of the Prime Minister. Stop to look at St Paul's Anglican Cathedral (7) on the right before walking down Francis Rachel Street. On the left is the Courthouse (8), a colonial-style building with wide covered verandas; in its grounds is a bust of Pierre Poivre, who introduced spices into the Seychelles. The monument (9) just beyond the National Library (10) represents the four main industries of the Seychelles, tourism, fishing, agriculture and crafts.

LUNCH ON THE RUN

The newest spot in Victoria - popular for drinking as well as eating - is Le Rendezvous (11) on the corner of Francis Rachel Street (00 248 323556), with a wonderful first-floor location overlooking the Clock Tower. Open from 9am until midnight from Monday to Saturday, it serves a selection of salads, crepes and fish from R65 (£7).

CULTURAL AFTERNOON

The National Museum of History, housed in the National Library (10), offers a fast briefing on life in the islands. In the entrance is the Stone of Possession, a grimy relic brought over by the French when they claimed the islands in 1756. The museum opens 8.30am-4.30pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9am-1pm on Saturday, admission R10 (£1.10).

WINDOW-SHOPPING

Curiosity lures most visitors into the Sir Selwyn Clarke Market (12) on Market Street, which sells tropical fruits, as well as spices, vegetables and seafood from all over the island. The market opens 6am-6pm from Monday to Friday, 5am-1pm on Saturday. A good selection of local handicrafts is on sale at Camion Hall (13) on Albert Street.

AN APERITIF

At the Pirate's Arms (14) on Independence Avenue (00 248 225001), the locals drink either SeyBrew beer or the cocktail of the day. For an out-of-town alternative try Al Mare (00 248 620240) on Beau Vallon beach.

DINING WITH THE LOCALS

Try the Boathouse (00 248 247898; www.boathouse.sc) at Beau Vallon. Open at 7.30pm, it serves barbecued fish of the day with a creole buffet for a fixed price of SR150 (£16.50). Less frenetic is La Scala (00 248 247535), serving Italian food (daily except Sundays) from a location overlooking the ocean at Bel Ombre.

SUNDAY MORNING: GO TO CHURCH

The cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (15) (00 248 322152) was built in 1854 as the island's first Catholic church.

OUT TO BRUNCH

Join the locals down the coast for the creole buffet served at 1pm every Sunday at Chez Batista on Anse Takamaka (00 248 366300; www.chez-batista.com). As much as you can eat from a groaning trestle table on the sand costs R125 (£14) a head.

TAKE A RIDE

Take a bus from the main terminal (1) into the Morne Seychellois National Park (00 248 670500); buses heading to Anse Major or the bottom end of Beau Vallon will be able to drop you on the perimeter of the park, which extends south and west of Victoria as far as La Misere Road.

A WALK IN THE PARK

On the edge of Victoria are the Botanic Gardens (16) at Mont Fleuri (00 248 670500), which contain examples of all the plants indigenous to the Seychelles. At the end of the main path, the garden turns into a patch of tropical forest, with lush vegetation and colourful birds. An added attraction is a breeding herd of giant tortoises. The Botanic Gardens open 8am-5pm daily, admission £2.50.

Cathy Packe travelled as a guest of Stylish Resorts (020-8255 1738; www.stylishresorts.com)

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