SEYCHELLES


Li e’s a breeze A new catamaran itinerary in the Seychelles


offers access to thrillingly remote parts of this beloved archipelago, discovers Jane Knight


I


t was so beautiful, it almost looked fake. The tiny Seychellois Ile Cocos rose from the sea, a bevy of granite boulders surrounding a small strip of sand. It bore more than a passing resemblance to Tracy Island from the Thunderbirds series (it turns out that «>ÀÌÃ ov Ìhi Óää{ wlm ÜiÀi ÃhoÌ ilÃiÜhiÀi in Ìhi archipelago). But instead of one of the Thunderbird crafts circling the skies, Seychelles fruit bats wheeled in the air currents over trees that seemingly sprouted from the unusual rock formations. There were more wonders in the azure water lapping the island. As we snorkelled in what felt like a tropical aquarium, we spied a hawksbill turtle and hung out with iÌ Ühili > Ãho>l ov ÃilÛiÀ l>`ÞwÃh yiÌÌi` LÞ° Ì vilÌ m>}iV>l° And the best bit? There wasn’t another tourist in sight. As we sailed off into the sunset on the 24-metre catamaran that is the latest venture for French cruise line Ponant, we saw just a couple of other small boats on the horizon.


Views aplenty We were aboard Spirit of Ponant, a boutique vessel with space for only 12 passengers, which started sailing in the Seychelles in December. Taking in the little-visited iÃl>n`à in Ìhià n`i>n "Vi>n >ÀVhi«il>}o] Üi ÜiÀi


travelling “wherever the wind and the weather takes us”, according to second captain Shanyl Changtime. 7i wÀÃÌ miÌ him >n` Ìhi ÀiÃÌ ov Ìhi VÀiÜ ov voÕÀ in a Mahé marina as we clambered onto the boat in a rather unglamorous fashion, up a wooden ladder strung oÛiÀ Ìhi Ãi`i° Ì `i`n½Ì viil liki Ìhi moÃÌ «ÀomiÃin} ÃÌ>ÀÌ Ìo > lÕÝÕÀÞ VÀÕiÃi° ÕÌ hÕ}i `ollo«Ã ov ÀinVh y>iÀ awaited on board, with two raised sunbeds at the aft, six contemporary cabins with more storage space than you’d wn` on > ÌÀ>`iÌion>l VÀÕiÃi Ãhi«] >n` >VÀià ov VÀi>m- and-blue seating areas from which to admire the view. And there were plenty of amazing views to admire in this collection of 115 islands, many with dramatic volcanic rocks bookending a beach, and lush green interiors. Embarking on the four-hour passage to La Digue, we threaded our way through the islands of Sainte Anne Marine National Park, drops of verdant green in an ocean of blue, some with sheer granite v>Vià >n` hinÌà ov hoÌil Ûill>à ÜiÌhin° 7i wÃhi` >à Üi motored, the two rods hanging off the back of the boat occasionally tightening, our cue to reel in a catch of dorado or bonito that later appeared at dinner. "ÕÀ mooÀin} Ìh>Ì wÀÃÌ ni}hÌ Ü>à jÕÃÌ ovv Ìhi µÕiiÌ Ãi`i of La Digue, by Grand Anse beach, a long stretch of


ª 54 ASPIRE JUNE 2025 aspiretravelclub.co.uk


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