We are in the Eden Marina in the Seychelles after a particularly unpleasant 12 day passage from Chagos where we had spent a wonderful week. But more of that another time. I’ve got a lot of catching up on the blog which will hopefully happen over the next few weeks.

The Seychelles is, of course, Africa, no longer Asia. It feels a bit African, a bit French, a dash of the Caribbean and, from the dramatic scenery, just a tiny reminder of the Marquesas in French Polynesia. The Seychelles were part of France until 1814, then a British colony until they got their independence in 1976 and became an independent republic within the Commonwealth. Our taxi driver, who took us to the commercial port to complete immigration procedures, thought they would be better off if they still were ruled by the British! Somehow, despite the capital being called Victoria, there is little here that feels particularly British. There are three official languages, English, French and Creole, with Creole being the language that the locals use to talk together and which uses a lot of French words so is almost, but not quite, comprehensible. 

We love it here although we’ve hardly left the marina. From the spectacular mountain range that runs the length of the island of Mahé and forms a backdrop to the marina, to the relaxed and friendly people, it is refreshing after the Maldives… which is flat in geography and somehow lacking in the same joyful spirit. But it is early days and these are only first impressions.

Flights home are booked for June 1^st and so we are busy clearing up the boat and arranging for work to be done on it whilst we’re away and for when we get back. We don’t want a repetition of Thailand where most of the three months there were spent on boat work and not cruising. We hope to spend most of August and September exploring the islands of the Seychelles and not stuck in the marina. In the meantime we are looking forward to being home in Bristol for most of June and July.

More to follow…