A Honeymoon in Paradise

Jacks was thrilled when she found out that our honeymoon destination was the Seychelles. We have been before, and thoroughly enjoyed the perfect white beaches and clear blue water. I decided it would be a good break for us, because we wouldn't feel that we had to explore and do too much. We could just sit back and relax.

The hotel called Paradise Sun is nestled into the vegetation at the end of Anse Volbert (beach), on Praslin, which is the second biggest of the 120 Islands that make up the Seychelles. Our room was literally 10 steps from the beach, and had everything we needed, including air conditioning, which was a lifesaver. The room was bigger than our flat in Putney, which is not saying much, but for us it was really comfortable.

The food was an experience in itself, with theme evenings every night, and an amazing choice of local and international fare. The restaurant and bar is built out over the beach, and you almost feel like you are sitting on the sand, with the water flowing up to your feet. One night Jacks and I were given a table out under a palm tree, and besides the occasional inquisitive spider, we had the perfect romantic evening.

Special mention must be made of the local beers, which included Seybrew and Eku, both world class lagers. I found it amazing that most locals enjoy Guiness instead, which for me doesn't fit well with the hot and humid climate. There is nothing like an ice cold lager at the end of a long day in the sun.

After the wedding weekend in SA, Mr and Mrs Schouten were exhausted. The first day was spent lazing around, with lots of sleep, and a bit of eating in between. We were really worried about our senstive British skins, so we ensured we were adequately protected with lots of suncream.

Along with some rest and relaxation, we actually ended up doing the usual, and managed to fit in quite a few activities. The highlight was without a doubt the snorkelling. 1km out to sea, directly in front of the hotel, is an Island called St Pierre, which is pictured in many Seychelles brochures (the one pictured above with the boat). It has an amazing appearance with its massive granite rock formations, leaning palms, and is surrounded by crystal clear waters. We were lucky enough to snorkel on 2 occasions at St Pierre, and were astounded at what we saw. Besides every fish possible, including Nemo, we saw white tip reef sharks, hawksbill turtles, rays and eels. On another day we took a trip with 10 Italians to two islands. The first called Sisters, had awesome snorkelling, and a really impressive swimming beach. After a fish braai on the beach we went to the second, called Coco Island, which is a protected marine reserve (like many of the Seychelles Islands). By this stage, the italians, who had over-indulged themselves at lunch, flopped onto the sand, and it was just the scouties in the sea. Known as one of the best snorkelling spots in the world, Coco Island is like diving in an aquarium. Amazing fish life, calm water, and 30m visibility. Jackie and I could have spent a whole day there.

On our last visit to the Seychelles we had failed to explore any of the bird sanctuary islands, so this time we were very keen. We arranged a half day tour of Cousin, which is about an hour by boat from Praslin. The islands only human inhabitants are those who are protecting and maintaining it, and taking people on tours. It is teaming with all sorts of birds, including the white tailed tropical, noddie, seychelles warbler, fregate bird, fairy tern, and many more. Because the island has fresh water it is a mosquito breeding pot, and they seemed to love both Jacks and I, even though we were covered in Tabard. The amazing thing about the island is that the birds lay their eggs on the branches of trees (no real nests), and when the chicks hatch they just stay sitting on the branch until they can fly. The result is an island full of these chicks, just parking off on branches, not too worried about visitors. There are also many giant tortoises on the island, the most famous being George, who is 120 years old and thoroughly enjoys a good scratch under his head.

The main attraction of Praslin is the Vallee de Mai, a tropical forest of amazing vegetation. The Coco de Mer, the plant that boasts the largest leaf and the largest fruit, dominates the landscape. The area is rumoured to have been the original Garden of Eden, and it is truly a sight to behold.

We spent a full day on La Digue. It is the 3rd most populated island, and it has only very recently had the introduction of vehicles other than the traditional oxcart. We did the touristy thing and hired bikes, and cycled off ahead of the pack. We made our way to Grande Source de Argent, one of the most photographed beaches in the world. We hopped off our bikes and walked down the beach, away from the tourists, and found a perfectly secluded spot, between 2 large granite boulders. After some time relaxing on the beach, we hopped back onto our bikes and cycled off to the other side of the island, which has an amazing swimming beach. I had done some research and found that there was an even better beach slightly further north. So off we went, trekking through a dense jungle, that seemed to be neverending. After a good while we were no closer to any beach, and we decided to head back. Not sure about the other beach, maybe it's just a fable.

We made friends with a couple from Finland who were honeymooning after their wedding, which was on the same day as us. Brilliant couple, and lots of fun. Imagine how hot it was for them, coming from the Finnish winter. We joined them for dinner on their last 3 nights, and found that we had so much in common. Amazing when you think that we grew up on opposite ends of the planet.

The highlight for me, of our time in the Seychelles, was getting to grips with the fact that Jackie was now my wife. We've lived together for quite some time, so from that side there's not much difference. There is a definate change however, and it feels as if the bond between us has now been cemented, and I can honestly say that I have never felt as close to Jackie. We spent every moment of our 2 weeks away together, and it was the perfect beginning to our life as a married couple.