In the Seychelles you are not only a tourist, you are ONLY a tourist.

Grön vit röd och gul strandgunga av bildäck som det står Seychellerna på

 

Is the Seychelles really the Paradise described?

You can’t make a more accurate summery but that “in the Seychelles you’re not only a tourist, you’re ONLY a tourist”. For me that avoid flying, and had not been flying for five years prior to this trip, this adventure was more that carefully choosen. The Co2 was 3,1 ton, the trips was planned to be a month long.

 

Why the Seychelles?

In my case it was that I was missing a lot of the good sides of my previous travels to Thailand. But without the gigantic tourism, rabies, littering but most of all no child prositiution and no snakes.

Since you can’t enterthe country without all your lodging booked, it kills my general spontaneous way of travelling. I DO plan a lot before travelling as some kind of pre travelling, but hardly ever follow he plan beyond my first stop. Impossible in the Seychelles. Unless you have a wallet without a bottom. Cause than you might not care about ending up in the wrong plance and can cancel and not care about you loosing your money, as well as paying a higher price of last minute hotels. This isn’t my reality.

The Seychelles claim that this forced up on logding booking is to control tourism… I don’t think so. They control everything as a remaints from their communist era, and they loooooove the rich tourists. But now, not being communist, but still equally corrupt, they canät deny their population so get part of the tourism cake by letting parts of their homes as guest houses for the poorer tourists -that is me-.

Beyond the Hi or Bonjour greeting, the locals have no intrest in the tourists.

It’s certainly true that the Seychelles have som amazing beaches when it comes to aesthetics. Many of the more beautiful ones aren’t swimmable without the risk of drowning. The beaches change their character bay by bay. One has the finest sand, the next one you can’t walk on without swimming shoes. The third you’ll have thaffic just behind the head of uour towel, the fourth will have amazing large rounded beautiful granit blocks.

Bathing shoes

Bring them from home, cause you’re very unlikely to find any place that sells them. Possibly if you visit the most touristy beaches up north on Mahé. I don’t know since I always stay away from the most touristy places.

 

En vacker strand och en skylt som ber besökaren att inte lämna något annat än fotsulor i sanden efter sig
En strand som heter Anse a la Mouche, med massor av vassa koraller på Seychellerna
En paradisstrand på Mahe, Seychellerna som heter Bahe Lazare
En palm vid en paradisstrand på Seychellerna som heter Anse Intendance

 

Warning…

I have to pre-apologise, cause I will rantlingly whine about food. Again and again and… again.

 

 

Friends with everyone & Enemies of no one.

In the Seychelles everything is primarily catered to the russians. It all starts in immigrations where I had a family waving their dollar bills cause they wanted to skip the line that they felt was too slow for people of their kind.

It continues with all the warning signs about risk of drowning on the beaches, having russian on top. I could also interpret this as my european ego… But remember the Seychelles have english and french as their official languages.

I had thought THIS is the right time to go to the Seychelles since many borders and prots are closed to the russian travellers and oligarks due to the war on Ukraine. But no. A host at one of the guest houses I rented declared that the Seychelles are friends with everyone and the enemie of no one.

In a way I find that very refreshing. No bullshit. We want your money. And we’re completely in tune with what communism does to people and a nation, especially when it opens up. Communist mannors doesn’t leave the culture just because you now have the opportunity.

 

Varningsskylt för underströmmar vid en strand på Seychellerna
En rysk baddräkt som ger spännande tanlines på Anse Intendance på Mahé, Seychellerna

 

Nud’ish is terrible, but money is good

Topless for a minimum of tanlines isn’t supposed to be appreciated in the Seychelles, so much I’ve read. This swimsuit gives me double messages though. Does she like tanlines or not? The style isn’t uncommon here, where the women at Mahés beaches roll around in the beach brow, with straight backs, head rolled backwards while the male of the union is filming. You get it right, I’m ageing and I’m bitter cause my butt isn’t instagrammable.

And since the Seychellians clearly doesn’t want to interact with it’s visitors, they might just as well not care back.

 

 

Democracy & Diktatorships

It doesn’t matter what one thinks. But the countrys state of affairs IS part of the product. That might not be as black and white as it sounds though. The Seychelles is officially a democracy today, even though the’re holding on to some of the communist control, as well as suffer from some of the corruption that thrives so very well in dictatorships.

The population in the Seychelles have tourist/taxfinanced health care, education, clean water and water cleaning plants as well as the right to vote -both men and women that is-. In my book, I’m very happy to visit countries that have that care about it’s inhabitants.

But.. to get to the Seychelles, you can only fly dictatorship ownes airlines such as Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Emirates and Ethiopian Airlines. For financial and hours in the air, I picked Ethiopian Airlines, and feel guilty due to the emprisoned Dawit Isaak.

 

 

See and Do in the Seychelles

Honestly, one quickly becomes tired of the few things one can do in at least Mahé. Again, the curse of high expectations. And not be critical to the sources used to planning this trip. I had HIGH expectations efter all I read. Thank universe for me not knowing that there actually are snakes in the Seychelles. Cause I loved the feeling of not being scared while I was hiking in their amazing jungle.

 

Beautiful nature on the Seychelles

For me that suffers from severe fear of snakes, neither am I that fond of the idea of tropical spiders. Which played a large role in me choosing the Seychelles. There are supposed to be plenty of nice hiking trails, I managed to go on one amazing one before I gave up on the Seychelles.

Spiders… whatever you read about no spiders in the Seychelles…. not true. My first evening I saw small gigantic ones. Diameter 6 cm hanging in their webs under the street lamp poles. Tried to meditate them out of my mind, and surpised myself by succeeding.

 

En vandringsled i djungeln på Seychellerna som heter Mourne Blanc Nature Trail
Utsikten från toppen av Mourne Blanc som är en vandringsled i djungeln på Seychellerna.

 

Hiking at the Seychelles

I read so much about you needing a local guide to hike in the Seychelles. I met such a parti once, it looked terribly colonial. One woman with one guide. One ahead of the other, no conversation. I know… they might have benn not talking just as I met them. But… it looked soooo very awkward. I wouldn’t like to have been seen in this constellation for any money in the world.

For me, hiking is in peace by oneself, or with someone you enjoy hanging out with. A relaxing or physically active activity. It would be anightmare walking with someone I don’t know, and NO conversation. I’m sorry, it looked like prostitution without the sex.

May I add, solotravelling as a woman on the Seychelles, alone with a man… I’ll get to my experiences on this one later.

I’d advice not hiking outside of the official trails though. The djungle is rather close, and non verified sources claim that it’s not impossible to catch Denge fewer. There are also plenty of info about being robbed on trails, non violent though. And therefore don’t to carry your “large” jewellery … 🙂 and plenty of cash while hiking. I find that info hilarious. Who are they describing?

If this is true, I don’t know. The day I involontarily choose to go on a hike, I had contracted a lumbago due to all the steep uphill with the bicycle and luggage in front of me. There is no better cure for a lumbago than i hike on uneven ground. It was quite a walk, of which at least 8 km was uphill. So when a military -man- with his back seat full of eggs, offered me a ride part of the way, i…. didn’t decline.
Not only did he drive me downhill, and waited for me to get into a minimarket to stock up on coce -cola that is-. He also offered to drive me upp the hill even though that wasn’t his direction. I wouldn’t go as far as saying he demanded anything in return. But he was very clear with that he thought I didn’t get the full sechellian experience without having sex with… a black man. As if that never happened before… being married to a jamaican for ten years.

 

Sex & Solo travelling in the Seychelles

In the Seychelles this way of “handelling” female travellers seem to be the norm. I have neeever been offered sex this frequently on any of my travels. Mind you I started travelling solo when I was 17, and have kept on travelling solo many many times since then.

I was offered sex almost daily. After the fifth time in seven days, and the final one was in the dark by a man who stopped his motorcycle by my bike on an empty road, I started feeling a bit… vulnerable. That is the most uncomfortable feeling, and not a feeling I’m used to while travelling. Coming back to my guest house I booked a flight home.

It wasn’t only the offering of sex that lead up to this decision, but it was the nail in the Seychellian coffin.

 

Interacting with locals in the Seychelles

No, it won’t happen. They have abolutely no intrest in you beyond a Hi or Bonjour, and your money. On the west side of Mahé they will greet you. Initially, or as a response to your greeting. On the east side, the people in the mini markets hardly even look at you, while giving you the goods, and… getting their money.

I have a very good understanding with locals disinterest in you as a tourist/visitor. But as a solo traveller it’s very draining if this attitude is general. And in the Seychelles it is. I was SOOOO very happy when I had an eight sentence long conversation with the male in a seychellian couple in a café. At this point I was severly starving some kind of social interaction with other human beings.  The ones beyong being offered sex, or someone asking if I could leave my bike for them when I was leaving.

The other travellers are in the constellation family or couple, so the’re of course busy being exclusive. I talked to another solotravelling woman in immigration while waiting in line. We were the two last ones to be let into the country from our flight. I also saw three younger womwn travelling togehter on the airport as I was leaving.

I’m sad to say, but I became too lonely to complete my month in the Seychelles.

 

Tourist attractions at Mahé

Apart from the beauty of beaches, roads and jungle they think visiting the teaplantaion Tea Factory along the moutain road Sans Souci. I passed it on my way back downhill from the amazing hike at Mourne Blanc Nature Trail, but looking out over the mono culture of ONE specific tea plant is as exciting as watching the former test screen on our swedish public tv.

They also recommend visiting Tamaka Rum Destillery at Tamaka on Mahés east side… This is NOT a rum producing plant. They bottle rum from plastic containers imported from Mauritius.

 

 

En skylt som upplyser om vattensköldpaddors vistelesplats på Anse Intendance på Mahés syd västra sida på Seychellerna
Vacker strand som heter Anse Intendance på Mahé, Seychellerna

 

Victoria the Capital of the Seychelles

I had read plenty about the very intresting visit to Victoria, and their miniature replica of the Big Ben. No… don’t be fooled. If you need a break from everything else, cause… in a while you’ll feel like some action is needed, then you can head to Victoria, but with very low expectations. or you’ll become very dissapointed. It’s however easier to get a real meal in town. Nothing fancy, but some real food that isn’t fries and a burger. They also have a market in the middle of town.

This little puddle of a capital bores me… Sorry.

 

Victoria Market, en öppen marknadsplats i Seychellernas huvudstad Victoria
Ett stånd med kryddor och cocosolja på Victoria Market, en öppen marknadsplats i Seychellernas huvudstad Victoria
Ett bord fyllt med mangos på Victoria Market, en öppen marknadsplats i Seychellernas huvudstad Victoria

 

Turtles & Tourism

In the Seychelles there are landturtles as well as the ones living in water. If you meet one, be distant and respectful. Especially if you encounter them while the’re hatching, so you donät disturb their way into the water. It’s beautifully described on signs at Ance Intendance at the south east side of Mahé.

 

Land Turtles in captivity at Mahé

Unfortunately, It’s not better than this. I found this terrible situation while cycling down to Anse Tamaka at Mahés south west side. It completely breaks my heart. There must be some kind of more empathetic and acceptable way of keeping these animals from being hit, and causing accidents on the roads.

First of all, I leave the place immediately cause I don’t under any circumstances want the people running this place confirming their shitty way of treating animals. When is the inhumane animal tourism going to be… abolished, or at least not feed by stupid tourists?

Concidering that a third of all bloggers who write -not necessairily in accordance with a wider perspective of reality- about travelling in the Seychelles bring up the turtles as a seychellian experience. A bit more respect for the animals would be appropriate.

 

Landsköldpaddor i en torftig inhägnad vid Anse Tamaka på Mahé, Seychellerna
En turist står och tittar på landsköldpaddor i en torftig inhägnad vid Anse Tamaka på Mahé, Seychellerna

 

Art at Mahé

Yes, it so happens to be two galleries, and they’re not that far apart on Mahés west side, close to Baie Lazare. Gallery D’Art and Michael Adams. I only visited the Michael Adams Gallery as the Gallery D’art was closed when I passed by.

 

Michael Adams gallery på Mahé, Seychellerna
Michael Adams gallery på Mahé, Seychellerna
Michael Adams gallery på Mahé, Seychellerna
Gallerie D'Arte på Mahé, Seychellerna

 

 

Street Art a la Seychelles

A little glimpse of it as I walked down the hill on the road of Sans Soucis from Port Glaud. By now, I settle for little. Or it might actually be a case of the large of the small. I really had to work hard at focusing on the things I liked during my first five days of the trip. That on a whole was quite a dissapointment.

 

Street art utmed Sans Souci-vägen på Mahé, Seychellerna
Street art utmed Sans Souci-vägen på Mahé, Seychellerna

 

Slim, and rather expensive menue of activities at Mahé

Unfortunately there isn’t that much to do on Mahé but to hang out on beautiful beaches. Of some you can’t even swim at due to the risk of drowning. You can do some hinking, and of course in my case bicycle around. But the variation soon become a bit too drab.

Links for activities. Most of them is about… escaping to… other islands.
Things to do in Mahé Island -Tripadvisor
Cultural tours in Mahé Island -Tripadvisor
Saker att göra -Mahé -Get your guide

 

 

 

Does integrity matter when you write about a travel destination?

I guess that depends on who you ask. The idea with this travel and activity blog was to make space for my intrest in writing and newly awakened intrest in making images 15 years after leaving my professional carrier as a photographer. The Seychelles gives me plenty of room for both of these interests.

However, I realise it will be pretty much impossible to generate any financial gain from my travel experiences since I will apply BOTH plus and minus in decribing my experiences while travelling.

Since I’m not flying left and right, the times I do fly, it’ll have to be a longer vacation, or workation. The Seychelles is one of these longer travels. And cost me alot more money than other trips I’ve made and hopefulle will make in the future.This being the case, it’s rather sad that I had to spend another 650 euro to terminate my trip after a week, cause I found the destination dissapointing and on some accounts terrible.

After five days in the Seychelles I start to question if I really had ended up in the nation that I had read so very much about? And now that I’m unexpectedly is back in the grey and rainy Swedish November weather and prefer that to turqoise and crystal clear weather in the Seychelles I can’t help but wonder what the other bloggers smoked? Without being a smoker or encouraging anyone to, I would have loved smiking what they smoked.

 

The local Culture at the Seychelles

I’ve read SO very much in preparation for this journey. And to find anything negative about the Seychelles, you have to be very specific in your search process. ONE single description of the Seychelles as a dissapointing destination is all I found. How is this even possible?

In the Seychelles the’re supposed to be catholics, or beleive in ghosts. That the legens Jesus still has some influence is clear since there are some churches on Mahé, and some crosses on rocks out in the ocean. I also met som qute ladies dressed up for church on a sunday. I also met a handful of women dressed in the chastity outfit niqab, a few indians with the red dot in their forheads while selling strong liquor over the counter in some road side mini markets. Signs of people beleiving in ghosts, I saw no signs of. On the other hand, that in itself might be very specific for ghosts. To me all gods are some kind of ghosts in the sentence they’re not asked to prove themselves in any scientific way. But that they have crowds of other believers… I would have found the signs of ghostbeleivers though. I’d like to think of the ghost religion being a bit more friendly than the others. But what do I know?

 

Friendliness in the Seychelles?

As a solotraveller I practice an attitude that balances inbetween being open to, and still protective of myself since I have no one but… myself. So far, it has worked fairly well being a solo traveller on many many trips since the age of 17.

In the Seychelles I’ve only managed getting myself into TWO normal conversations, and they were with my hosts at the guest houses I stayed in. Or… two of the three hosts I stayed with, that is.The a few sentences with a man I sat next to in a cafe. One with the military that gave me a ride to a hike trail on Mourne Blanc. The military that also offered me sex while I was in his car… I DO not give a s-t, I shouldn’t have to expect this as a solo travelling woman. There are PLENTY of helpful people in the world that would never dream of doing this to me, or other women.

Apart from this, the west side of Mahé has a friendlier attitude than the east side of Mahé. This doesn’t mean they interact with you. It means the’re saying hello and are a tad bit gentle with me on the road since I ride my bicycle.
The attitude towards me on the east side is very similar to the one you encounter on destinations ruined by massive tourism. I don’t remember where I exoerienced this the last time, but I have for sure. I also have quite some understanding for people not liking tourists, or some of our behaviours. Like with most other things, two for the tango. Or suffering the consequences of other peoples… tango.

 

Mutual Respect

And public drinking

Quite common along the roads, and by the mini markets, especially on Mahés friendlier side -west side- are clusters of men. Not rarely drinking men. The’re harmless, but or and… no women in sight.

They always, yes always, turn an look at my bicycle. Some even utters “nice bike”, which is kind of sweet.

Keeping ones posessions 

I had read about no need to look the bike in the Seychelles, to a man following me into a store telling me to go out and look my bicycle. Which one of these is “the truth” I don’t know. But the last thing I want to do is to insult someone by expecting someone to steal. I never lost anything while I still left my bicycle including most of my luggage but the passport and my money outside of the mini markets while stocking up on my survival kit, coke -cola-.

People asked a couple of times if I would consider donate, or sell my bicycle as I was leaving. Fair question, but No, I wouldn’t.

Swimming or walking on the beach, I always left my stuff by my blanket. It’s nothing I recommend, but it worked out for me.

Hiking

I did under no circumstances feel uncomfortable doing my one and only hike in the jungle. I only met other groups or families.

 

Sexual invites in the Seychelles

Were disturbingly frequent. Oh yes, I DO understand that people have different habits in different cultures. But I find it SO very un-empathetic to ask a solo female traveller for sex. It’s a prestige thing to me, not showing fear, regardless of if I travel solo or with company. Fear attracts wierd people. But the last time it happened, it was a man stopping me on one of the main roads in the dark saying he had noticed me earlier since I was bicycling, and asking where was my man?

However, this was the last drop that made me decide I was going to terminate this vacation. How can a man be so heartless stopping a woman by herself in the dark? Oh, you find me naive? I don’t care.

 

Music at Mahé

I loved how the music along the roads on Mahés west side came out of houses by the road, or houses hidden in the jungle. It was a mixture of the x-mas song Silent Night, to reaggae, Rhianna, Gangsta’ rap or Bruno Mars. It’s not really domestic culture per se, but it’s at least some cultural expression. Nothing like this on Mahés east side.

 

 

 

Code of conduct on the roads at the Seychelles

Pretty good manners according to me. The roads marked in blue are the ones I’ve been bicycling -and walked- and therefore have an idea about. Domestic as well as tourist drivers impress me <3 with their driving. These roads are NARROW, and have no wall branch. The rain water drainage is directly by the side of the road, and very often in a 90° angle. Very few road barriers, even though more and more seem to be built. Good idea 🙂

I had prepared by getting myself an international drivers license, and of course brought my swedish one as well, since that is a must if you like to rent a car in the Seychelles. And it seems a LOT less expensive renting a car than going by taxi. I’d say it seems like the rent of a car per day is about the cost of 30 minuter by taxi.

International drivers license for english travellers
International drivers license for french travellers
International drivers license for italian travellers
International drivers license for spanish travellers
International drivers license for australian travellers
International drivers license for canadian travellers
International drivers license for american travellers

With his written, I would never have dared driving here. Bicycling I have no problem with. I just listen to cars behind me and carefully stay out of the way. I always stay ca 30 cm avay from the 90° angle of whatever is “angling”, water drainage, the jungle or the ocean. I’d say 99,8% of the drivers of other vehicles are nice and careful with me as a bicyclist or pedestrian. Especially on Mahés west side.

The east side isn’t as caring, but it’s still by far better behaviour than for example my home town Stockholm in Sweden. Even though I did bicyle on the side of the highway to and from Victoria, I’d advice you not to. The pace is fast, it’s almost as if the drivers kind of take the opportunity to speed since that’s not really possible on any other roads.

Taxi

When you read other bloggers claiming going by taxi is very resonably priced, do NOT beleive in that.

Bicycles

Far and few inbetween. Mostly young men if any. I didn’t see one single woman or girl riding a bicycle.

 

Karta över Mahé med markerade vägar.
Min fällbara orange cykel med backning.

 

Beautiful Roads on the Seychelles

The first five days I was more impressed by the amazingly beautiful roads surrounded by the saturated greenery of the jungle than the beaches. Meandering roads in a varying condition. And the exercise they offered… It was an amazing experience.

Image bombing…

 

En vacker väg omgiven av djungel på Mahé på Seychellerna
En vacker väg omgiven av palmer och djungel på Mahé på Seychellerna
En vacker väg med busshållplats, omgiven av djungel på Mahé på Seychellerna
En vacker väg med en blå buss, omgiven av djungel på Mahé på Seychellerna
En vacker väg med en stenbumling på en annan stenbumling, omgiven av palmer på Mahé på Seychellerna
En vacker väg omgiven av palmer på Mahé på Seychellerna
En vacker väg omgiven av djungel på Mahé på Seychellerna
En vacker väg omgiven av djungel på Mahé på Seychellerna

 

Maps instead of road- or street signs in Mahé

They don’r seem to have a uniformed system for signs in the Seychelles. I write “the Seychelles” even though I only stayed in Mahé. But if they don’t have it there, why would they have it on the smaller islands? Still speculation on my part.

So without a working GPS, you’re sometimes clueless to where you are in the island, in the country 🙂 I got lost so many times looking for my lodging or looking for beaches where you had ti leave the main road. It’s rather confusing. Or is it me lacking sence of locality… I did loose a LOT of weight by missing the road to my lodgings again and again, especially the two ones located uphill… Once I had to knock at a door, with no success since they don’t really appreciate interaction with tourists. I was eternally grateful when I then managed stopping a car that not only tried to help by calling the guest house that didn’t answer when I tried to call.
The driver also gave me and Sally the bike a ride back down and up some hills until we found the place.

Wi-Fi & GPS

Didn’t work that well for me. My provider Telenor charged 15 usd for 25 GB a day. And once I used that I don’t know where those 25 GB went, cause I got NOTHING on my screen. The guest houses provide wi-fi of rather weak quality. One of the things other bloggers had written that actually was in according to my sence of reality. Well done you other bloggers!!

 

En skylt som säger Välkommen till Au Cap på Mahé, Seychellerna
En skylt med ett butiksnamn som också avslöjar själva platsens namn på Mahé, Seychellerna
En skylt med ett hotellnamn som också avslöjar själva platsens namn på Mahé, Seychellerna
En skylt med namnet på en polisstation som också avslöjar själva platsens namn på Mahé, Seychellerna
Ett vägskäl med en gatunamnsskylt på Mahé på Seychellerna
En vägskylt med avstånd till andra platser på Mahé på Seychellerna
En skylt med ett butiksnamn som också avslöjar själva platsens namn på Mahé, Seychellerna

 

Cats & Dogs & Bats at Mahé

The’re not really like in Thailand, if one can say that Thai animals are a certain way that is. I’ve gone from petting cats and dog left and right if they were seeking my attention, to having been attacked by a gang of dogs. Which ended up with me getting five rabies shots.

At Mahé I was chased only once. Didn’t like it at all. Most dogs here keep to themselves, and unfortunately some look like they havn’t been treated the way dogs are to be treated. Meaning with kind care and respect.

There are pretty mixed messages in regards to the occurance of rabies in the Seychelles. Of course I understand that the companies that sell vaccinations claim you should’t pet dogs and other mammals.The veterenarian authorities in the Seychelles claim there is no rabies on the islands, but also point out that the country isn’t on the internatioal list of countries that are rabies free. Meaning… I wasn’t supposed to pet any, regardless of how qute they are.

In many other countries bats are carrier of the rabies virus. It’s very difficult to google yourself to anything about the situation in the Seychelles. I saw plenty of flying bats in full daylight, which is rather exotic to me. Big ones!

You can pet dogs and cats are you’re back home. Even though I cheated a bit on this one.

 

 

The food… in the Seychelles

Leaves sooo very much to wish for. I really don’t know where I’m going to start? Niether do I know where the other bloggers that write about thier travels to the Seychelles have eaten. Yes, the food is a deal breaker when I pick places to travel to. And I had high expectations.

The food here is to say the least inadequate, with very few exceptions. Anyone that claims otherwise have either stayed in one of the gated resorts, been just plain lucky, or the’re kissing up to… who?

I’m just a regular tourist, and I havn’t stayed in a luxury hotel or any other gated hotel, so I had the hardly existing restaurants along the roads to rely on. Meaning very few and also far inbetween. I pretty much never cook when I travel, since eating at local restaurants is a very nice way to experience a countrys culture.

Well… that’s not possible in the Seychelles. First, they hardly have any restaurants. Second, they don’t have much of a food culture. I had two meals with local foods from food trucks, one nice and resembling caribbean food, and another completely inedible stew. The food trucks mostly offer pizza Margarita, burgers and fries, and that I can eat at home.

Against my will I had to “cook”, which was more of preparing some kind of food. The minimarkets are mostly filled witch pot chips, english cookies, and canned ham. Some have plastic trays of imported carrots, a pepper, or a piece of broccoli. Well… I might exaggerate on the variation of food, but not by far.

Every now and then you might pass a stand by the road that sells veggies, or bananas and mango. Or even a fish. I’m actually trying to help you guys that are mad enough to decide to go to the Seychelles of all wonderful places available, by lowering your expectations when it comes to… food especially.

 

Take-outmat bestående av grillad fisk och kyckling i curry på Mahé, Seychellerna
En söt liten kattfröken hälsar på mig.

 

So, how do you nutritionally survive in the Seychelles?

Considering how much other influencers -that’s propably a better definition regarding their impact- had raved about the food here in relation to how it was when… I was visiting, I start to wonder about the life expectency in the country. Since it’s a democracy that include both education and health care and clean drinking water, what does their dietary advice look like?

The life expectancy is quite high even though there are no road barriers, the easy access of alcohol in abundance, and that goes for soda, cookies and potato chips as well. And all this in comparison to the acess to nutritious food…. I start to think about our swedish dietary advice… Our authorities avoiding information about refined sugar and wheat flour…

 

Stock up!

So, if you happen to pass a fruit, or veggie stand that is open by the road. Stop immediately and see if they have anything nutricious that you like, and BUY it!! Cause you can not take for granted that you’ll run into the same kind of supply down the road. It’s not that sexy having travelled to a tropical paradise and be super happy to find three carrots wrapped in plastic, on a styrofoam tray. Or some other veggie for that matter. What do they grow here but tea? I saw a man spraying pesticides or fertilisers on a field with non indentifyed plants.

There are small mini markets along the roads on Mahé, and the’re open quite regular hours. But don’t count on the veggie, or fruit stands along the road to have the same opening hours, cause they don’t.

In the mini markets you can always find water, soda, beet and other spiritus, potato chips, canned ham and the english beans in some kind of tomato sauce, tomato pure, mayo and some kind of seasoning in terms of food. The offerings vary beyond that. Sometimes the regular coke runs out… The source of survival during my seven days. I’ve never been drinking this amount of coke in my life. Niether have I been swetting as much….

I passed by a fairly well stocked up and slightly bigger supermarket called Chop Shop vid Anse Royale. And another one called Enjoy Supermarket vid Quatre Borne located along the main road on the south tip of Mahé island. A third one called Sekaar Port Glaud by the police station and Y-junction in Port Glaud. This is also where the road Sans Souci starts on the islands west side. They have some bread, potatoes, some more veggies and fruits. I wonder what the other influencers mean when they write well sorted food stores?

Cost of food in the Seychelles

The take out food was never mote expensive than 100 sek (ca 8 usd nov-22), so I’d say it’s not that bad. And the other two times I ended up in a real restaurant the food catered to a family with kids, or teenagers with burgers and a grilled fish for the adults. Prejudice in relation to families with kids? Very possible. The fish was 450 SCR, ca 330 sek, and the teenage food a la club sandwish + a coke was ca 200 sek. If the food had had an adequate size portion and decent tasting, I would have been perfectly fine with the prices. But the food in the Seychelles were hardly anything but a severe dissapointment.

My only good meal was from a food truck called The Lunch Box, by the beach in Anse a la Mouche, It consisted of a piece of grilled fish, and a curried chicken stew on rice.

I understand ones preferences in food may vary a great deal. I still can’t help wondering where the delicious meals other bloggers  raved about, were eaten? I’m suspecting the influencer integrity is… a bit so so…

 

Peak Season in the Seychelles?

I tried to ask the very few people I had one or two sentence conversations with, if November was off season. And got the ansver that it was peak season, or that they didn’t have a peak season efter the pandemic, to that it was from now (November), X-mas and in March.

Why I asked was the lack of open restaurants along the roads and the small local communities in Mahé. And of the ones visible only half of them were open. The few food trucks didn’t really imply there was a peak season either.

 

 

Emergency provisions in the Seychelles

Regardless of destination I recommend you bring at least three protein bars from home. I had two of mine left going back to Sweden. Thanks universe, cause I needed them on the flight home.

Since I have ants in my pants, and prefer moving around quite a bit I pretty much sweat all the time in the Seychelles. Drinking only water would have been dangerous. So I kept track of how much and what I drank by saving all the bottles I bought. Didn’t manage the method 100% successfully, but not far off.
My average amount of fluids were 2,6 liter per day. And during my nine days ca 66 centilitres (2 beers) of the total amout of fluids were the local beer SeyBrew. It was pretty good, and I would have loved to have more if the setting was nice, and… I wasn’t on the road as much as I was.

One of these two beers was enjoyed at a supernice, but rather empty beach bar called Summer bar at the Ance Intendance beach, that is located almost all the way at the south tip of Mahé. It’s also the only beach bar I encountered. I guess everything social happens within the gates of exclusive hotels.

This little clip of film isn’t really representative of the general ability to swim on this beach, cause it has a yellow triangle warning us for strong undercurrents. These vary during the different seasons, så be careful!! People HAVE drowned here.

 

Dieting… in the Seychelles

I personally lost so much weight during my seven day long stay, and my main diet was… again, potato chips, nuts, water, coca cola, mangos, and bananas. With the occasional bowl of noodles with some sliced carrots or broccoli. I ate at two restaurants, and three visits to food trucks. Beleive me, I would have been som happy to spend more money on expensive restaurant food, if I had found any restaurants. Mind you, the low quality of food I ate in restaurants, was fairly expensive as well. My food truck meals were not expensive though.

 

En karta som visar på drunkningsrisken vid Anse Intendance på Mahé, Seychellerna
Summer bar på Anse Intendance stranden på Mahé, Seychellerna
Summerbar, en strandbar på Anse Intendance på Mahé, Seychellerna
Den lokala ölen SeyBring på en bardisk fylld med tropisk frukt vid stranden Anse Intendance på Mahé, Seychellerna
Menyn på Summerbar, en strandbar på Anse Intendance på Mahé, Seychellerna

 

Drama Queen & the Seychellian Food Catastrophe

I’m pretty sure so far you’re well aware of my HUGE dissapointment in the food in the Seychelles. Not only am I dissapointed in the lack of food, and food culture, I’m even more dissapointed in the bloggers a.k.a influencers making us think there is good food to be found. Yes, I’d acyally sum it up as I’m pissed.

Some of these influencers might only eat mac & cheese at home and therefore thinks that french fries is exquisite food. The factor subjectivity… a human privilegie.

Here you’ll get a visual taste of what I ate during my nine days in the country. If I didn’t know some of this isn’t really food… or at all nutricious, it could be a new dieting method, cause I lost so much weight. Don’t worry, it’s all back with the help of… swedish food.

 

Grönsaker, vatten, frukt och nötter från ett minimarket på Mahé, Seychellerna.
Ett paket med nudlar
Nudelsoppa uppblandad med haricoverts och morötter
Blandade nötter och vatten på en strandfilt på Seychellerna
Take-outmat bestående av grillad fisk och kyckling i curry på Mahé, Seychellerna
Lunch box, ett take-out matställe i vagn vid Anse a la Mouche på Mahé, Seychellerna
Chips och vatten på en strandfilt på Seychellerna
En klase med jättesmå bananer på Seychellerna
Coca cola och nötmix på Seychellerna
Engelska kokos- och chokladkakor på Seychellerna
En meny från en restaurang som heter Ole, och ligger vid Anse Royale på Mahé, Seychellerna
Skal och kärnor från en frukt frukost på Mahé, Seychellerna
En låda med take-out mat vid Anse Royale, Mahé Seychellerna
En take-outmåltid som bestod av ris och saltad biff i curry vid Anse Royal, Mahé Seychellerna
En clubsandwich med pommes på restaurangen Surfers vid Tamaka på Mahés östra kust på Seychellerna
Bortpillade köttbitar ur en take-outmåltid som bestod av ris och saltad biff i curry vid Anse Royal, Mahé Seychellerna
Menyn på Oles restaurant vid Anse Royal på Mahé, Seychellerna
Pommes, springrolls och curry samosas Oles restaurant vid Anse Royal på Mahé, Seychellerna

 

Oils, Salt & Sugar…

This is why you need plenty of it if yoy’re planning on bicycling and hiking in the Seychelles.

 

En t-shirt som är jättesvettig efter en vandring genom djungeln på Seychellerna.
En svettdroppe under hakan under en vandringstur i djungeln på Seychellerna
Svettig klänning
Svettig klänning
Svettig klänning
Svettig klänning
Mina glansiga och svettinga ben efter en vandring på Mourne Blanc natural trail på Mahé, Seychellerna
Ett svettigt självporträtt efter att ha promenerat uppför en brant backe på Seychellerna
En samling tomma vatten- och colaflaskor som står på en köksbänk i ett guest house på Seychellerna
En samling tomma vatten- och colaflaskor som står på en köksbänk i ett guest house på Seychellerna
Bananer och mango i en skål bredvid en flaska cola, vatten och en burk nötter.
Coca cola och nötmix på Seychellerna
Chips och vatten på en strandfilt på Seychellerna
Blandade nötter och vatten på en strandfilt på Seychellerna
Svettig klänning
Svettig klänning