My previous trip to the Seychelles in 1993 started off with
a wild and reckless bus ride from the airport to our hotel.
This behaviour was due in part to the fact that
our plane was delayed by four hours
and only got in at midnight.
Our driver was NOT a happy chap, having sat around for about four hours.
He drove us up and over the mountain road like a demented downhill ski racer!
Luckily, this time around it was a whole different ball game.
Gilly, who was to be my driver/guide for the next four days
was a mine of information on this trip.
There is only one stretch of highway (2.8km long) on the island.
Speed is carefully monitored as fines are issued for exceeding the limit.
The airport is on the Eastern side of the island,
and my hotel (for the first night) was on the Western seaboard.
It took a good 45 minutes to get from one side to the other as the road winds its
way up and down the mountain that runs along the spine of the main island.
The first of three hotels I would be staying at while on the main island.
Berjaya..Beau Vallon Bay Resort & Casino
This water feature outside the reception area was turned off rather suddenly,
just after I took this image.
I have to say that the pool did look inviting,
but after an early start to my day back in Johannesburg,
I decided that bed was the better option
For some reason,
the hotel corridor was similar to those on board a cruise liner.
The hotel does not have an elevator,
so carrying luggage up and down stairs was the only option
My room was adequate and functional.
More than I needed for a one night stay.
The beds were comfortable and good linen is always a plus.
Lickily I travel with my own pillow
as those supplied by the hotel were too soft for me.
The bathroom only had a shower, toilet and basin.
A good design given the tiny dimensions of the room.
In fact the shower cubicle takes up almost half of the floor space.
Usually, I set up my “office” as soon as I arrive at a destination.
Here, I was fighting tiredness as well as humidity,
so work was NOT an option.
Thank goodness for a working and powerful air conditioner.
This is what I found in the morning…
and the water feature was working again.
Like all the hotels that I stayed at, the reception area
was open rather than stuck behind revolving glass doors.
The air flow appears to reduce the humidity that seems to only be felt by visitors.
One of the accommodation wings.
I was hoping for clear bright cobalt blue skies…
but that was not going to happen.
Before breakfast, I walked down to the beach that can be accessed from the hotel.
Like most island beaches, they are for public use and not only for the hotel guests.
It seems that I was too early for either locals or guests.
I did ask for a scrambled egg for breakfast…
and this is what I was served…
A chopped up omelette!
An interesting spin on a classic breakfast dish.
There was an exhibition of Korean fans on in one of the conference rooms.
This had been specifically set up for the award ceremony
for the Eco Friendly Marathon that was I was going to be taking part in.
The hotel has a pen that holds several tortoises that guests are allowed to feed.
According to Google, the collective noun for these reptiles is…
“a creep”…rather apt I feel.
The Bat signal lights the sky,
and that means that my Batmobile is ready
and it is time for me to move onto my next hotel.
It was a pity that I was only here for a short time,
but as a result of the Eco Friendly Marathon, accommodation was at a premium.
To find out more about the hotel, visit:
In order to get around on the main island,
I used Gilly Mein.
I can highly recommend him as both a driver and a guide.
His knowledge and passion for the Seychelles and its history
made for some interesting in-car conversations.
Find out more about what the Seychelles has to offer tourists:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/SeeSeychellesSA/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/SeeSeychellesSA
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/seychellestourismsa/
This carrier will soon be flying directly from Durban to Victoria.
Watch what the CEO, Roy Kinnear had to say:
Listen to the Podcast of my Seychelles Special radio show via this link:
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