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.
I was only here for one night before being moved to a hotel that was less than 100m
from the start line.
It does have a sister property, The Savoy, which is just down the road.
Try to get a room that overlooks the sea if possible,
as to be on an island and face buildings or a car park is not ideal.
This is where I stayed the night before and after the race.
I was one of five journalists that competed in the event.
I finished the half marathon in a time of 2:50:30, flying the Flag for South Africa.
Not my best time by any stretch of the imagination,
but given the rain and the humidity (80-85%) I was happy to have finished.
I was the second oldest competitor in the 21.1km event.
The others journalists were;
In the full marathon
Stefan Schlett, from Germany, finished the marathon in 5:59:30
Oliver Vitrac, from France completed the same distance in 7:03:35.
In the half marathon,
Anne Engelbert-Jung from France crossed the line in 2:16:42
The best performance by a journalist HAS to go to Remy Jegard of France.
He was 3rd in a time of 1:36:03
“A magical place to revive your senses”.
So says their advertising,
and it CERTAINLY is.
My sojourn here was the highlight of the time I spent in Seychelles.
But be ‘warned’, two nights is not nearly enough to fully appreciate
all the amenities or the food variations that they offer.
A longer stay is DEFINITELY required!
As a visitor to Vallee–de-Mai, you can wander around by yourself.
But I would highly recommend using a guide like Josepha.
Without her I would not have seen any of the bird life or the reptiles,
that remain hidden to the untrained eye.
The Geko in the collage is the Giant Bronze and it is used by
the Coco de Mer trees as to inseminate the female of the species.
The day that I spent with this company was truly awesome.
The excursion was well organized and the staff both on and off the boat were fantastic.
I have to comment about the bus driver,
who found my mobile phone that I left on his vehicle.
He kept it safe for me, and knowing that it was in trustworthy hands
allowed me to enjoy my experience to the maximum.
The reception area of the Paradise Sun.
For those living in South Africa,
they might recognize that this hotel is part of the Tsogo Sun group.
Another cheery, open and welcoming reception area.
A stunning beach destination.
The lapping warm waters of the Indian Ocean are ideal therapy to sooth
the work weary and stressed traveller.
These are links to all my published postings from my recent Seychelles trip…
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.
My awesome driver/ guide during my time on Praslin.
If you are going to be visiting this island, I highly recommend Michael.
A most interesting travelling companion, with tales to tell
and information to share.
He was on time and even though I overslept…
he got me to the airport timeously!
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/
You can use a ferry to get from Mahe to Praslin,
but it is far quicker and more convenient to utilized this air service.
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:
“Travel & Things” relies on Pentax and SanDisk,
supplied by
When last did you actually print a photograph?
“Travel & Things” images are printed
at their store in Cresta.
Great service, friendly staff
and more importantly awesome prints.
To find their current specials
or to locate a store nearest to you:
Europcar, the official car rental supplier
to “Travel & Things”
This is how I get about when I am in Johannesburg.
Travel & Things is sponsored by:
Extreme Bike Stealth.
The new way to travel in the city.
http://www.extremebike.co.za
Cool Ideals is my service provider of choice.
They enable me to ensure that my articles
and images are sent fast and effortlessly.
Not to mention all the other benefits that FTTH offers…
Like stability and affordability!
www.cisp.co.za
GammaTek is my powerbank supplier of choice.
One of my problems is often lack of battery power
if I have been using the camera on my phone.
I have tried many “powerbanks”,
but the majority drain before they can fully recharge my device.
This is where this Powerbank has the edge…
it can recharge my phone up to 7 times,
before it needs to be recharged.
To find out more:
Follow me on Twitter: @davidbatzofin
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