Escaping to the Scented Islands

This was our second time in Seychelles and we were thrilled to be there. The weather was super hot and the rivulets of fine sweat continuously trickled down our spines. In fact throughout our three-week adventure there was not one day that we were not soaked from head to toe in a cooling layer of our own secretion. It took us a while to get used to it but eventually we did not even notice it. What made it even more bearable was that everyone was covered in sparkling droplets of cooling sweat and eventually we stopped wiping it off and just accept it for what it was, a natural bodily function.

We arrived on Mahe with a plane full of South African Carnival Revellers. Singing and chanting and getting us all into the spirit of things. Our plane landed on time, just after 8pm but it would be another three hours before we saw our hotel. We were waiting for the arrival of the Reunion Islands television crew, who lived up to their reputation of being discourteous, because for the entire 45-minute taxi ride, they spoke on the top of the lungs, completely disregarding the rest of the passengers.

Tired and hot we were taken to the Avani Hotel, this 4-star beach resort, with a full-service spa, is situated at Barbarons on the West coast of the main island of Mahe. Avani is positioned on a beautiful beach, which is kept pristine by constant sweeping and pruning by the many staff members that can be seen around the resort.

On our first day we woke up to perfect weather, the sun was shining and the ocean was cloaked in its magnificent shimmer. We had the morning free and only needed to meet the rest of the press contingent in the hotel foyer at 11am.

We ate a hearty breakfast followed by a beach stroll. There was a charming wedding photo-shoot taking place on the beach and we cuddled up to each other realising that Seychelles indeed is the perfect setting for a romantic getaway.

While hanging around the beach bar we met Jaime, a travel writer from California, who at 9am was already hugging a cool refreshing Corona and fanning herself with a simple paper fan with the Seychelles Tourism logos. We told her that we admired her style, she smiled and told us that it was one way to get over the jetlag and the heat. We agreed.

Avani Hotel seems like it has recently been renovated. It was clean and starched to perfection. It also had brand new furniture and crisp white cotton sheets.

We are not sure why the management took the decision to give the visiting journalists from around the globe the worst positioned rooms. Ours was facing the roof of the spa and an open sewer drain, so sadly we did not get the full benefit of the sea views and the expansive coconut palm groves that were majestically swaying in the main courtyard of the hotel.

Our new American friend got the same deal, she complained to the management but was told that there were no other rooms available. She was not happy. And we all knew how unhappy she was, especially when she was handed her bill for her Corona, $15 (R240). Jaime had just come back from a press trip in Denmark, which is considered the most expensive place on earth, and she said she did not even pay that much in Denmark.

We made a mental note to avoid all drinks in hotels when we were charged R215 for a 750ml of sparkling mineral water, especially because that same water cost just R35 in the shop, walking distance from our hotel.

I guess what we soon realised was that, travelling anywhere in the world right now, with the state of the South African Rand, is a tricky business. We are so challenged when faced with basic international prices.

Our next stop was the launch of the Vanilla Islands. The Vanilla Islands, consisting of the Indian Ocean destinations of Reunion, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mayotte, Comoros and Seychelles, has launched its online presence through the different social media networks to further the promotion of the islands.

The launch was sponsored by Reunion Island and it was held at the magnificent Cap Lazare, positioned on an unspoilt turquoise beach. This 65 hectare enchanted hideaway and nature reserve known as "Cap Lazare" is idyllically located in the south of Mahe.

It is a private and protected property with its own colony of tortoises and numerous land and marine fauna. Cap Lazare caters to all sorts of private functions such as weddings and parties as well as groups and incentive events. During the nesting season guests can have the chance to observe hawksbill turtles as they lay their eggs. We were not that lucky but then we were there to launch the Vanilla Islands.

We arrived in many busses and were greeted by Sega dancers and a full on Creole band. We were serenaded while we sipped on potent Rum cocktails, garnished with star fruit and little pink umbrellas and nibbled on banana chips.

On his part Alain St. Ange, the President of the Vanilla Islands and Minister for Tourism & Culture of the Seychelles said, as he welcomed this positive news, that the work of the Vanilla islands is today vindicated. "We have been working to get more inter island movement. Air Austral has heard the appeal and their action will enable more visitors to our region to discover more of our islands once they have landed in La Reunion. The next part of our work is to have more inter island flights between all our island," said Alain St. Ange.

It was the first time for us to meet the rest of the press. We met some cool characters from every corner of the globe and while the rum warmed our souls, the authentic melodic Island tunes embraced our festive spirits. The speeches of the Reunion Tourism were followed by a scrumptious Creole lunch, the best we had in Seychelles.

After lunch and a parting cocktail we were packed into waiting busses and whisked to our hotel to freshen up for the launch of the Carnaval International de Victoria but more about that in our next issue.

Avani Hotel advertised rates range from R2 957 to R4 781 per person per night.