With 115 islands and a total landmass of 455 km² it is no wonder that the Seychelles is known as Earths’ Paradise. These intriguing islands which had no indigenous population prior to the French setting a possession stone in 1756, were named after the then finance minister of Louis XV, Jean Moreau de Séchelles. Pirates used these magnificent islands because of their remoteness and it is said that the infamous pirate La Buis buried a priceless treasure on Mahe Island, which is still to be discovered.
The beauty of these islands, typified by huge big boulders and palm lined white beaches is owed to that fact that 42 of the inner mountainous islands are the only islands in the world formed of granitic rock, whilst the remaining 113 are low coral islands. The fascination doesn’t end there, the islands are home to some of the weirdest and rarest fauna and flora in the world, from the seductive Coco-de-Mer (aka love nuts) which is the heaviest nut in the world (up to 17.6 kg), to the rare jellyfish tree of which there are only 86 specimen’s left in the world to one of the smallest frogs in the world and the largest tortoise, Esmeralda who is actually a boy weighing 304 kg and to the Bare-legged Scops owl, which are all endemic to the islands.
…and if you thought this was not unique enough it is the only place in the world where you can mail a letter from underwater
