Suspended in the Indian Ocean, literally thousands of miles from anywhere, Seychelles are the world´s best kept secret! Cruise from Mahé to La Digue and Praslin on two new liveaboards, the Indian Ocean Explorer and Sea Shell.

Enjoy total privacy on a bareboat charter sailboat with SunSail Charters. Island hop from dreamy La Digue, to Desroches, to Praslin, to Mahé staying on white sandy beaches amongst giant granite boulders.

Suspended in the Indian Ocean, just four degrees south of the Equator, Seychelles are located 700 miles northeast of Madagascar, its nearest neighbor. Seychelles are comprised of 86 islands, about half of them composed of coral, the other half granite, and the latter predominantly mountainous. While over eighty unspoiled and uninhabited islands bask peacefully in the sun, most of the Seychelles population lives on the island of Mahé. The people of the islands are as diverse as the natural wonders, a wonderful mix of British and French seafarers, freed African slaves, plus Arab, Indian and Chinese merchants. Seychelles are akin to a small principality in Europe, modern and efficient. The weather is balmy year around (75ºF-85ºF), with brief showers between December and March. The islands are above the cyclone belt so fierce weather is very rare.

Divers and snorkelers will love the average water temperature (83ºF-86ºF) with 100 feet and more visibility. Breathtakingly beautiful, the islands are a photographer`s dream with the sharp contrasts between the azure seas, emerald tropical vegetation and soft grays of the granite pinnacles and white powder beaches. The endemic bird life is magnificent. There are three main regions of the Seychelles to explore.

A valid passport and roundtrip or onward airline tickets are required for all U.S. citizens to enter the Seychelles. No visas are required.

Plan on ten days or more to island hop between Mahé, Praslin, La Digue, as well as a host of smaller islands including many nature and bird sanctuaries. The beaches are glorious with a variety of small resorts and lodges to suit you! Explore native fishing villages by oxcart and enjoy all the watersports and nature, and relax in the sun. Scuba diving here is best from a liveaboard as most of the sites are out of range of shore-based dive boats. True coral reefs and the impressive granite reefs are renowned in the Inner Islands region as well as Ennerdale and Brissare rocks, the Sisters, Aride, Trompeuse, Frigate, Dennis and others.

These are the closest chain of islands to the main granite Inner Islands, 175 miles from Mahé. There are 25 islands in the group which include true atoll formations at St. Josephs, Desroches and Poivre. Scuba diving here is rich and varied from walls and canyons on the Desroches Drop to the migrating manta rays at Poivre. Discover six shipwrecks in the southerly Alphonse Group. The diving on the Alphonse wall among the Gorgonian fan forest is a must for photographers searching for the long-nosed hawkfish. This is the best diving close to the Inner Islands region.

Aldabra, Astove and Cosmoledo are the most southerly islands of the Seychelles, roughly 900 miles from Mahé. Aldabra has been designated a World Heritage Site and is home to the world`s largest population of giant tortoises as well as a host of rare and endemic animal species. Dozens of green turtles migrate to the beaches to nest. The highlight here is the stunning drift dive through the channels into Aldabra`s vast lagoon to join shoals of snappers, surgeonfish and stingrays as they drift effortlessly into the lagoon at speeds up to six knots. Eighty miles southeast of Aldabra lies the atoll of Cosmoledo whose huge ring of twelve islands offers divers a wonderland of wall diving. The deserted island of Astove holds many treasures below the sea - lost pirate anchors, green turtles, caves and crevasses to explore. This is very remote scuba diving and only for the experienced diver!

The Seychelles Rupee is the local unit of currency. Travelers` checks and major credit cards are honored at all major hotels, larger shops and restaurants. Purchasing foreign currency prior to departure is not necessary. Upon completion of customs and immigration, proceed through exit and you will always find a bank open to change U.S. dollars, as well as 24-hour ATM machines in Mahé and Victoria. A new local law requires Seychelles tourist operators to accept only foreign currency (euros or dollars) for transactions with foreign nationals, and you should be able to get by with a minimum amount of local currency.