We said farewell to the Outer Islands – a bit wistfully, honestly as we were making our way to the less remote Inner Islands. I say this as I was so in tune with the peaceful, stunning beauty of the many uninhabited places we had so far visited that I was a just a tiny bit apprehensive of rejoining “civilization.” Thankfully, my bliss was to continue with our first landing in Aride.
First, a little reminder of what the Inner Islands are. These islands are a compact group around the main hubs of Mahé (the largest island of the Seychelles and home to its capital, Victoria) Praslin and La Digue, sitting closer to the shallow Seychelles Bank than the remote outer atolls. There are 43 islands around the main plateau, and they are predominantly composed of ancient granite, rather than the coral composition of the Outer Islands (41 of the 43 islands are granitic). Due to proximity, it is easier to travel between these islands.
Although the Inner Islands represent only a fraction of the Seychelles’ ocean territory, they are home to nearly the entire population of the country and the majority of its hotels. This was a major reason for my discomfiture, but I was soon to discover that the islands were still “wild.” The terrain is rugged, mountainous, and lush, contrasting to the flat coral reefs of the Outer Islands.
Aride left me breathless. The coastline was, as expected, stunning:
Aerial roots
There were no sounds other than the distant waves coming onshore and the rustling of leaves in the breeze. It was also at this point void of other humans so my bliss gleefully took it all in.
I was also to discover than there was plenty of wildlife (yay!) – as you will see in next week’s post.
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