Seychelles rated highly by travellers – idyllic beach continues to impress visitors

Praslin, one of the 115 islands of the Seychelles archipelago. Seychelles is one of ten favourite island destinations according to Readers of the Condé Nast Traveller magazine. (Gerard Larose, Seychelles Tourism Board) 

(Seychelles News Agency) - Seychelles an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean with tourism being the main pillar of the economy has one again been rated highly by travellers.

Readers of the Condé Nast Traveller magazine have voted for their ten favourite island destinations, with the tropical Seychelles archipelago making it to 6th place on the list.

New York-based mass media company Condé Nast owns impressive portfolio of print and media brands, including GQ, The New Yorker, Vogue, W and Wired and boasts an estimated 164 million consumers across the world.

According to a report in the UK’s Independent newspaper, Seychelles’ Indian Ocean neighbour, the Maldives, was voted into first place as the most coveted destination, while the strikingly beautiful Greek Islands and the Italian island of Sicily came second and third respectively. Mauritius fell into 9th place ahead of the Mediterranean island of Malta in 10th.

According to the Condé Nast Traveller’s Reader’s Choice Awards last year, Seychelles was also placed 6th out of 25 Top Islands in the World, with the editors praising the country’s exotic wildlife and striking scenery.

“Giant tortoises, coconut crabs, and black parrots claim this idyllic archipelago as home, due north of Madagascar. The dramatic rock formations along Anse Source d’Argent on La Digue Island compete with the more than 900-metre-high Morne Seychellois on Mahé and dense tropical forests of Praslin Island,” read the entry.

Anse Source d’Argent the source of Seychellois pride 

While the Seychelles islands have been ranked amongst the favourite destinations in the world, the Indian Ocean archipelago's beaches also continue to win points amongst visitors.

With crystal clear wavelets lapping rhythmically on shimmering white sands, shaded in parts from the sun by dramatic granite boulders and leafy green coconut trees, the beach known as Anse Source d’Argent in the Seychelles probably sounds like a fantastic idea right now to European and North American readers slowly sinking into the icy grip of winter.

The beach is situated on the northern side of Seychelles’ third largest inhabited island of La Digue and has over the years steadily won exuberant praise from visitors and raked in awards from travel publications.

Travel website TripAdvisor, which collects reviews from travellers, recently placed the beach in its Top 12 Beaches With Crystal Clear Water rankings, and the beach also featured in the Traveller’s Choice 2014 Top Beaches awards earlier in April.

National Geographic’s coffee-table book, the 10 Best of Everything, rates Anse Source D’Argent as the most beautiful beach in the world.

The most luxurious hotels

A wide array of hotels on the islands has been recognised for providing over-worked travellers and lovestruck honeymooners with a romantic setting, relaxing atmosphere and excellent service.

Two five-star hotels in Seychelles, Raffles Praslin and the Four Seasons resort on the main island of Mahé made the Condé Nast Traveller’s Hot List in recent years and now the private island resort of Denis Island has made it on to TripAdvisor’s Top Ten Private Islands list alongside other locations such as the Lizard Island Resort in Australia and Vomo Island in the South Pacific nation of Fiji.

Receiving worldwide attention since Prince William and his wife HRH the Duchess of Cambridge, Catherine's, honeymoon in 2011, the private resort located on Seychelles’ North Island was in July revealed as the most expensive hotel in the world at an average cost of $6,695 per night, with another private island, Fregate, in second place at $5,246 per night.