Sun/sea/sand + a butler = perfect holiday equation on Seychelles’ Fregate Island

Villaon fregate Island featuring its own infinity pool, jacuzzi and sun-terrace looking out over the calm turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. Guests to the island now have 14 young men in their striking orange-coloured uniforms on call. (Fregate Island Private) 

(Seychelles News Agency) - Already well known for its luxurious bungalows set among lush vegetation and overlooking dazzling beaches, the Fregate Island Private has gone one step further -- a butler service.

Guests will not only enjoy an ultimate secluded holiday on an island described as a ‘jewel of conservation’, but they will also now have 14 young men in their striking orange-coloured uniforms on call.

“I am the first and the last person they (guests) see every day,” Garry Marie told SNA when ask to describe his job as a butler on Fregate Island Private.

While butlers used to take care of households in days gone by, the modern day butlers, often referred to as personal assistants, are required to be skilled in different departments.

For the 14 butlers on Fregate Island Private, their duty spans from that of a cleaner to a tour guide. 

With his experience as a flight attendant on Seychelles’ national carrier, Air Seychelles, Marie, 35, says he is pleased to have made a difference in the holiday of many visitors to the Fregate Island Private.

“I try to meet their every whim and often this is hard, but you learn never to say no,” Marie said.

He added that the toughest aspect of the job is second-guessing the client’s needs and finding ways to make them happy.

Marie says his day is like a roller-coaster ride.

“The island offers an array of activities, and if you have guests who love to have fun, you can do all sorts of things from hiking, diving, snorkelling, fishing and even island hopping to neighbouring islands.”

Marie finds the work engaging.

“During their stay, you get real close to them, and you also get to enjoy what they enjoy, so the endless shift becomes less tedious.”

Marie describes his job as the first and the last person guests see every day. (Fregate Island Private) Photo License: All Rights Reserved

Fregate, one of the inner granitic islands of Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, organises other events for its guests such as weddings, picnics, candlelight dinners and sunset cocktails.

Like the other butlers on the island, Marie is also involved in those activities.

Fregate Island Private is not only about having fun, it also invests in conservation. Visitors to the islands can see some of Seychelles’ rarest birds and walk among the giant land tortoises.

The island of 2.07 square kilometres has seen the introduction of various endemic species such as the Seychelles Magpie Robin. It is also home to terrapins, giant millipedes and other species that all butlers have to know very well. 

With lush tropical vegetation lining massive granite boulders and pristine beaches, privately-owned Fregate ticks all the right boxes for anyone wishing to feel truly one with nature. (Fregate Island Private) Photo License: All Rights Reserved

Fregate Island Private has in the past been the honeymoon destination of the various world known personalities including Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston.