The Indian Subcontinent - Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World - page 320

433 laid-BacK
la diGue,
seychelles

Hotels in the Seychelles
are mainly luxurious
(see p.319), but for a
more down-to-earth
experience head for the
island of La Digue, a
short ferry ride from
Praslin. Here you'll find
simple, locally owned
guesthouses costing
around R1220 (US$70)
a night for two people,
such as Bernique
Guesthouse, a 20min
walk from the village of
La Passe. Surrounded
by breadfruit trees, breakfast here is fresh fruit
and local vanilla tea - after which you can spend
a day exploring the island by bike.
Island life on La Digue retains a sense of how
it's been for generations. The fishermen's fresh
catch is still sold on the quayside, roadside
musicians strum Creole rhythms and you'll
see plenty of late-night rum-fuelled dominoes
matches. Needless to say the pace of life is slow.
The island is just 5km long and 3km wide, so it's
easy to walk around, though most of the locals
ride bikes or use ox-carts to transport goods as
the roads are mostly car-free (there is only one
paved road). Some of the guesthouses offer an
ox-cart taxi service from the jetty (or even ox-
cart tours around the island) and rent bikes.
Although the island is largely flat, you can
do a fairly steep walk up to the summit of Nid
Aigle ('Eagle's Nest Mountain'), 333m above
sea level, where there are stunning views of the
plateau and beyond, to the west, the islands of
Praslin, Félicité and Marianne. Elsewhere you
can visit the Veuve Reserve, the only home of the
critically endangered black paradise flycatcher.
The beaches on La Digue - quietest in the
morning, when you're likely to find them largely

empty - are long strips of soft pinky-white sand,
framed by arching coconut palms and enormous,
smooth granite boulders. Source d'Argent claims
to be the most photographed beach in the world
(access is via L'Union Estate, which requires
an entrance fee of US$5), though if you want
somewhere more low-key, head further along the
coastline to Anse Bonnet Carré, which has the
same white sand as its famous neighbour, with
fewer rocks and the same shallow warm waters.
Despite the seductive beauty of the area, La
Digue has managed to resist the development
of international hotels that, elsewhere, have
alienated local people by blocking access to the
coast. Welcoming and friendly, the guesthouses
here are a different breed: inclusive and laid-
back. Truly Seychellois.

Bikes are the premier
mode of transport on La
Digue

Need to know Ferries run from the island of Praslin
to La Digue (20min). For prices and reservations
at Bernique Guesthouse call T [phone]. For
a map of the island and information on restaurants,
accommodation and activities see W www.ladigue.sc.
You can hire bikes from Chez Michelin, just across
the road from the jetty, for around R220 (US$13)
per day ( W www.seychelles.net/chezmich; T +248
234 304).