To tell the truth, I was not impressed by Praslin. Over-development has eroded the charm of the beaches, and we smelt raw sewage on Anse Volbert. Valle de Mai has, though, been preserved, and one can see the Coco de Mer in its original habitat
Praslin is the second largest island of the Seychelles, lying 27 miles northeast of Mahé. Praslin has a population of around 7,500. The main settlements are the Baie Ste Anne, Anse Volbert (were we stayed) and Grand Anse.
It was named Isle de Palmes by explorer Lazare Picault in 1744. During that time it was used as a hideaway by pirates and Arab merchants. In 1768 it was renamed Praslin in honour of French diplomat César Gabriel de Choiseul, duc de Praslin.
It has substantial tracts of tropical forests with birds such as the endemic Seychelles bulbul and the Seychelles black parrot. The Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve, established in 1979, is known for the unique coco de mer and vanilla orchids. It has been reported that General Charles George Gordon of Khartoum was convinced that Vallée de Mai was the Biblical "Garden of Eden".
Duc de Praslin Hotel
I booked this hotel on the basis of their marketing. But we had a number of problems. The Guest Relations manager suggested to me that I had booked the wrong hotel, and indeed I had - the reason being that it did not deliver what I had been led to believe that it would from their marketing
They draw up their own rules. Nobody warned us in advance, but the main restaurant was closed for lunch and dinner - too few customers apparently. So we had to eat at the beach Cafe des Artes. Quite bizarrely if you wanted a nice table with a view of the sea, then they charged you 50 euros extra just for the table. Otherwise you had to sit at a table with no sea view in a charmless cafe
Our room was not serviced the first morning we were there, and when we asked at reception, at 14.30 we were told that it was our responsibility to contact the room boy. I would add that the hotel knew we were out, as we had left the key at reception from 10.00 to 14.30. When I noted this on Trip Advisor the hotel replied that we had not removed a Do not Disturb sign - a blatant lie!!
They add 15% VAT and 10% service to many items - there is a small note to this effect at the end of the menu. They told me that guests liked it done in this way. Means that bills are much higher than you expect.
Their night club was throwing out really loud music on two of the three nights we were at the hotel, and it went on until 03.00, making sleep difficult
The swimming pool does not have enough sunloungers, and when they have a group in, as they did on two of the days we were there, we could not sit around the pool. We took ourselves down to the beach, where there are sunbeds. However the manager of the beach facility was off duty the first two days of our stay, and nobody looked after these facilities. Staff were not particularly welcoming
The beach is magnificent to look at, but when you walk along it you can see and smell raw sewerage running down in little rivers. I would certainly not swim in the sea here
Cafe des Artes
This is a beach front restaurant, but if ou want a table with a sea view, then they charge you 50 euros extra. If you do not wish to pay this exorbitant charge, then you sit in the cafe, with a much reduced sea view.
The decor was probably eclectic when it was new, but now, having faded in the sun, the whole place has a slightly seedy air
This is good but not gourmet food. For example my fish trio wa grossly overcooked. But the prices are high, and it does not deliver value for money. The restaurant staff are not very friendly
There are a number of other restaurants within a short walk, and they offer better value for money Once the night club opens up, then conversation in the restaurant is drowned out.
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Village Du Pecheur
We enjoyed dinner here. We had one of the outside tables and it is a really nice setting.
The service was friendly and reasonably efficient. Food is good without being gourmet. But they are not setting out to deliver gourmet food. Overall a very pleasant meal at (for Praslin) a reasonable price.
I would certainly eat here again if I was in the area
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Vallee de Mai
Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the island of Praslin. It consists of a well-preserved palm forest, flagship species made up of the island endemic coco de mer, as well as five other endemic palms.
The coco de mer, a monocot tree in the Arecaceae (palm family), has the largest seeds (double nut seed) of any plant in the world.
Also unique to the park is its wildlife, including birds such as the rare Seychelles black parrot, mammals, crustaceans, snails, and reptiles. There has been a determined effort to eliminate all the introduced exotic species of plants from the area but this has not been successful in eliminating coffee, pineapple, and ornamental palms thus far. This forest, with its peculiar plant and animal species, is a relict from the time when the supercontinent of Gondwana was divided into smaller parts, leaving the Seychelles islands between the present day Madagascar and India.
The Coco de Mer only grows naturally on the islands of Praslin and Curieuse. The oldest specimen of the tree is around 300 years old and 27 m high, with a perfectly straight trunk and large, fan-shaped leaves. The female tree produces a heart-shaped fruit of up to 25 kg, the largest and heaviest seeds in the world. It is so large and heavy that it cannot be carried by animals, while if it falls in water, it is both spoiled, and it sinks. Because of its distinct shape, reminiscent of a woman's pelvic region, the seed once enjoyed a reputation as a coveted treasure in former royal courts.
Even today, the Coco de Mer is precious as a souvenir. Prices generally range between €200 and €600. Many nutrients are transported through the leaves to the foot of the trunk where fallen seeds germinate and grow. This is reminiscent of maternal care, and is thus far unique in the plant world. However, the Coco de Mer palm is now endangered and on the World Conservation Union's (IUCN) Red List, with numbers falling around 30% in the last 50 years alone. Besides parasites, fires, and logging, the profitable trade of the nuts is largely to blame for this. Officially around 1,000 units are sold each year, but ,through poaching and theft, the real number is larger. In the Asian market, for example, demand (and subsequently prices) are particularly high. The fruit's flesh is prepared and then traded there as an aphrodisiac.
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