Stunning aqua blue ocean, white sandy beaches, winding roads through the mountain and palm trees all around makes Seychelles a truly exotic destination.

After leaving South Africa, we had a one night stopover in Kenya (August 3rd – August 4th, 2015) where we had booked a 3-star accommodation called the 67 Airport Hotel. Upon arrival at the airport, we waited for our bags for about 15 minutes and realized all the bags had gone and ours hadn’t arrived yet. This is when we learnt that checked-in bags don’t come out when you’re on transit. Noob travelers, I know! But that’s the whole point of traveling – to learn, to experience. Anyways we took a cab to our hotel with no clothing on our back or even a toothbrush. Everything was checked-in! So we basically slept in our clothing overnight and didn’t even get to shower!

The hotel itself was decent for a 3-star that had a very local style look to it. It intrigued me. The rooms were comfortable but there was no air conditioner, which was disappointing. Luckily the weather was nice. Meals were also pretty good and they had a very stylish lounge + bar on the rooftop.

Second regret of our trip: not making Kenya one of our destination for long stay. We found that few of the best safaris and national reserves are in Kenya. That’s when we decided we need to plan a second trip to Africa again in the future where we will visit Madagascar, Namibia, Botswana and possibly even Morocco.

Anyways, moving on. The next morning we made our flight (although delayed by 2 hours) to Seychelles. We were really excited now and the South Africa  was an afterthought. It was a relatively short flight (approximately 3 hours). Our first reaction when landing at Mahe island in Seychelles – what a stunning view! The runway was literally next to the ocean and we had never seen anything like this. The ocean was crystal aqua blue with small islands seen in the distance.

After going through immigration we were greeted by a woman with our name on a piece of paper. She took us to our driver who was very chatty. For about 45 minutes we talked and listened to him about Seychelles, it’s history, places to go and things to do. He was very helpful and entertaining indeed.

We were already loving it here. People were nice, beautiful scenery and wonderful atmosphere. Everything felt fresh and it was really rejuvenating.

By nightfall (thanks to our delayed flight) we had reached our destination – Constance Ephelia, a luxury 5-star resort (August 4th – August 8th, 2015). We couldn’t see much since it was dark. The pathways to the rooms were dimly lit with lantern-like lamps while the lobby and restaurants shined the brightest.

The lady who greeted us was very courteous and friendly. She explained our entire package and what’s available at the resort as she gave us a really sweet welcome drink. After that we were taken to our rooms, which was very spacious with a massive balcony and bathroom.

Since it was our honeymoon and our agent must have mentioned it to them, next to our bed was a bottle of champagne but no matching glasses so we drank out of the normal glasses. The bathtub was also filled with water, bubbles and roses. Pretty smooth Constance Ephelia I’d say!

After soaking in the bathtub and getting boozed up a bit, we were beat and ordered a sandwich from room service. Soon after we were asleep eager to wake up to splendid views that Seychelles has to offer.

Day 1

The clock struck 6 am and I was up. I looked out from our balcony and the ocean was blocked by trees but the sounds of crashing waves made us hopeful. On the opposite end, a layer of cloud that engulfed part of the mountain. It was indeed a surreal sight. We thought we’re still dreaming.

How much better could this be? Mountain scenery on one side and the ocean on the other? We were so glad to be here and away from the chaos of Bangkok where all we could see were highrise buildings and construction from our balcony.

We went for breakfast and quickly went to the check the ocean view. We were dazed for a minute, perhaps even a two. This cannot be real! Our friends and family back home exclaimed the same.

This was a complete and opposite scene from South Africa, a stark contrast. Not better or worse – just different, and we welcomed it with open arms.

After checking out the resort, we knew had all the time to truly soak it in the next few days. We actually wanted to explore the island. Hiring a cab was too expensive and our driver had warned us about it. Public transportation (buses) were available but we didn’t have that much time for that so we opted to rent a car for the day. The rent plus insurance put us back only about USD 180.

Long story short, the drive around the island was an experience on its own. Going up and down winding roads was exhilarating and the views made it extra enjoyable. Here’s a shot we were able to capture at a peak point in Victoria.

Day 2 – 4

The rest of the days at Seychelles were spent either swimming, snorkeling or kayaking in the ocean. We also went around eating the local food and dancing while having drinks at the lounge. In this trip, Kanika and I realized we have a new-found love for Kayaking as we went into the mangroves through the ocean waters where we saw several local species – mostly birds, amphibians and crabs. Our kayak instructor explained to us that much of the animals of Seychelles were wiped out by the Spanish invaders.

On our last day, we were quite sad to leave but at the same time home was calling. Seychelles definitely imprinted its culture, amazing beaches and landscapes into our memories.

GOODBYE SEYCHELLES, TILL OUR NEXT ADVENTURE…

Here are the highlights from Honeymoon trip.