My recent trip to the Seychelles was mostly spent on board a small yacht, as seen in this shot from the harbor on La Digue. (That’s Tharius, with the sun shades down and the dinghy about to head to shore.)
At least, it seemed small in comparison to the Sea Pearl, which was anchored outside the harbor.
The Sea Pearl is a historic, traditionally-rigged ship that is used for cruises around Mahe and Praslin. With just 8 cabins, the 114 foot Dutch top-sail schooner would be considerably more spacious than our little boat!
Of course, raising the sails on a ship like that would be a lot more challenging than on our boat.
She sure is beautiful though, especially when viewed from the beach on Cousin Island.
There are lots of ways to explore the world.
You can explore the world virtually at Nancie’s Budget Travelers Sandbox where Nancie and her readers post pictures from around the world to celebrate Photo Thursday. Check it out!
Looks like a very cool trip. How hot was it-especially for sleeping at night?
It was hot – hotter than it usually is – and humid, sleeping at night was a challenge some nights. No air conditioning on the sailboat! The up-side of that is that we had (apparently) some better then usual sunsets.
Beautiful boat
Masted ships are very beautiful! I would love to visit some of the tall ship festivals that take place.
I agree that they are beautiful. I'd also like to see one of those festivals when many of them are brought together.
Years ago we sailed on a converted tall ship in the Caribbean. Part of the time we sailed with two other tall ships (the company was doing some commercial photos of the ships) and it was really amazing. That was with Windjammer Barefoot Cruises – a company that, alas, is no longer in business.
Very beautiful!
Looks incredible! Seychelles has been on my list (and everyone elses too!) for some time. I hope to make it there next year for our honeymoon!
Jade – it is beautiful. Every island seems to have lovely beaches. It would be a lovely place for a honeymoon and there were lots of couples there! If you do a package at a resort somewhere, I'd encourage you to also spend some time at another spot or two. The islands do all have a different feel.
The islands are different from a place like Tahiti – the beaches in the Seychelles are the most amazing soft sand and they don't get hot, but the snorkeling is better in the South Pacific. I wish you all the best and will be watching to see where you go!
Love that you had a sail boat holiday. The Sychelles are such a romantic sounding destination. Maybe one day…
It's very romantic. Sailing would be too – if you had your own boat. Not so much when you are sharing it with a bunch of other people! However, while not a cheap way to see the islands, it's a more affordable way to go – I'd say it's about the same as staying at mid-price lodgings – plus it included all meals. (Granted, we had to cook anything we wanted to eat ourselves and we did eat out a few times, but most of the time we ate on the boat, which was much, much cheaper than eating out!) So if you sail or have friends that do, you might want to look into it. Keep in mind that, despite how it seems from the travel sites, there are budget accommodations on some of the islands. Of course, you have to actually get to the islands. . .
I love that last shot! A yacht or a ship sounds like the perfect way to see the Seychelles no matter what size it is. Your vacation here sounds heavenly!
Sailing is definitely in my bucket list. Unfortunately I think it's expensive. Would love to sail in something like the Sea Pearl!
Hi there,
I just came across this page by chance. I am the Captain of SV Sea Pearl. I am glad you like her:)It is a wonderful boat to sail. The traditional rig is definitely more of a challenge than a modern rig but it is twice the fun!
Just thought I would compliment you on the post:) Thank you.
Greg Evans
Greg – She is a beauty and must be incredible to sail. Maybe I can get a guest post from you someday on what it is like to sail her?