PRASLIN ‘CULINARY AND ARTS FIESTA’ BRINGS SPOTLIGHT BACK ON SEYCHELLES SECOND LARGEST ISLAND
(Posted 21st September 2015)
When talking about the Seychelles, inspite of the archipelago comprising 115 islands, many people think of Mahe, the capital Victoria, Beau Vallon Bay and other famous hotspots, and of course all the festivals the main island hosts, from the annual Carnival International de Victoria to the now 30 year old Festival Kreol which is due at the end of October and will bear witness to the birth of the Creole Nation this year.
True, most of the large resorts are based on Mahe, also home to the international airport and all the key government offices, the Seychelles Tourism Academy at La Misere and soon the country’s first shopping mall, due to open on the 02nd of October.
Yet, one would do the second largest island of the archipelago no justice if not equally highlighting Praslin’s charm, laid back atmosphere – Mahe for many of the islanders stands for fast paces business if at all one can speak of fast pace in the Seychelles – and the fact that it is home to an 18 hole championship golf course at the Constance Lemuria Resort. Additionally is Praslin the home to the Seychelles’ number one tourist attractions, the UNESCO World Heritage Site Vallee de Mai where the fabled Coco de Mer is found.
Many, even regular visitors to the Seychelles, tend to think that for tourists to visit and stay on Praslin, other than taking the day trip to see the Vallee de Mai National Park, one has to be a specialist of sorts, as after all it is Mahe where the action is. That however overlooks the fact that Praslin is home to some of the Seychelles’ finest hotels and resorts, many of them in fact owned by locals and the Seychelles Tourism Board last year paid tribute to the island when throwing their weight behind the first ever Praslin ‘Culinary and Arts Festival’. The second edition of Praslin’s own festival will take place this year from the 09th to the 11th of October.
Seychelles’ iconic Minister of Tourism and Culture, Alain St. Ange, recently paid tribute to the spirit of the Praslinoise for having launched their own unique festival, which highlights Creole cuisine and art in equal terms, when he went on record saying: ‘Praslin, as a tourism destination, needed to be more visible and in so doing remain relevant. Praslin needed to be seen as the centre of good food. We’ve been able to do this in this first edition and we will maintain this concept in the second edition. Every Creole dish is unique. Seychelles has a blend of people that gives added value to Creole food. This year’s Praslin Culinary & Arts Fiesta will maintain its philosophy of positioning Praslin as the centre of good food’.
Minister St. Ange also confirmed that the festival organizers are working hand in hand with the Seychelles’ National Heritage Research Centre to ensure authenticity before adding: ‘There’s so much that needed to be done and my appeal to hoteliers on Praslin is to relook at their sweet menus and see how to integrate coconuts in their local dishes. The more Seychelles uses coconuts will help increase the yield of our country. We’ve put a cultural event on Praslin. We’ve shaken the big tree and as the fruits fall, the people of the Island who are in the forefront, are invited collect the fruits’.
Tourists who want to come and attend the festival can either cross from Mahe by the Cat Cocos high speed ferry or use one of almost two dozen daily scheduled flights from the international airport by Air Seychelles to Praslin’s aerodrome, and then have the choice where to stay.
International hotel groups like Constance and Raffles operate posh resorts but locally owned hotels like the Le Duc de Praslin or the Black Parrot Suites are equally appealing and more personal in how they look after their guests.
Praslin, just like its smaller neighbour La Digue and its larger neighbour Mahe, now also sports a growing number of B&B’s, holiday lets and self-catering establishments, which are smaller than the regular resorts. Yet, many of them are found beach side and all of them provide a uniquely Seychellois version of down to earth hospitality.
Be it the Ocean Villa with just six bedrooms or the Ville de Mer with 12 bedrooms, both right on the beach, there is a range of options available in terms of tariffs as well as location and specs. Details on such hospitality businesses are highlighted on the Seychelles Tourism Board website by following the link of Seychelles Secrets or budget accommodation.
Much more affordable than the posh 5 Star luxury resorts do they nevertheless provide travelers on a tighter budget with quality accommodation and Minister St. Ange and his team’s regular visits to these places assure of persistent standards and quality. Many of these small but charming local places, depending on the time of year, offer specials for visitors like paying for three nights and staying four or as seen at the Ville de Mer during my last visit, paying for six nights and staying for eight nights.
Flying to the Seychelles today is easier than ever before and from Africa does Kenya Airways’ connect Mahe four times a week across the airline’s extensive network. Emirates flies twice a day from Dubai, Condor once a week from Frankfurt and the Air Seychelles / Etihad alliance also connects the Seychelles double daily via Abu Dhabi as well as to Hong Kong, Mumbai, Paris, Johannesburg, Dar es Salaam, Antananarivo and Mauritius. Mihin Lanka operates twice a week flights from Colombo and Air Austral does so from Reunion.
For lovers of good spicy Creole food creations, and those keen to see the crafts and arts of some of the finest artists from the Seychelles, all eyes will be on Praslin for the 2015 edition of the ‘Culinary and Arts Fiesta’.
And for festival addicts, they can combine the annual Seychelles – India Day celebrations on the first weekend of October on Mahe before then making their way to Praslin a few days later. Seychelles, truly Another World.
