Praslin is the second largest inhabited island, and is
seven miles by roughly two and a half. The striking coral reefs are mere
striplings, perhaps six to eight thousand years old. But they are teeming with
life; a landscape painted in the myriad colours of living coral, jewel like
shells, and an amazing nine hundred species of fish.
It is the home to one of Seychelles' two World Heritage Sites -
the Vallee de Mai - a primeval rainforest containing the famous Coco de
Mer palms, which have the largest, heaviest and most suggestively shaped nuts in
the world and delights ornithologists with
glimpses of some of the world's rarest birds, like the black parrot and fruit
pigeon. Vanilla orchids, a variety of lizards and some of earth's rarest
birds also reside there. Praslin, though small, more than warrants exploration.
Thanks to its geography, it is also the ideal place from which to visit many of
the other islands.
Vallee de Mai National Park is situated on Praslin. This
park is one of the Seychelles biggest attractions with the well known
Coco-de-mer, the world's largest coconut. The park also has a path through the
fantastic rain forest where you can see very rare species of birds.
Anse Lazio in the north has been selected as one of the
world's most beautiful beaches on many occasions, and quite rightly! The waves
are pretty big here between May and September and surfing is excellent at that
time.The area surrounding Anse Lazio is regulated as a
national park and building permission for hotels has therefore been difficult to
obtain, which can only be a good thing! Most of the other islands are only a
short distance from Praslin, so it's an excellent place to use as a base for a
holiday to the Seychelles.
The island's favourite beach,
Anse Lazio, is one of the world's most exquisite, but the entire island is
ringed with beautiful secluded beaches, sporting coral reefs and crystal clear
waters. There are a
few villages sprinkled across the island, housing the permanent population of a
few thousand souls, most of whom work in the hotels and resorts or depend on
fishing for a livelihood.
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