Located in the expansive Indian Ocean, away from the African Continental land mass and safely away from India, in what must have been a conspiracy by mother nature to isolate it, Seychelles, the archipelago of 115 islands never ceases in its allure to tourists and other visitors.
The allure comes out in many forms, from the hard granite rocks protruding from above the greenery of remnants of what evidently was a tropical rain forest, which continues to be conserved jealously, the valleys between the rocky cliffs to the expansive sandy beaches around the islands.
The chipping birds that fly lazily over the sky line, on trees and over the ocean, often sojourning on the roofs of the buildings and the warmth and hospitality of the people add to the picture of an environment that will for along time remain a preferred destination for tourists, most of them the rich and the powerful.
Seychelles, located approximately 1,600 km east of Kenya, has an approximate population of 86,525, the smallest population of any African state and about the population of an average Kenyan constituency represented in parliament by a legislator.
The population is a melting pot of immigrant people and and cultures drawn from the African, Chinese, Indian, and European, mainly of French descent. This diversity is one of the country's strengths but has at certain time and may be in future its Achilles heels if not managed well to sustain the current harmonious co-existence.
The economy is highly dependent on tourism and fishing, two pillars that are very delicate and whose survival and capacity to thrive are dependent on a host of both internal and external factors, sometimes way beyond the ability of the government in Victoria.
But such are the survival streaks of small nations, which has seen Switzerland thrive over the centuries,often within turmoil in Europe.
Talking to various people, one finds a sense of contentment, security and solace in the two economic pillars even when the political and socio-economic environment has been less than assuring. The people believe things will improve and they will "survive". They feel secure and are quick to point out how other countries are unsafe and insecure.
"You come from Kenya?", a trader asked me the other day in the Beau Vallon area. When I replied in the affirmative, the next line was: "You people have too many thieves and every day criminals kill people, Alshabaab planting bombs.... here you can't get such a thing. We are safe!"
Along the beaches, local inhabitants ask you where you are from and you get a stare, not entirely hostile, but as if to make you feel you are in a secure environment, no muggers or other criminals likely to drive a knife into you ribs in street corners in a bid to relieve you of the contents of your wallet or take away your phne and bag.
And I agree with them. For three straight days, I and a workmate from Senegal have walked the streets and the beaches in the evening and at dusk, and I have not seen any suspicious looking characters lurking in the dark behind us. But the people here also retire home early and economic systems shut down early, around 5.30 pm or six.
Nairobi is a 24 hour economy with many discreet businesses going on throughout the night, and with a population of more than 3 million people, they cannot afford to sleep early or sleep at all.
The other day I was resting in my hotel room in the evening and when I woke up to go to the restaurant for dinner, the hotel staff announced, stiffly, that they had closed. Could I try elsewhere. A walk down the road towards the beach and up towards the hill after the hotel did not yield any different results. I had to be contented with making some coffee in my room. Fortunately, I had had some reasonably grab at the conference lunch.
Perhaps this "dry evening is a gap, an opportunity" that I am sure our enterprising Kenyan people could utilize to contribute to the tourists in the evening. May be a nyama choma (beaf roasting) joint, beer den -even up to 11 pm would be great.
But the story of tourism here is a big issue. The other day I saw the Emirates Airline off load hundreds of passengers at the local airport. And shortly after Kenya Airways, bringing in people to enjoy their holiday in the Island.
A couple in Kenya asked me to make inquiries about which hotels offered what packages, apparently they have an appetite for coming on holiday with their children. I am actually gathering brochures and cost fliers to take to my friend and others.
The guests are many and the other day I saw Emirates Airline and Kenya Airways bring in some of the guests who drive the tourist economy.
 |
| The expansive sandy beaches in Seychelles |
The chipping birds that fly lazily over the sky line, on trees and over the ocean, often sojourning on the roofs of the buildings and the warmth and hospitality of the people add to the picture of an environment that will for along time remain a preferred destination for tourists, most of them the rich and the powerful.
Seychelles, located approximately 1,600 km east of Kenya, has an approximate population of 86,525, the smallest population of any African state and about the population of an average Kenyan constituency represented in parliament by a legislator.
The population is a melting pot of immigrant people and and cultures drawn from the African, Chinese, Indian, and European, mainly of French descent. This diversity is one of the country's strengths but has at certain time and may be in future its Achilles heels if not managed well to sustain the current harmonious co-existence.
 |
| An hotel at one of the beaches |
But such are the survival streaks of small nations, which has seen Switzerland thrive over the centuries,often within turmoil in Europe.
Talking to various people, one finds a sense of contentment, security and solace in the two economic pillars even when the political and socio-economic environment has been less than assuring. The people believe things will improve and they will "survive". They feel secure and are quick to point out how other countries are unsafe and insecure.
"You come from Kenya?", a trader asked me the other day in the Beau Vallon area. When I replied in the affirmative, the next line was: "You people have too many thieves and every day criminals kill people, Alshabaab planting bombs.... here you can't get such a thing. We are safe!"
 |
| Children play on the sand at a beach |
And I agree with them. For three straight days, I and a workmate from Senegal have walked the streets and the beaches in the evening and at dusk, and I have not seen any suspicious looking characters lurking in the dark behind us. But the people here also retire home early and economic systems shut down early, around 5.30 pm or six.
Nairobi is a 24 hour economy with many discreet businesses going on throughout the night, and with a population of more than 3 million people, they cannot afford to sleep early or sleep at all.
The other day I was resting in my hotel room in the evening and when I woke up to go to the restaurant for dinner, the hotel staff announced, stiffly, that they had closed. Could I try elsewhere. A walk down the road towards the beach and up towards the hill after the hotel did not yield any different results. I had to be contented with making some coffee in my room. Fortunately, I had had some reasonably grab at the conference lunch.
 |
| Dusk approaches at Beau Vallon Beach |
But the story of tourism here is a big issue. The other day I saw the Emirates Airline off load hundreds of passengers at the local airport. And shortly after Kenya Airways, bringing in people to enjoy their holiday in the Island.
A couple in Kenya asked me to make inquiries about which hotels offered what packages, apparently they have an appetite for coming on holiday with their children. I am actually gathering brochures and cost fliers to take to my friend and others.
The guests are many and the other day I saw Emirates Airline and Kenya Airways bring in some of the guests who drive the tourist economy.
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