Bird Island, Seychelles

Author's product rating:   

Value for Money	Good
Shopping	Terrible
Nightlife	Poor
Ease of getting around	Average
Family Friendly	Average

Advantages:	It really is a get away from it all place .
Disadvantages:	Not for bird haters or claustraphobics or clubbers .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

One of the most memorable questions I have been asked was put to me several years ago by the boyfriend of the day. 'Where in the world would you go for your honeymoon if you could go absolutely anywhere?' Without hesitation 'The Seychelles' tripped off my tongue. There was no premeditation involved, in fact I admit to my shame that I had no idea where in the world the islands of the Seychelles were. All I knew was it was romantic and fitted my fairytale expectations. Afterall, I-live-in-a-fantasty-world dot com.

Just a few weeks after this question was posed, my fairytale boyfriend popped the question in the pouring rain (just like in all the best movies) and announced that he had already booked the honeymoon and did I want to know where to? Of course I did. He told me we would be island hopping in the Seychelles. Years later, I wonder whether he had thought of cancellation insurance should I have refused his offer. Mind you, he obviously knew I needed snapping up fast…

Our trip to the Seychelles involved sampling four of the Seychelle islands. This review will concentrate on the remote Bird Island, the most northerly of the Seychelles archipelago, 60 miles north of Mahe (the largest island in the group). The Seychelles are located 1600km east of Africa and northeast of Madagascar. They are beautiful tropical islands renowned for unspoilt beaches, flora and fauna which have largely been preserved as a result of careful eco-tourism planning.

☼ Getting there ☼
Bird Island is not easily reached. You will need to fly to Mahe (we went with Air Seychelles from Gatwick) and then travel by light aircraft to Bird Island. This is quite an experience in itself. The aircraft is tiny and holds around 8-10 passengers plus luggage (maximum 10kg per person). I remember feeling more than a little apprehensive in such a small aircraft crossing the deep Indian Ocean, no land in sight and a sea full of sharks beneath. Landing the aircraft on a tiny island was also something else. There is no airport, a grass landing strip is all there is space for since this island is only 70 hectares in size; you can walk around the island in 20 minutes.

☼ Where to Stay and What No Tele? ☼
If you want to visit Bird Island you are not spoilt for choice when it comes to accommodation. There is only one hotel, the Bird Island Lodge. Apart from the staff of the hotel and tourists, there are no other (human) inhabitants on the island. The hotel consists of a central building which houses the restaurant and 24 chalets. There are no mod cons; no air conditioning, no TV, no swimming pool, no telephone in the room and (at least when we were there) pretty much no hot water. Each chalet can accommodate up to three adults or two adults and two children. The chalets are reasonably comfy and you do get your own toilet and shower although the water being desalinated still tastes salty. The hotel makes no apologies for the lack of modern conveniences. The intention is that you enjoy your stay in a natural, unspoilt environment. There is neither room nor desire to spoil the island by adding some of the typical expected hotel facilities such a swimming pool. Rightly so, since the island is surrounded by white sandy beaches and beautiful turquoise ocean, merely a short stroll from whichever chalet you are housed in.

The restaurant is buffet style and the food was lovely when we stayed. Seychelles cuisine is Creole style, slightly curried / fruity meats and the freshest of fish. Tropical fruits such as coconuts, bananas, papaya and pineapple were always available at breakfast and most meal times. As there is only one restaurant, the food however soon becomes repetitive and there is nowhere else to go if you fancy a change. There is no option for self catering and there is no shop to buy food from. There is however a small shop selling holiday essentials such as suncream and postcards, t shirts and shampoo.

☼ Activities ☼
The island is teeming with birds. If you hate birds do not contemplate a trip here. It is fabulous for photographing birds close up and serious twitchers will be in bird heaven. You can walk around the island at a stroll in less than half an hour so don't plan on any serious walking. There is no need for any transport at all, other than the plane which arrives daily. Swimming and snorkeling are a must. The sea is safe for swimming protected by the coral reef. Here you must also try snorkeling. The sea life is amazing here and you will not be disappointed. We did however get quite a fright snorkeling here one day. There are many small sharks in the water, only baby ones but whilst out snorkeling my hubby indicated that we needed to get back to shore pronto. He had spotted a six footer of a shark, I didn't stop to look. They don't generally come over the reef. We also saw a manta ray swimming which was beautiful but a little on the scary side too as they can give you a nasty sting. You will see all manner of tropical fish and I really regret not having an underwater camera at the time.

Deep sea diving and fishing are also activities available whilst visiting Bird Island.

☼ Nightlife ☼
Given the fact that the islands of the Seychelles are just 4 degrees south of the equator, daylight hours are roughly 12 hours all year round. After dark, there is little to do on the island so really it is a case of make your own fun. Esmerelda may just provide you with some inspiration. Do take some good books to read.

☼ Wildlife ☼
The island is rich in tropical vegetation which attracts many birds to the island. There are birds on every square inch of some parts of the beaches at certain times of the year. Most commonly found here are the Sooty Terns which number around 750 000 pairs per year (May to October), but there are beautiful and rare birds such as the white fairy tern which nests in the fork of tree branches. There are also two endangered species of turtle nesting on the island, the Hawksbill Turtle and the Green Turtle. Watching the birds was fascinating but after a while you do want to get away from the overcrowded bird parts of the island. It gets a bit freaky seeing them so densely concentrated and after a while of the noise I wanted to get away.

Esmerelda is thought to be the world's largest, oldest (150+ yrs) and most famous giant land tortoise and lives on Bird Island. Esmerelda was brought to the island in 1967 and s/he roams free along with 17 other giant tortoises. You will no doubt be horrified to hear her and her friends mating. The sound is astonishing, a load groaning sound to rival anything you could possibly fake.

☼ The Beaches ☼
The sand on the beaches is second to none. Some of the beaches found in the Seychelles have been voted the best beaches in the world. Bird Island beach has white soft sand, it feels lovely to walk on barefoot. The beaches are however subject to erosion and the low lying nature of the island means that it is particularly vulnerable to sea level rise changes. As a consequence, Bird Island beaches are closely monitored as part of scientific experiments to enable them to be preserved and managed as well as possible.

☼ The weather ☼
Weather on the island is typical of a tropical country near the equator. There are no distinct seasons and the weather is warm all year round at approximately 25 degrees C. Rain usually falls in short, sharp outbursts.

☼ Desert Island, Is it for you? ☼
Whilst we were there, I don't remember seeing a single child on the island but it was during the month of June so it wasn't during typical school holidays. The expense of getting there means that it is not a popular place for families. This is a romantic getaway island and is very popular for honeymooners. If you are planning to travel alone you may find it a bit lonely since there are few people stying on the island at any one time.

Many people dream of a remote tropical island as a perfect place to retreat and enjoy a relaxing holiday. Bird Island is so remote and really fits the get away from it all bill. However, beware. We met a couple on the island who had saved up for years for their dream honeymoon. After three days they hated it and were desperate to get off the island but were unable to do so because all the flights off the island were fully booked. They were hoping for a cancellation. We stayed for three nights and to be honest after two days I had had enough. The food gets a bit repetitive and the birds start to get to you (as does the cold shower). The weather was just about perfect and the scenery stunning. I loved the experience of visiting the island but I would recommend a short stay rather than a long one. There are so many other beautiful and different islands to visit that it is a shame to spend all your time on just one of the smallest. OK I've seen it and loved it and survived a swim with sharks and rays... get me out of here.