Cruise Line |
Crystal Cruises |
Ship |
Crystal Esprit |
Destination |
India & Indian Ocean |
Nights |
7 |
Departure Date |
12 Feb 2023 |
Description |
7 Night Cruise departing from Mahe/Victoria onboard Crystal Esprit
Isles of the Seychelles beckon daily with unspoiled sugar-white beaches, lush emerald mountains, UNESCO-protected wildlife reserves and crystalline waters; Crystal Esprit is ideally suited to explore this pristine archipelago.
Highlights of this Cruise:
MAHÉ/VICTORIA HARBOR
This capital city of the Seychelles lies on Mahé, the largest of the 115 islands. It is not boastful about its importance to the island’s cultural and administrative center, as its mere two dozen avenues are cozy and inviting, backing up against steep mountains and bustling with cafés and colorful architecture. Visit the Botanical Gardens for a glimpse into the lush fauna that cloaks the island, and venture from Victoria in search of the Seychelles natural splendor.
ST. ANNE ISLAND
Palm trees shade idyllic sandy beaches here, as cinnamon grows wild on verdant hillsides and sea turtles nose around their favorite nesting site. Once a commercial whaling outpost and later a World war II gun battery, St. Anne Island is today a place of peace and tranquility with abundant wildlife protected by the St. Anne Marine National Park.
COUSIN ISLAND
Cousin Island is a green ink-dot in the Indian Ocean. Here, birds rule the roost. Declared a special reserve in 1975, the island is the last holdout for the Seychelles warbler, a bird driven nearly to extinction - today they number some 3,000, a tribute to conservation. As you might expect from a haven for winged creatures, Cousin Island also is a paradise for nature-loving humans, with dense woodland, a rocky southern coast and sandy beaches encircling almost the entire isle.
PRASLIN
Praslin, the second largest island of Seychelles and arguably tops in attractions, features stunning beaches, azure seas, tangles of jungle and a trademark relaxed atmosphere. What makes Praslin unique is the Vallée de Mai, a protected forest of rare fauna, and most famously the coco de mer palm, a tree that produces the world’s largest seed and palm flower. The grove is one of Seychelles’ two UNESCO World Heritage Sites and has been aptly called the Garden of Eden.
LARAIE BAY, CURIEUSE ISLAND
Hundreds of giant hump-head parrotfish swim the harbor’s waters while beyond native coco de mer palms and low-slung branches of giant takamaka trees line sandy beaches. Curieuse Island is known for its giant tortoises, native to the Seychelles and once nearly extinct. Today, thanks to conservation efforts, tortoises roam freely in the lush forests.
ARIDE ISLAND
As one of the most important seabird habitats in the Indian Ocean, if not the world, Aride is home to more breeding species than on any other island in Seychelles: 18 native birds, including five found only in the archipelago, reproduce on this tiny, eyelash of an isle. While its bird population is vast, Aride itself is petite, just a mile long and half a mile wide. Its human population is even smaller: only rangers, conservation officers and a few volunteers live here.
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Sailing Dates |
- 28 Feb 2021
- 07 Mar 2021
- 14 Mar 2021
- 21 Mar 2021
- 23 Jan 2022
- 30 Jan 2022
- 06 Feb 2022
- 13 Feb 2022
- 20 Feb 2022
- 27 Feb 2022
- 06 Mar 2022
- 13 Mar 2022
- 22 Jan 2023
- 29 Jan 2023
- 05 Feb 2023
- 12 Feb 2023
- 19 Feb 2023
- 26 Feb 2023
- 05 Mar 2023
- 12 Mar 2023
- 19 Mar 2023
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Itinerary |
Cruise Itinerary
Day | Date | Activity | Arrive | Depart |
1 |
12/02 |
Mahe, Seychelles |
|
05:45 PM |
1 |
12/02 |
St Anne Island, Seychelles |
06:45 PM |
|
2 |
13/02 |
St Anne Island, Seychelles |
|
12:30 PM |
2 |
13/02 |
Cousin Island, Seychelles |
02:00 PM |
06:00 PM |
2 |
13/02 |
Praslin, Seychelles |
07:00 PM |
overnight |
3 |
14/02 |
Praslin, Seychelles |
|
overnight |
4 |
15/02 |
Praslin, Seychelles |
|
06:30 AM |
4 |
15/02 |
La Passe, la Digue, Seychelles |
07:30 AM |
06:00 PM |
4 |
15/02 |
Laraie Bay, Curieuse Island, Seychelles |
07:00 PM |
overnight |
5 |
16/02 |
Laraie Bay, Curieuse Island, Seychelles |
|
overnight |
6 |
17/02 |
Laraie Bay, Curieuse Island, Seychelles |
|
07:00 AM |
6 |
17/02 |
Aride - Seychelles |
08:00 AM |
01:00 PM |
7 |
18/02 |
Mahe, Seychelles |
04:00 PM |
|
8 |
19/02 |
Mahe, Seychelles |
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All itineraries and ports of call at the discretion of the cruise line subject to local weather conditions and may change without notice.
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