Snorkeling, Eden Island & Takamaka Beach

Waking up for the first time on Mahé, we slept wonderfully after the numerous experiences and impressions of the first day of vacation.

And how could you start the day better than with a breakfast with a sea view, the sound of waves in the background and the radiant sun on the horizon. The scrambled eggs made from eggs that we bought on the roadside yesterday (this selling method is common here) taste better than any we have eaten in Germany for a long time - maybe it's because of the happy island life of the chickens, because who doesn't like to brood with a sea view in paradise?

Then we start another snorkeling attempt, this time just a short distance from our accommodation. There is a small island that is about 400m away from the shore, which is supposed to be our snorkeling destination. On the way to the sea, a snorkeler returning to the beach already enthusiastically tells us about the 'beautiful underwater world', sounds promising, so let's go...

There is definitely a lot of seaweed here and we see the occasional fish as well, but we somehow expected something else. It might be that we are a little spoiled by the colorful Hawaiian underwater world or maybe we just didn't find the right spot - whatever the case, we won't give up, there are still plenty of vacation days for more snorkeling spots.

Next stop is Eden Island, a small artificial island right off Victoria, where we take a coffee break. This island has more of an 'international touch', you could think you are somewhere in Dubai or Miami, but it is still worth a visit. To our delight, there is even a large supermarket here, which has a bit more selection than the small convenience stores in Grand Anse. :)

At the port of the small island, there are numerous luxury yachts available for a photo shoot - I have already chosen one in case we ever win the lottery :)

After a stop at the swimming pool, which by the way I have all to myself again, we head back towards home.

But the stop at home is only brief, after all, we want to make the most of the day before the sun sets at 6:00 pm and it becomes difficult to travel on the unlit roads.

This time our destination is the 'Anse Takamaka' in the west of the island for the sunset in just under an hour (the Anse Royal is in the east and therefore unsuitable for the sunset). If someone had asked me beforehand whether 45 minutes are enough to get from the east to the west of the island, I probably would have answered 'never' and you will probably be amazed when I tell you that it only takes 15 minutes for such a distance. And this 15 minutes already includes our snail pace on the Seychellois roads (30km/h). To mom's delight, we go over a curvy pass - up first, then down again - during this, you not only have to pay attention to your own driving skills in left-hand traffic (as if that weren't enough with the absence of a center line and 180 degree curves), but you are often forced to stop by oncoming traffic, which sometimes claims the entire road for itself without batting an eyelid. An experience, and once again I am glad that I am only the passenger and navigator :)

We arrive at Anse Takamaka around 6:00 pm - Takamaka is by the way a Seychellois tree species and at the same time a famous local rum - but strangely enough, the tree and rum have nothing to do with each other. The bay is truly a dream, the travel guide did not promise too much and the few minutes until the sunset at 6:15 pm pass by way too quickly. We are enchanted and enjoy the moment.

If the drive there in daylight was already an event, then the drive back in the twilight is even more so, but we arrive home slowly and safely, cook and let the evening come to an end.