Kiwili

Nautical adventures in the Seychelles

At the end of 2019, Kiwili’s crew discovered the Seychelles and fell under the islands’ spell. They then decided to return with friends and family.

Kiwili

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Published 28/10/2022

By Julie Echelle

Issue: SP19

Published: dec. / jan. 2023

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Who: Joseph, Marie-Hélène, Jean-Noël and the skipper “Pada“
Where: Seychelles
Multihull: Moorings 434 PC

Eager to discover more of the archipelago’s hidden treasures, we decided to bring a skipper on board. Pada is retired from the Seychelles Navy.
We were drawn to him because of his charm and kindness, his talents as a fisherman and cook, and his ability to tell stories long into the night under the starry Seychelles sky.
From Eden Marina (located on Mahé, the main island), we headed for Bird Island, 64 miles to the northeast. It is the most remote island in the north-east of the archipelago which includes 115 islands in total. A genuine small paradise nestled in the middle of the Indian Ocean that was worth seeing and discovering under the eye of my drone, a gift from my three boys for my 60th birthday.
The weather was beautiful and the sea calm. We chose to sail at 7 knots for part of the route so we could do some fishing, and Pada caught a 6 kg yellowfin tuna and a barracuda. Between the sashimi, the ginger carpaccio, the tataki on the grill and Pada’s Creole recipe, every night was a feast.
We then went to St. Pierre Island near Praslin, 50 miles away, a beautiful site where we did some scuba diving. Then we headed to La Digue, only 7 miles away. The «port» of La Digue is charming. There was no pontoon where we could dock, so we went back to anchor, held in place by a line secured ashore. This island was our favorite for biking around, and we discovered one of the most beautiful beaches in the world: Anse Source d’Argent, guarded by its granite blocks and coconut trees, in the heart of a natural reserve and a turtle sanctuary.
Then we went back to Mahé, to Port Launay to be exact, which is not a port but a lovely bay with a nice hotel where we had lunch. While swimming near the boat, we were even visited by a turtle that stayed with us for a long time.
We spent a heavenly week there, a source of inspiration and serenity, and we are already thinking about our next Seychelles cruise!