The Seychelles consist of 115 small islands scattered in several groups in the waters of the Indian Ocean east of Africa and north of Madagascar and Mauritius. The last, 116th island, is the artificially built Eden Island situated in close proximity to the largest island of Seychelles, Mahé, with which it is connected by a 300-metre bridge. This strategic location provides easy access to the Seychelles International Airport which is just ten minutes away by car, then to the capital, Victoria, and to other islands such as La Digue, Praslin with the only 18-hole golf course in the Seychelles, Cerf and Ste Anne.
Because the Seychelles lie near the equator (south of it, actually), the climate is tropical, moist, but very stable. Temperatures throughout the year range between 25-32 °C, with a warmer climate prevailing from November to April, when also tropical rains are more frequent, however, rains come mostly at night in the form of short abundant showers. The water temperature hovers around a pleasant 27 °C all year round, in coastal lagoons it is even a few degrees higher. Moreover, thanks to its location, the Seychelles are not within the band of tropical cyclones and are therefore ideal for year-round visits.
The magic of the Seychelles lies in the beautiful unspoilt countryside, which still consists largely of dense tropical forest with endemic species of flora and fauna. In this respect, Aldabra Atoll particularly stands out. It has the world's largest population of giant tortoises numbering 150 to 180 thousand and in 1982 was declared a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. Another unique symbol of the country is its palm trees with huge Coco de Mer coconuts weighing up to 30 kilograms with a shape resembling a woman's lap. The grove of almost four thousand palm trees extending through the Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve on Praslin island was also inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Seychelles government makes great efforts to preserve the local natural resources and therefore up to half of the land area is covered by nature reserves and national parks.
The accessibility of the Seychelles has improved significantly with the introduction of daily flights by Emirates Airlines from Prague with a transfer in Dubai. Another option is a direct flight from Frankfurt, Germany with Condor. The airplanes land at the Seychelles International Airport (SEZ) which is located 8 kilometres southeast of the capital Victoria on Mahé island.
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