SOME SUGGESTIONS
FOR HIKING IN THE SEYCHELLES:
EINIGE WANDERVORSCHLÄGE FÜR DIE SEYCHELLEN:
Please
note: No responsibility is accepted for any of the information provided
here.
Bitte beachten Sie, dass wir für Informationen
auf dieser Seite keine wie auch immer geartete Verantwortung übernehmen.
Contact the National Parks & Forestry Section, Ministry of Environment
and Natural Resources, Botanical Garden, Mahé for brochures and further
information.
Kontaktieren Sie bitte die National Parks & Forestry
Section des Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources im Botanischen
Garten auf Mahé für Broschüren und weitere Informationen.
As anywhere in nature, use good maps for orientation, wear adequate clothing
and shoes, carry lots (!!!) of water and let someone at your hotel know
about your plans.
Wie immer, wenn man sich in freier Natur bewegt, tragen
Sie bitte entsprechende Kleidung und Schuhwerk, jede Menge Wasser (!!!)
und lassen Sie jemanden von Ihrem Hotel wissen, was Sie vorhaben.
MAHÉ
ANSE MAJOR
Difficulty : Easy
Duration : 1½ hr
Getting there: Take the road which goes from Beau-Vallon, through Bel Ombre
to Danzil, or take the SPTC bus route 21 (Victoria - Bel Ombre), alighting
at the Danzil terminus. Follow the road up the hill for about 200m. Your
car can be left here. Take the right fork in the road, passing through the
small but expanding settlement of Danzil following the yellow route markers.
The trail follows part of the rocky coastline of northwest Mahé and
leads to the small secluded beach of Anse Major. Much of this trail lies
within the boundaries of the Morne Seychellois National Park, with spectacular
rock slopes (called 'glacis' in Seychelles) and native vegetation typical
of the drier areas of Mahé.
COPOLIA:
Difficulty : Moderate
Duration : 2½ hrs
Getting there: Take the Victoria-Sans Souci-Port-Launay bus route 14 at
the Victoria bus terminal and ask the driver to drop you off at “Nature's
Own” garden. You will find a trail sign board at a bend in the road.
With an altitude of 300-580 metres, the Val Riche-Copolia trail is situated
within the Morne Seychellois National Park and a variety of interesting
species can be seen there. The main attraction, however, are the Pitcher
Plants (latin: Nepenthaceae, german: Kannenpflanzen) which grow here, next
to the highest point.
Described as one of the best and easiest accessible areas to see most of
the specialised glacis flora at intermediate altitude in the Seychelles,
the Val Riche-Copolia trail has an exceptionally high biodiversity with
a very rich collection of endemic species. This includes rare endemic elements
like Bwa Mediz (Medusagyne oppositifolia) and Hederorkis seychellensis.
MISSION LODGE:
Difficulty : Easy
Duration: 10 mins.
From Victoria, take the Sans Soucis road which goes to the west coast of
Port Glaud. About 1km after leaving the top of the hill, you will see a
signboard that will indicate you to the Mission Lodge. The SPTC bus number
14 'Victoria Sans Soucis Port Glaud' will take you directly to Mission Lodge.
The site provides a peaceful atmosphere which is also appreciated by certain
birds. Great lookout point towards the southwest of Mahé!
Before the development of Venn’s Town (once a farm and boarding school for
liberated slave children) a mid-altitude humid forest existed, composed
mainly of endemic species such as Capucin (Northea hornei) named in honour
of Marianne North, as well as other trees. These were mixed with endemic
palms such as Latanier Hauban (Roschiera melanochaetes) and Latanier Feuille
(Phoenicophorium borsigianum). Today, numerous endemic species have been
re-introduced to restore the biodiversity of the area and to remind us of
the original flora of Seychelles, which evolved millions of years ago.
DANS GALLAS:
Difficulty : Tough
Duration : 2½ hrs
Getting there: The simplest way is to take the SPTC bus number 32 as far
as the terminus at Le Niol. On the opposite side of the road is an information
point for the National Park, where you can get more detailed information
during working hours. This is also the starting point of the trail.
The main features of this trail are the panoramic views and the scenery
which you discover as you follow the route.
In the valley to the south of the ridge are forestry plantations of santol,
mahogany and pine. Along the ridge, the vegetation is secondary, with common
exotic species dominating, but scattered amongst these are hardy endemic
species such as bois rouge, coco maron, bois calou and vacoa.
GLACIS TROIS FRÈRES
Difficulty : Easy
Duration : 1hr
Follow the Sans Souci road which goes from Victoria to Port Glaud, or take
the SPTC bus number 35 or 14. In both cases, stop at the Sans Soucis Forestry
Station. Take the secondary road which goes uphill, indicated with a wooden
sign 'Trois Frères'. After passing through an old housing estate
you will reach a cul-de-sac which acts as a car park.
With an altitude of 300 metres, the Glacis Trois Frères trail offers
a magnificent view of Victoria.
Follow the sign and discover a wide variety of exotic species as well as
a panoramic view of the Seychelles International Airport. In the deeper
parts of the forest, you will come across a few endemic plants like Latanier
and Vacoas de Montagne (Pandanus). Other such plants that can be seen during
the walk are Bois de Natte (Mimusops chellarum), Café Marron à
grande feuille (Paragenipa wrightii), Bois Calou (Meme-cylon eleagni) and
many more.
A few wooden steps will take you to a small stream and some metres away,
climb down some stone steps leading to a small path on the right. Follow
it and you will be able to discover the famous carnivorous plant, the Pitcher
Plant (potao). Come back after that and within 15 metres away, the road
forks out into two directions. The right path will take you to a kiosk where
you can enjoy and appreciate the beauty of Victoria and a few other islands.
Take the same way back. The left path will take you to the 'Trois Frères’
Cross however it is not advisable to take this route as it is precarious.
MORNE BLANC
Difficulty : Moderate
Follow the Sans Souci road between Victoria and Port Glaud or take the SPTC
bus route 14 (Victoria – Sans Souci – Port Launay). Stop at the Tea Factory,
where there is parking opposite the Tea Tavern. Follow the main road up
the hill for about 200m. The trail sign board is on the left.
This trail is basically a continuous climb from a high starting point in
the Morne Seychellois National Park, to the top of a prominent mountain
in the west of Mahé, characterised by cloud forest but affording
splendid views on a good day.
The initial part of the trail passes through an old tea plantation where
Lemon grass (Citronelle) grows affording views over the surrounding hills
towards the sea and nearby islands. Low forest is home to Vacoa Parasol
(Pandanus homei), Vacoa Marron (Pandanus sechellarum), Latanier Hauban (Roscheria
melanochaetes), Capucin (Northern hornei) (the leaves of which have dark
reddish-brown underside), most of these plants being encountered higher
up the trail.
VACOA NATURE TRAIL
Difficulty : Easy
To reach the Vacoa Trail from Victoria, you must follow the La Misère
road to the west coast to where it ends at the main junction in Grand Anse.
At the junction take the left turn towards Le Meridien Barbarons Hotel about
700m away. Just before crossing the bridge, with the mangrove forest towards
the seaside, you will find simultaneously, on the opposite side, a parking
area and the starting point of the trail.
The Vacoa Trail has been opened as a circular path. The river Dauban flows
into the mangrove forest at the start of the trail. Following the trail
to the right leads through a bush of Cocoplum (Chrysobalanus icaco) and
then a passage through some granite boulders to a first bridge. At this
point the endemic Pandanus (Pandanus horneii) becomes the dominant feature
of the path. After crossing the first river arm, there is a shelter to protect
visitors against sudden rain. A second bridge is followed by a third and
before reaching the last bridge, granite boulders remind us that Seychelles
is the only granitic oceanic islands group in the world. After crossing
the third bridge it is less than 150m before the promenade ends at the park. |
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PRASLIN
VALLÉE DE MAI (A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE)
Difficulty : Easy
Duration : To explore all the paths and really absorb the atmosphere, allow
3 hrs
From Praslin airport, turn left onto the main road going towards Grand Anse.
You will come to a fork in the road with signs for Vallée de Mai
on your left, turn left and follow this road to the Vallée de Mai.
The car park and entrance are on your left.
Seychelles’ second UNESCO World Heritage Site is the legendary Vallée
de Mai, administered by the Seychelles Islands Foundation. So remarkable
that it was once believed to be the original site of the Garden of Eden,
this hauntingly beautiful primeval forest is home to some 6000 Coco-de-mer
trees, considered to be among the botanical wonders of the world.
GLACIS NOIRE
Difficulty : Moderate.
Duration : 2hrs. It is quite an easy trail about 1.4km long.
This trail leads to a fire tower built on a hilltop overlooking the East
coast of Praslin, with a fine view of La Digue and surrounding smaller islands.
It is one of the trails that allow visitors to discover endemic palms including
the famous Coco de Mer (Lodoicea maldivica). The trail allows visitors to
compare the vegetation of a forest affected by fire with an intact one.
All six of the endemic palms of Seychelles Palmiste (Deckenia nobilis),
Latanier feuille (Phoenicophorium borsigianum), Latanier millepatte (Nephrosperma
vanhoutteanum) and Coco de Mer (Lodoicea maldivica) can be seen along this
trail.
PASQUIERE
UND SALAZIE
Der Salazie- und der Pasquiere-Track sind schöne Wanderwege, die
von Praslin's Grand Anse auf die andere Inselseite führen. Wer sich
angesichts der Steigung der Busfahrstrecke über das Vallée
de Mai erschreckt abwendet, weil er ähnliche Steigungen befürchtet,
kann sich beruhigt zurücklehnen. Ganz so schlimm ist es nicht. An
der Grand Anse auf Praslin nimmt man zunächst die Einmündung
an der Kirche und geht am Britannia Restaurant/Guesthouse entlang. Der
asphaltierten Straße, die dann in einen Feldweg übergeht, folgt
man etwa 30 Minuten steil bergan. An einer Weggabelung hält man sich
geradeaus / leicht rechts und geht den weniger genutzen Weg. Dies ist
der Salazie Track. Der breitere ist der Pasquiere-Track, der an der Anse
Posession herauskommt. Der Salazie-Track führt einige Meter über
die grüne Ebene, auf der z.B. Farne und verschiedene Palmenarten
zu sehen sind. Dann gibt es noch einen kleinen Anstieg bis auf die Passhöhe.
Dabei wird der Blick auf die Küste und auf die vorgelagerte Insel
Cousine immer besser. Dann geht es hinunter zur Anse Volbert, wo der Weg
auf die Küstenstraße mündet und zwar dort, wo ein Buswartehäuschen
aufgebaut ist. Die Wanderung dauert mit kleinen Pausen zum Genießen
der Natur etwa 1 Stunde 45 Minuten.
Bei der Inselüberquerung bekommt man einen kleinen Einblick in das
Alltagsleben der Seychellois, die die Häuser am Berghang bewohnen.
Ansonsten begegnen einem hier kaum Leute. |
