Travelling through Seychelles - roads, airports, railway, bus transportation

Transport infrastructure in the Seychelles is poorly developed. However, in view of the growing popularity of the islands as a tourist destination, the Country’s Government is trying to expand the transportation intersection every year. It is worth noting that the best infrastructure is located on the islands of Mahe and Praslin as tourists most often visit these islands. Public transportation on these two islands is composed of buses. Naturally, the car fleet has not been renewed for a long time hence the buses are old, without air conditioning and other amenities. It is worth noting that public transportation does not go by schedule and there are also no fixed bus stops. In order to stop a bus, you just need to wave or stretch out your hand. Traffic in the Seychelles is quite specific. Buses move with great speed so the driver should be notified of the desired stop in advance.

Most tourists prefer to rent cars. However, such a pleasure is not available on all islands. On some, there is not even a primitive dirt road for a car, and the terrain is so complex that even a powerful jeep cannot cope. On the islands where there are asphalted or unpaved roads, it is quite possible to rent a car. It should be taken into account that movement in the country is left-sided and the roads are extremely narrow and winding and they rise up like a serpentine. You are permitted to develop a speed of up to 40 kilometers per hour within the borders of the city. Outside the precinct of residential areas, you can drive at a speed of about 60 kilometers per hour. Although, the quality of the road surface rarely allows you to accelerate to such a speed. It is worth noting that the islands of Mahe and Praslin are also quite tough about refueling. There are only six petrol stations and they work only from early morning until 11 pm. Therefore, it is worth considering this fact when renting a car.

An alternative to hiring a car can be a taxi. This service is also available on the islands where there are motor roads. Usually, all cars are equipped with meters and payments are made in relation to them. However, it is best to discuss the destination with the taxi driver in advance and the estimated cost of the trip. Transfers from airports usually cost at least one hundred dollars. Nonetheless, a very peculiar colorful taxi operates on the island of La Digue. It is a regular cart, driven by oxen. You can rent cars, bicycles, motorcycles and scooters on the islands. Nevertheless, most seasoned tourists note that the Seychelles is not a place for two-wheelers. The roads here are incredibly bad, the terrain very complex, and there are no fences or railings in the dangerous areas near the precipices. Therefore, it is best to get around by walking on foot.

Locals and tourists often travel by boat between the Seychelles islands. Ferries and boats are the most popular means of transportation. Also, everyone has the opportunity to rent a catamaran. On the largest and most popular tourist islands, ferries run different routes several times a day. On average, the cost of traveling one way to the nearest island will cost 25 dollars. Though, you can transport oversized cargo on ferries, you will have to pay for it separately. All year round, cruise liners and ships cruise the most picturesque places in the Seychelles. The cost of the ticket depends on the specific location, the class of service on the liner, and on the season. The most expensive tickets are from the end of May to the end of September when the rainy season recedes on the islands and the weather becomes sunny and clear.

In Seychelles, anyone can order a helicopter to move between atolls. This service of course is not cheap but it allows you to move quickly and comfortably between islands where the transport infrastructure is completely undeveloped. One helicopter can carry up to four passengers at a time. In general, air transportation in the Seychelles is much better developed than any other means of transportation. This is not only a great way to get to the Seychelles but also to travel between individual islands while saving time. Fifteen airports are operational in the Seychelles, nine of which are equipped with quality runways with a hard surface. In general, the cost of flights between the islands is relatively low (varies within the range of 30 to 80 dollars in one direction). The price usually depends on the destination.

Air transportation in Seychelles is more developed than any other means of transportation. The airplane is not only a means of getting to Seychelles, but also to travel between the countless islands. In total, there are fifteen airports in the country but only nine of them have a runway with modern hard surface. The main airport in Seychelles is located on the largest island Mahe in the closest proximity to the country’s capital, Victoria. It is worth noting that the airport is situated at a height of three meters from the sea level. The single airport’s runway has solid high-quality coating. The total length of the strip barely reaches three kilometers, but this is enough for the airport to accept any type of air passenger liners. At the moment, three terminals (international, freight, domestic) operate simultaneously within the terrain of the central airport. It should be noted that it is on the territory of this airport that the air defense of the state is based. Annually, the airport provides its services to about eight hundred thousand passengers. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The next equally big and important airport is situated on the second largest island Praslin. It is called Praslin Island Airport. This airport occupies a distance of only forty kilometers from the central airport. The runway of the airport is much smaller than that of the previously mentioned airport; the total length of its runway is less than one and a half kilometers. As a rule, the airport operates only domestic and charter flights, which are produced by the only state-owned aviation company. The airport’s capacity per day is more than one thousand five hundred people. The popular Seychelles airport is considered to be Bird Island. It is located on the island of Mahe. As a rule, the air harbor accepts only small charter flights. Transportation is carried out by small-sized aircraft, since the maximum length of acceleration or deceleration on the runway does not exceed nine hundred meters.

On the island of Alphonse is another fairly large airport in terms of local standards. It is also designed for internal movements, although it sometimes serves international charter flights. The length of the runway in this case is one thousand two hundred meters. It is worth noting that the airport’s infrastructure is very different from the usual American or European infrastructure. There are no chic waiting halls or a variety of cafes and restaurants. Everything is modest enough. The terminals themselves are small, and not every airport has a Wi-Fi zone. However, there is still everything necessary for servicing passengers, including currency exchange points, branches of some banks, small cafes and souvenir shops.

The transport infrastructure in Seychelles is quite poorly developed. While islands were getting popular over the years in terms of tourist attractiveness, the government was trying to create conditions for making use of transport facilities. However, in view of the rather specific terrain of the islands, it is very difficult to plan and carry out the denouement. It is worth noting that there are normal highways only on large islands such as Praslin and Mahe. There is no railway transportation on the islands and the most highly developed means of transportation is air. Airplanes allow you not only to reach the territory of the islands, but also to travel between each individual atoll.

Domestic airlines offer tourists quite cheap tickets for transfer between islands. On average, the price of a one-way ticket between two islands ranges from $25 to $80, depending on the destination, and accordingly, the distance. Also, helicopter services are very popular among tourists. A helicopter can carry no more than four people at a time. However, its attractiveness is that for its landing or take-off, it is not absolutely necessary to have modern take-off and landing strips runways with a hard coating. Also, the travel time is minimal, although the service itself will be quite expensive.

Public transportation is the most developed on the major islands; Mahe and Praslin. There are runs with real buses there. However, the fleet has not been renewed for many years. Therefore, quite old, untidy, unpainted buses make trips, and they quite often breakdown along the road. Inside the buses are very stuffy; there are no air conditioners. At the same time, the driver absolutely does not adjust the number of passengers during a trip. Therefore, as many people as possible can often get into the buses. Buses do not move according to any schedule. There are no fixed bus stops either. In order to stop the bus, simply put your thumb out. And in order for the bus to stop at your desired place, you need to tell the driver about this in advance. It is worthwhile to understand that bus trips are a real attraction for inexperienced tourists. The specificity of the ride and the heavy relief play a dominant role in this. In addition, drivers also disperse the old buses to the limit. Therefore, it is advised to inform the driver about your stopping point in advance. You can also buy a ticket for the trip directly in the bus.

On the islands where buses do not run and there is no minimum accessible pavement, specific carriages that are pulled by oxen are used as public transport. Nonetheless, a trip on such an unusual transport is often more comfortable than in a bus. The wagon itself has a roof, so the sun will not scorch. But at the same time, the windows are open and as a result there will not be sweltering heat. Also, it is quite possible to simply ask the locals who move on personal carriages to give you a ride. A symbolic fee is charged for this. You can also take a taxi. However, it is also available only on large islands, for example, on La Digue or on Praslin. The cost of a trip around the city will cost an average of about fifteen euros. In the Seychelles you will have to pay for luggage separately. All taxis are equipped with meters, so the tourist will have to pay according to the facts. A trip to the airport by taxi will cost at least fifty euros, and a transfer will cost not less than a hundred.

If you do not want to be dependent on motorists and taxi drivers, you can rent a car. For this purpose, the tourist must be over 22 years of age, have a driver’s license (not necessarily international), and have a certain amount for taxes (it varies depending on the chosen brand of car). It is worth noting that asphalt covering is only on the islands of La Digue, Mahe and Praslin. Renting of cars on other islands is very unlikely if it is not jeeps for extreme trips. Vehicles in the Seychelles are left-hand driven, and within the boundaries of the settlements you cannot drive faster than forty kilometers per hour. Between residential areas, it is allowed to develop a speed of up to 60 kilometers per hour, but the terrible quality of roads often does not allow motorists to even come close to this figure. The very same roads are quite narrow, and have a very twisting interchange. They often resemble hairpin turns in mountains, which rise gradually upwards. The number of gas stations on the islands is also limited, so it is worth economizing gasoline. Gas stations work only from early morning until 11pm. It is worth mentioning that locals on the roads very rarely adhere to the rules of the road, so traveling to the Seychelles will be quite difficult even for an experienced person.

An alternative to a car is a bicycle, a scooter or a motorcycle. However, according to experienced tourists, it is not a good idea to use such transport on the Seychelles. Here is the thing, on the local roadways, it is customary to not take two-wheeled transport seriously, so the number of road-transport accidents involving bicycles or scooters increases annually. The roads themselves are the source of enormous risks. Narrow trails rising upward are often next to the precipices which are not separated by bumpers, traffic barriers, or by any other limiters. Therefore should you lose control of your two-wheeled vehicle, the consequences might be the most deplorable. If you want to simply take a bike from the hotel to the local market or to the beach, then it is quite possible to hire it. It will cost about fifty local rupees. Such transport can be rented in practically every hotel.

Due to a specific area in the Seychelles, water transportation is also very popular. The most common types of water transportation are by ferries and small boats. It is quite possible to travel between the largest islands on a ferry and you can even carry some goods with you in addition to it. At the height of the tourist season which falls on the summer months, the number of ferries increases. They depart from the islands of Mahe and Praslin, every 15-30 minutes. It is worth noting that the speed of movement of ferries is low, so to save time you can go sailing on a catamaran. Nature in the Seychelles is simply charming. Therefore, you can enjoy the daily cruise and excursion voyages along the island coastlines which are performed by liners, ships, boats and yachts. As a rule, tickets can be purchased on the beach in special kiosks or directly in the water transport.