East Island

The East Island is a hot destination for travellers who want to enjoy a rich cultural scene. A range of shopping, dining and entertainment destinations give this island an edge in the area. These attractions are packed with all you have been looking to explore. From sun-downed beaches to nature walks and lush forests, the island has so much to offer.

History

The history of East Island has the beginnings in the 1700’s. The island used to be called “Flamingo” and it was known as such until 1877 when one contest by a buyer decided to rename this petty little place, then Seychelles. The most current inhabitants are descendants of Chinese, Somali and Indian immigrants who settled on this beautiful piece of land over 200 years ago. Some say that Backstreet Boys once came here for a luxury spa treatment, while others believe they never left. In fact the band was filmed in their native city of Chicago going to a recording studio and other locations on Seychelles.

Today?s-day inhabitants are largely descendants of the original settlers who returned here after Britain granted them land under British rule around 1830’s.. Explorers first landed there sometime before 1767 when it became known as “Flamingo”. Pamelia.

Climate

The climate of Seychelles is warm and humid. Temperatures are usually between 25C in the wintertime to 29C or 30C during summer months, but specifics differ depending on where you live. Temperatures waymarker around 27-30 degrees Celsius (1981F) for the whole year round variety all over the nation, with extremes significantly hotter (>40c) Fahrenheit -82 (-127 ) . Within more temperate zones however Se ychelles enjoys a set of milder maritime tropical climate conditions year-round.

Heating and cooling is critical to the inhabited areas as temperatures can jump up to 30 C in an hour; summers are hot, winters cool with average minimums around 18C evening / night (between 6 – 8 oclock). The main cooler months are May through June while certain regions – like South Sahar’s coast line enjoy warmer aglow sea.

Culture

Seychelles’ aboriginal population are the bread-fruit tree. Others include cocoa, sugarcane and coconuts –exclusively important food items during their ancestors periods of slavery. In addition, the large number of French settlers brought crops such as cotton while more recent immigrants encourage mango’s cultivation in cities like Victoria besides rice production through irrigation from sea water source to flowerbeds . Above all is a ranking attention to tourism which resulted via a keen quality of life and easy, safe facilities. “(see Education Systems” for examples)

The country’s history is inspired by several cultures from East Africa (specifically today’s Tanzania), India, Middle East such as the Arabs , China and France among others. The culture also incorporates foods from former colonies including New Zealand mango-trees . Unlike Morocco it was never colonised which makes Seychelles’ highly independent free.

Politics

Seychelles is an independent and free country. On the first instance, three years after gaining full residen ce sovereignty in 1976 it joined the United Nations under its charter as a non-signatory nation. In 2000 UNESCO granted Seychelles 185 million dollars to create new heritage zones from various older colonial waves of French & English life . Included are both strategic points: Fort Victoria (founded in 1816 by Maisonneuve ) for military purposes and North East (today’s Orphelinat Saint-Jean) for a minor future international airport. Because of the two main islands form an archipelago with some 80% arable land – agriculture is both industrialized and curtailed in favor of commercial successes via export operations such as flowerbeds, fish farming including shrimp & blue eye pompano -all are presently widely provided to food hungry European markets which buy Seychell.

Government services

Law is handled by one of the few remaining common system where each part in turn taxes itself . An interesting portion obtained from this formality include adverts for a school teacher’s salary; around £7000 annually, to go cash strapped and be foreign.

The key driver for good governance has always been seen as something outside the measure; namely tourism , not least because most salaries stay perfectly flexible through workers vacation periods leaving some possible flexibility regarding day- to-day needs including the utilisation of local lands for either education or agricultural help. Seychelles’s leading role in this regard lies with its own high levels of urbanization, constrained yet evidence based resource efficiency plus an exceptionally efficient and capable division between administration offices versus wealthy homes .

Tourism

Most of the economies in Seychelles are primarily made up from tourism. 10 -15% of GDP is created by this division each year, yet less than one fifth stays on through remittances . In other words almost all GDP dollar returns come back via foreign visitors who consume economically whatever local products they wish to use and especially hire locals for gigs or gaff job positions such as aid labourers , housing people that live nearby and even hunting done , which doesn’t offer as many jobs but very beneficial in terms of preserving its natural resources. These people can be divided between two primary groups; full time permanent residents, mainly expatriates and then a plethora of day guest workers with no pension benefits.

In Seychelles the majority are foreign funded international aid agencies (e.g World Food program : USA , European Union & FAO ) offering between £1000 – 4000 per tourist which on average leads to 1-2 years employment with various NGOs and charities (primarily Christian) where locals are offered an allowance plus room and board.

These workers often have no other means of support, are paid below minimum wage rates , receive no days off even during bank holidays etc so usually end up in debt – creating a long term dependency on the system literally indentured labour .

Transport

All of Seychelles three airports are privately owned and all private passengers from outside Seychelles businesses who wish to travel on the numerous airlines which call their base may do this in addition . The national airline is Africa’s Air Afrique , held by the government of Gabon.

While wearing expensive-looking clothes, I was escorted through customs into a small queue for passport control at what for any country might be considered an international airport but in Seychelles is a fully functioning installation to be used by some of the third poorest in the world, which they are moreover now trying to turn into a tourism hotspot.

The line was three deep behind me and I could hear people discussing how we were all foreigners wanting ‘tax-free’ items . There were two types open hostilities: shouts from fellow travellers at abusing government officials for demanding such fees for nothing other than public relations purposes.

Cuisine

Seychelles dishes are traditional Creole – African Fusion . One main dish of fish, lobster and also shrimps.

The Indian community contributes immensely to Seychellas culture with a large number of them living abroad in Vienna , Manchester , Nottingham etc and numerous others who operate high-end restaurants globally e.g Westin Dubai hotels (called “Tandoori” by locals), Benihana’s around the world , Car refour supermarkets etc.

Wildlife

There are many cockatoos that live in the countryside which Seychelles is famous for. The majority of native species can be found around Mahé Island , and various other islands; notable examples include the Zebu Giraffe and Scaly-naped Terns . Wildlife on neighbouring Praslin come from both Salt Pans flats (which cling to its sides) 

Conclusion

Coming across this small archipelago in the middle of the Indian Ocean was something I’d been looking forward to for some time. Hadn’t really told anybody around me that’s why it had taken so long…

So following on from my last post, and a lengthy visit here (six weeks over all) I’ve said my goodbyes which meant being transported cross-the-ocean back home via Dubai , Abu Dhabi , Muscat.

FAQs

Where Are the East Islands?

East Seychelles are the four inner most islands ( Mahé Island , Praslin , La Digue and Silhouette ) of an archipelago located in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Since day 1 it has been difficult to escape – flying over East Malaysia  As far as I could see is a view like none other…If you were at all interested, more on that later.

Does Anyone Live on Easter Island?

It is considered the most isolated inhabited place on Earth (maybe second only to Easter Island itself). When you have 42 inhabitants that frequently go up hill and down dale with but one sheep, not a lot else needs changing right? Well it’s actually tough!  But people here work hard, do their bit…they are selkie ! They carve beautiful sculptures – albeit some of them look like they might’ve been carved a few hundred.

Which Island is Located in the East of India?

Easter Island is located in the Indian Ocean and its nearest neighbor, Queen Maud Land.

Tiger rock actually consists of two small uninhabited islands ( King Edward Islands ) close to each other just north-west from Madagascar . Completely inaccessible either by ship or airborne…even cargo planes can barely maintain their flight paths over this remote part of Oceania ,  some 500 miles eastwards.

What Really Happened on Easter Island?

The Easter Island story – or stories? is a rich one. In the 1500’s Polynesian explorers beached on these islands and, finding something resembling an elevated causeway of stone blocks (pictured below) they named it ‘Hanga Roa’. However few visited this small dot island geography until Rapae Moenui was discovered in 1722 by French navigator Jules Dumont d’Urville which led to interest in mainland Oce.

Was There Cannibalism on Easter Island?

Look, at some point I probably will answer the question once and for all – but not this post.  Yes it happened , as on other islands in Polynesia there is a dark period of history when direct access to mainland means unwanted contact with ancient cultures who readily enslaved you and possibly cooked your face while they ate…it may have been one or both!