Mahe, The Republic of the Seychelles

Mahe is the largest island in the Seychelles, and it's city Victoria is the capital of the Seychelles. Victoria is a very clean picturesque harbor town. Settlement stretches along the coastal road for several miles from the city. 

Victoria harbor where we docked.

 Settlement of Mahe first began in 1771 with the French who started a spice plantation. With the start of the spice business it was decided that the north eastern side of the island offered a good harbor for ships to anchor, beginning  the site of present day Victoria. The plantation  was destroyed in 1780 when the French feared a British ship was approaching. Mahe became a British colony in 1812. The plantation site was  dormant until 1860 when the British William Green created a new 85 acre plantation called Jardin du Roi. The plantation is still in operation by descendants of the Green family, but more as a tourist destination than a spice producing business.

On our day trip outing we first  drove down the coast and then fairly high up the mountain  to visit the historic Jardin du Roi plantation. There are still a wide variety of  fruits and spices growing on the property. The original family home is still standing, although it now has a metal roof rather than palm fronds. 

View from the plantation to the sea below.

Fruit from the lipstick tree was used by women to stain the lips red. The seed was in the little brown pods on the tree.

Sugar Cane

Mango

Breadfruit is a staple on the island, cooked in many different ways.

A small local tropical bird.

Blooming purple bougainvillea.

View to the front porch of the original plantation house.

 The Jardin Du Roi also have several of  the large Aldabra land  Tortoise that are native to the Seychelle Islands.

Just saying hello!

After our plantation visit we boarded a catamaran  for snorkeling and the return trip by water to the ship. We saw about a dozen different varieties of small brightly colored tropical fish, but they were not as plentiful as those we saw in the Maldives.






We now have two days at sea, and arrive in Mombasa, Kenya on Christmas Day.




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