136LADOMAINEDEL'ORANGERAIE,LADIGUELa Domaine De L'Orangeraie has a cluster ofbeautiful villas set in tropical gardens. Although theproperty does not overlook the sea, it is only afive minute stroll or a two minute bike ride away.The villas are very comfortable and contemporaryin design, each with a bedroom, living room,bathroom and leafy terrace where meals can beenjoyed. Shared facilities include a pool andrestaurant which serves excellent Creole cuisine.FLEURDELYS, LADIGUEFleur de Lys is set back from the beach along aleafy road with tall takamaka trees. It is a twominute cycle ride from the centre of the villageand a five minute ride from the beach. This tinyproperty has only eight pretty and spotless chaletsset in a little garden. Each has a small living roomwith well equipped kitchenette, as well as abedroom and en suite bathroom. The chalets canbe booked on a self-catering or bed and breakfastbasis according to your preferences. This is anexcellent value property and is ideal for thosewho enjoy some independence and want toexplore at their own pace.La DigueLa Digue is a sleepy island where life is relaxedand nobody is ever in a hurry. Creole housesnestle under papaya trees, with flowersoverflowing from window boxes and plant pots.Fishermen dawdle along the road with fishhanging from sticks, and ox carts and bicycles arethe principle forms of transport. Whilst small -just five kilometres long and three kilometreswide - La Digue is not short of exquisite beaches.The coast is lined with pretty coves, the softwhite sand interspersed with granite boulders thatturn pink at sunset. The beaches are flanked bycoconut palms, where fairy terns and white-tailedtropicbirds are a common sight. Offshore, LaDigue is surrounded by coral reefs. Here,snorkelling will reveal corals, sponges, and allmanner of marine life from emperor angelfish to starfish and turtles.Although La Digue is ideal for relaxation there are gentle activities to enjoy as well. Take a bikeride along the coast, visit the coconut plantationand ramble to viewpoints and deserted beaches.Hundreds of black paradise flycatchers areprotected in La Digue Vev Reserve, a lovely spotto while away a few hours wandering gentle trailsthrough takamaka and badamier trees. Finally, you can take boat trips to the islands of Iles auxCocos, Marianne and Les Soeurs, all of which are even quieter than La Digue.Fleur de LysArriving at La Digue by helicopterLe Domaine De L'Orangeraie Fisherman on a bicycle

www.audleytravel.com/seychelles ?01993 838 515 ?Seychelles137Suggested itinerariesLa Digue & Praslin Island HopThis island hopping trip explores two of the largerislands in the Seychelles; La Digue and Praslin. La Digue is a very sleepy place with a relaxed paceof life. Staying in a small guesthouse, you can setout each day on your bicycle, picnic and swimsuitin the basket for lazy days on the beach. A shortferry ride takes you to Praslin where you can stayin a boutique property on a hillside with stunningsea views. Hire a car for the day to explore theisland, or take a snorkel trip to a nearby reef.Day 1Fly from the UK to Mahé overnight.Days 2-5Fly from Mahé to Praslin. Ferrytransfer to La Digue for four nights atFleur de Lys. Explore La Digue bybicycle and ox-cart. Enjoy swimmingand snorkelling.Days 6-12Ferry transfer to Praslin for sevennights at L'Archipel. Explore Praslinby car and relax at the beach orbeside the pool.Day 13Road transfer to Praslin Airport. Flyto Mahé and then the UK overnight.Day 14Arrive back in the UK in the morning. Stay longerThe Seychelles combines well with a safari inKenya or Tanzania. Spend a week or more in thelarge game reserves in either of these countriesbefore flying to the islands. A night's stay in Nairobiis required in between, and we minimise your timehere, flying you into the city at dusk and out toMahé at dawn. Due to good flight connections,you can be on safari in the Mara in the afternoonand enjoying a large seafood lunch on the beach in the Seychelles the next day. Mara & Mahé ExplorerThis itinerary gives you the very best of bothworlds; a safari in Africa's most famous gamereserve followed by time on an idyllic beach in theSeychelles. Stay in the heart of the Masai Mara andenjoy the prolific game including lion, leopard,elephant, buffalo, giraffe and lots more. Movingfrom the Mara to Mahé, the pace of life slowsconsiderably and you can't avoid relaxing intoisland life. Stay above two crescent-shaped coveson Mahé and enjoy swimming, snorkelling,luxurious spa treatments and of course, timesnoozing on the beach.Day 1Fly from the UK to Nairobi overnight.Days 2-5Arrive in Nairobi. Fly to the MasaiMara for four nights at LittleGovernor's Camp. Explore the Maraon game drives and walking safaris. Day 6Fly to Nairobi for one night.Days 7-13Fly to Mahé for seven nights at theConstance Ephelia Resort. ExploreMahé by car and relax at the beachor beside the pool.Day 14Fly from Mahé to the UK overnight. Day 15Arrive back in the UK in the morning.Stay longerEnd your trip in the Seychelles with a stay on aprivate island. Fly from Mahé to Denis Island for aRobinson Crusoe style hideaway. Take time toramble around the island, visiting the coconutplantations, giant tortoises and deserted beaches.Sip a glass of wine on your villa terrace and admirethe sea views, enjoy seafood barbecues on thebeach, and fall asleep to the sound of the wavesand wind in the palm trees.Tailoring your tripThe itineraries shown are designed to give you aflavour of what is possible, and are routes thatwork particularly well. We can use these as abasis to plan your trip or can design a completelydifferent itinerary to suit your tastes and interests.Please call one of our Seychelles specialists tostart planning your itinerary.Telephone: 01993 838 515Getting aroundFlying to the Seychelles for an island hopping tripor relaxation after a safari is easy. Air Seychellesoperates flights from London and there are dailyflights from Johannesburg and Nairobi whichcover Southern and Eastern Africa respectively.Once on the islands, you can base yourself at onehotel or you may wish to island hop, staying ontwo or three islands. Travel between the islands issimple, as there is an excellent network of flightsand small ferries. We can tailor an itinerary withany combination of islands and seamlessly transferyou from one to the other.When to go??The best time to travel.?A good time to travel, but there may be some factors to be aware of.~Travel is possible, but this is not the best time of year.?Travel is not recommended.Situated just south of the equator, the Seychelleshave a warm tropical climate, with day timetemperatures ranging from 24C to 31C all yearround. From May to October, a southeast tradewind can bring marginally cooler weather andfresh breezes. At this time of year beaches onsome islands can be affected by seaweed -speak to our specialists who know all thesebeaches and which ones to avoid. The northwestmonsoon wind blows from November to March,typically raising temperatures and humidity.December and January are the wettest months,but the rain falls in short sharp bursts before thesun comes out again. With such consistentlywarm tropical weather, the Seychelles are a good year-round destination. Time difference:GMT+4 hoursFlight time from UK:11 hoursPricesWe offer trips to cater for a wide range ofbudgets. You can find up-to-date guideline pricesfor your trip to Seychelles on our website,alternatively please call our specialists to discussyour plans.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec~???????????????~Arriving on Bird IslandVictoriaPraslinLa DigueMAHÉNairobiMasai MaraTANZANIATo MahéVictoriaConstanceEphelia ResortFromNairobiMAHÉKENYA