Seychelles has been around a long time but luxury – the kind you find so readily in the Maldives – has not. For too long it was known as a five-star destination with three-star hotels but that’s no longer the case. This tiny nation of 115 islands teeming with lush foliage, protected wildlife and sweeps of white sand scattered over the western Indian Ocean has become a world-class destination not just for honeymooners but families too. And though there are now several worthy hotels (including two Four Seasons, a Six Senses and North Island), if you want the best – albeit we haven't yet tried the Cheval Blanc, which opened on December 1st – then look no further than the Waldorf Astoria, which has been open since January.
It’s not located on Mahé, Seychelle’s largest island, but rather on Platte (meaning flat in French, because, unlike Mahé it doesn’t boast any granite mountains covered in thick, verdant forests). It is lush, however; a nature reserve of a private island with its own north-to-south one-kilometre airstrip that cuts through the middle. And it’s only a 20-minute flight away.
Getting to the Seychelles isn’t hard, as there are double daily flights to Mahé on Emirates, daily flights with Qatar Airways and two flights a week via Etihad. The only problem is you’ll need to arrive early if you want to make a connection and, in our case – with the missus and two kids in tow – that meant taking the 2am red-eye from Dubai with a four-hour layover in Mahé. Bear in mind, the airport at Mahé is basic, in a kind of laid-back West Indies way. Most people speak English, but they speak to each other in Creole, which is based on French but almost impossible to understand. There is a lounge overlooking the runway, but it's rudimentary even if the only person working there was a lovely old lady who offered us a WiFi code, took our breakfast order and provided me a brief history lesson about her nation: It seems there were no indigenous people in Seychelles before early settlers arrived at the end of the 18th century. That’s why Seychellois are such a mix of culture and colours, with a DNA mix of French and British settlers, freed African and Malagasy slaves, as well as Indian and Chinese traders. Seychelles’ population is a quarter the size of Maldives – at just 120,000 people – and when combined with a high GDP (driven by a strong tourism sector and a thriving fishing industry), it is not just Africa’s richest country in terms of GDP per capita, it’s in the top third of the world rankings, in and among the likes of Greece, Turkey and Portugal.
The hop-over to the villa-only Waldorf Astoria was smooth and brisk on a Beechcraft B-1900 prop plane and, from the air, you can see how the island was formed of and within the crater of a prehistoric volcano, with a bowl-shaped lagoon that has become a rich and unspoiled marine sanctuary. Waldorf Astoria’s parent company (Hilton Worldwide) evidently wanted to respect the rich existing foliage, so they set all 50 of the resort’s villas – each surrounded by tropical gardens – back from the sea, hiding them within the island’s jungle-filled interior. What I later learnt from Roberta Travers, the hotel’s Commercial Executive, was this was to not disturb the hawksbill turtles that nest along the island’s shores. “Protecting nature was a key priority for us,” explains Travers. “All the flora and fauna you see here were indigenous to the island, we planted nothing foreign.” She also explained how they built the largest solar farm in the Indian Ocean, “with the aim that 95 per cent of our electrical needs are met by clean energy.” And they have a water treatment plant that allows them to leave rain and groundwater for vegetation, while recycling their grey water and reduce waste.
It also seems that they hired a dedicated marine biologist and an environmental manager to take charge of protecting the island’s biodiversity, which includes hawksbill and green sea turtles, aldabra giant tortoises, black-tip reef sharks, lemon sharks, eagle rays, bottle nose dolphins, brown noddies, fantails, whipbirds, lesser and greater frigatebirds, and more. From our own experience, we had daily encounters with the side-stepping crabs that scuttle across the compacted sand pathways, we got to witness a hawksbill turtle coming in to lay her eggs in the undergrowth and we saw sharks and stingrays in the shallow waters of the ‘sandbank’ beach on the north side.
The villas range from one bedrooms that sleep two, to a five-bedroom that sleeps ten. Ours was a one-and-a-half-bedroom Grand Hawksbill with wonderfully effective and quiet air-conditioning, and light switches that are a cinch even for kids to use. The villa encompassed a master bedroom and lavish bathroom replete with indoor and outdoor showers, Aesop amenities galore, as well as a freestanding bathtub, plus a living room and a separate study that converts to a queen-size bedroom for the kids with – fortunately – its own lavish bathroom. Funnily enough, the villa even came with a secret en-suite nanny’s room for those – typically GCC – guests who come with help. And, like all the villas on Platte ours featured a dramatically ridged roof that fans out into an outdoor canopy under which are fixed floor-to-ceiling concertina doors that open onto a wide deck patio, an infinity pool and a manicured garden backed by soaring coconut trees that fringe the beach. It's all very tasteful with impressive finishing and I liked the emphasis on natural, local materials like rope, rattan, and bamboo, alongside rustic linens in cream and taupe. The size of the villa is incredibly generous too, not just internally: the bathrooms are vast, the outdoor area is huge, the pool is generous, and the garden space is great. And there’s immense privacy too. Sure, you can’t see the beach from the villa, but a quick walk through some trees and you’re there.
What I loved most about Waldorf Astoria Platte Island though is how much there is to do. “The average stay is six nights but as much as 30 per cent of our guests stay for two weeks,” reveals Travers. Indeed, I must say all the members of the 'Sham Clan' were thrilled with our itinerary that – besides snorkelling in the sea and swimming in both our private pool and the larger public pool – saw the little ones spend a morning at the Kids Club (which is managed by a former Montessori teacher and offers coconut painting, board games and even video games), an afternoon learning to cook pizzas with the Executive Sous-Chef Mohamed Mourtada, and an evening at the pop-up outdoor cinema, while the adults got to indulge in two uninterrupted visits to the beautiful and well managed spa. Furthermore, as a family, we played tennis and padel, not to mention how we enjoyed a lovely outing on kayaks. We also tried sunset pilates, fed the massive tortoises, and learnt from the fireside tutorials by the resident barista and head barman, not to mention how much cardio we did touring the island on our bikes.
Food wise, the island is home to three restaurants, two bars, and there's a special Torti poolside menu offering marinated reef fish sashimi, fresh crab California rolls, and nigiri. La Perle, near the main pool is the all-day dining option that serves fantastic breakfasts and all-encompassing family friendly lunches and dinners. The airy Maison des Epices is run by a Seychellois chef who prepares fiery Latin-laced Creole fusion food over a large grill. Then there's the vegan-inspired Moulin, set in a glasshouse-like building at the heart of the island, which is run by Chef Mohamed Gavi, a half-Russian, half-Syrian chef, who allows you to literally roam around his sprawling vegetable garden and pick whatever you like for a farm-to-table gastronomic experience.
The saddest part about the Waldorf Astoria is that it reminds you of a famous idiom: time flies when you’re having fun. And even though we were there for five days and four nights, our time in paradise went by too quickly. In fact, as I sit reminiscing on the experience I would say that this resort's vision of a luxurious, tropical escape is rooted in nature, diversity, and very friendly service. What more could you ask for?
This page: Four sunken fire pits surrounded by sofas come alive at night in the pool next to La Perle restaurant. Opposite top: They may have tried to protect as much of the existing vegetation as possible but that's not to say the Waldorf Astoria isn't manicured. For example, the compacted sand pathways are always raked, and the palms are continually cleared of dead fronds and coconuts. Middle: Bicycles are the main mode of transport here, but you can always call a golf buggy if you're not in the mood. Bottom: Platte Island is home to the largest population of nesting turtles in the Seychelles.
Left: Spacious, modern and oh-so comfortable with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto the outdoor terrace and infinity pool, the villa also comes with a swinging sofa on the deck, which is a great place to tuck into a good book. Speaking of which, the hotel also has an impressive library. Opposite: Sliding doors separate the master bedroom and bathroom, as well as the living room. Probably if you're a couple you'd keep them all open but as a family, it's nice to have the option of shutting out the little ones. Opposite bottom: The villas don't come cheap with a starting rate of 2,500 USD a night but for those who book an all-inclusive package, almost everything you can eat, and drink is included free of charge, and even a daily 30-minute daily spa treatment is thrown in for good measure.
