Expatriates Forums in Seychelles

NIGHTLIFE IN SEYCHELLES / SEYCHELLES NIGHTLIFE GUIDE

Seychelles Info — Mon Mar 12, 2007 1:46 pm

Author: Seychelles Info

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 1:46 pm

NIGHTLIFE IN SEYCHELLES

Largely undeveloped and unsophisticated. There is, however, much to be enjoyed in the evenings, and a specialty is the local camtolet music, often accompanied by dancers. Several hotels have evening barbecues and dinner dances. Theatre productions are often staged (in Creole, English and French) and there is one cinema in Victoria and casinos at Beau Vallon Bay Hotel and the Plantation Club.

SHOPPING IN SEYCHELLES / SEYCHELLES SHOPPING GUIDE

Seychelles Info — Mon Mar 12, 2007 1:44 pm

Author: Seychelles Info

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 1:44 pm

SHOPPING IN SEYCHELLES

Local handicrafts include work with textiles (such as batik), fibers (such as basketwares, table-mats and hats) and wood (such as traditional furniture, ornaments and model boats). Pottery and paintings may also be bought. Special souvenirs might include jewellery made from green snail shells. Tea-growing and manufacturing in the Seychelles is done on a small scale. Local tea can be bought in the shops or when visiting the tea factory on Mahé, where many blends of tea may be sampled at the Tea Tavern. Vanilla is cultivated as a climbing plant around the base of trees as it can be pollinated by hand. Pods can be bought in shops and used as flavouring. Cinnamon grows wild on all the islands. It can be bought as oil or in quills made from dried bark which can be freshly grated before use.

Shopping hours

Mon-Fri 0800-1700, Sat 0800-1200. Some shops close weekdays 1200-1300.

Banking hours

Mon-Fri 0830-1430, Sat 0830-1100.

Currency

Seychelles Rupee (SRe: singular; SRs: plural) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of SRs100, 50, 25 and 10. Coins are in denominations of SRs5 and 1, and 25, 10 and 5 cents.

Note: Tourists must pay hotel bills in foreign currency (in the form of cash, travellers cheques or credit or debit cards). Payment in local currency is only allowed if an exchange receipt can be shown as proof of the conversion from foreign currency into local currency. The duty free shop at the airport only accepts credit cards or foreign cash.

Currency exchange

Exchange facilities are available at the airport banks, which are open for all flight departures and arrivals. The following banks have branches in the Seychelles and will exchange travellers cheques and foreign currency: Barclays Bank, Bank of Baroda, Banque Française Commerciale, Central Bank of Seychelles, Development Bank of Seychelles, Habib Bank Ltd, Nouvo Banq and Seychelles Savings Bank. Currency exchange receipts should be kept in order to facilitate re-exchange on departure. ATMs are available in Mahé and Praslin.

Credit & debit cards

Access, American Express, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted; Diners Club has more limited use. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available.

Traveller's cheques

Accepted in most hotels, guest houses, restaurants and shops. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller's cheques in US Dollars or Pounds Sterling.

Currency restrictions

The import and export of local and foreign currency is unlimited. The import and export of local currency is limited to SRs1000.

FOOD & DINING IN SEYCHELLES / SEYCHELLES DINING GUIDE

Seychelles Info — Mon Mar 12, 2007 1:43 pm

Author: Seychelles Info

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 1:43 pm

FOOD & DINING IN SEYCHELLES

GENERAL

Seychellois Creole cuisine is influenced by African, Chinese, English, French and Indian traditions. The careful blending of spices is a major feature and much use is made of coconut milk and breadfruit. Breadfruit is prepared in similar ways to the potato (mashed, chipped, roasted and so on) but has a slightly sweeter taste. Other locally produced fruits and vegetables include aubergines, calabashes, choux choutes, patoles, paw-paws (papaya), bananas, mangoes, avocados, jackfruits, grapefruits, guavas, lychees, pineapples, melons, limes and golden apples. Lobster, octopus, pork and chicken are used more frequently than beef or lamb, which must be imported. Most restaurants offer a few items of what is termed ‘international’ cuisine, generally with a bias towards preparations of fresh fish and shellfish, as well as the Creole delicacies mentioned above. There are Italian and Chinese restaurants on Mahé. Some of the main hotels have bakeries and home-baked bread is also a feature of some of the small guest houses and lodges. Waiter service is the norm. All restaurants which are members of the Seychelles Restaurateurs’ Association quote an average price per person for a three-course meal inclusive of two glasses of wine and coffee. Prior notice should be given in restaurants for groups of four or more and advance bookings should be made for restaurants on Round and Cerf and for La Réserve restaurant on Praslin.

A wide range of wines, spirits and other alcoholic beverages is available in the Seychelles. The same company produces Guinness under license and soft drinks. Local tea is also popular.

A hotel license permits hotel residents to drink at any time. Alcohol can be sold to anyone between Mon-Fri 1400-1800, Sat 0800-1200 and 1400-1800. Other bars open 1130-1500 and 1800-2200. It is illegal to drink alcohol on any road or in public.

National specialties

• Kat-kat banane.

• Coconut curries.

• Chatini requin.

• Cbourgeois grillé.

• Soupe de tectec.

• Bouillon bréde.

• Chauve-souris (fruitbat).

• Cari bernique.

• Salade de palmiste (made from the ‘heart’ of the coconut palm and sometimes known as ‘millionaire’s salad’).

• La daube (made from breadfruit, yams, cassavas and bananas).

National drinks

• Seybrew (a German-style lager made locally).

Tipping: Tips in restaurants, hotels, to taxi drivers, porters and so on are usually already included, as 5 to 10 per cent of the bill or fare. All hotel and restaurant tariffs include a service charge, but payment is not obligatory.

PLACES TO DINE

Acajou Hotel Restaurant
Côte d'Or,
Praslin
Tel: +248 23 24 00
Fax: +248 23 24 01
Email: acajou@seychelles.net
Website: www.acajouhotel.com

Al Mare
Beau Vallon,
PO Box 1118,
Victoria,
Mahé
Tel: +248 62 02 40 / 51 21 17 / 51 21 13
Fax: +248 62 02 42
Email: almare@email.sc

Au Jardin D'Epices
Banyan Tree Seychelles,
PO Box 2086,
Intendance,
Mahé
Tel: +248 38 35 00
Fax: +248 38 36 00
Email: reservations@banyantree.com
Website: www.banyantree.com

Aubergine Restaurant
The Wharf Hotel & Marina,
Providence,
Mahé
Tel: +248 67 07 00
Fax: +248 60 17 00
Email: thewharf@seychelles.net
Website : www.wharfseychelles.com

Belle Vue D'or Restaurant
La Louise,
La Misère Road,
Mahé
Tel: +248 57 55 37
Fax: +248 34 44 33
Email: georgine7@hotmail.com

Black Parrot Restaurant
Black Parrot Suites,
Anse Bois de Rose,
Praslin
Tel: +248 29 05 55
Fax: +248 29 04 40
Email: cocodeme@seychelles.net
Website: www.cocodemer.com

The Boat House
Beau Vallon,
Mahé
Tel: +248 24 78 98
Email: davejoubert@yahoo.com
Website: www.boathouse.sc

Bonbon Plume
Anse Lazio,
Praslin
Tel: +248 23 21 36
Fax: +248 23 22 77

Château de Feuilles
Pointe Cabris,
Praslin
Tel: +248 29 00 00
Fax: +248 29 00 29
Email: info@chateaudefeuilles.com
Website: www.chateaudefeuilles.com

Château St. Cloud Restaurant
La Passe,
La Digue
Tel: +248 23 43 46
Fax: +248 23 45 45
Email: stcloud@seychelles.net

Chez Batista Restaurant
PO Box 3013,
Takamaka,
Mahé
Tel: +248 36 63 00
Fax: +248 36 65 09
Email: batistas@seychelles.net
Website: www.chez-batista.com

Frangipani Restaurant
Plantation Resort & Casino,
PO Box 437,
Victoria,
Mahé
Tel: +248 38 68 68
Fax: +248 38 68 83
Email: rm@plantationclub.sc
Website: www.plantationclub.com

Jolie Rose 2 Restaurant
Selwyn Clarke Market,
Victoria,
Mahé
Tel: +248 22 54 51

La Perle Noire Restaurant
Beau Vallon,
Mahé
Tel: +248 62 02 20
Fax: +248 62 02 01
Email: perlnoir@seychelles.net

La Scala
PO Box 962,
Victoria,
Mahé
Tel: +248 24 75 35
Fax: +248 24 79 02
Email: silscala@seychelles.net
Website : www.lascala.sc

Lazare Fine Dining Restaurant
Plantation Resort & Casino,
PO Box 437,
Victoria,
Mahé
Tel: +248 38 68 68
Fax: +248 38 68 83
Email: rm@plantationclub.sc
Website: www.plantationclub.com

Le Chevalier Bay Restaurant
Anse Lazio,
Praslin
Tel: +248 23 23 22
Fax: +248 23 23 22
Email: chevalierbay@seychelles.sc

Le Corsaire
Bel Ombre,
Mahé
Tel: +248 24 71 71 / 51 51 71
Email: corsaro2@intelvision.net

Le Jardin du Roi
Domaine de L'enfoncement,
Anse Royale,
PO Box 3037,
Victoria,
Mahé
Tel: +248 37 13 13
Fax: +248 37 13 66
Email: brymich@seychelles.net

Marie-Antoinette Restaurant
Serret Road,
St Louis,
Mahe
Tel: +248 26 62 22

Patatran Restaurant
Patatran Village,
Anse Patates,
La Digue
Tel: +248 29 43 00
Fax: +248 29 43 90
Email: patatran@seychelles.net

Pirates Arms
PO Box 1254,
Victoria,
Mahe
Tel: +248 22 50 01
Fax: +248 22 44 50
Email: pirates@seychelles.sc