Where Time Slows and Spirits Lift : Seychelles
In May 2019, what began as a business-cum-familiarisation trip to Seychelles gently transformed into something deeper—a soul pause. Spread across a week, the journey was meant to be about site inspections and luxury hotel visits, but the islands had other plans. Here, even work arrives wrapped in calm, and every agenda melts into the ocean breeze.
Seychelles isn’t loud about its magic. It seeps in slowly: through the quiet grace of a giant Aldabra tortoise as it strolls past, the swaying rhythm of a palm over turquoise waters, or the first sight of the legendary coco de mer, cradled in the island’s ancient forest. GaiaTrips often talks about journeys that shift something within—and this one certainly did.
My base kept shifting—in the best possible way. From Constance Ephelia’s vast beachfront estate, to Hilton Northolme’s cliff-hugging villas, and finally, to the understated elegance of the Four Seasons at Petite Anse. Each resort felt like its own world, but what connected them all was a sense of balance: luxury, yes, but rooted in nature, not removed from it.
But what truly deepened my understanding of the Seychellois spirit—literally and figuratively—was my visit to the Takamaka Distillery, nestled in the lush setting of the old La Plaine St. André estate. Set among cinnamon trees and colonial-era architecture, the distillery wasn’t just a stop on an itinerary—it was a story in liquid form. Here, local sugarcane transforms into some of the island’s finest spirits. While Takamaka Rum is the more famous sibling, it was the Takamaka Vodka, with its surprising range—from vanilla and citrus to spiced infusions—that left me intrigued. Smooth, versatile, and distinctly Seychellois, each variant told a different story, much like the travellers who visit these shores.
GaiaTrips often curates such meaningful encounters—where leisure blends seamlessly with learning. At Takamaka, the group tasted more than vodka; it tasted island time, distilled.
Outside the distillery, life continued at the Seychelles pace. I wandered down quiet piers where yachts swayed like sleeping sea creatures, watched families share sunset picnics on hidden beaches, and noticed honeymooners walking barefoot into a future made somehow more romantic by the backdrop of soft waves and golden light.
Seychelles is that rare place that offers something for everyone without ever feeling crowded. Romance, solitude, family connection, even personal reinvention—it holds space for it all. It’s also a quiet haven for higher learning, especially for young adults looking to study in a place that values both excellence and well-being.
When I left the islands, a part of me stayed behind—somewhere between the echoing silence of a granite cove and the rich warmth of that last sip of Takamaka. GaiaTrips doesn’t just take you to beautiful places; it reminds you how to live more beautifully once you return.
And sometimes, all it takes is a week in Seychelles to remember how good stillness can feel.
