”I was standing on the magnificent spread of beach at Beau Vallon Bay, dressed in shorts and life jacket and strapped into a tight-fitting parasailing harness. Directly behind me lay a bright-red parasail neatly laid out on a tarpaulin. The instructor clipped the parasail to my harness and continued his pre-flight instructions. “Hold the harness handles tightly in your palms and lift your hands shoulder-height with elbows facing forward.” This is similar to the way you hold the toggles on a parachute. “Watch the boat. It’s going to edge forward to take up slack in the towrope. The moment the rope tightens the boat will accelerate and all you have to do is run like mad.” The 115-horsepower Yamaha outboard clicked into gear and the sleek red-and-blue speedboat moved forward. I gazed across the thin tract of sparkling sand separating the fringing line of palm and takamaka trees from the turquoise tropical water. The towrope slowly snaked off the beach and disappeared into the water. We were ready for take-off. The speedboat had edged at least 50 metres from the beach, and the towrope, with its 1 350-kilogram breaking strain, tightened, tugging sharply on my harness.“Now!” the instructor yelled. I rushed forward and sprinted down the beach. Just before treading on wet sand I felt myself being lifted above the shallow shoreline . . . and I was airborne!”
These are the words of Patrick Wagner, a journalist from Getaway magazine who was lucky enough enjoy the incredible experience of parasailing at Beau Vallon Bay on Mahe Island, Seychelles. With wind racing round your ears, legs dangling in space and torso supported by a comfortable harness, you float over paradise. The feeling of freedom is what makes parasailing so exciting. The sheer beauty of Beau Vallon Bay from the air, the glowing turquoise water and the lush vegetation down below will make this experience one you will never forget. Once airborne, your only job is to just sit back and relax, soak up this beautiful scenery, and take a few photos if you wish. You will also be able to too see other islands in the distance, and the perspective one gains from viewing this tropical paradise from up above is not to be taken lightly!
The main concern people have when considering parasailing, is the safety aspect, however the crews who operate this sport have many years experience behind them. You don’t even need to be able to swim to take part in this activity, and age is also a non-factor… with the oldest participant having been a ripe 92 years old!
If parasailing is not your thing however but you still enjoy motorized water sports, water skiing, jet skiing, and other activities are also offered at Beau Vallon Bay.
Beau Vallon Bay is located in the north-east of Mahe, and in order to protect and maintain the beauty of Seychelles, as well as the safety of beach goers, motorized water sports in the Seychelles is restricted to this area. Please contact us if you’d like to set up a visit to Beau Vallon Bay. www.seychellesyachtcharter.com
Seychelles Yacht Charter recently collaborated with the Ministry of Education, Environmental department of EKO schools, Seychelles Tourism Board’s event promotions, Star Seychelles, Seychelles National Youth council, Landscape and waste management, and the Ministry of Environment and Energy to work on a Beach Clean-up campaign/programme.
The 1st ever Beach Clean-up was held on the 8th of June 2013, which coincided with World Oceans day as well.
The aim of the campaign was to create awareness of the importance of keeping our beaches clean, and safe. Seeing that Seychelles has some of the world most beautiful beaches it’s only fitting that a yacht charter company arrange and co-ordinate such an event.
The day started at 9am and ended at noon the same day.
Beaches that were cleaned: Grand Anse Beach, Anse Royale Beach,Beauvallon, Belombre beaches, North East Point Beach, Port Glaud, Port Launay and Cap Ternay.
A total of 307, children, teachers and parents assisted with the beach clean-up. Hotels around the beaches and schools provided lunches.
Seychelles Yacht Charter would like to thank each and every individual, organisation and company who assisted with the program, without your assistance this would not have been possible.
For more info, visit the the Seychelles national website at http://www.nation.sc/index.php?art=31777 and below are some pics from the day.
Let keep our pristine beaches clean!
Why would anyone want to climb a rock? What is the appeal of climbing up a cliff-face? Well, rock climbing is more than just another outdoor sport and another excuse to accumulate an entire closet worth of gear. It is a way to learn more than you ever thought possible about who you are and how you respond to challenges. It is a great teacher for a willing learner in both fitness and mental toughness. When one combines these aspects with the beauty and amazing sights of the Seychelles, it is a winning combination!
For most people who are unaware of the Seychelles islands, rock-climbing in a tropical paradise would sound like a very strange idea. Whilst watersports are certainly the most popular of the sporting activities visitors for partake in, rock-climbing has become increasingly popular on the islands due to the magnificent granite rock faces present all over these beautiful islands.
Granite is an igneous rock, the basic building block of all of the earth’s land surfaces and mountains. It is a fairly coarse-grained rock with high contents of quartz and feldspars that is generally very hard and resistant to erosion. It has been described as one of the best rock types to climb due to its texture (the roughness allows good grip) and strength (allows confidence that the rock will not give way). Because of its hardness, granite often forms large rock masses which are weathered by wind, rain, snow, and ice into mountains, cliffs, and domes. This rock is the basis of the Seychelles islands, so opportunity and location is plentiful for the experienced climber. For the inexperienced climber, there are groups and companies who provide training, safety and guided climbs for those wanting to experience something new.
A rock-climbing, ziplining, and abseiling facility has been established at Port Launay. Employing a beautiful 18 meter high natural granite rock face, a rock climbing facility has been developed whereby everyone, from beginner to accomplished, can experience the exhilaration of this sport in a safe and comfortable environment. Ziplining across the tree tops is also offered at this facility and is a wonderful experience in its own right, especially for those with kids.
Of course this facility is not the only place where you can enjoy rock-climbing, there are many more challenging locations around the islands. Seychelles Yacht Charter can make all the necessary arrangements for your holiday and activities. Contact us via www.seychellesyachtcharter.com
