LUXURY HOLIDAYS SEYCHELLES

"Searching for the best luxury holiday in Seychelles? Jonathan and his family share their luxury hotels experiences in Seychelles..."

I planned two amazing luxury holiday surprises for Sheira’s 40th - and our two boys were in on it. The first was a secret, Moroccan themed party that was three months in the making, with all our best friends present. Me being me, Part Two involved luxury travel, this time to a mystery destination. I told Sheira to block a week. The only thing my wife wanted to know was what to pack so I merely told her, “think summer,” giving nothing else away. The exact destination would be literally under wraps until we arrived.

This time when I contacted my travel agent my brief was simple: I want the best place in the world, I don’t care where it is. Lauren suggested an amazing island resort called North Island in the Seychelles, far off the East coast of Africa. The name sounded a little boring but she assured me, don’t let that fool you. We have found something extraordinary.

When I received the price I realised that it was way above my usual budget for a luxury suite and that I would have to cap it at 3 days. It’s pretty much up there and earns a place right in our MONEY TO BURN category. On the other hand I didn’t want to travel all the way to the Seychelles for just three days so I stretched the itinerary to 7 days and included the Maldives.

This was a few years ago, before places like Huvafen Fushi put this part of the world on the media radar. People had never heard of the Seychelles or the Maldives; we didn’t have any friends who had been there. Australians go to Fiji or Noumea. But we like new frontiers and had already visited THE FOUR SEASONS and THE BANYAN TREE (on Intendance Bay) in the Seychelles.

I didn’t want to go all the way to Africa and then backtrack to the Seychelles. We could fly from Sydney to Singapore with Singapore Airlines and then take connections to the Seychelles via the Maldives in both directions with Air India. We were reluctant about flying Air India but booked business class tickets and hoped for good karma (as it turns out I must have done something really bad in a previous life).

Even though it is unlike me, I was prepared to try the BANYAN TREE again in transit. I had enjoyed my stay there (18 months before) - the raw feel of the bungalows scattered on the sand and the iconic, double tiered thatched hut. As we only had one night there, I was happy to go back to somewhere familiar. New places are what drive me to travel most, but I was concerned about going for only one day before moving in case we didn’t want to leave. So I was happy to go back to the Banyan Tree for the night (See MALDIVES) and let our luxury accommodation at North Island be the star.

140 friends came to share Shiera’s fabulous surprise party with us, some wearing Sheira wigs and singing along. But no-one knew where we were taking off to the next day. At the airport, looking at the board in Singapore, MAHE Airport was the only clue to Sheira. She still did not know where we were going. Not to many people would know where Mahe is looking at a departure board!

Join Jonathan Said and his family on their luxury travel journeys as they share their best restaurants experiences and luxury hotels and resorts holidays around the world. The comprehensive travel tips and ideas include some of the most popular things to see and do at each destination including a local shopping guide, photos, video, music and much more.