LUXURY HOTELS SEYCHELLES

"Searching for the best luxury hotels for your island holiday in Seychelles? Jonathan and his family share their best luxury holiday experiences in North Island, Seychelles..."

The granite islands of the Seychelles archipelago in the Indian Ocean has the idyllic topography that we all dream of escaping to: palms, crystal clear, bright blue water, tropical jungle and nothing between you and a perfect horizon.

Once you fly into the French influenced colonial island of MAHE you can make the next hop to North Island by helicopter. It’s quite a long but beautiful, 45-minute flight over miles of turquoise water. It is fantastic to be introduced to the island from the air as you circle it, first noticing the main beach with the partially covered 11 villas. The resort is so well integrated with the natural habitat that it is camouflaged. What you do see looks like it is built from raw materials from the jungle foilage and ocean that are simply meant to be there, an organic part of the landscape. It’s not like Mexico where colours jump right out at you. You can see why it won the World Travel Awards’s 2008 prize for Leading Green Resort of the Indian Ocean.

We were welcomed to the island right near the beach where the helicopter lands by the lovely, delightfully named islander, ‘Modestly.’ He walked us to one of the most open-air reception areas that I have ever seen, a beautiful place with shells, bar area and white seats: all raw with no walls whatsoever. You just ’flow’ in and out. It sets the tone for the design sensibility of all the accommodation and public spaces.

You immediately feel a sense of serenity and deep relaxation wash over you in a tropical setting that has not been over developed. It is just the way it is meant to be seen: as a natural sanctuary. There is nothing but the sound of warm tropical water lapping up against white sands; craggy granite peaks rise out of indigenous Takamaka trees and giant Coco de Mer palms.

SUITE DREAMS Our totally open-air villa, hidden amongst lush island foliage, blows us away. This is my ultimate Robinson Crusoe-gone-five-star fantasy of island living.

The guest relations person assigned to us takes us in our own buggy, which the resort has taken the trouble of painting green so that it fits in with the gardens (North Island has plenty of touchs like that). We cannot believe this villa is just for Sheira and myself. You walk along a timber ramp through an oversized door, and the big entrance area immediately flows out into a courtyard. The open plan design is brilliantly done: even after entering the space you feel like you’re walking outside. And each villa is raised off the ground to catch the breeze for natural ventilation.

Design elements like ylang-ylang thatched roofs have been individually handcrafted by the Seychellois and African craftsmen, with stone walls, wood and glass that lets the greenery in creating a very organic space. Sheira was particularly struck by the design purity of the decor - I was thrilled that I had brought her somewhere that so nailed it. Outside of Europe this wins our number one aesthetic design - nothing in Tahiti, Mauritius or the Maldives even comes close. It’s perfection. I can see what the villas made it straight onto Conde Nast Traveler’s Gold List for Best Rooms last year. Apart from that island feel, which everyone loves, it’s that extra eye for detail.

There is a huge, 4-poster bed with soft nets - on nights with no winds they encourage you to open up every single door and just unroll them; the little seating nook seems carved out of stone with white calico cushioning. Lights scattered on the ceiling or along benches are rock-like and glow from within, never breaking the organic feel, illuminating each corner with soft, pretty light. Carefully placed stones add an even more sculptural effect. The ‘punkah punkah’ fans turn slowly but the two massive master bedrooms are air-conditioned.

Another thing that is special about the suite is the luxurious proportion, with dressing rooms, writing area, reception and massive bathroom as big as a dining room and loungeroom put together. Every night the staff sprinkle different scented flowers in the beautiful sunken bath so they are floating there for you. And every day the terry toweling cover on the daybed’s thick mattress gets changed and re-covered so that you can leave your bath and lie directly on your chaise lounge. The vanity is a huge slab with stone basins, in keeping with that completely raw, Flintstones chic. And there is no jarring colour: the towels are a muted teal, like the colour of the ocean when it’s cloudy.

As gorgeous as all this is, the fully retractable sliding doors allow you to always look out as well, at the breathtaking lawns and turquoise Indian Ocean. You step onto a massive terrace under cloudless blue skies (or a nightsky filled with stars), with its own plunge pool that’s big enough for two to have a paddle around in. The really distinctive, feature, past the reed-covered ‘salas,’ is a stone, outdoor shower where the water comes gushing out of a piece of bamboo like a waterfall on top of your head - a great way to cool down in the heat. The permanent massage table is right next to this “Gilligan’s island” shower, if you want to take the indulgence to that next, wellness level. As Sheira said, this is pretty much where Tarzan would live if he upgraded into a designer home.

Even in this luxe, castaway setting you can still hook up electronically. The satellite TV and DVD/CD system is cleverly disguised behind fabric that is part of the décor. For a day and a half we didn’t know it was there! We had to ring reception. Even though Sheira loves being away, she likes to know what is happening in the world.

This is the most we have ever paid for accommodation, but you do get quality decor and service for the extra money.

PRESIDENTIAL VILLAS 1 - 10 1,835 Euros per person per night (820 Euros for under-19s and 255 Euros for under-13s). 

Back to living the dream…

The problem is that you are so torn between living every moment in that incredible villa or wanting to sit in the public spaces to be part of the resort. The design everywhere keeps the raw, primitive, flowing feel. Original rocks have been left where they were and the deck was built around them! All the elements create the spell - exposed beams; beautiful, chalky looking stone; lots of bleached wood and books stacked on rocks that jut out of the wall. Daybeds are tilted up against two pieces of raised wood and a big slab of tree trunk with a glossy glaze on it instead of stand alone furniture. There is no clutter or unnecessary element - it’s very powerful. The whole ‘primitive fabulous’ effect is really cool, as if 10 designers landed there when their boat capsized and the raw island was all they had to work with.

The resort’s chic design, along with its exclusivity as the only resort on the island, has attracted A-list clients looking for low-key paradise - like Brad Pitt and Paul McCartney. It’s one of those places that wins awards but stays discreet. US fashion mag, Harpers Bazaar named it Number One of the " Best Hotels on Earth" and Condé Nast Traveler agreed, with the accolade "No 1 in the World, Best of the Best."

North Island was the first place that ever sent us a questionnaire about our personal preferences. By the time we arrived the staff knew all about our favourite foods (lobster and fillet steak for both of us), wines, books and dietary requirements. Knowing that your destination is preparing the ultimate experience for you before you have even depart from home adds to the feeling of anticipation. Even though we had traveled extensively this was the first place we came across to try this - another benchmark.

With its partly indigenous and Indian history there is a really interesting cross-cultural influence in the Seychelles, which we experienced through the food and gentle, quietly efficient African staff. This part of the world attracts a very European clientele. You don’t bump into Australians or New Zealanders here - it is not really on the South-East Asian circuit.  

There are nice design touches everywhere all over the property, like beaded curtains of shells or stones suspended from bleached logs and massive, oversized calico lounges with throws.

POOL POSITION 

The pool is elevated above the main beach where all the villas are. North Island is a serious honeymoon destination so you sometimes see couples drift to the main pool after days in seclusion, like rare birds. We loved the sun-bleached, wooden deck, palm trees and pyramids of towels, which is definitely in keeping with the feel of your own private space.

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.