Aldabra- A Magical Land In The Ocean!

The Aldabra coral atoll belongs to the Aldabra group of islands that form part of the 115 islands of the Seychelles archipelago

. It is known to be the 2nd largest coral atoll in the world after Kiritmati. It is 34km in length and 14.5km wide. The atoll consists of a ring of islands which are South Island, Malabar, Polymnieli and Picard.

This atoll was first discovered by the Arabs who gave it its name of Aldabra.This atoll has passed from the Portuguese to the French to the British until Seychelles received independence in 1976.These islands are famous for the giant tortoise, however due to heavy hunting of these magnificent creatures as food during the 18th century when Aldabra was part of the French Colony of Reunion, these tortoises were nearing extinction. It is reported that in the 19th century when Aldabra had passed from the French to the British sailors further raided the island for tortoises and two ships were said to have taken nearly 1200 tortoises! Today the wildlife habitat of this atoll receives full protection and Aldabra is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This has greatly assisted the tortoise population which has since revived.

Aldabra has many endemic flora and fauna; the flora consists of shrubs, herbs and grasses. These are valuable to the giant tortoises that live in these areas. Whilst this atoll is known to have the worlds largest population of giant tortoises it is also know for other fauna such as the coconut crab, manta rays,barracuda,hammerhead sharks, green turtles and hawksbill turtles. With so much to see and the allure of the pristine beaches the Seychelles is an ideal vacation destination and affords the traveller may options in accommodation.

The Seychelles hotel range from mid range to luxury and amongst the most sought after locations are those situated a short distance from the main island of Mahe such as the Praslin Island. Such a Praslin hotel is the Raffles Praslin Seychelles, this resort has 86 villas with contemporary designs and equipped with a private plunge pool amongst other amenities. It offers much for even the most discerning traveller making it a hotel to remember!

by: Pushpitha Wijesinghe

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