Lonely Planet names Seychelles as “Paradise within Reach”

Seychelles is achieving its objective of becoming one of the most popular destinations in the world as the islands are being highly recommended for 2014 for the most enjoyable holiday experience.

The well-known Lonely Planet magazine in the UK has voted Seychelles among its Top 10 destinations for 2014, as part of its prestigious annual Best In Travel Awards.

The destination was also awarded the Best Beaches and Small Islands title for 2014, again putting the country among the most exciting destinations to visit for this year.

Lonely Planet has described its Top 10 countries for 2014 as “destined for an epic year” for different reasons, whether for hosting festivals, cutting the ribbon on new attractions, or simply for raising their game to attract more travelers to their shores.

Seychelles, the only Indian Ocean destination featured in the Lonely Planet awards and proudly sitting in the 7th position for the Top 10 destinations, has been described as “Paradise within Reach.”

The magazine has summed up the holiday experience of these islands as “once-in-a-lifetime” and highlighted that “Seychelles has not been dubbed ‘The Galapagos of the Indian Ocean’ for nothing.”

“These 115 divine islands strewn across the peacock-blue Indian Ocean have all the key ingredients for a once-in-a-lifetime holiday, but their reputation as a millionaire’s playground may have kept you away. Good news: on top of exclusive island hideaways and elegant eco-villas, you can benefit from the wallet-friendlier B&Bs, picturesque Creole guesthouses, and self-catering apartments that have sprung up over the past decade. And if expensive air tickets deterred you from visiting, rejoice! Increased competition has dramatically changed the situation over the past few years. And there’s much more to do than sipping cocktails on the beach. Hiking, diving, snorkeling, boat tours, and other adventure options are all readily available, with the added appeal of grandiose scenery. Wildlife lovers will get a buzz, too – the Seychelles is not dubbed ‘The Galápagos of the Indian Ocean’ for nothing,” says the review.

The other countries voted in the Top 10 are Brazil, Antartica, Scotland, Sweden, Malawi, Mexico, Belgium, Macedonia, and Malaysia.

For the Best Beaches and Small Islands category, Lonely Planet has said that 2014 is the International Year of Small Island Developing States: tiny, remote, and environmentally-vulnerable spots, and the destinations chosen are definitely a must to visit.

Seychelles shares the honor with Palau, Tonga, Sao Tome and Principe, Trinidad and Tobago, Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, Cap Verde, Grenada and St. Vincent, and the Grenadines.

Seychelles’ beaches and islands have been reviewed as: “Nary a ‘world’s best beach’ list is compiled without the Seychelles a mention. This clutch of 115 islands sprinkled in the Indian Ocean got all the good genes: its waters are clear and teeming with life; its sands are sensuously soft; its interiors are wild and luscious; even its coconuts – the buttocky coco-de-mer – are sort of sexy. The three main islands – Mahe, Praslin, and La Digue – are perfectly pretty. Even better are Curieuse, where giant tortoises lumber, and the coral atoll of Aldabra, uninhabited but for more tortoises (the world’s largest population), plus turtles, sharks, coconut crabs, and a wealth of species besides.”

The Lonely Planet awards were presented to the Seychelles Tourist Office in the UK, and upon receiving them, the Regional Manager for UK and Ireland, Tinaz Wadia, said it was satisfying to see the destination doing so well on the market and that more people will undoubtedly visit the islands this year as a result of the magazine’s high recommendation.

“Lonely Planet covers over 8,000 destinations around the world and to learn that Seychelles has been chosen amongst the Top 10 for 2014 is absolutely amazing. We will continue to push the destination on the market and hope to hear even more good news as the year progresses,” she said.

The PR Manager for UK and Europe, Lena Hoareau, has also welcomed the good news, saying that the high recommendation by Lonely Planet has been helped by the 12-page feature which appeared in the May issue of the magazine.

The feature offered insights into the destination with best recommendations so that readers could make the most of their trip.

“It was a pleasure to work with Lonely Planet and the coverage as a result of the press trip was one of the best we’ve had for the destination. The accurate and detailed reporting has and will continue to help the guide’s readers to plan, book and live their dream holiday,” she said.

The Chief Executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board, Sherin Renaud, also spoke of the awards, saying Seychelles has surely started the year on a good note and the good news will serve as a morale boost for the Seychelles Tourism Board team.

“It is good news for the destination as it shows that our work is bringing in results and people are recognizing that Seychelles is not only a destination worth visiting but also one highly recommended on the tourist market.”

The representative of the Lonely Planet magazine, Stuart Morgan, said upon presenting the awards that it had been a pleasure to work with the Seychelles Tourist Office over the years and they hoped to encourage more of their fantastic audience of travelers to visit the islands in 2014.

The Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture, Mr. Alain St.Ange, on his part said: “The exceptional beauty of the Seychelles is today being appreciated and noticed, because we have attained global visibility, and we are a relevant tourism destination. We thank our tour operator partners for their continued support and assure them all that what they are promoting today will be there for them to sell tomorrow, because as a country we are set to remain good custodians of what we have been blessed with as a great country.”

Seychelles is a founding member of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP) .