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Travel Destination Guide - La Digue
La Digue (Seychelles) 
La Digue Information
Slideshow of Photos
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The Seychelles is an unspoilt tropical paradise thousands of miles from anywhere. Here you will find magnificent palm-fringed beaches, superb snorkelling and diving, and plenty of forested wilderness filled with wildlife.
La Digue is situated a short distance from Praslin, but is unreachable by plane, instead a short boat ride from Praslin to La Digue is required, lasting only 20 minutes or so.
La Digue is the fourth largest and third most populated of the islands within the Seychelles, with over 2,000 inhabitants. Several hotels exist on the island, providing comfortable accommodation, the most popular being La Digue Island Lodge. In addition there are several guesthouses offering simpler accommodation. It is also possible to visit the island on a day trip from Praslin.
Suited to middle to upmarket nature-lovers seeking total relaxation and an away-from-it-all holiday. A haven for romantically inclined couples, a popular honeymoon destination.
Locality:
La Digue is off the east coast of Africa, in the Indian Ocean. (it is 660 mls NE of Madagascar and 995 mls E of Kenya. Nearest international airport is on the neighbouring island of Mahe, 27 mls). La Digue is the fourth largest of the Seychelles group.
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La Digue is surrounded by beautiful white sand beaches, spectacular coves where one can find deserted beaches with no other tourists beside yourself. The simple beauty and charm has made the island into a favourite for film producers and photographers.
For the more adventurous, who don't want to spend the whole holiday on the beach, climb to the top of the mountain at the heart of the island, it offers a wonderful view of the island. At the ends of the roads, the follower is left with just a footpath to follow.
There are some small tourist shops and a couple of art galleries along the main road from the jetty. A few other shops at the jetty offer groceries and other convenience items. La Digue Island Lodge has 2 boutiques well stocked with souvenirs and other necessities.
This is not the place for nightlife, some hotels provide evening entertainment. The local community hall holds dances/discos at weekends, but these are mostly for locals.
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Population: 81.190
Languages: Seselwa Creole 92%, English 5%, French (all offici
Currency: Seychelles rupee
Currency code: SCR
Local Times:
Seychelles - Victoria
Country Dialling Code: +248
Voltage: 240V 50Hz
Electrical plugs:
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The Seychelles is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar, consisting of more than 100 islands of which 83 are named and 46 are permanently uninhabited. Mahé is the principal island comprising of 142 sq km, with the islands of Praslin, La Digue and Silhouette being the next important . Situated about 1,600 km off the east coast of Africa, Mahe extends 27 km north to south and 11 km east to west and has a coastline of 127 km.
The breathtakingly beautiful Seychelles islands are surely the most romantic destination there is. They cast a siren-like spell over everyone who experiences its crystalline turquoise sea washing the pristine coral reefs and the powdery beaches that encircle the vast granite pinnacles which emerge from the verdant green rainforest. The islands stretch like an array of jewels across nearly one million square kilometres of the Indian Ocean east of Kenya, and even have their own unique suggestively shaped fruit, the famous 'coco de mer' double coconut, to emphasise their seductive charms. Only a few of the 115 islands are inhabited, most of the local population (known as Seychellois) being gathered on the main island, Mahé, around the capital city of Victoria.
The Seychellois are an alluring mix of freed African slaves, Arab, Indian and Chinese traders, and British and French settlers and seafarers who go about their business speaking a Creole patois. The multi-party democratic Republic was once a thriving pirate's haven but today it serves as a refuge for sunseekers, honeymooners and nature lovers who congregate in the top quality hotels and resorts on the main island shores. Whether you come to dive among the more than 800 species of fish in the island waters, marvel at flocks of colourful birds flitting among rare jungle trees, soak up the equatorial sun on silver sands or to cement your marriage vows, the Seychelles archipelago will impress as being just about as close to paradise as it is possible to get on earth.
Though more than 7000km (4500mi) from the epicentre, the Seychelle islands suffered widespread damage in the wake of the Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004. Fishing and tourism infrastructure were all affected by the waves, which caused millions of dollars damage to roads, buildings and fishing boats. Three people were killed and a major bridge in Port Victoria was destroyed.
The granite islands rise above the sea surface to form a peak or ridge which, in the case of Mahé, attains an elevation of 3,000 ft at Morne Seychellois, the highest point. Rugged crests, towering cliffs, boulders and domes contribute to the islands great natural beauty. Here and there, in the hollows between the rock relief, are pockets of lateritic soil, often very thin and easily eroded.
Mahé possesses white sandy beaches which, for a distance of 200 or 300 years, are flats of coral and shell known locally as plateaus, although they rarely achieve an elevation of more than 10 ft above sea level. Small streams descending the mountain slopes deposit alluvial material, creating the most fertile soils on the island.
The coralline Seychelles are, in contrast, low-lying, rising only a few feet above the surface of the sea. Many have the typical Indian Ocean lagoon. Soils tend to be thin with poor moisture retention. These island are suited only to coconut palm and a few other species. |
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Local Area Weather
Mahe/Seychelles, SEYCHELLES |
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Partly Cloudy |
31°C
Feels like: 38°C |
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 Clear |
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