There can be nothing so iconic of the Seychelles Islands than the wondrous coco-de-mer, Lodoicea maldivica, the world’s heaviest seed that falls from ancient, towering palms hiding in an ancient valley on the island of Praslin that is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This one-and-a-half-hour route commences at Val Riche, about 6km south of Victoria, and offers stunning views from the summit of Copolia, accessed through Takamaka woodland, Cinnamon forest with Rubber trees featuring a variety of endemic palms and other endemic plants. Besides the coco-de-mer, once prevalent on at least six islands but now very largely confined to Praslin, Seychelles’ flora contains over 1,000 species of plant, of which about 250 occur naturally, and 80 are endemic and found nowhere else on earth.
Long before its somewhat late discovery following the settlement of the islands in the mid-eighteenth century, the coco-de-mer nut intrigued the inhabitants of the various countries upon whose shores it washed up as the fruit of some mysterious tree growing beneath the waves. The islands of this sparkling archipelago, all but lost in the immensity of the western Indian Ocean, have been eloquently described as a chain of Noah’s Arks harbouring a treasure trove of natural treasures that have survived thanks to the islands’ remote location and also to their intrinsically benign nature, far from the cyclone belt and extremes of weather.
Further inland, the flat coastal ‘plateau’ is the previous site of coconut plantations that were once the mainstay of the islands’ economy.
Still, this epithet is well-deserved today because the still pristine state of many of its islands harbours many extraordinary species of flora and fauna found nowhere else except in these remote island sanctuaries. Notable are trees such as bwa rouz, Dilennia ferruginea, with heavily ribbed leaves, bwa sagay (Seychelles’ ebony), Diospyros seychellarum, shrubs such as kafe maron gran fey, Paragenipa wrightii, and herbs such as pti koko maron, Hypoxidia rhizophylla.
Many beaches are still fringed with native trees, bushes and creepers, such as takamaka Calophyllum inophyllum, bodanmyen Terminalia catappa, vouloutye Scaevola sericea and beach morning glory Ipomoea pes-caprae.
Most travellers identify the Seychelles Islands with unsurpassed natural beauty and exoticism without being aware that these islands still, in many cases, slumbering in their first innocence since the dawn of Time, are home to staggering degrees of diversity and uniqueness when it comes to the species of flora and fauna to which they are home.
Due to its extreme isolation, Seychelles has received more than its fair share of Nature’s bounty, and today, with nearly half its limited landmass set aside as nature reserves, the ecological integrity of its islands remains intact – providing the visitor with some of the unique ecological experiences to be found anywhere.
Endemic plants and animals are more prevalent on the granitic islands than elsewhere. Originally covered with forest and freshwater marsh, much of this flat land is now given over to housing and agriculture.
Mist forest is found only above about 600 metres on the islands of Mahé and Silhouette. With altitude, the forest becomes moister, encouraging the growth of mosses and ferns. Together with sang dragon trees and bird nest ferns accompany the walker to the summit and its spectacular views. This trail to a place once settled by Ethiopian people freed by the British Navy from Arab slavers takes two and a half hours to complete and commences at the information point at Le Niol before climbing to a shelter at its halfway point that offers amazing views of Beau Vallon Bay and Silhouette Island.
The first written accounts that come down to us from, for example, John Jourdain on his 1604 expedition under British captain Sharpeigh, describe the abundance and richness of nature on these islands they briefly visited by way of abundant timber, fowl, fish, coconuts, tortoises and even the crocodiles they came across in huge numbers, but which have since been hunted to extinction.
Somewhat easier to see is the carnivorous pitcher plant Nepenthes pervillei, with little lidded pots at the ends of its leaves, in which insects are trapped, digested and absorbed, adding welcome nutrients to the pitcher plant’s ‘diet’. Higher up, the proportion of endemic plants increases as the summit approaches with its glorious views of Morne Seychellois, Seychelles’ highest mountain, and Trios Frères.
The reputation of Seychelles’ amazing nut was further boosted by General Gordon of Khartoum, or Chinese Gordon, who visited the islands on a military mission in 1881. The mountain slopes which form the major part of the granitic islands are clothed with forest, which remains lush and green throughout the year. Endemic palms appear on the second half of the route as the path ascends into a Cinnamon forest dotted with Albezia and tall palms.
Morne Blanc
This 90-minute trail is a continuous climb from a high starting point in the Morne Seychellois National Park to the top of a prominent mountain of west Mahé, characterized by cloud forest but commanding extraordinary views.
Dans Gallas
Their amazing ‘breathing’ roots form a maze of archways and narrow pillars, amongst which crabs, young fish and a wide variety of other organisms thrive. However, a wealth of decorative bushes and flowers, such as frangipani, hibiscus and bougainvillea, adorning gardens and roadsides, and tropical fruit trees produce abundant and delicious mangoes, star fruit, golden apples and many others. Palms have been known to reach over 100 feet in height.
The shade created by their giant, overlapping fronds still creates an ambience of eternal twilight through which flit such visitors as the super-rare Seychelles Black Parrot, another endemic treasure of Seychelles. Although the forest has been much altered by human activities, the variety of endemic and indigenous plant species is high.
Today, the 46-acre Vallée de Mai is an eloquent reminder of how Praslin must have looked in antiquity. Another typical tree is kapisen, Northea hornei, so-named because the large seed resembles the cowled head of a capuchin monk. Although there is a range of walks available to hikers seeking a great introduction to these natural treasures of the islands, the ones below on Mahé are highly recommended.
This is because of the ancient geological history and greater altitude of these islands, which allows for higher rainfall and a diversity of habitats. The silent and eerie dankness of the forest is pierced only by the calls of endemic frogs, truly a special world of its own. Fascinated by the suggestively-shaped nut, he depicted Praslin Island as the Garden of Eden and the coco-de-mer as the Tree of Knowledge in a manuscript.
This trail offers the chance to see one of the tiniest frogs in the world and birdlife in the form of Seychelles’ Bulbuls, Mynahs and Sunbirds. Very special vegetation occupies the large expanses of granite rock known as ‘glacis’. Moisture-loving plants abound, and trees are draped with mosses, ferns and tiny orchids. First passing through a tea plantation, the trail encounters an interesting patch of endemic Vacoa plants and Capucin and Latanier.
In a sheltered river, estuaries around the coasts grow mangrove trees, adapted to tolerate salty water and the low oxygen levels of estuary mud. A rare sight is the ancient jellyfish tree, Medusagyne oppositifolia, whose brown parasol-shaped fruits resemble jellyfish whose rediscovery in 1970 caused a sensation. The Vallée de Mai is a not-to-be-missed treat on your adventures through the islands. Conditions here are harsh, and soil lies in small pockets between the rocks. Higher up, one encounters Cinnamon forest, Jackfruit trees and Jambrosa. Also found are introduced spice trees such as cinnamon, clove and nutmeg.
Written by: Matthew Thomas
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