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Cars 4 Rental Information on Seychelles

General

Area: 455.3 sq km (175.8 sq miles).

Population: 80,410 (official estimate 1999).

Population Density: 176.6 per sq km.

Capital: Victoria (Mah). Population: 60,000 (1994).

GEOGRAPHY: The Seychelles Archipelago occupies 400,000 sq km (150,000 sq miles) of the Indian Ocean northeast of Madagascar and contains 115 islands and islets. These fall into two groups of markedly different appearance, stemming from their distinct geologies:
Granitic: A dense cluster of 42 islands, the only mid-ocean group in the world with a granite rock formation. Their lush green vegetation is tropical in character, with a profusion of coconut palms, bananas, mangoes, yams, breadfruit and other tropical fruit. Indigenous forest exists on the higher slopes, where cinnamon and tea are planted. All, including the second largest, Praslin, are less than 65km (40 miles) from Mah.
Coralline: Isolated coral outcrops speckling a vast area of the Indian Ocean to the southwest of the granitic group. They rise only a few feet above sea level but are covered with rich and dense vegetation due to fertilisation by copious amounts of guano. There is no permanent population. Aldabra, the largest atoll in the world, contains one-third of all Seychellois land and is a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site.
The largest island in either group is Mah, lying 4S of the equator. It is 27km (17 miles) long by 8km (5 miles) wide and contains Victoria, the capital and main port, and 90 per cent of the population. Mah is typical of the Granitic Islands, being mountainous and covered with jungle vegetation. Its highest point, indeed the highest point in the Seychelles, is Morne Seychellois (905m/2970ft). The isolated nature of the Seychelles has given rise to the evolution of many unique species of flora and fauna, including the coco-de-mer palm and unique varieties of orchid, giant tortoise, gecko, chameleon and ‘flying fox’ (fruitbat). National parks and reserves have been set up to protect this heritage. The Seychellois are descended from a mixture of French and British landowners, freed African slaves and a small number of Chinese and Indian immigrants, creating a unique culture.

Government: Republic since 1976. Gained independence from the UK in 1975. Head of State and Government: President France Albert Ren since 1998.

Language: The official language is Seselwa; Creole, English and French are also spoken.

Religion: 92 per cent Roman Catholic with Anglican, Seventh Day Adventist, Muslim, Baha’i and other minorities.

Time: GMT + 4.

Electricity: 240 volts AC, 50Hz. British three-pin plugs are in use.

Communications:

Telephone, fax, telegram

SEYTELS offers a 24-hour service for telegrams, telephones and faxes via SEYTELS/Cable & Wireless Ltd, Francis Rachel Street, Victoria, Mah. Phonecards are available. IDD is available. Country code: 248. Outgoing international code: 00.

Mobile telephone

GSM 900 network. Network operators include Cable & Wireless (website: www.cws.sc) and Telecom (Seychelles Ltd) (website: www.airtel.sc).

Internet

ISPs include Atlas Ltd (website: http://www.seychelles.net).

Post

The main post office is in Victoria. Airmail collections are at 1500 weekdays and 1200 Saturdays; airmail to Western Europe normally takes up to 1 week. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1500, Sat 0800-1200.

Press

English-language newspapers include Seychelles Nation (morning daily except on Sundays), The People (monthly, published by the Seychelles Progressive Front) and Seychelles Review (monthly news review).

Radio: BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.

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Money

Currency: Seychelles Rupee (SRe: singular; SRs: plural) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of SRs100, 50, 25 and 10. Coins are in denominations of SRs5 and 1, and 25, 10 and 5 cents. A number of gold and silver coins are also minted (with face values as high as SRs1500), but these are not in general circulation.

Note: Tourists must pay hotel bills in foreign currency (in the form of cash, travellers cheques or credit or debit cards). Payment in local currency is only allowed if an exchange receipt can be shown as proof of the conversion from foreign currency into local currency. The duty-free shop at the airport only accepts credit cards or foreign cash.

Currency exchange: Exchange facilities are available at the airport banks, which are open for all flight departures and arrivals. The following banks have branches in the Seychelles and will exchange travellers cheques and foreign currency: Barclays Bank, Bank of Baroda, Banque Franaise Commerciale, Central Bank of Seychelles, Development Bank of Seychelles, Habib Bank Ltd, Nouvo Banq and Seychelles Savings Bank. Currency exchange receipts should be kept in order to facilitate re-exchange on departure.

Credit & debit cards: American Express and Visa are widely accepted; Diners Club and MasterCard have more limited use. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available.

Travellers cheques: Accepted in most hotels, guest houses, restaurants and shops. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in US Dollars or Pounds Sterling.

Currency restrictions: The import and export of local and foreign currency is unlimited.

Exchange rate indicators
The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the Seychelles Rupee against Sterling and the US Dollar:

Date Aug ’03 Nov ’03 Feb ’04 May ’04
£1.00= 8.39 9.33 10.04 9.86
$1.00= 5.26 5.50 5.52 5.52

Banking hours: Mon-Fri 0830-1430, Sat 0830-1330.

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Health

Special Precautions Certificate Required
Yellow Fever No 1
Cholera No No
Typhoid and Polio 2 N/A
Malaria No N/A

1: A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required by all travellers over 1 year arriving from infected areas or who have passed through partly or wholly endemic areas within the preceding 6 days.

2: Typhoid occurs in rural areas.

Food & drink: Mains water is normally chlorinated, and whilst relatively safe may cause mild abdominal upsets. Bottled water is available and is advised for the first few weeks of the stay. Milk is pasteurised and dairy products are safe for consumption. Local meat, poultry, seafood, fruit and vegetables are generally considered safe to eat.

Other risks: Hepatitis A and B occur with occasional outbreaks of dengue fever.
Rabies may be present in certain areas. If you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay; for more information, see the Health appendix.

Health care: There is a large general hospital in Victoria and there are clinics elsewhere on La Digue, Mah and Praslin. Visitors may obtain emergency treatment for a basic consultancy fee. Additional medical insurance is advised.

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Climate

The islands lie outside the cyclone belt but receive monsoon rains from November to February with the northwest trade winds. This hot and humid season gives way to a period of cooler weather, though the temperature rarely falls below 23C, and rougher seas when the trade winds blow from the southeast (May to September).

Required clothing: Tropical lightweights, with rainwear advisable during the rainy season. Sun hats and sunglasses essential all year round.

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Passport

Passport Required Visa Required Return Ticket Required
British Yes No Yes
Australian Yes No Yes
Canadian Yes No Yes
USA Yes No Yes
OtherEU Yes No Yes
Japanese Yes No Yes

PASSPORTS: Passport valid for 6 months from date of arrival in the Seychelles.

VISAS: Visa not required by any nationality as long as they have:
(a) onward or return ticket (if not, onward or return ticket must be purchased on arrival);
(b) proof of sufficient funds and organised accommodation for the duration of the stay.
A visitor’s permit, valid initially for duration of intended stay, is issued on arrival, subject to possession of (a) and (b) as above; alternatively a deposit may be made by ‘security’ bond in lieu. The permit may be renewed for 3 months at no extra cost, and then at a cost of an additional SRs200 every 3 months for a maximum of 1 year, provided the applicant holds a valid open return ticket. For further information, contact the nearest Seychelles Tourist Office.

Transit: Passengers in transit must have tickets with reserved seats for their onward journey.

Temporary residence: Enquire at the High Commission. Additional information about temporary residence and visitor’s permits may be obtained from: Immigration Division, 2nd Floor, Independence House, Victoria, Mah, Seychelles (tel: 611 110; fax: 225 035; e-mail: dgoi@immigration.sc).

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