Entry formalities – Health:
A visa is not needed, on the other hand a valid passport is required and the return ticket as well as a proof of accommodation and of sufficient funds for your stay must be shown upon arrival. The Seychelles Immigration will then issue a free visitor's pass valid for one month which can possibly be extended. If children are not included on the parent's passport, they have to make sure to have their own passport.

Time difference:
GMT/UTC + 4 hours. To get the Seychelles time add 3 hours to the Central European Time in winter, and 2 hours to the CET in summer. In other words, when it is 9 am in Paris, in Mahe it is 11 am (in summer) and 12 noon (in winter).

Exchange rate – Currency:
The Seychelles Rupee (SR) is the local currency and is divided in 100 cents. There are coins of 1, 10 and 25 cents, coins of 1 and 5 Rupees and notes of 10, 25, 50, 100 and 500 Rupees. 1 SR is worth about 0.06 € and 1 € is the approximate worth 16 SR. It is not necessary to change a large amount of foreign currency into Rupees because most local expenses (excursions, car rental, domestic flight tickets, etc.) can also be paid in € or USD. For further information on current exchange rates please visit: www.cbs.sc

Language - Vocabulary :
English and French are both official languages, however the Creole is the lingua-franca. The Creole Seychellois rehabilitated has become a semi-official language in 1981 and is increasingly used in press and literature. The Creole Seychellois is similar to the Creole spoken in Mauritius and in Martinique, but very different from the Creole spoken in La Reunion.

Below some useful phrases…

Hello : bonzour
What is your name ? : ki mannyer ou appel ?
My name is... : mon appel...
Where do you live ? : koté ou resté ?
I don't understand : mon pas konpran
I like this : mon kontan
Where is.. ? : ol i... ?
How much is this …. ? : kombyen sa... ?
Could I have a beer, please ? : mon kapa ganny en labyer silvouplé ?

Gastronomy:
The best creole cuisine of all the Indian Ocean area is found in the Seychelles. Rice and fish, which are the basic food, are livened up in a very much inventive way with fruits, vegetables, herbs and some spices. The variety of local fish and seafood is unimaginable: you will surely be able to taste shark, barracuda, bourgeois (red snapper), octopus, rabbit fish, as well as other traditional creole dishes like 'daube' (local ragout), 'rougaille' (special tomato sauce served with fish or local sausages), coconut curry (mild curry of meat or of fish, cooked in coconut milk), 'brèdes' (local variety of spinach)...

Cost of living on spot:
Seychelles is certainly not one of the cheapest destinations. However if you have travelled there, you will most probably wish to enjoy your holiday ….

Climate :
The Seychelles seasons are defined by the sense of trade winds, which blow north-west (from December till March) or south-east (from May till September). April and November are marked by the inter-seasons: calmer periods, sometimes windless, this is the time trade winds change direction. These light and variable wind periods are accompanied by calm seas and clear waters.

The north-west trade wind season is characterized by intermittent rain squalls particularly in January and stronger winds during the period from December till March. Fortunately, all the Islands of the Seychelles are located outside cyclone belt. In general, the north-westerly winds strengthen at the close of day, but remain relatively weak with an average wind speed of 5-10 knots and reach its peak strength in January.

The south-east trade winds are drier and tend to blow more uniformly throughout the day and at night, peaking in July / August. The average speed of the wind during the period from June till September is from 10 to 15 knots, with occasional gusts linked to the sudden lifting of trade winds, however not exceeding 30 knots.

The air temperature varies, regardless of the time of year, between 24°C and 31°C, the rate of humidity is 80 %. The sea temperature lies between 24°C and 29°C.

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