What I Learned Traveling to Seychelles

Por Thomas Abrahão Kohl – 12 anos

Traveling brings new perspectives because you meet new people and go to places different than anything you have ever seen before. Without perspective a person would only have one idea, not be able to consider any other idea and would not be able to understand why another person might be having a different idea. Meeting new people or visiting new places makes you understand perspective because when someone goes to a new country they experience new ideas and a new point of view of a person’s life.

Seychelles was the first country besides Brazil and the US that I have been to. Coming from Washington to Istanbul was a very cool experience because it was my first time in Istanbul and it was the largest airport I have ever been to. We stayed there for eleven hours at the lounge. After our long break we got on a smaller plane and headed to Mahe. When we got there it was kind of confusing because when we left istanbul it was very cold but in Seychelles it was extremely hot and humid. Also we went from the largest airport I have seen to the smallest I have seen.

North Island – Turtles, Lessons, and Memories

At Mahe we took a ferry to silhouette and from silhouette to a smaller boat and then from the smaller boat to a little fishing boat to the North Island. We had to take the fishing boat since the north island has no dock. I was very surprised to hear that they have no dock because of its impact on marine life and coral reefs.

North Island was amazing, as soon as we got there we were greeted by incredibly nice people. I looked around in the grass and saw three humongous tortoises. I knew they were going to be big but not that big. After that we went to our beautiful and amazing villa and met Kiki and Douglas who helped us with everything we needed.

We got there very late, so we immediately took a shower and went to sunset beach. However we did not make it in time to see the sunset. The next day while my parents were in yoga we decided to go and feed the tortoises. There were at least forty of them. A couple days later we went to a presentation about the North Island and the environmental team there.

I was very happy to know that the owner had rejected many offers from big hotel companies so the island would not change. That was also very nice because it made the experience feel more special and it protects the environment. North Island also killed all the rats in the area because they are an invasive species and were killing many other native birds. Making it one of the 3 rat free habited islands.

After that we went and saw baby hawksbill turtles hatch and go to the ocean. It is kind of disturbing to learn that out of every one thousand turtles only about one of them reach adulthood. We saw two nests hatch at the same time. The turtles were about the size of the palm of my hand. They were very cute and unlike anything I have ever seen before. Later we went to the plunge pool and hung out under the beautiful and breathtaking stars. By living in a lange city or by DC I had never seen that many stars before. We ate delicious mango sorbet and went to bed.

The other day Kiki went with my sister and I to a good snorkeling spot. Sadly we didn’t see as many different fish because it rained the night before. In the evening we saw so many bats, at first I was scared because I have never seen bats that huge and so many of them too.

On our last day Kiki and Douglas went above and beyond because it had been two months since my grandfather had passed away. They set up a picnic breakfast with a little area that had a picture of him. That for sure meant a lot to me and the rest of my family. The breakfast had not only been delicious but a moment at honeymoon beach that I will never forget efter the awesome experience at honeymoon beach kiki and douglas brought us to the baby tortoise area to Adopt a Turtle, this is pretty much going in the gaged area with all the babies and then we pick one of them lift it up and then .

Our Experience in Praslin

After two nights at North Island we went to stay at Praslin. We also got there in the evening so we were very tired and excited for the journey that landed ahead of us. The team there made sure we felt ok and immediately welcomed us to their little cocktail party. I thought we were just going to stay at a normal hotel but this was a villa with many rooms and even an outdoor shower and a plunge pull outside. The bed was very comfortable.

When we woke up we had a whole day planned full of fun things to do. First we went and fed fruits such as watermelon and pineapples to about 15 giant tortoises. Then we went to Vale de mer and met Derek, our super nice and enthusiastic guide who shared many interesting facts such as how there are so many giant tortoises in seychelles that each habitent could have at least two, it was extremely interesting seeing and learning about the history of the female and male coco de mer, also Derek pointed out every lizard or special bird for us to see.

On our way back we went to Anse Lazio, nominated the world’s most beautiful beach four times. It was so beautiful. We went through a small village, crossed a road and then we were there. It was astonishing.

After that we planted some family trees. Each person planted their own tree and put their name tags on them which was very fun and felt extremely special to be able to come back to the trees in twenty or thirty tears and see coconuts on them.

The next day the hotel had planned an awesome floating breakfast in the plunge pool, they were very nice and brought it to our villa at 6:15am because we had to leave. One of the best breakfast ever. IT was two baskets wrapped in a material that floats. There were hash browns, croissants and many more different foods. When we were done we got picked up and we got to the airport in Mahe. Then we went to the national departures.

Soon after our breakfast we left Praslin and went to Mahe. Bryan section and waited for it to board. When we got on the plane I have to admit I was a little scared, I have never been on a plane that small. There were only 15 seats. But after one sleepy hour we got off and into the land of dreams.

Alphonse Island — A Journey Unlike Anything I've Ever Seen

The people there immediately greeted us with warm towels and asked sympathetic questions such as, “How was your flight?” We got on a buggy and went to the bar. We had some drinks and then went to our bungalows. It was awesome the bungalows were not as big as the villas but my parents got their own and my sister and i got one. It was like having our own little house.

We got there kind of early so we had time to explore a bit and have some lunch. The lunch was amazing. One of the coolest parts was all the bikes that they had there, to get to the bar, the dock, the activity center, and many other places you had to use the bikes. We explored the island a little bit and then we went back to our bungalows. We stayed for a while and organized our things. Then in the evening we went to one of the talks, about manta rays, we learned many things about them like that there are two subspecies of mantas, reef and oceanic mantas. After the talk we decided to go to the manta experience the next day. Then we ate dinner and went to bed.

The next day we went to the manta ray experience, which is when we get on a boat and look for manta rays, we saw many spinner dolphins. After about one hour on the boat a thunderstorm started. So we headed back to the dock.it was pouring rain. After a while, the rain stopped so we went snorkeling. It was incredible, I had never seen so many fish in my entire life. We saw two hawksbills which was very cool because I had never seen any wild turtles in real life besides baby ones . The coral reefs were very big, colorful and very pretty. After two whole stunning hours, we decided to go back. After great food we went to bed.

The next day was tiring but awesome, first we went kayaking first thing in the morning. We kayaked about 1.5 kilometers, and in that time we saw a stingray and two turtles. After we got back and headed to the beach bar it was completely breathtaking. When we first walked in, the beach bar was empty. There were two turtle nests, hammocks and my family. The water was super warm so we went snorkeling. Sadly there were not as many fish on this beach as the other one. However we could not resist jumping in the warm crystal clear water to swim in.

We swam for about forty five minutes until we had to go to the flats lunch. We came back and got ready for Flats lunch. Flats lunch is when we take a boat with a lot of people and go to a little sand beach about forty minutes away. The water was very very warm. And the sand was extremely smooth and felt great against your feet. After some delicious barbeque we had to head back because of high tide. However there was a slight problem with one of the boat’s motors, so we had to wait for someone to come and fix it. But it was fun to wait a bit because there were a lot of nice and fun people who made the trip entertaining.

Then we went to the shark talk. It was very interesting to learn about these extraordinary sea creatures. The talk was very detailed and the videos and pictures were very cool but it was sad to learn that there are many critically endangered sharks with species that went down, up to 98 percent. The talk also explained how the biologists working there put chips on many types of animals such as lime sharks, mantas GTs and many more animals, the people there do that to study the animals behavior to better protect them.

After the talk we had to eat our last dinner in Alphonse, after dinner we went to the airport where there were no lights layed down and looked at the stars. The next day my dad and I woke up early and went to do the famous local fly fishing. Our super nice guide taught my dad and taught me how to fly fish. We caught three bonefish and a large blue fin. Fishing was refreshing and calm, and yet at the same time exiting.

My mother and sister went on an expedition and saw dolphins, turtles and even little sharks. Then we went back to the reception since we had already packed our bags and then to the restaurant because the flight was a little delayed, but we did not have time to eat at the restaurant so we ate by plane. The plane ride back to Mahe was smooth.

I was amazed by this incredible trip, it was nothing I have ever experienced, seen or felt. The kindness and hospitality in people was completely heart warming. In Seychelles I learned and experienced things that I would never be able to without this trip.

✈️ Travel Note: Arriving in Seychelles with Turkish Airlines and Creole Travel Services

A special thank you to Turkish Airlines for making our trip to Seychelles comfortable and smooth. With efficient connections from North and South America, Turkish offers one of the most practical and enjoyable ways to reach this remote paradise.

The layover at Istanbul Airport was a highlight in itself—modern, spacious, and full of amenities perfect for both short and long connections. Flying with Turkish was more than just transportation—it was the start of our journey, with hospitality, ease, and care from the boarding gate onward.

We are also extremely grateful to Creole Travel Services, the local team that ensured all transfers and ground arrangements in Seychelles were seamless, safe, and enjoyable. From ferry connections and ground transportation to warm welcomes at every stop, Creole Travel brought efficiency, local knowledge, and Seychellois hospitality in every detail.

Together, Turkish Airlines and Creole Travel Services made sure our experience was effortless from start to finish—and every moment in between.