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Travel Journals
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North Island, Seychelles
—by Nathaniel Waring
My first night on North Island I slept on the sala bed, a large round mattress on a platform on one end of the huge deck of my own private villa. I was surrounded by pillows and caressed by white linen that hung from the pavilion roof. Kept awake for several hours by the sight of shooting stars and the sound of the surf several hundred feet away, I was then gently put to sleep by the breezes that stirred around me bringing hints of salt and flowers and the glassy smell of crushed coral. I awoke to the second sunrise of the morning, having missed the real sunrise over the horizon, I watched the sun rise above the dark gray band of a very distant cloud. It lit up the beach and everything around me. It was one of those moments when you want everything at once, to savor and touch everything around you. I wanted to run onto the beach and swim out into the green ocean, use the outdoor shower, do some yoga on my deck and wake up my friends who were still sleeping. What I did do was lie there gazing outwards. As I write this just a few weeks later I realize that moment has crystallized into a perfect little episode of my life.
Right now North Island is in the final throes of new construction to create 11 villas of unabashed luxury, a restaurant, a dive center and a spa carved from hardwood and granite. Also underway is the first phase of a vast undertaking to eradicate non indigenous flora and fauna and to selectively reintroduce some endangered Seychellois species of birds and plants. Very soon the island will welcome guests—privileged guests in my estimation, who have the time and money to travel to the Seychelles, and who can secure a reservation.
North Island is located 20 miles northwest of Mahe, the main Island in the Seychelles and about 500 acres in size, with two small peaks on either end of the peanut shaped island. This means that water drains both into the ocean and very importantly, into the central part of the island to irrigate a small wetlands area unique to the smaller islands of the Seychelles as well as a large flat expanse between the two hilly areas. Surrounding the island are coral reefs that merge into the Mahe Plateau, a 100-150 foot deep plateau that extends 10-20 miles out, ending in a steep and absolute plunge to depths of several miles. Because of this plateau the seas surrounding the island are a perfect habitat for fish of all sizes. Within the closely protected waters of North Island lie several fantastic dive sites.
The 11 villas and buildings that make up the resort are all on the eastern side, just off the beach. The western side has a curving beach over a mile long. Long branches of the hardwood Takamaka tree curving over the water gently shadow the brightness of sun sand and sea. Both beaches have soft white sand that you sink into, up to 4-6 inches depending on how close you are to the water. The water line is a little steep which ensures that there is not a large flat tidal expanse of hard sand. These two main beaches are among the most beautiful of any beaches I have seen anywhere. The entire island is covered with trees, mainly coconut trees with lots of bushes, grasses, and all types of plants. It is truly verdant. Part of the hilly areas are exposed granite, smooth and dark gray, rising dramatically from the ocean.
The North Island villas stretch along the east beach which is called Anse d'Est, or East Beach in Creole. Villas 1 through 9 are at beach level and their vast decks open onto 30 meters of beach lawn frontage before spilling over onto the sand. Villas 10 and 11 are on the far end of the beach and are built part way up the granite hills, affording fantastic views down the beach. Private access to the beach is by wooden steps set into the rock. Every villa has a private walkway to a path leading to the other villas and the common areas. You are given a golf cart to use during your stay on the island, though walking up and down the beach to the restaurant and spa is always pleasant.
The central part of the villa is a large indoor/outdoor lounge and living area with a small kitchen and many places to sit and recline. The central deck has the Jacuzzi and sala. On the right is the vast master bedroom which is surrounded on three sides by glass accordion-style doors. The bedroom opens into a bath area (I won't call it a room as it is almost 1,000 square feet by itself!) with a large sunken tub, toilet and both an indoor and outdoor shower. There is also a massage table with views of the beach. To the left of the living area is a large library/guest room with 2 single beds and full bathroom with shower.
In spite the luxury of my villa, over the 4 days I spent on North Island I spent little time in it other than when I was asleep. There were simply too many other things to do: walks, plunges, dives, swims, hikes, climbing, as well as fishing, eating, exploring. I also spent a lot of time speaking with some of the workers, craftsmen, and the designers and architects of the entire project.
Silvio and Les are the husband and wife team who designed the villas and public buildings. They've been on the island for the past year, with their 3 year old daughter Luna. Silvio is a South African of Italian origin, built a little like Stallone, he spends all day in his khaki shorts and sandals, no shirt. His wife Les is also South African, a former Olympic kayaker. She and Luna walk around barefoot and always look happy and relaxed. Their creations are fluid and bend with the trees and rocks they find and incorporate into their designs. Each villa has a massive trunk of a tree, set upside down and used as a central support so it looks like a Tolkienesque fabrication with roots reaching into the roof and pillars giving life and movement to the entire villa. I saw their plans pinned to the walls of one of the original buildings that was used in the copra production days of the island. These were not architectural drafts, but detailed sketches, with water color, that I wanted to roll up and bring home to frame on my walls. Some of the woodworkers they employ have been with them for years, working on Silvio's other projects. He has designed Jao Camp in Botswana's Okavango Delta and the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge in Tanzania. The woodwork is what really make his villas and the restaurant and bar. Each plank and pillar is rough cut with a chainsaw, and then further chiseled to interlock with no screws or nails. I saw his Malawian woodworkers using a chain saw like a fine chisel, carving posts, texturing pillars and sculpting designs that made each joint unique.
The roofs are thatch and made by a team of Balinese craftsmen. I met them during their tea time and we sat together, they looked elegant in their wrap around lungis. All of them had worked on projects like the Oberoi, Aman and Four Seasons properties in Bali. They were happy to be employed in the Seychelles and a part of this project but they all urged me to tell my fellow Americans to come to Bali, that we would be welcome and well looked after.
Besides the beauty of the island and all of the activities my other strong memory is of the food that Geoffrey, the Chef, created for us daily. For breakfast we had fresh baked croissants and pastries, home made granolas with dried tropical fruit, and fresh fruit chunks and juices. Lunches were cold soups, sandwiches, fish salads, platters of cheeses and cold roasted vegetables. Dinners were fresh tuna that we had caught, pork chops with fruit compotes, grilled fish with mango chutney, paw paw salad, fruit pies, chocolate and ginger cookies, home made sorbets and a fantastic selection of South African wines. Geoffrey came to the island after his career opening and running Boom and Bang, two highly successful restaurants in New York's Soho and Miami's South Beach, and a stint at Makalale Lodge in South Africa.
North Island has a partial opening this summer and a full opening in October, 2003 when the spa will be complete. Cox & Kings has secured special first year rates that extend to December 22, 2003. Some dates this fall and winter are already sold out. We would love to tell you more about this island so feel free to call and I would be happy to speak to you about what your days or week on North Island will be like.
Do you have a C&K travel story you would like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Submit your travel tales and reflections to tours@coxandkingsusa.com.
Travel Journals
Laos, Land of a Million Elephants
Nat Waring's North Island, Seychelles Report
Memsahib in the Kitchen
The Tigers of Rathambore
Life Along the Ayeyarwady
North Island, Seychelles
Our Honeymoon To Kenya
Our Stay at North Island
Bali and Sumba Islands, Indonesia
Peru and the Inti Raymi Festival
Northern Thailand & Myanmar
Going Native in Malaysia
Bhutan, Nepal, Cambodia & Thailand
Exploring Ethiopia
Falling in Love—with India
A Perfect Safari to Kenya and Tanzania
A Thai Wedding
Indochina Sojourn
Family Safari to Tanzania
Exploring Malaysia
Our Dream Family Safari to South Africa
Safari to Botswana
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