Now it is a luxury resort far from modern civilization, an oasis of silence surrounded by wild unspoilt nature. In the distant past, this is the safe haven of the famous pirate Jean-Francois Audoul-they say he buried his untold wealth here, but no treasure was ever found. This is the Seychelles Silhouette Island.
General information
Silhouette Island is part of the Seychelles Archipelago located in the Indian Ocean and belongs to the State of Seychelles. It is located at a distance of 20 km from the western coast of Mahe, very close to the island of Severny.
Of the entire archipelago, it was Silhouette and Severny that were first seen by the members of the Sharpaig expedition in 1609. But the first settlement on the Silhouette appeared only at the beginning of the XIX century. Starting in 1860, the French Dauban family turned this island into a plantation of coconut and fruit trees. Silhouette Island became state property in 1983 and is now owned by the Seychelles Development Company.
This is interesting! Silhouette Island is named after the French minister Etienne de Silhouette, and it happened in 1771.
Although Silhouette is located very close to the main island, it is the most undeveloped of the entire archipelago and is virtually untouched by modern civilization. On an area of 20 km2, only 2 settlements are organized (Grand Barb and the only port of La Pass), which have a population of only 200 people. There are no roads or cars here – just paths for pedestrians and cyclists.
The island is covered with extensive prehistoric rain forests, and a particularly wide variety of vegetation can be observed on the slopes of Mont Dauban. Scientists believe that Silhouette is the most diverse island in the Indian Ocean, a real living natural history museum. In 2010, it received the status of a National Park, and is also located in the very center of the State Marine Reserve, so it is protected by the environmental laws of the Seychelles.
Interesting fact! Silhouette is home to the carnivorous pitcher plants, named after Mount Mont-Pot-a-Oh (its exact name is “water pot mountain”).
Only 1 hotel is provided for tourists on the island, but it also fits harmoniously into the natural landscape and does not spoil the environment at all.
Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa
The Hilton Seychelles Labriz 5* hotel complex, built on the island in 2006, has been awarded the Green Globe certificate.
It is a 20-minute electric car ride from La Pass Pier – which is where boats from Mahe, the central island of the Seychelles, dock.
Rooms at the spa hotel are villas located in the garden or on the first line of the beach. There are 128 villas in total, 17 of them are luxury.
There are several restaurants in the hotel complex:
- The main restaurant, Cafe Dauban, offers themed dinners;
- Grann Kaz Plantation House specializes in traditional Creole cuisine;
- Portebello-cozy pizzeria;
- Teppanyaki and Sakura restaurants specialize in Italian, Japanese and Creole dishes with a French twist.;
- Lo Brizan Bar serves exotic cocktails and organises musical performances.
Important! Internet on Silhouette is at a fairly good level. All rooms and restaurants have wireless access, cellular communication works in GSM 900 mode. Vacationers have the opportunity to make any international calls.
Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort offers its guests a luxurious spa area, whose treatment rooms are surrounded by huge rocks, and swim in the panoramic pool, which is set among beautiful palm trees. The hotel also has a PADI 5* certified diving center equipped with a decompression chamber.
Silhouette will be a good place to relax with children. After all, on the territory of the hotel complex there is a club for children aged 4-12 years, whose employees organize educational and developmental games every day.
The cost of staying at the Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort varies from 545-1800 € per night for two people. You can find out prices for specific dates or book a room on this page.
Yes, holidays in the Seychelles, particularly on Silhouette Island – are expensive. But the high prices are fully compensated by the excellent quality of service and a variety of leisure options.
What to see and do
The Seychelles, and especially Silhouette, is an ideal place to connect with nature.
A tip! Bring it home for a rumor about ride on the Silhouette Coconut coco de mer. It is expensive, starting from 200 € and more, and weighs 15-18 kg, but it has an original shape-it looks like a woman’s buttocks. An excise stamp and a special permit are required to export nuts outside the Silhouette and Seychelles-all this must be provided by the seller.
Walking routes
There are many hiking trails throughout the island, and the starting point for all is La Passe.
The most popular route is to the village of Grand Barbe, which takes 4 hours to get there. The trail passes mainly through the forest, where you can admire sandalwood trees, orchids and endemic pitcher plants.
Important! It is better to recover this route with a guide! There are several forks on the path that can be difficult to notice on the way back – because of this, you can lose your way.
Another attractive location within a 2 – hour walk is the bay of Anse-Mondon on the north shore of the island. The water in the bay is so clear that even from the shore you can watch the marine life. The road to Anse-Mondon requires rock climbing skills, as it passes over smooth, rocky surfaces.
Beach holidays
There are several beaches on the Silhouette – these are both well-equipped places and absolutely wild ones. The main beach of the island is located near the hotel, and it is equipped with all the necessary infrastructure. In the wild areas, the scenery is impressive: the turquoise waters of the ocean, the shores with snow-white sand or with fancy granite boulders, branching palm trees.
You can also enjoy activities such as canoeing, kayaking, and windsurfing.
Since the Silhouette is surrounded by coral reefs (by the way, the richest in the Seychelles), diving and snorkeling will be interesting here. There are approximately 23 world-class dive sites around the island – all of them of different standards, but all rich in a wide variety of marine life. In the list of the most famous dive spots: Lascars, Grand Barbe, Etienne Rocks, Roche Mondon, Point Dauban.
A tip! The best conditions for diving in the calm season: April-May and October-November.
Turtle Reserve
The island is home to a grand turtle sanctuary. It is open to visitors from 10: 00 to 16: 00, and the entrance to its territory is completely free. The project for the protection of turtles is carried out by the Ecological Foundation of the Seychelles.
The reserve is home to Arnold’s giant tortoises and Seychelles tortoises – about 100,000 individuals in total.
It is interesting. In 2014, members of the Seychelles Conservation Community counted 570 turtle tracks on the Silhouette and found 316 turtle egg nests.
How to get to Silhouette
Tourists traveling to the Seychelles arrive at Mahe International Airport. Air travel is possible on planes of the Seychelles airline, which operates direct flights from London, Zurich, Frankfurt am Main, Milan, Rome.
From Mahe, Silhouette can be reached by helicopter or ferry. Please note that a special permit must be obtained to visit the island if you are not a guest of the Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort.
Ferryboat
The ferry departs from Belle Ombre Marina , located in the northern part of the island, 6 km from Victoria.
There are 3 flights every day: at 14: 30 and 17: 00, as well as at 9: 00 on weekdays and at 10: 00 on Sundays. Travel time is 30-40 minutes.
The round-trip fare is 95 € for adults, half of this amount for children.
A private speedboat that can accommodate 4 passengers can be rented for 650€.
Helicopter
Zil Air helicopter (https://zilair.com/) flies directly from Mahe International Airport.
The journey time to Silhouette is 15 minutes.
The price per flight is 621 €, and the maximum number of passengers can be 4 people.
Conclusion
Silhouette is located in the same climate zone as all Seychelles – sub-equatorial marine. The average monthly air temperature outside its territory is +25…+30 °C. This means that the weather there is comfortable and relaxing throughout the year. Therefore, you can go on a trip to the island of Silhouette Seychelles at absolutely any time of the year.
