Shopping

Shopping, an exotic adventure? Yup, in Victoria city, Mahé, the shopping mecca of the Seychelles, where you find the wealth of both sophisticated and arcadian worlds. Other islands are more into quaint, local village markets. Mahé covers pretty much everything from shark teeth to perfumes, artwork to coconuts, including and featuring village markets. Though you may not go further than hotels for interesting finds, exploring small villages and their many roadside shops is well worth the extra mile. Get the feel of unfussy local color.

A trip to the Craft Village in Anse aux Pins opens a world of souvenirs from soup to coconuts decked with pretty shells and carved to look like you or whoever. Turtle shells are contraband, so when you find some, don’t buy so you don’t encourage the trade. Check out the Seypot Factory for home-grown ceramics. Don’t leave the islands without some homegrown spices sold every day everywhere, a scintillating olfactory delight. As expected, art galleries abound. Camion Hall exhibits and sells local crafts of many kinds, and La Kaz offers baskets, hats, and other curious finds. Antik Colony is another treasure hunting venue.