I checked out of my guesthouse at 0830 and was collected by Octopus Divers again, for a single dive. I could only fit in one dive as I have a flight at midnight and it was far better value than a snorkel.
There was only one other diver this morning. We were taken to Red Point where the dive was much better than yesterday’s desert!
There was a school of what I thought were Napoleon Wrasses, but I was told they were humpback parrotfish (which are of the same family). There were about 20 of those ginormous creatures in the school. There were also quite a few octopuses, a black-tip shark and mantis shrimp (amongst plenty of other creatures). After our dive and lunch, I had an afternoon to kill. So, there was a bit of swimming and lazing. One student was doing her Rescue Diver course so we watched a mock rescue from the beach.
The dive operator dropped me off at the jetty around 1630 for the 1730 ferry back to Mahe. I hopped on the free bus which took me to the airport for my 2355 flight to Dubai with a connection to Singapore (unfortunately via Colombo). Three flights of around 4 hours each isn’t good; it means no sleep through the night. But I shouldn’t complain as it is free … the alternative would be a lengthy connection.
Here are my parting thoughts on leaving Seychelles.
Likes:
- Even though Seychelles is so close to the equator, the weather (at the time of my visit) was never oppressive. It was never too hot or too humid. Air-conditioning wasn’t essential. It was a surprise that I found the sea was a bit cold; I had the shivers after my first dive (perhaps I was a bit off colour as I had puked up).
- Nice, laid back atmosphere.
- Very lush and unspoilt environment.
- Beer and wine are cheap. While I’m not a big drinker, it is a real bonus after Pakistan.
Surprise:
- Generally, it wasn’t as expensive as I expected (apart from taxis and excursions). The problem comes with being a solo traveller, and if I had twin-shared the accommodation, it would be quite reasonable.