Sainte Anne is the largest of the six and is the site of the five star Sainte Anne Resort. Ile au Cerf used to be the home of Wilbur Smith, the novelist, and is now a five star resort. Ile Moyenne shelters a double mystery - a pirate treasure and the ghost of an old woman who lived there with her dogs. Ile Longue used to be a quarantine station and is now a prison. Ile Cachee is just a tiny dot in the ocean and Ile Ronde's main attraction is its excellent restaurant, Chez Gaby, set in an old leper's camp!

A little further away is the Seychelles' second-largest island: Praslin, which is 22 miles north-east of Mahé. It is more relaxed than the main island. It has magnificent beaches, which include the secluded Anse Lazio on the north coast, rated one of the finest in the world.