BANYAN TREE SEYCHELLES
Banyan Tree Seychelles - Luxury Travel Magazine
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Banyan Tree Seychelles | |||||
| By:Jason Busch, Issue 15 – Winter 2003 | |||||
| (Banyan Tree – Seychelles) | |||||
| ONE OF THE JEWELS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN HAS A BRIGHT NEW SPARKLE. | |||||
| The world is full of rooms, pools and even loos with a view but this must surely be a first for the humble seat. After a long and tiring day capturing the essence of the new Banyan Tree Seychelles on film, there’s time for a few minutes’ reflection as the late afternoon light gives way to the pale pink of dusk. I step down from the airy verandah of my beautiful hillside villa and dip into the private plunge pool, the cool still water washing the heat of the day from my skin. I drift over to the edge of the pool where a perfectly positioned submerged seat awaits for a dress-circle view of the sunset. To the left lies the main resort complex, bathed in golden light. Below is the crescent-shaped Intendance Bay, its powder-white sands tinged with pink. And beyond the headlands, swathed in indigenous takamaka and palm trees, lies the inky blue of the Indian Ocean stretching to infinity. A special moment indeed. There are lots of magic moments at this glamorous addition to one of the world’s most beautiful tropical holiday destinations. Like the pre-dawn, four-wheel drive from the international airport to the resort, arriving (a little bleary- eyed) in time for the sunrise. Or the soothing body scrub and massage in the spectacular spa, set behind the resort high up in the treetops with dazzling ocean views. Or the romantic beach barbecue, served at sundown at the water’s edge amid a twinkling cluster of flares. Not to mention the colourful birdlife which swoops across the bay, the vast grey granite boulders around which the resort is so cleverly built, or the friendly staff – a hand-picked, mini-United Nations spanning Africa, India, Asia and the Seychelles. All this, however, plays second fiddle to the resort itself, a lavish, white-washed pile resembling an old-style plantation house, a nod to the island’s rich colonial history. Everything old is new again with vibrant and contemporary architectural design, furnishings and fittings throughout, from the sweeping reception drive and welcoming lobby to the 36 hillside or beachfront pool villas, the last word in luxury and style, each with views of the shimmering Indian Ocean. In fact, there’s barely a spot in the resort where water and fringing reef isn’t in the frame with a network of pathways leading down through the dense foliage and rugged boulders to the beach. Perched on the south-western corner of Mahe Island, a half-hour drive from the airport, the resort is ideally positioned to make the most of the spectacular sunsets and calm reef waters. The key word at Banyan Tree Seychelles is privacy with each villa set a discreet distance from the next. The resort was full during my recent visit yet it felt like barely anyone was there. While most guests hide away in their villas by day – emerging only for meals, to swim in the bay or indulge in a spa or beauty treatment – the resort has a social, friendly and welcoming air, much like a breezy house party in a Victorian plantation house. Swathed from head to toe in crisp Ralph Lauren (BYO panama and walking cane), one can drift from elegant lobby, bar, library and Banyan Tree Gallery to the breezy ocean-view verandah, where morning and afternoon tea or chilled G&T sundowners can be taken in true sahib style. Below lies a second deck where light meals are served and then it’s down again to another deck, sunbeds, a gorgeous horizon pool, bar and beach. Grab your favourite magazine or potboiler novel and chill for the rest of the day. Gourmet cuisine runs the gamut from Thai and Southeast Asian specialities in the signature Saffron restaurant to international, Asian and Creole menus in the more casual Au Jardin d’Epices. La Varangue serves cocktails and snacks all day while an assortment of seafood barbecues, grills and picnics can be enjoyed beachside. The Lobby Lounge, Juice Bar and Pool Bar serve up everything from refreshing herbal teas to tropical cocktails while guests can also dine in the privacy of their villas. And so to bed. Snuggled alongside the granite mountain backbone, each of the 21 exquisite hillside pool villas has a master bedroom, his-and-hers dressing areas, the obligatory indoor sunken bath and breezy sundeck where you can relax with an in-villa massage or dip into your private infinity pool (taking time to enjoy the view from that clever pool seat). The 15 beachfront pool villas are closer to Intendance Bay, largerand even more sumptuous than their hillside sisters with a wide verandah, landscaped gardens, master bedroom and bathroom, steam room, jacuzzi, sundeck and swimming pool with a stately Thai sala for private spa treatments or daybed lounging, all framed by tropical vegetation and aquamarine ocean. There are buggies to drive guests from villa to main resort complex but the winding pathways around the rocks – lit with tiny twinkling lights at night, creating a hugely romantic fairyland effect – are a delight to walk, especially as they bring you up close and personal with the granite boulders. All the villas are stuffed to the rafters with luxury amenities from fluffy bathrobes to mini-bar, TV and languidly whirring ceiling fans. And if the hillside or beachfront pool villas just aren’t big enough, there’s always the two-bedroom presidential villa with its vast living areas and eye-catching circular swimming pool. For the energetic, there’s a range of water sports from snorkelling and diving to windsurfing, a health club and gym, and island sightseeing/hopping tours but most guests simply relax in their villa or around the resort. Who needs les belles Seychelles when life is beautiful right here on your pool seat? If only I’d caught the moment on film. | |||||
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