AstroJOE Posted April 26, 2014 Share Posted April 26, 2014 My fiancé and I are planning our wedding for next year. We're pretty much settled on the Seychelles so just need to decide on location, hotel and wedding organiser.One of the packages we've seen includes a stargazing experience in the evening where the happy couple (us) get to sail around the islands, sipping cocktails and looking up at the stars under truly dark skies.Just wondered if anyone has also done this or has been to the Seychelles and can comment on the quality of the night sky views there?James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old dave Posted April 26, 2014 Share Posted April 26, 2014 Been there a couple of times but a long time ago, 1976 and 1979, therefore my memory is just a bit hazy. Don`t think it has changed too much. The place is WONDERFUL. Just make sure that you don`t stay in the hotel bar - it`s well worth touring around. Main island is small and is surrounded by small beaches and lagoons. Just hire a mini moke and drive. Go snorkelling, treasure hunting, island hopping (there are thousands of them). First time I went was on honeymoon and the second week we stayed in a private villa owned by an elderly ex-pat couple who stayed in the villa. One evening both ladies had retired. The owner asked if I liked gin & tonic -------well-------. We were drinking it out of LAGER glasses. He then asked if I liked classical music - fine I said. He pulled out a gramophone (not a record player) and a few 78s (any of you know what they are?). We sat in his lounge with one wall completely open to the night - about 80 degrees with Mozart booming out. The villa was on the side of a hill, surrounded by bougainvillea, and you looked down over jungle to a lagoon below. My senses still haven`t recovered from that night - the music, the smell of flowers, the gin. I couldn`t see the night sky for the stars! I got rat a---d that night. Not the faintest idea when or how I got to bed. It was my best holiday. Get over there and ENJOY. Remember it`s not only about astronomy (sacrilege) - despite our weather we can still see on the occasional good night in the UK but It`s not every year you can visit the Seychelles (lucky you if you can) and so you must experience that to the full. Thanks for your post as I am now walking down memory lane BIG TIME. Post me if you want any background.Regards and good luck,Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Umbraldot Posted April 26, 2014 Share Posted April 26, 2014 I've never been, but it sounds idyllic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kai Posted April 26, 2014 Share Posted April 26, 2014 Not from the Seychelles but we have just gawped at the sky in the Maldives.It takes a while to get your bearings though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstroJOE Posted April 26, 2014 Author Share Posted April 26, 2014 Been there a couple of times but a long time ago, 1976 and 1979, therefore my memory is just a bit hazy. Don`t think it has changed too much. The place is WONDERFUL. Just make sure that you don`t stay in the hotel bar - it`s well worth touring around. Main island is small and is surrounded by small beaches and lagoons. Just hire a mini moke and drive. Go snorkelling, treasure hunting, island hopping (there are thousands of them). First time I went was on honeymoon and the second week we stayed in a private villa owned by an elderly ex-pat couple who stayed in the villa. One evening both ladies had retired. The owner asked if I liked gin & tonic -------well-------. We were drinking it out of LAGER glasses. He then asked if I liked classical music - fine I said. He pulled out a gramophone (not a record player) and a few 78s (any of you know what they are?). We sat in his lounge with one wall completely open to the night - about 80 degrees with Mozart booming out. The villa was on the side of a hill, surrounded by bougainvillea, and you looked down over jungle to a lagoon below. My senses still haven`t recovered from that night - the music, the smell of flowers, the gin. I couldn`t see the night sky for the stars! I got rat a---d that night. Not the faintest idea when or how I got to bed. It was my best holiday. Get over there and ENJOY. Remember it`s not only about astronomy (sacrilege) - despite our weather we can still see on the occasional good night in the UK but It`s not every year you can visit the Seychelles (lucky you if you can) and so you must experience that to the full. Thanks for your post as I am now walking down memory lane BIG TIME. Post me if you want any background.Regards and good luck,DaveHi Dave, thanks for your response. I was born around the time you were there (1978) and my memory of that is also a bit hazy so don't worry I really enjoyed reading your post, particularly the bit about drinking Gin from a lager glass!! We're planning on staying on the island of Sillohette which only has 1 hotel and is otherwise uninhabited apart from the workers. No roads and no shops, a beachfront villa, white sands and crystal blue water....BLISS! Interesting you say you don't think it has changed much in the Seychelles since you were there......as far as the geography and the weather is concerned I image/hope you're right although I don't think the bar staff will be as generous when we go as they were to you. I say this because I've just found out from Trip Advisor that the hotel bar charges £6 for a bottle of local beer, £11 for a glass of house wine and £15 for a cocktail !!!!!!! Do you know what though, I don't care! I only plan on getting married the once so if I have to sell a kidney before I go to cover the bar bill, so be it The dark skies will be an added bonus and the thought stargazing with the WIFE at the end of an amazing day sounds perfect!!Glad my post brought back some fond memories for you.James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleetus Van Damme Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 I've been there a total of three times. I have stayed on three different islands, Mahe (the main one), Praslin and La Digue. On La Digue the electricity went off at approx 6pm every night - fridges were run on fuel. No such thing as light pollution back then. If I remember correctly the government had a law which forbid buildings higher than the surrounding palm trees. They were very conservation minded and I'm sure the beauty of the islands have been preserved. Now, I don't want to alarm you here because I want you to have a wonderful trip, but it does rain there quite a lot. One of my trips there was in November and it was overcast for the first 4 days. The islands are very green for a reason. Having said that, the view of the night sky is difficult to describe without falling back on the old cliches!! Normally clouds don't hang about too long and sunshine bursting through after heavy rainfall is common. Sun sets at about 6pm and rises at about 6am every day of the year. God, how boring!! And when the sun vanishes it goes black very quickly. Bring a star chart because you will be confused. Also, a pair of binos. Have a geat time. Cleetus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old dave Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 Cleetus,You are correct. The government brought in the sensible law concerning building. On my 1st trip I visited in July, the 2nd was in September. One of them was during their monsoon - don`t worry James, nothing like India. The monsoon involved a bucket of rain each day BUT you can see the cloud coming and you simply go to the other side of the island until it passes then back to the old sunshine. Although you will be only 2-3 degrees from the equator amazingly I found that the sea was quite cool but not cold. Remember to take some kind of trainers you can paddle/swim in as there is a fish there which has some really prickly spines. One of the marvellous things about even the main island is its night silence. No discos, no lager louts, just peace and total darkness. Your island sounds a wee bit like heaven. Pick up some gin and local beer at the supermarket on the main island and avoid being a hostage to fortune too often! A marvellous way to start your marriage and I hope you and the future missus have a great life together. But before this forum becomes a travel forum --------RegardsDave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstroJOE Posted April 28, 2014 Author Share Posted April 28, 2014 Thanks both for your replies. I was having a play around with Stellarium last night, fast forwarding to Oct 2015 and changing my location to the capital Victoria on Mahe. Much to my delight it appears that both the Large and Small Magallenic Clouds will be due South just after dark, Andromeda galaxy will be high in the North West and the moon will only be about a 1/3 of the way through it's cycle low in the East. Couldn't have hoped for much more than that really! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGazing Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 Interesting topic, fantastic experiences. How is the weather there in January, is it worth taking a small scope on the plane to take a look at the LMC and all the other treasures? I understand that January is fairly wet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strutsinaction Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 I seem to recall very dark skies when I went a few years ago. We island hopped between Mahe, Praslin and La Digue. Beautiful place, you've love it.RegardsJohn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old dave Posted October 26, 2015 Share Posted October 26, 2015 Well AstroJOE. What happened? How was your experience in the Seychelles? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGazing Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 As the day of departure is approaching, I'm agonizing over whether to pack a small Mak, which is a major pain to haul over connecting flights, or simply take binos. Any advice? It's rainy season and weather is fickle, yet one good night there is a jackpot... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 As the day of departure is approaching, I'm agonizing over whether to pack a small Mak, which is a major pain to haul over connecting flights, or simply take binos. Any advice? It's rainy season and weather is fickle, yet one good night there is a jackpot...Personally I would take a smallish refractor over a Mak. Quicker to cool and will give widefield views not possible in a Mak. I've taken a variety of scopes abroad, normally around 60 to 76mm and have had wonderful experiences in places ranging from Tanzania to, more recently, Samos.Samos holiday observing - June/July 2015http://stargazerslounge.com/index.php?/topic/247959-Samos-holiday-observing---June-July-2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim78154 Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 Well AstroJOE. What happened? How was your experience in the Seychelles?My wife and I went there for our honeymoon. It was quite an experience for both of us, but especially for her. I am an American and she is Russian. We met and married while I was working in Russia. We left Moscow in snowy, overcast conditions and dressed for those conditions. We arrived to tropical conditions and bright sunshine. We nearly melted before we could get our clothes changed. Some of the memorable moments were seeing the milky way in all of it's splendor against a perfectly black sky, wading through the water and watching the phosphorescent algae light up like tiny stars in the water, walking out onto a tennis court and realizing that we had no shadows because the equatorial sun was exactly over our heads, sitting in a lounge chair next to the pool and having the fruit bats drop the seeds from the fruit that they were eating all around us and having fish swim right up to us and try to nibble at our skin. Don't expect to be able to pop down to the pub for a pint. This is an Islamic country and alcohol is allowed only in the hotels and hotel bars. Do not try to bring any with you either. Customs will confiscate it when you come in and then return it to you when you leave. I will say that this was the most peaceful and pleasant vacation that I have ever been on. Beautiful place and wonderful people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGazing Posted January 1, 2016 Share Posted January 1, 2016 Islamic? Are you talking about Maldives? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGazing Posted January 1, 2016 Share Posted January 1, 2016 Personally I would take a smallish refractor over a Mak. Quicker to cool and will give widefield views not possible in a Mak. I've taken a variety of scopes abroad, normally around 60 to 76mm and have had wonderful experiences in places ranging from Tanzania to, more recently, Samos.Samos holiday observing - June/July 2015http://stargazerslounge.com/index.php?/topic/247959-Samos-holiday-observing---June-July-2015Well, its either Mak or binos for me, I do n9t have a refractor. Weather is patchy there now, so its a gamble...I will probably take binos and then curse my luck if we get a night of pitch black zero cover sky.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstroJOE Posted January 1, 2016 Author Share Posted January 1, 2016 Well, its either Mak or binos for me, I do n9t have a refractor. Weather is patchy there now, so its a gamble...I will probably take binos and then curse my luck if we get a night of pitch black zero cover sky....Personally I wish Id taken some bino's with me. The skies were incredible there and a lot of the faint fuzzies were visible naked eye. There were so many stars I struggled to get my bearings sometimes. It was an amazing experience on all levels. As for the post about alcohol not being allowed, I'm afraid that's simply incorrect. The poster must be getting confused with a different destination. You're allowed to take 2 litres of wines and 2 litres of spirits into the seychelles per adult. There's even a duty free shop in the arrivals lounge of Mahe airport (although we picked ours up at Gatwick and it travelled with us via Dubai). Alcohol is readily available in all bars, supermarkets and restaurants in the Setchelles. Oh and it's not an Islamic country either.... Have a great time!James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singlin Posted January 1, 2016 Share Posted January 1, 2016 I went to Polynesia for my Honeymoon and as I was an avid surfer at the time I thought it a great idea to plan some surfing combined with the Honeymoon.My advice is that if your wife is a keen stargazer then by all means you could fit this in to your schedule and enjoy it both.If the interest is only yours then I would leave it for another occasion.Your Honeymoon is all about you and your spouse.It could backfire on you later on in the marriage, so make sure you get your priorities right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old dave Posted January 1, 2016 Share Posted January 1, 2016 Personally I wish Id taken some bino's with me. The skies were incredible there and a lot of the faint fuzzies were visible naked eye. There were so many stars I struggled to get my bearings sometimes. It was an amazing experience on all levels.As for the post about alcohol not being allowed, I'm afraid that's simply incorrect. The poster must be getting confused with a different destination. You're allowed to take 2 litres of wines and 2 litres of spirits into the seychelles per adult. There's even a duty free shop in the arrivals lounge of Mahe airport (although we picked ours up at Gatwick and it travelled with us via Dubai). Alcohol is readily available in all bars, supermarkets and restaurants in the Setchelles. Oh and it's not an Islamic country either.... Have a great time!JamesGlad you had your experience. Well worth while. Happy New Year to all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGazing Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 Sitting at my terrace, sipping local beer and looking at the faint light of the LMC. Binos were a good bet since the clouds are finicky, and even with zero coverage like tonight there is a lot of humidity. Ngc 104 exceeded my expectations, Tarantula looks good and seeing Great Orion nebula in the zenith is quite something... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGazing Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 Getting clearer and darker...ngc2156...waiting for the keyhole to rise...so many stars, and such unfamiliar sky. 20kms away it is raining, talk about microclimate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstroJOE Posted January 4, 2016 Author Share Posted January 4, 2016 What Island are you on BGazing? I've very jealous! The humidity was incredible when I was there in October, camera lens kept misting over. How are the bins coping? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGazing Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 Bins are fine...south side of Mahe, almost at the tip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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