(Seychelles News Agency) - Planning to hike in the Seychelles? Then a new guidebook launched in Paris could be a useful tool.  

The guidebook, entitled ‘Hiking in Seychelles,’ is designed to help visitors and residents explore the nature trails and striking mountain regions of the island nation.

‘Hiking in Seychelles’ was launched in October by the Seychelles Tourism Board at one of Paris’ historical and architectural venues -- the Vivienne Gallery.

It is a promotional tool of around 80 pages providing detailed information on 15 trails spread across the four main islands of Seychelles -- Mahe, Praslin, La Digue and Silhouette.

The chief executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board, Sherin Francis, who was present at the launching, talked about the commonality between France and Seychelles when it comes to hiking.

The guidebook was launched in October by the Seychelles Tourism Board at the Vivienne Gallery in Paris. (Seychelles Tourism Board) Photo License: CC-BY

“Your customers, our visitors, your readers, and the journalists, certainly love to go hiking on the weekends, and there is no reason why they would not wish to do the same while on holiday in the Seychelles," Francis said.

The islands of Seychelles in the western Indian Ocean are popular for their tropical beauty. While many visitors prefer to laze on the amazing white sandy beaches, the more adventurous enjoy discovering the wilder side of the islands.

On most of the hiking trails, hikers can feast their eyes on the fascinating and diverse plant community which is unique to Seychelles. In most cases, an early start is recommended to avoid the sun and mountain mist which sometimes form later in the day. The reward is the incredible flora and fauna native to these areas, extraordinary biological heritage several historical ruins, stunning waterfall, and breath-taking views.

The guidebook has been co-authored by Rémy Ravon and Romain Latournerie and was conceived two years ago when they approached the Seychelles Tourism Board office in Paris.

The Board has assisted the authors with the required logistics, including mapping out the trails, measuring the hiking distance and identifying the best trails throughout the islands.

Francis said that hiking has become an additional tool in promoting Seychelles as a tourist destination.

“One more activity to promote, in the same way, we promote scuba diving or golf. It’s a popular activity, accessible to all and an ecological one, which should go a long way in helping us to protect a natural heritage,” she said.

STB’s regional director for Europe, Bernadette Willemin, was convinced that the guidebook will promote Seychelles’ biodiversity and encourage visitors to preserve the beautiful nature while discovering the lush greenery forests found on various trails.

The guidebook was presented to the press, travel trade partners including airlines, hotels, Destination Management Companies, tour operators and travel agencies in Paris, on Tuesday, October 17.

It is currently available in hard copies in both French and English. The digital version will be out soon and aside from English and French, it will also be available in Italian, German and Chinese.