The islands of Aldabra group lie in the outer islands of the Seychelles, in the most remote part of the chain. In the Aldabra Group you will find the largest raised coral atoll. It's 34 km long, running east to west, and it has been named a World Heritage Site by Unesco. There are four main islands in the atoll, surrounding a tidal lagoon. It's the Aldabra Atoll, and the whole Aldabra area is managed by the Seychelles Island Foundation, out of Victoria, the capital of The Seychelles.
Over 100,000 giant tortoises live there, which may make it one of the most interesting spots in all of the Seychelles, especially for nature-lovers on vacation here. visitors will find the giant tortoises, turtles, migratory birds, frigate birds by the thousands, giant crabs, and the white-throated rail. The white-throated rail is a flightless bird, and flightless birds are highly rare in the Indian Ocean. In fact, the white-throated rail is the only species left in the Indian Ocean area.
If you want to see the giant Aldabra Atoll and the giant tortoises and the migratory birds here, you have to get written permission from the Seychelles Island Foundation in Victoria. In the past, only scientists and handfuls of tourists bothered to visit this part of The Seychelles Islands, but the demand is growing, along with ecotourism, and the Seychellois government is now considering building some small chalets and lodges for overnight guests on the islands. The islands will still be accessible only by boat, since no airstrips will be built, so it is hoped that these Aldabra Islands will remain protected and tourism will be developed only along strict environmental guidelines for preservation of natural resources.
The nearest airstrip is 17 miles away on Assumption Island. You have to take a boat to the Aldabra Islands Group. There is a government supply ship that visits the Aldabra Islands every few months, and you can try and get passage on this. Ask the Seychelles Island Foundation how you can get a ride on this ship. There's a tour company that runs the Indian Ocean Explorer, but you have to commit to two weeks for this voyage...one week to get there, one week cruising around the islands, and then fly back from Assomption Island. You can shorten the cruise by flying both ways, meeting the boat just for the cruising around the islands part, if you like. These trips run November and December, then from March to May only.
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Aldabra Atoll, situated 1,150km southwest of Mahé, is the largest raised coral atoll in the world, comprising more than a dozen islands bordering a lagoon so vast the whole of Mahé could fit inside its perimeter. Aldabra’s exceptional and pristine condition has earned it the distinction of being named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of two such sites in Seychelles. The atoll’s islands nurture a vast array of both unique flora and fauna as well as the world’s largest population of 150,000 giant tortoises, and its lagoon boasts the most vibrant marine life of the entire archipelago. First given its name by Arab seafarers, the atoll’s harsh, sun-baked environment and the fast-flowing waters of its lagoon typically kept all but the most intrepid explorers at bay. But there has been a tiny permanent settlement on the island since 1874, made up chiefly of contract labourers from Mahé engaged at different times in fishing, mining guano and producing coprah for sale on the mainland. The Seychelles Island Foundation (SIF) now supervises the island and strict regulations governing the island’s accessibility are in force to protect its fragile ecosystem. A small research station affords accredited scientists the opportunity to study the atoll's biodiversity, but there is no hotel accommodation on the island. Yacht charters are available, however.
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