SURREAL SEYCHELLES
Outlook Traveller|December 2023 - January 2024
THE ALLURE OF THIS ISLAND NATION LIES WITH ITS PEOPLE AND THE CULTURE IT EMBODIES
ANTARAA CHATTERJEE
SURREAL SEYCHELLES

SWIRLING WAVES, GIANT ALDABRA tortoises in vibrant hues staring up at me with their ancient eyes, red houses with slanting roofs, and an endless stream of colours surrounding me; I was in Seychelles, but Seychelles was the soul of this art gallery.

It was my fifth day out of the eight days I was at this tiny archipelago of 115 islands off East Africa, and it was as colourful as the fish I spotted while paddling through on a crystal kayak on La Digue island. The Anse Source D'Argent, crowned as the most photographed beach on the planet, with its shimmering white sand flanked by the aged, huge granite boulders, is a sight to behold. The island quickly caught my interest with its storied past and picturesque present.

George Camille, one of Seychelles' most prominent artists, whose gallery we were visiting on Mahé island, spent his childhood on the island of La Digue. He was telling us stories about growing up with seven siblings and how, despite the lack of an active art scene on the island, he was drawn to it.

"When I was younger, there was no art in Seychelles," said Camille. "My house in La Digue only had religious paintings and symbols. But my eldest brother was the one who inspired me to take up drawing."

Camille, 60, grew up amidst the tropical environment of Seychelles. All his work reflects life, people, and everything that makes Seychelles what it is.

"My father was a baker, and my mother was a housewife. During the 40s life here was devoid of modernity and ambition. Kids didn't go to school; they helped their parents at their jobs. But I went to a local school and managed to get a scholarship to the Seychelles College, where art was in the curriculum," he said. The college shut down after the military coup of 1977.

This story is from the December 2023 - January 2024 edition of Outlook Traveller.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the December 2023 - January 2024 edition of Outlook Traveller.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM OUTLOOK TRAVELLERView All
Where History Meets Luxury
Outlook Traveller

Where History Meets Luxury

Murmurs Of The Past Echo Through The Corridors Of These Legendary Stays

time-read
10+ mins  |
December 2024 - January 2025
LIFE AT THE TOP
Outlook Traveller

LIFE AT THE TOP

WHILE THE GOVERNMENT READIES AMBITIOUS PLANS TO BOOST TOURISM IN THE REGION, SPITI LOCALS ARE GRAPPLING WITH CHALLENGES POSED BY CLIMATE CHANGE AND SCARCE RESOURCES

time-read
5 mins  |
December 2024 - January 2025
NO SCREENS NO PROBLEM
Outlook Traveller

NO SCREENS NO PROBLEM

DOES TAKING A BREAK FROM YOUR PHONE OR COMPUTER GIVE YOU ANXIETY OR A RUSH OF JOY? AS MORE AND MORE INDIANS CHOOSE RELAXATION AS THEIR PRIMARY MOTIVATOR TO TRAVEL, HERE'S WHAT A DIGITAL DETOX HOLIDAY IN INDIA LOOKS LIKE

time-read
4 mins  |
December 2024 - January 2025
GREEN LIVING
Outlook Traveller

GREEN LIVING

SRINAGAR ATTRACTS HORDES OF tourists for its iconic Dal Lake, tree-lined boulevards and Mughal-era gardens resplendent with chinar trees. Now, both the \"Lake of Flowers\" and chinars are in a fight for survival as pollution from untreated sewage and unsupervised logging threatens their future.

time-read
6 mins  |
December 2024 - January 2025
DISCOVERING THE CAUCASIAN PEARL
Outlook Traveller

DISCOVERING THE CAUCASIAN PEARL

BATUMI IS A GETAWAY FOR ALL SEASONS, IMPRESSING VISITORS WITH ITS QUAINT VIBE, CLASSIC ARCHITECTURE AND TRADITIONAL CUISINES

time-read
4 mins  |
December 2024 - January 2025
WHERE SKY MEETS SEA
Outlook Traveller

WHERE SKY MEETS SEA

ESPERANCE, ALONG THE REMOTE SOUTHERN COAST OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, IS A DESTINATION THAT REWARDS THOSE WILLING TO WANDER OFF THE BEATEN PATH

time-read
4 mins  |
December 2024 - January 2025
NEW FINDS IN AN ANCIENT CITY
Outlook Traveller

NEW FINDS IN AN ANCIENT CITY

WHILE THE GREEK ISLANDS STEAL THE LIMELIGHT, THERE'S MUCH TO.UNCOVER IN ATHENS, INCLUDING TOP-NOTCH STAYS AND LESSER-KNOWN STORIES FROM THE PAST

time-read
5 mins  |
December 2024 - January 2025
UNTAMED SATPURA
Outlook Traveller

UNTAMED SATPURA

AN ENCHANTING BLEND OF LUXURY AND NATURE, JEHAN NUMA WILDERNESS IN CENTRAL INDIA IS WHERE ROYAL LEGACIES PROVIDE A GATEWAY TO CONSERVATION

time-read
4 mins  |
December 2024 - January 2025
THE JEWEL OF THE EAST
Outlook Traveller

THE JEWEL OF THE EAST

LONG BEFORE WES ANDERSON ROMANTICISED THE FICTIONAL GRAND BUDAPEST, THE GREAT EASTERN HOTEL IN KOLKATA INSPIRED NOVELS, FILMS AND OODLES OF NOSTALGIA

time-read
4 mins  |
December 2024 - January 2025
IN SEARCH OF THE BEST STAYS
Outlook Traveller

IN SEARCH OF THE BEST STAYS

MARK WONG OF SMALL LUXURY HOTELS OF THE WORLD TALKS QUIRKY STAYS, STRANGERS BECOMING FRIENDS, AND CHASING THE MOST UNIQUE EXPERIENCES ON HIS TRAVELS

time-read
4 mins  |
December 2024 - January 2025