The warm waters, high standards and friendly locals draw many visitors to these jewels in the ocean. Island names such as Mahe, Praslin, La Digue, Aldabra and Desroches have enchanted travellers for years. Wherever you turn, there is a lovely beach and upscale dining. For honeymoons, the romance of the Seychelles has everything else in the world beat, bar none.

The Seychelles boasts one of the most pristine natural environments on the planet, with a reputation for social harmony and an enlightened approach to conservation. This has resulted in almost half of the nation's land mass having been set aside as protected nature reserves. The 115 islands are scattered over 1 400 000 square kilometres of warm, crystal clear waters which offer immense diversity, home to some of the most exotic plant and animal life such as the jellyfish tree and Coco-de-mer.

The islands enjoy a pleasant tropical climate all year round and lie outside of the cyclone belt. The Northwest Trade Wind blows between October and May bringing hot, humid weather and calm seas. Between May and September the Southeast Trade Wind brings drier, cooler conditions but rougher seas. Short tropical downpours can occur at any time of year.

Being World Heritage Sites - with Aldabra and the Vallee de Mai (once thought to be the Garden of Eden), sculpted granite boulders, coral reefs, pristine white, sandy beaches, untouched forests and bird sanctuaries - the Seychelles is as pure as it gets.

At 59 square miles Mahe is by far the largest island and is home to the capital, Victoria, the international airport, most of the population and many resorts, plus four casinos. Praslin, the second largest island, is three hours by boat or 15 minutes by air from Mahe. Here life is slower, a lot less rushed - like a trip back in time.

If Praslin is several decades in feel behind Mahe, then La Digue is several centuries behind Praslin. It's the perfect place to do absolutely nothing and enjoy perfect tropical harmony. Possibly the best mode of transport on  La Digue is bicycles. The roads are somewhat uneven as most are still unpaved, but the glides under shady canopies to reach blissful beach solitude are incomparable.