There are few tropical rainforests in the world that have been left in their original pristine condition whilst free of all the nasty tropical diseases like zika or malaria – while there are close competitors in Australia and Singapore, there is no better example than the Seychellois island of Mahé's national park, Morne Seychellois National Park (French: Parc national du Morne Seychellois).

Understand

History

The park was established in 1979, in order to protect Mahé's unique flora, fauna, and impressive landscapes (i.e. the island's mangroves, lush tropical jungles, and tall mountains), and now protects over 20 per cent of the island.

Before the park was established, the park was the epicentre for the Seychelles' production of vanilla, cinnamon, and various other plants that were deemed good enough to grow just four degrees south of the equator; these were used for exploitation. Most of these plants were brought in, and many, including cinnamon, are now abundant throughout the Seychelles' forests. You can still find some old distilleries and houses from Mahé's agricultural era throughout the park.

Landscape

Copolia is one of Mahé's most distinctive peaks

If you had to describe the park in simple words, it would be, a park covering most of Mahé's rainforests and greenery. The park does indeed protect all of Mahé's tropical rainforests north of Anse Royale and south of Victoria. As many Seychellois settlements are very green, the park does weave into some towns, creating an awkward map on paper. In practice, the greenery within towns tend to be alongside rivers or swampland, meaning there's not a whole lot you can do here.

On the other hand, the sections of the park that don't weave into cities can be said to be one of the most pristine tropical rainforests in the world. There are few places in the world that have large swathes of wet tropical rainforests in the world but without the nasty tropical diseases (close contenders are Australia, Singapore, and parts of overseas France). The central parts of the park are very mountainous – many of the Seychelles' highest peaks, including the highest, find themselves home in this park.

The unusual shape of the map does create some residential areas completely enclaved within the park, with the largest being the settlement of 1 La Misère. But who doesn't like to be surrounded by nature on all four sides?

Visitor information

• Seychelles National Park Authority (SNPA) website

Fees and permits

Morne Seychellois National Park is generally free to access, but you will need to pay a Rs 100 fee to hike the Copolia Trail – fees only apply to non-Seychellois people, and only for travellers aged 12 and over. These can be purchased on the park's website

Get around

See Mahé § Get around. Nearly everything that applies to the island also applies to the park.

See

• 1 Mission Lodge (Venn's Town), Sans Soucis Rd (8 km south of Victoria city centre). This former school in the centre of the park is arguably the park's most important historical site, established to educate the children of liberated slaves – it's one of the few remnants that highlight how slavery was eliminated in the region. The hilly and mountainous site was deliberately chosen so the site wouldn't be too close to Victoria. In 1972, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip visited the lodge and opened a viewing lodge – if you're a photography buff, this site is an excellent place to take panoramas. Due to its historical importance, it has been on UNESCO's tentative list for world heritage since 2013. (updated Sep 2022)
• 2 La Misere Exotics Garden Centre, Kennedy Rd, ☏ +248 2 564 259, lamisereexotics@yahoo.com. Temporarily closed as of September 2022. Although not a part of the park, this small garden centre in La Misère has, you guessed it, exotic plants. (updated Sep 2022)

Do

A Copolia Trail signpost

The main thing to do in Morne Seychellois NP is to go hiking.

• Copolia Trail is the only trail in the park where you'll need to pay – see § Fees and permits above (Rs 100 as of 2022). Tickets can be purchased at Sans Souci, next to Copolia Lodge. The trail is just a few metres short of a kilometre (one way), which is not overly long, but if you're a novice hiker, the impressive views from the 497-metre 3 Copolia is rewarding. The trail is only open 08:00–16:00.
• One of the island's most rewarding experiences is hiking up the Seychelles' highest mountain, 4 Morne Seychellois . Though the 905-metre (2,969 ft) mountain is not very high from a mountaineering perspective, there's no denying the impressive views.
• Trois Frere trail

Sleep