The Seychelles are all about water. Snorkelling is a must-do for every visitor - the best sports around Mahé are Ste anne, Anse Soleil, Petite Anse and Île Souris. Off Praslin, try around Chauve Souris Island. Diving, particularly around the outlying islands, is considered world class. There are several schools offering courses and equipment is available for hire. Windsurfing is particularly popular on Mahé and Praslin. Plenty of charter operation will take you deep-sea fishing.

For hydrophobes, the Seychelles still has plenty on offer. There are some fine challenges for rock climbers, particularly on Praslin and La Digue, where there's great block and cliff-face climbs. There are some great hikes, many of which are described in great detail in a series of brochures produced by the Tourism Division.

With its short history, the Seychelles isn't exactly overloaded with traditional festivals. Most public holidays are Roman Catholic events, including Easter, Corpus Christi, on 10 June, the Assumption, on 15 August, and the Immaculate Conception, on 8 December. The one major non-religious festival is Festival Kreol, which was set up to preserve and promote Créole culture. Held every year around the end of October, this week-long festival is an explosion of Créole cuisine, fashion, art, music and dance. Créole artists from all over the world descend on the Seychelles for this festival of street theatre.