Seychelles, made up of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, is the smallest country in Africa. It's also about 10,000 miles of flying from Seattle!
My BFF was invited to visit the Takamaka Rum Distillery on the main island of Mahé and the owners generously also invited her to stay at their family beach house. They also encouraged her to bring some of her friends! So after being home for just 13 days from my trip to Mexico City and Oaxaca I was enroute to this tiny spot off the east coast of Africa!
As usual I used points to fly, and this time I flew business class on Qatar Airway which was VERY nice! You can read about how I booked my Qsuite from SEA to DOH here.
My DOH to SEZ flight left Qatar at 3am! The Boeing 777's business class lie-flat seats were very comfy and there was lots of room, especially as no-one was seated next to me! There were pillows and a blanket waiting on my seat and a bottle of water inside the armrest. And even though it was 3am I could not turn down a glass of champagne and a little mezze plate before getting a few zzzzs.
I landed at about 8:30am and it was just a short ride to the Takamaka Beach House in Au Cap where Forest, Thibault, and Caitlin were already settled in. They showed me around, I dumped my stuff in my room, and within 30 minutes I was swimming in the beautiful and warm Indian Ocean!
The beach house sits on its own small stretch of white sand with a huge yard who the local land crabs call home. As the Seychelles are granitic vs volcanic islands, it was no surprise that huge granite boulders were in the front and back yards, but it was surprising to see that the inside staircase of the house had been built around one too! Very cool!
Around lunchtime one of our hosts, Retha who is married to one of the Takamaka founders, picked us up and took us to lunch at Kafe Kreole, just down the way in Anse Royale (anse means bay). This was the perfect first place for a meal! The open-air restaurant is steps from the ocean, has comfy swings and loungers if you want to enjoy your drink with your toes in the sand, and has a great menu of local favorites like octopus curry. Everything is "curried" on this island but octopus is the most famous and that is what I had! Along with a refreshing cocktail!
After lunch, Retha drove us to Port Launay Beach. Even though the island of Mahé is very small, the roads are equally as small and very twisty, so it was about a 40 minute drive to go 12 1/2 miles. Oh and they drive on the left in this country!
This was the first week of Nov and even though the rainy season generally starts mid to end of the month we got some rain each day, including when we were swimming here. It was still very warm (our daily high was 83 and daily low was 80f) and most squalls passed after just a few minutes. The water was always incredibly warm and clear. Heaven!
We also got to try out a few rounds of drinks at Kabana which is part of the the Constance Ephelia hotel and right on the beach. Drinks, service and location here were all top notch!
It had been such a great first day. And the best part was we were able to relax back at the house each night. Our hosts had very generously stocked it FULL of Takamaka rum and the house manager Sophie prepped dinner for us each day so all we had to do was grill up whatever she had prepared- pork chops, curried fish, etc. Then we just made cocktails and played cards and caught up with each other.
And waking up to this each morning definitely did not suck!
The next day Retha fetched us again and took us to the distillery after we finished breakfast. Takamaka Distillery is housed in La Plaine St Andre, a spice and sugar plantation believed to date back to around 1792 in Au Cap. It was built by some of the first settlers of the island and Richard and Bernard d’Offay, the brothers who founded Takamaka, purchased the plantation in 2008. They set about completely renovating the very neglected historic buildings and gardens. The d'Offay family were early settlers of Seychelles also, having moved there in 1778, so there is a lot of pride and care in what they are doing.
Richard gave us a tour of the entry room, filled with framed photos of the family and the old plantation. Then we moved out to the amazing gardens, where Retha showed us the ruins of the original outdoor kitchen area and the garden filled with all sorts of medicinal herbs and spices.
The highlight of the garden was definitely a visit with Taka and Maka, the plantation's Aldabra giant tortoises. This species of tortoise is endemic to Seychelles and the 2nd largest in the world! Since they've been around before any of the folks at Takamaka they aren't sure how old they are but guess ~100 years.
We then went on a tour of the distillery followed by a wonderful tasting of the Takamaka line up with one of the distillers. They make both molasses and cane rum and they work with local farmers hiring them to grow and harvest.
After all that rum tasting, Retha invited us outside to have a few cocktails from the bar and lunch from their on-site food truck. Everything was delicious and it was just an incredibly fun day. And of course, extremely generous of them!
We spent the rest of the day and evening back at the beach house swimming and relaxing... with more rum!
The next day the incredibly kind folks at Takamaka arranged for a private driver to take us around the island for some sightseeing. We drove about 40 minutes north to the capital city of Victoria; with a population of under 30k, I'm using the word "city" loosely!
It was a fairly quick stop but we had time to stroll through the Sir Selwyn Clarke Market & check out the vendors selling fresh fruits & fish, dried spices, and lots of little souvenirs.
Then we were back on the road and on to Beau Vallon Beach. It was a beautiful drive with the "postcard" granite boulders and stunning coastline. And of course a few rain showers!
In Beau Vallon we had lunch at The Boat House. The restaurant sits right across from the beach in a big wooden open-air building. Lunch and drinks were fine but that was ok; we finished pretty quickly and hit the absolutely gorgeous beach.
We had such a great time swimming here! We were able to snag a table at the Beach Shak, which sits right in the sand, and spent the entire afternoon having cocktails and running back into the ocean to swim. That is pretty much my perfect kind of day!
5 hours later we had one last drink while taking in the beautiful sunset. It had been another incredible day!
As we did every night, we swam under the moon back at home too!
Another day Retha picked us up and after making a quick stop at a local food truck for curry we drove south to Anse Intendance Beach. This was even more beautiful than Beau Vallen! The day was hot but the skies looked a little stormy and the waves were HUGE! We still swam but it freaked me out a bit honestly.
The sand was so soft and there was zero seaweed or anything! Forest and I went on a beach walk and found a little rum shack blending up drinks. Obviously we had a couple of pina coladas served from fresh coconuts!
After a couple of hours the sky opened up and we were caught in one of the biggest rain storms I've ever experienced! We ran to the car but not before we were completely soaked! It was crazy!
In six full days in Seychelles, each one so fun thanks to our hosts, the absolute best day was a Sunday when the d’Offay family (Richard, Retha and their daughters) came over with their friend Alex and his daughter. The house manager Sophie set a pretty table and laid out dishes, then another of their friends Jemmy came by delivering an amazing lunch he cooked for us! There was a whole fish with chili, octopus curry, lentils, rice, etc.
Richard made rum cocktails and we spent the entire day swimming, drinking, eating, and laughing. Lots of laughing! The d'Offays are incredibly nice and generous people!
We did actually go out for dinner one night. We arranged a private driver who drove us across the south end of the island to the Mango House Resort. We started at their cocktail bar Kokoye where we sat outside on the balcony with our drinks enjoying another stunning view.
Afterwards we moved to their restaurant Muse for some very good seafood. It was a nice evening out and fun to check out this really gorgeous resort.
I had one more night after my friends left for home so I used one of my Marriott free nights to stay at the Laila Hotel. The hotel is located in Anse Royale right across the street from Kafe Kreole (turns out the hotel owns it), so I was looking forward to heading back over there the next day for lunch and drinks.
I was upgraded to a large ocean view room, complete with a little balcony. The hotel was pretty new when I stayed so everything was in perfect condition and the bathroom with huge shower was spotless.
I headed to the bar, the Marée Basse Lounge, and had a great daiquiri, before heading to the restaurant Laroul, for an ok dinner. Unfortunately I was starting to feel unwell so I headed back to my room and just watched a movie in bed.
The next morning I was able to arrange a 5pm checkout so I spent the day by the pool. I didn't feel well enough to go out for lunch as planned but relaxing with a couple of mimosas in the warm weather was good.
And then this lovely little getaway was over. I had arranged with the taxi that brought me to the hotel to pick me up and take me to the airport. I had time to check out the Takamaka bar there and also the Qatar Lounge before boarding my Qatar flight to Doha.
Seychelles is absolutely lovely. I didn't have time to get to the other islands, which I hear are also complete paradise, but I got to hang out with my friends and soak up the fun and the rum! It's a very expensive destination so the generosity of our hosts was really appreciated. If you ever find yourself on this island in the middle of the Indian Ocean be sure to visit Takamaka and tell them hello for me!
If you'd like to listen to the interview that Forest did with the owners of Takamaka you can find that here.
Flights thru the Middle East usually have either some crazy long layover or your connecting flight will leave at a ridiculously early time in the morning when only ravers should still be up! Both of these were my situation on my way from Seattle to the Seychelles.
Also it's pronounced "cut-ter" :)
On my first Qatar Airways flight I had transferred both Amex and Citi points to book their business Qsuite product. These suites are found on all A350-1000 and some 777s; luckily my 777 had been retrofitted (on the booking page it will say if the plane has Qsuites). This is basically First Class for business class pricing! You have your own suite with privacy door, pajamas & slippers, amenity kit with Diptyque product (!), big storage bin, adjustable armrest, lie-flat bed with turndown service, mattress, pillows & duvet. Each door also has a do-not-disturb sign you can activate.
At SEA I spent some time in the Centurion Lounge before I made my way to the British Air Lounge, which is who Qatar is partnered with. This is a super basic lounge for business class but it was in the S satellite so it was much closer to my gate.
The solo window suites had all been chosen when I booked so I had one of the aisle suites. If I would have been traveling with others these suites in the 1-2-1 config can convert to a double bed or even a quad suite!
I had 14 ½ hours of flight time to Doha and every minute of it was lovely! The service on QA is top notch, the food and beverage selections were much better than most, and the bed was very comfy.
After champagne (of course) I had a martini, which was probably the only bump in the road as it was not cold enough. First world...But my amuse bouche, duck & citrus salad, roast salmon with caviar, and ice cream sundae were all excellent! And cognac (of course)!
We had left Seattle at 5pm on Monday and landed in Doha at 5:30pm on Tues! After a delicious espresso before deplaning, I went thru a very quick security and then found myself in the center of Hamad Airport.
I will admit that the title of this post is a bit misleading as I actually had two 9+ hour layovers, apologies! I'll break them up for you here.
Hamad Airport (DOH) has been voted Best Airport in the World (yes, there is such an award!) for the last 3-years, and after spending A LOT of time there, I would have to agree!
On this ground level there are many, many, many choices for shopping, dining, and even art. "Lamp Bear" by the Swiss artist Urs Fischer, sits in the middle of the airport's grand foyer and is just 1 of 20 permanent art pieces you can peruse.
But I was headed to the Al Mourjan Business Lounge which is open to First and Business class passengers. As I made my way up the escalators I noticed how quiet the airport was. And not because it wasn't busy, as it was! Come to find out they have a policy of silence; no announcements are made except the Call to Prayer. It was very calming!
Al Mourjan in the south terminal is the largest lounge I've ever been in! It's over 2 ½ acres! I only had time for a short stroll around, while sipping on Champagne, and checking my carry on into a locker, but I'd be coming back later that night and planned to have a late dinner at their amazing restaurant! For now I was off to the meeting point for my 3-hour Doha city tour.
7 hours left...
After checking in to the Discover Qatar desk at the airport, we were escorted thru security, boarded a bus, and away we went to tour Doha by night. It's $31 and you need to have a 6 hour or more layover and book at least 48 hours before arriving. You also need to make sure you have your passport and the boarding pass from your arrival flight.
Our first stop was at the Corniche where we got a chance to get out and take in the gorgeous views of the city's skyline. I.M. Pei's beautiful Museum of Islamic Art is also here.
Back on the bus we headed to the Katara Cultural Village, a super interesting complex with theaters, exhibit halls, two mosques, and an amphitheater which was stunning!
As we continued our walk around we came to a gorgeous outdoor shopping center with an outpost of Paris' Galeries Lafayette!
This outdoor mall is beautiful, but more than that it is air-conditioned! The outside is air-conditioned! I have never heard of that! Crazy! And cool!
Driving to the Souq Waqif we passed by an amazing assortment of skyscrapers and sculpture all lit up throughout the city. It's quite beautiful and our guide did a great job of pointing out interesting sites, telling us more about the culture, and warning us about the temperatures in the summer (108F!) when they change the tour to reduce time spent outside.
People have inhabited the land of Qatar for over 50,000 years; it would have been Mesopotamia at that time. For centuries many, many tribes have controlled the land here. In 1916 Qatar came under protection of the British and in 1940 oil was discovered for the first time. In 1968 Britain ended its protection with eight Arab countries, Qatar being one of them, and those countries created the United Arab Emirates. Qatar then declared independence in 1971.
Doha was just a settlement in the 1820's and was destroyed in a war in 1867. It was rebuilt and named the capital when Qatar declared their independence. During the 70's the city razed all the old neighborhoods, rebuilding to attract international business.
Although Souq Waqif was originally build over a century ago it was completely renovated in 2006 after being destroyed by fire in 2003. It's still a fun market to stroll through, but it's more of a tourist destination now vs. a working market. There are lots of souvenirs (that can be purchased with a card or tap) and lots of food (much which you might want a bit of cash for).
We were given time on our own to explore the market and then invited to meet back up if we wanted to go see the Royal Camels. Everyday at 8am and 4pm the Palace guards and the camels parade on the grounds of the governmental palace. As it was almost 10pm we just saw them hanging out in their stables.
On the way back to the bus we walked through the Falcon Souk. It was closed for the evening but our guide explained the importance of falcons to the Qatari. Originally, 5000 years ago, falcons were kept and trained to hunt by Bedouin tribes. These birds are also the national bird of Qatar. Over time they became a symbol for courage and the sport of falconry is still an important cultural practice.
We were shown a falcon-sitting shop, where locals can leave their falcons when they are on vacation, and also the falcon hospital, one of the largest in the Middle East, and funded by the government.
We were dropped back off at the airport around 11pm and were escorted through security; quick and easy! I thought this was a very enjoyable tour and would probably be even better in the daytime when you can see more. But at least it was cooler in the evening!
4 hours left...
Back in the Al Mourjan Lounge South, this time I took a seat upstairs in the restaurant. It's a buffet but oh what a buffet it is! There was the traditional carving station, made-to-order sushi and salad bars, a huge assortment of traditional dishes from around the world in miniature making it easier to sample multiple! There were wine and cocktail menus as well as a lot of N/A options.
I ordered a martini, had a few mini dishes off the buffet, and then hit the pastry buffet to try some interesting and unfamiliar desserts.
The restaurant & the food options were very nice! I left down the grand glass staircase and checked out a few of the other areas like the nap spaces and the café that serves more casual food (I didn't try it except to get a glass of champagne).
2.5 hours left...
Time to leave this lounge and go in search of Qatar's brand new lounge, the Al Mourjan Garden Lounge. To get here you can walk or take the tram to the airport's northern expansion area. I chose to walk since I had the time and wanted to check out the amazing selection of retailers that are in the airport such as Harrod's, Louis Vuitton, Chloe, Tiffany's, etc. There are also gold markets, caviar shops, pharmacies, and duty free. From Lamp Bear you walk in the direction of the C, D, and E gates.
Once I got to the expansion terminat I decided to walk thru The Orchard, DOH's indoor tropical garden which is open to everyone. Ok, I actually went too far and ended up here but it's stunning! There are lots of paths winding through, a whole other section of retailers, a Dior Spa, areas where you can relax on a bench or even in the grass! All under a curvy glass roof; the entire (huge) space is beautiful.
Behind the Louis Vuitton store is where I found the lounge entrance. I was very surprised at how bare bones the check in area was; just a set of elevators with hostess desks in front of them. I really wasn't sure if I was in the right place!
Up on the 2nd floor I exited to the massive lounge; very minimal design with tons of space and high ceilings. And of course it's all open to the Orchard below! I went to the right where there were a few bars, self-service buffets, sit-down restaurants, etc. The lounge is open 24/7 (as are all the shops in the airport!) which is great for these late night/early morning departures.
This lounge just opened in April in 2023 so when I was there everything was still in amazing shape. There are lockers for storage, private nap rooms with 1 or 2 lounge chairs, shower rooms stocked with a Diptyque products, and lots and lots and lots of seating!
There's also a Louis Vuitton Lounge inside The Garden Lounge! That's a bit uber I'd say but it looked lovely. From what I was told, anyone who has access to The Garden can enter the LV lounge (Business and First Class passengers) but you pay for drinks and food here.
I really enjoyed The Garden. I had a couple of drinks and some bougie potato chips, took in the great views of the tropical gardens below, never felt crowded, and had excellent service.
15 minutes left...
It was about a 15 minute walk to my gate for my flight to Seychelles and when I arrived they were asking business class passengers to board a bus to the plane. But this wasn't just any bus! It was a business class bus with posh red leather seats; just 12 of them!
It was 2am when I got onboard and I was settled into my very comfy lie-flat seat (no suite), waiting for take off with a glass of champagne and ready for a nap. But I felt that I did a lot in my 9+ hours in Doha.
A week later, returning from Seychelles, I was back in Doha Hamad Airport landing at 11pm with another 9+ hour layover.
This time I decided to sleep! I didn't have to collect my luggage so it was really quick for me to get to the Uber stand where had a car take me to the Holiday Inn.
6 hours left...
I used points for a free room, was there in about 20 minutes for 40 QAD, and was asleep in a big king bed by midnight.
2 hours left...
In the morning the front desk got me a taxi which only cost 28 QAD (& still took just 20 mins). My flight was at 8am so I got there about 6am and it was very quick going thru TSA. I was back in The Garden Lounge having breakfast watching the glass roof light up with the morning sun.
15 minutes left...
Again, it was about a 15 minute walk to my gate where I boarded my (just under 15 hour!) flight for Seattle. Perfect timing!
I really think this is the most impressive airport I have been too! There is also a hotel right inside (but I love using my points) and if you wanted to spend some time shopping then that is going to eat up a lot of your time! I love that everything is open 24 hours!
What have you done during your long layover in Hamad Airport?
