Seychelles Accommodation,
Outer Islands

Astove Coral House

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The accommodation on Astove is fairly basic but clean and comfortable, and the food is well prepared, fresh and delicious. The rooms are arranged around a central courtyard in which meals are taken and guests can relax.

The original building was started by a family from the USA who lived alone on the island for many years until a misfortune caused them to leave. Their abandoned home lay empty for some time but has now been renovated, refreshed and converted into a charming bijou lodge of great character.

Most come to Astove for the superlative fly fishing, but equally as good is the diving and snorkelling. Just offshore in the east, where the shelf surrounding the island ends, there is a dramatic sheer reef wall which plunges 500 metres vertically. Along this wall snorkellers can observe myriad species of fish and many turtles. The corals are in rude health and the visibility extends to around 100 feet, or 30 metres.

We rate the snorkelling here as amongst the best in the world: an accolade indeed. Here you will see many fish absent from other reefs worldwide: mid- to large-sized species like giant trevally and grouper are normally taken out on more accessible reefs, but here there is no reef fishing so they remain as nature intended. Lemon and silver tip sharks are often encountered.

World class diving can also be enjoyed on the wall, providing a rare scuba treat. As one descends the wall, the coral and fish species change, giving a wide variety of underwater encounters to savour.

The island itself was once a coconut plantation and those palms dominate the vegetation, along with casuarina trees and common Indian Ocean littoral species. Giant Aldabra tortoises roam the island, which is also home to many birds. The central lagoon is very shallow and provides perfect conditions for catch-and-release fly fishing, for which it is world-renowned.

Facilities

Astove Atoll consists of one main island surrounding a shallow lagoon, and has only one lodge. The Coral House has six rooms - three doubles and three singles - built around a courtyard where meals are taken al fresco. Outside there is a quirky open sided "living room" for relaxation and contemplation of the beautiful island.

Local Wildlife

Aldabra giant tortoise

Greater and lesser frigatebirds

Giant trevally

Groupers of various species

Lemon and silver tip sharks

Green and hawksbill turtles

Various skinks

Day gecko

Optional Activities

Fly fishing

Snorkelling

Scuba diving

Guided nature walks

Boat trips

Alan Godwin

Area Specialist

If you have any questions regarding our Seychelles tours, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965

Thank you for all your excellent coordination of the multi travel and island hopping. We really enjoyed the wildlife experience offered by the Seychelles. [Your representatives] were very good in their arrangements and organisation locally.

Dr & Mrs M - Cambridgeshire