Cousin Island - resorts of the Seychelles. Cousin Island - Seychelles resorts Main interest among tourists

Cousin Island is a bird sanctuary. Some birds come only to nest, others live here. People don't live there, only birds.

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It was on this transport (catamaran, boat?) that we set off from Praslin Island to Cousin Island.

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Our hotel (white house and white umbrellas) remains behind.

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While we're on our way, I'll tell you a little about the Seychelles. The Seychelles used to be a granite rock roughly the size of Great Britain. Over millions of years, water, wind, volcanoes, and corals turned this rock into islands. There are 115 islands in total.

Most big Island- Mahe (to which we flew from Dubai). There is the capital of Seychelles - the city of Victoria. Almost the entire population (approximately 80 thousand out of 90) lives on this island. Praslin Island (where we settled) is the second largest and most populous.

People settled in the Seychelles just 200 years ago. The Portuguese first mapped these islands, but did not land. Granite islands, tropical forest, only coconuts are edible. Even the bananas didn't grow! They were then imprisoned. Only pirates used these islands for their bases.

The British were the first to land on Mahe Island, but the island remained uninhabited. Then the French settled the islands and brought slaves from Africa. They began to grow vanilla, cloves, and make coconut oil. Planters appeared. Then the islands became a British colony.

Now the Seychelles is an independent presidential republic. official languages French, English and Seychellois (or Creole). Education and medicine are free. True, the local university is only 3 years old.

You do not need to obtain a visa for Seychelles. Time is no different from Moscow. Money - Seychelles rupee. Dollars older than 2000 are not accepted in exchange. Prices are higher than in Europe. For example, prices for magnets start at $3. Something like that. Briefly.

So, we are rushing to Cousin Island. Here he is on the left. It takes 25-30 minutes to get there from our hotel, going around the island of Praslin. On the right is Curious Island, where turtles live. Then there will be lunch and swimming on Curieuse Island. I marked our hotel with an arrow.

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Cousin Island. We didn't come here alone. The fact is that you cannot approach the island with your own transport. We need to change to a local boat. They are afraid that rats may get into the bird sanctuary. So we are waiting for our turn.

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Having landed on the shore, we go under the canopy and wait for the group to gather.

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And the trees around are full of birds and their nests.

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Species: Common Silly Tern. Well, and the name...

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There are lizards running around here.

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Finally everyone gathered. We were divided into two groups and off we went. Tour in English, 1 hour. Hot and humid in tropical forest. There is no wind. The guide is barefoot. Rotten leaves underfoot.

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Whitetail chaise. This bird makes a nest on the ground. Feeds the chicks for up to 3 months and leaves. The chicks walk on the ground until they are one year old and only when they are one year old do they begin to fly.

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There are so many of these birds! But we rushed to film each one :)))

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Song Magpie (Magpie Robin) Seychelles. Lives only on these islands. Interestingly, the guide calls the magpie with some sound and throws food to it. Look at her paws. "Just 30 years ago, this species was critically endangered and numbered just 14 birds. Each chick gets its own identification number and a geolocation sensor so its location can be tracked."

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Cousin Island is a bird sanctuary. But not only birds live here. Large turtles can be seen on the island.

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And this unfortunate thing has made a nest for herself in the sun! How hot she is!

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Overhead everything is in nests.

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Green lizard.

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Just have time to watch. Centipede.

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The guide picked him up and let him hold the centipede :)

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Crab. Found it?

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Let's go up. Hot, humid...

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And finally, we see the ocean, and in the distance is Cousin Island. Our island is Kuzin, and that one is Kuzin.

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We admired the views. It's time to go down. It's no easier than up. There are rotten leaves underfoot, the stones are slippery.

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Apartments with numbers :)

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And again the white-tailed phaeton.

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We went down to the ocean. Look who's in front of them?

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Crab! They look at each other :)

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The ocean throws pieces of coral onto the shore. There are almost no shells.

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The guide found a shell.

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Someone lives in it!

The archipelago of the Seychelles consists of more than a hundred granite and coral formations, not at all large in area. But even against the backdrop of most of them, Cousin Island looks tiny and miniature; a national park is currently located on its territory.

Despite the fact that this territory is protected by the state, the island welcomes guests all year round. Moreover, he is one of the most popular places for ecotourism. Vacationers go to this resort to stay alone with nature, away from society and the noise of cities. Kuzin is never crowded; it can accommodate no more than 10 people at a time, which not only creates an atmosphere of privacy for guests, but also allows you to maintain the harmony of nature, avoiding excessive human intervention.

The island itself is located 6 km southwest of one of the largest islands archipelago - Praslin. Not far from Kuzin is the center of the country - the island of Mahe. You can reach the shores of this resort by direct flight from Mahe or with a transfer in Praslin. Anyway air route will take no more than 15 minutes. You can also get to Kuzin by boat. Since there is no pier on its coast, tourists are often taken to the island on small boats - yawls.

The territory of Kuzin covers an area of 25 hectares, stretching 1.5 km in length and 800 m in width. In some places the island is surrounded by a coral reef. Since Kuzin has a granite structure, it is quite hilly, and its coastline is strewn with large boulders of various shapes. In the center of the island rises main peak, which offers stunning views of the surrounding area. Around it lies a dense tropical forest mixed with palm groves. The island's beach borders its entire territory. Like most Seychelles beaches, it is covered with the softest sand, the white color of which is given by crushed corals.

Cousin Island Nature Reserve is unique in that it is home to only those species for which the site is a natural home. There is not a single plant or animal brought from another island or continent, because the local flora and fauna are already amazing in their diversity. Some species living or growing here are even endemic, that is, found only on Kuzina.

Forest thickets and coastal vegetation have long been favored by birds, which live here permanently or come for several months. Birds are represented by such species as song robins, Seychelles pigeons, wavy-tailed guinea pigs, white-crested chaises, magpie warblers, wedge-tailed petrels and many others. Such diversity can only be seen in a zoo. Moreover, the birds are not at all afraid of people; they sit on shoulders and eat from hands.

No less friendly are the local turtles, which come out of the ocean to lay eggs in the coastal sand. In March, up to 14 thousand newborn turtles appear here annually. Kuzina is home to both rare green turtles and giant sea turtles. Particularly famous are the elderly couple of turtles George and Georgina, whose age has long exceeded a hundred years. Tourists can walk around the island either independently or accompanied by a guide, who will tell you in detail about each species found on the territory of the reserve.

Of course, the resort provides its guests with excellent beach holiday with all amenities on the cleanest, well-groomed beaches of the island. The entire Kuzin beach area can be divided into two parts. Its first part is more extensive and extends from the northernmost to the southern points islands. The second, more secluded, is located on the opposite side of Kuzin and is called “Honeymoon Beach”, that is, the Honeymoon Beach.

From active species The most popular recreational activities in Kuzina are fishing, diving and snorkelling. It is worth noting that the biomass of fish living near the island in its coral reefs is a record for such islands compared to other seas. To practice the above sports, resort guests are provided with all the equipment, as well as professional instructors, with whom any dive will be safe. Those interested can rent a yacht on the island to go to a most interesting excursion through the islands of the Seychelles archipelago, each of which has its own flavor and its own uniquely beautiful landscapes.

For tourists, only one hotel has been built on Kuzin, designed to accommodate 10 people. 30 meters from the coast there are 4 comfortable villas that can accommodate 2-3 people. In addition, the Cousine Island hotel provides a unique opportunity to rent its entire territory for one customer. Thus, for several days the island will be at the complete disposal of one person or company.

Food for tourists is provided by a restaurant located in the open air overlooking the ocean and the islands of Praslin and Arid. There is simply no menu in this restaurant, since the chefs can prepare any dish of Creole, European or Oriental cuisine at the request of clients.

1. On this transport (catamaran, boat?) We went from Praslin Island to Cousin Island.

2. Our hotel (white house and white umbrellas) is left behind.

While we're on our way, I'll tell you a little about the Seychelles.
The Seychelles used to be a granite rock roughly the size of Great Britain. Over millions of years, water, wind, volcanoes, and corals turned this rock into islands. There are 115 islands in total.

The largest island is Mahe (which we flew to from Dubai). There is the capital of Seychelles - the city of Victoria. Almost the entire population (approximately 80 thousand out of 90) lives on this island.
Praslin Island (where we settled) is the second largest and most populous.

The British were the first to land on Mahe Island, but the island remained uninhabited.
Then the French settled the islands and brought slaves from Africa. They began to grow vanilla, cloves, and make coconut oil. Planters appeared
Then the islands became a British colony.

Now the Seychelles is an independent presidential republic. The official languages are French, English and Seychellois (or Creole). Education and medicine are free. True, the local university is only 3 years old.
You do not need to obtain a visa for Seychelles. Time is no different from Moscow. Money - Seychelles rupee. Dollars older than 2000 are not accepted in exchange.
Prices are higher than in Europe. For example, prices for magnets start at $3.
Something like that. Briefly.

3. So, we are rushing to Cousin Island. Here he is on the left. It takes 25-30 minutes to get there from our hotel, going around the island of Praslin. On the right is Curious Island, where turtles live. There will then be lunch and swimming on Curieuse Island. I marked our hotel with an arrow.

4. Cousin Island. We didn't come here alone. The fact is that you cannot approach the island with your own transport. We need to change to a local boat. They are afraid that rats may get into the bird sanctuary. So we wait our turn.

5. Having landed on the shore, we go under the canopy and wait for the group to gather.

8. And the trees around are full of birds and their nests.

9. Species: Common Silly Tern. Well, and the name...

10. Lizards are running around here.

11. Finally, everyone gathered. We were divided into two groups and off we went. Tour in English, 1 hour.
Hot and humid in the tropical forest. There is no wind. The guide is barefoot. Rotten leaves underfoot.

12. White-tailed phaeton. This bird makes a nest on the ground. Feeds the chicks for up to 3 months and leaves. The chicks walk on the ground until they are one year old and only begin to fly when they are one year old.

13. There are so many of these birds! But we rushed to film each one :)))

14.

15. Song magpie (Magpie Robin) of the Seychelles. Lives only on these islands. Interestingly, the guide calls the magpie with some sound and throws food to it.
Look at her paws.
“Just 30 years ago, this species was on the verge of extinction and numbered only 14 birds. Each chick receives its own identification number and a geolocation sensor, thanks to which its location can be tracked.”

16. Cousin Island - bird sanctuary. But not only birds live here. Large turtles can be seen on the island.

17.

18.

19.

21. And this unfortunate woman has made a nest for herself in the sun! How hot she is!

22. Everything is in nests above your head.

23. Who's there?

24. Green lizard.

25. Just have time to watch. Centipede.

26. The guide picked up and let him hold the centipede:)

27. Crab. Found it?

28. Let's go up. Hot, humid...

29. And finally, we see the ocean, and in the distance is Cousin Island. Our island is Kuzin, and that one is Kuzin.

30. Admired the views. It's time to go down. It's no easier than up. There are rotten leaves underfoot, the stones are slippery.

31. Apartments with numbers :)

32. And again the white-tailed phaeton.

33. We went down to the ocean. Look who's in front of them?

34. Crab! They look at each other :)

35. The ocean throws pieces of coral onto the shore. There are almost no shells.

36. The guide found a shell.

37. Someone lives in it! This is a hermit crab :)

Cousin Island is a tiny piece of land, barely visible on the map of the Seychelles. His total area only 25 hectares.

Despite such a small territory, this is a unique nature reserve, which is under the protection of the International Council for the Conservation of Birds.

Bizarre landscape

The island is a jumble of low hills and rocky volcanoes. Coconut palms dominate the hills. And dazzling White beach appears in the shape of a crescent.

Ownership

For over 20 years, the island has been privately owned, which makes it special among all the Seychelles islands. The owner of the island sees his main task as preserving nature in its original form. Kuzin, as a private reserve, has already become a haven for five rare species of birds.

Main interest among tourists

Kuzin is recognized as the most ecological resort in the world.

Everyone who lands on the island feels a little like a pioneer. The illusion of specialness and uniqueness of everything that happens reigns here. Turtles calmly crawl ashore to give birth. Birds sit in your arms without fear.

No one will let you leave here until you plant at least one tree. This is an island tradition. It’s also nice to know that when you pay for a vacation on Kuzina, all the funds invariably go towards improving the reserve. This makes you not only a tourist, but also a bit of a philanthropist.

Another feature of the island is that you can rent it.

Island rules

When visiting Kuzin, you should be prepared for the fact that there is no smoking, no picnics, and no shell collecting. So that nothing disturbs the peaceful way of life of the local inhabitants.

Children under 15 years of age are strictly prohibited from staying on the island.

How to get there

The main method of transportation to Kuzin is a helicopter. Road from international airport islands will take 15 minutes. You can fly from the island in 5 minutes.

Souvenirs

Sea coconut fruits and coconut liquor are the most popular souvenirs that can be purchased on the island.

When to go

You can visit Cousin Island at any time of the year. But for turtle lovers, it is still better to come from November to March. And for fans of wonderful birds best time– this is April-October.

The luxury that the island will give you is the opportunity not only to have a quality rest, but also to enjoy the unique flora and fauna.

If you were previously indifferent to natural heritage, then on Kuzina you will feel it. And you will definitely want to come back.

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