Ile Alphonse & Mahé, Seychelles

TOLD BY LISA RORICH, WRITTEN BY JORDAN ROAKE

Lisa Rorich is a Durban-based architect whose work has taken her to incredible places. One such place and the centre of her story is the Seychelles archipelago. Near impossible to describe with reference to just one of the islands making up this extraordinary feat of nature, Lisa takes us on a walk through the granite boulders and fresh fish markets that make so many of the islands she’s visited here, remarkable. Read on to find out a bit about what makes Seychelles so special to Lisa, and what makes it a bucket list destination for all lovers of fresh food, island vibes and views of the highest calibre.

LEFT: The Island of Mahé, the biggest of the islands in the Seychelles. RIGHT: Fancy sundowners on the beach? This is the spot.

 

ILE ALPHONSE
Lisa’s talents have taken her to beautiful places, where she’s transformed spaces into sleek, modern designs, worthy of gaping mouths and widened eyes. The beautiful place in question today is the Seychelles, and this means that we’re able to get a glimpse into Lisa’s experiences here, as well as the food, culture and experiences of the islands making up the Seychelles. Letting us in on the sights and scenes from one of her most spectacular projects, Lisa explains that Ile Alphonse is more than just a serene holiday escape. It’s like the faraway tree of island getaways; very beautiful, very enchanting, and very, very magical. Whilst uncovering some of the work she did here, and the incredible craftsmanship of the local artisans and contractors, Lisa stresses that Ile Alphonse is at the tippy top of high-end vacationing. Developing some truly phenomenal spaces and structures for Ile Alphonse Blue Safaris, one of the first blue safari experiences to peak through into the safari tour scene, meant that she was given the privilege of a work trip turned once into a lifetime journey of discovery - a refreshed, renewed discovery of her professional self, and of the natural beauty that she found herself in. Bird life, turtle hatching, snorkelling, forest trail walks - the epitome of experiencing the glory of nature first-hand.

 

DON’T PANIC, IT’S ORGANIC!
One thing that Lisa speaks of with emphatic reminiscence, is the organic veggie gardens on Ile Alphonse. Due to its remote location, the food on the island is mostly home-grown and home-caught. Freshness lives in abundance here and offers a luxurious look at sustainable living. Walking out onto the whitest of white sands, a beach bar offering freshly-squeezed juices boasts a selection of fruit and veg that’s been grown right there, in its very own organic garden. “This one’s for the greenies like me,” says Lisa. “When it comes to green, sustainable fishing practices, the island operates on a catch-to-eat basis - catching only what is needed to feed the guests of the island, and releasing or leaving the rest to just keep swimming…” Whilst Castaway is a vegetarian exploration of the world’s most awe-inspiring islands, we can get behind any green practices - so, this one’s cool!

 

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: The palm trees look like a scene from Jurassic Park; Pit stop at Smoothie Cafe; Local braai on the beach; Exploring what this scenic island has to offer; Successful trip to the market!

 

WHAT TO EAT
When asked about the most delicious offerings of Seychelles, Lisa returned to the constant of home-grown, home-caught produce and seafood. Octopus curry made its famous appearance on many a menu over Lisa’s many trips to the islands over the years. The national dish is an aromatic and tender dish of octopus that reflects the cultural fusion existing in the islands’ cuisine. Another dish that Lisa pronounced a firm favourite of hers and her family is fish samosas. Being Durbanites, both Lisa and I are far too familiar with the samosa. In Durban, a delicious, fried triangle filled with either mince, potato or sweet corn and cheese. A fish samosa, however, is not something I’m familiar with - and it immediately caught my attention. It makes sense that the bilateral relations between India and Seychelles would result in this crunchy golden delight making itself at home on these islands and that they’d be filled with gorgeous, fresh catches here too.

 

Fruit, as is the case on many tropical adventures, makes its appearance in the diets of visitors and locals alike. Mangoes and fresh coconuts, cracked open to expose their delicious juices are at the top of the favourites list for Lisa, a fact made known by the many snaps of her and her family enjoying both in abundance (on the beach, in bathing suits, of course). Daily fresh markets boast fruit, veg and a selection of “street food-esque” snacking items like the aforementioned fish samosas.

 

LEFT TO RIGHT: Kids being kids; Breakfast - island style; Exploring the island by bicycle

 

SUNSET BEACH BAR
Like Lisa mentioned before, everything you eat while on Ile Alphonse feels like it’s come straight from the earth or sea, caught, or harvested in relation to the number of people on the island at the given time. One spot, loved by Lisa on her work trip, was the sunset beach bar that boasted fresh tuna in a host of great preparations. The bar, and other establishments scattered across Seychelles, also boast that famous national dish of octopus curry and a delicious veggie option of deep-fried brinjal.

 

MAHÉ
Lisa acknowledges that Ile Alphonse is inaccessible to the everyday traveller, and notes her work as the catalyst for her adventures here. Mahé, however, is more of a traveller-friendly spot – donning similarly delicious food, beautiful beaches and people. Mahé holds a special place in Lisa’s memory as she and her family have been visiting the island for years (roughly 35!) Her brother-in-law, who married her sister on the island 17 years ago, has been visiting for even longer. His father, a renowned plastic surgeon who’d visited Mahé many a time, operating free of the charge to assist in reconstructive surgical cases, was given a plot of land by the government of the time – something that out-of-towners knew nothing of. His house still stands, overlooking the crystal blue oceans as a testament to his work – and is still used by his family for holidays to this day.

 

ABOVE: For some, afternoons are for sundowners, for others it's a game of beach footy.

 

ANOTHER WEDDING STORY
This one’s a goodie, trust me. Lisa’s love affair with Mahé goes even further than her sister’s wedding, but that day holds special significance to both her and her extended family. Getting their 90-year-old grandmother on a plane and onto the island, Lisa and her siblings had already developed something worthy of their memory banks. If the emotional memory wasn’t rich enough, however, the peach tablecloths that dressed each table on the day of the wedding certainly would be. As it would turn out, the prime minister’s daughter was to be married on the same day – and considering there was only one wedding and events company around, the white tablecloths that Lisa’s sister had requested were now unavailable. Nevertheless, a beautiful marriage ceremony was had, and is proof that not everything needs to go according to plan – we truly can be happy just by living life as life would have us live it.

 

BEACH PLEASE
Considering the small size of the ‘family’ home, Lisa and her family often stayed at hotels that skirted the white shores and were just a stone’s throw away from the rest of the family. One such hotel, spoken of with fondness (you know this is a good sign when you’re talking to a talented architect who knows her stuff) is Bliss Hotel. Designed by a Danish architect, its elements are largely homemade and organic in feel, giving all who stay there a true sense of the rustic charms of Mahé. Take a walk through the granite-laden paths, and you’ll get to Anse Major – or Pig’s Beach (a friendly name given to it in accordance with the wild pigs that used to roam its sands). Due to Mahé’s granite structures (the whole island is, in fact, granite), there isn’t much space for farming – but daily markets can be found on one side with fresh bread from little bakeries found on the other – hop on your bicycle and do a day’s shopping, island style.

All in all, Lisa told a story of the Seychelles that was fuelled by great warmth. Her memories are undoubtedly full of whimsy and fondness, and hearing her stories about the islands of this destination archipelago made me want to dive right into its dazzling blue waters, and to experience the culture that abounds its land. A trip to Seychelles – add to basket.

 

ABOVE: Dinner Spread by lantern light. Vegetarians look away!