MAY VALLEY

"It's a unique tree. It is the prince of palms. I think it's the tree of the science of Good and Evil", said British general Charles Gordon in 1881, who met a tragic end in Khartoum. A devout Christian, half-poet and half-philosopher, the man also known as Gordon Pacha was so captivated by the Vallée de Mai that he thought he had located the mythical Garden of Eden, the original paradise. In an essay dedicated to the area, he described the coconut palm as the Tree of Knowledge and the artocarp (breadfruit tree) as the Tree of Life. Original paradise? At least, it's a tropical paradise that's a must-see on any trip to the Seychelles. This famous cocofesse is one of the most astonishing curiosities of the plant world. It's not for nothing that it has become the symbol of the archipelago (just look at the stamp the customs officer puts in your passport on arrival!). The Cocofesse has naturally aroused a great deal of envy and legend since its discovery. And what would Vallée de Mai have become without this two-lobed nut with its worldwide reputation? Since 1983, it has been listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site - a consecration for this cathedral of greenery which, until 1930, had the rare privilege of being little affected by man. Its new owner then decided to transform this almost primitive forest into a botanical garden, introducing ornamental trees and imported plants.

Fortunately, twenty years later, the precious valley changed hands once again, as the State appropriated it as part of the island's main water catchment basin. Declared a Nature Reserve in 1966, it became a national priority for the government. To restore it to its original appearance, it was necessary to eradicate the already invasive exotic plants, revegetate the ridges of the summits that had fallen victim to fire (the rows of papal calyx, a wood of low combustibility, were used as a firebreak) and maintain the Cocos de Mer forest. It was a long-term objective, all the more justified since a fire in 1990 had ravaged 40 ha of the Fond Ferdinand palm grove at the southern tip of the island, wiping out Praslin's last relict forest (now happily rehabilitated and open to visitors).

Unfortunately, just over three decades have not yet been enough to restore the Vallée de Mai to its pre-1930s quasi-virginity, but the recovery is well under way, all the more so as the Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF), created in 1979 to manage and protect the flora and fauna of Aldabra (another World Heritage site), since 1989, it has been carefully and scrupulously managing this unspoilt valley, which is nevertheless still threatened by the appetite of the philodendron, a parasitic climbing plant (which sucks the sap from the tree) that has resisted attempts to eradicate it. So it's hardly surprising that no fewer than 50,000 tourists a year are drawn to this canopy of foliage and tangle of roots, creepers, mosses, dead leaves and rocks. The only sounds to be heard are the gentle murmur of the streams (the valley has seven springs) and the whistling of the black parrots, which return to nest here after having wandered several leagues around. Not to be missed is the ravine of the circular path, a grove containing five of the Seychelles' six endemic palms and three of the four species of vacoas unique to the granite islands. Here, you can imagine what the tropical world must have been like, millions of years ago, when palms predominated and flowering trees, birds and mammals didn't exist. This is indeed a Jurassic Park forest of ferns and palms. Some 7,000 coconut palms (56% male) have been counted in this valley, 80% of them still too young to produce, with the trunk only appearing in their fifteenth year. Reaching adulthood at forty, the tree can live for over four hundred years; the oldest, at around thirty meters tall, is currently around three hundred years old. This Casanova of the Vallée de Mai is still going strong, judging by its phallic appendage. How many coconuts has it spawned? From fertilization of the female tree to the fall of the large bilobed nut (from 14 kg to 23 kg when full), it takes seven years in any case, whereas a normal coconut falls at six months. An estimated three thousand of these extraordinary nuts are collected annually (only the most callipygous ones), both in the valley and in Fond Ferdinand (also managed by the Seychelles Islands Foundation - SIF - since 2020). Before being offered for sale, the precious nuts will of course have been stripped of their flesh before being glued back together and polished if necessary. The two hemispheres of this sacred coconut will then take their place on the shelves of souvenir stores, authorized to sell only two of these nationalized wonders each month, duly numbered and priced according to their perfection, before finding their way onto the shelves of tourists once they return home. While palms reign supreme in this exceptional forest (a sanctuary of eight species - six of them endemic - representing the world's largest concentration of diversified palms in an original environment), other trees also thrive in a decidedly quasi-mystical atmosphere.

Botany enthusiasts will be delighted. You'll see mango, jackfruit, capuchin, pope's chalice, traveler's tree, breadfruit, albizia, filao, hardwood, redwood and cocoa. But isn't the most important thing to see, feel, listen to and let yourself be enveloped by the protective vegetation of this fascinating ex-island of Palmes the aptly named! The trails are best explored at opening time or in the afternoon, when the serenity of the area is not disturbed by groups of excursionists (peak time is between 9 and 11 a.m.).

A café-snack bar and a friendly souvenir store are housed in the little house where tickets are issued on entry. At the café, you can enjoy fresh sandwiches and salads made with organic and local produce, as well as pastries and fresh organic fruit juices. Ideal for a refreshing break after your stroll through this Praslin temple of nature. As for the boutique, it offers a host of typically Seychellois souvenirs to slip into your suitcase before the plane home. Between two pieces of handicraft, you'll even find (very useful) anti-mosquito products (sometimes you need them, as hell is never far from paradise!).

Routes. Signposted circuits follow the remarkably well-maintained paths of this forest, so perfect that you'd think it had been recreated for a new instalment ofIndiana Jones. The classified part of the forest covers 19.5 ha. From the shortest (approx. 1 km) to the longest (approx. 2 km), each of these itineraries is enchanting in its own way. At the entrance, you'll be told that the routes take 1 hour, 1 hour 30 minutes and 2 hours respectively.

Guides. At the entrance to Vallée de Mai, you'll easily find the services of a guide. Is this a good idea?

Yes, if you're on your own, because you'll be able to make the most of the peacefulness of the place and get all the information you need about this little piece of paradise on earth. Less so if you're with a group of 15 to 20 people. It's up to you to negotiate with the guide, adapting the price to the size of the group. Please note that all guides are independent.

But a good part of the fun lies in being alone in the middle of nature, with only the sound of leaves rustling in the wind. So, if you can't afford a guide all to yourself, visit the park on your own. There's plenty of signposting, so you won't get lost!