Morne Blanc nature trail reopens   |17 November 2022

First visitor (right), a French tourist, to pay the R250 fee to use the Morne Blanc trail. He is in the company of SPGA's CEO Allen Cedras

● Becomes payable for visitors

The Morne Blanc nature trail is officially open to locals and visitors after nearly a year of renovation works.

The trail of 905 metres, the highest peak in Seychelles, is of intense difficulty and has proven to be for experienced hikers, with a duration of about five to six hours in total.

It offers access to an extensive array of endemism such as the carnivorous pitcher plant and the Seychelles scops owl.

The trail, managed by the Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority (SPGA), was closed off to visitors to facilitate renovation works, allowing for increased security, safety and infrastructure available to trekkers.

Its reopening has been possible through funding from local insurance company H Savy Insurance. The plaque of the ticketing office, located at SPGA’s sub-station in Sans Soucis, which will also cater for the Trois Frères nature trail, was unveiled in a short ceremony yesterday morning.

When addressing the guests, SPGA chairperson Lucas D’Offay said the reopening recognises and commemorates an important step in their commitment and mandate to develop eco-tourism services.

“We also acknowledge the authority’s dedication to the conservation and protection of our islands’ unique biodiversity,” said Mr D’Offay adding that everyone must be committed to ensuring the protected areas and gardens are managed for the benefit of all.

“Tourism partners and stakeholders need to create awareness among our visitors about the flora and fauna of Seychelles. It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure compliance with guidelines set out for added safety on the trail,” he said.

He said with the maintenance, the Morne Blanc nature trail has reached the expected standards of SPGA-managed trails as well as provide hikers with a safe and relaxing experience, while they enjoy nature.

Mr D’Offay added that because of its high level of endemism, the Morne Blanc nature trail is considered a sensitive area and safeguarding the area remains as SPGA’s priority.

SPGA will therefore control the number of visitors to the trail at a given time. International hikers will pay a R250 entrance fee, whereas access remains free to Seychellois residents and gainful occupation permit (GOP) holders in possession of their local identification card.

SPGA is also putting a lot of emphasis on visitors’ safety.

“Visitors’ safety will remain a priority, hence the compulsory registration at the ticket office. Tourists must be accompanied by a licensed tour guide,” said Mr D’Offay.

SPGA’s national parks unit, which carried out the renovation, has enlarged the pathways in some areas and added ladders and ropes in difficult terrain, and signage with detailed information have been placed along the way to provide visitors with a good experience.

In his speech, SPGA’s chief executive Allen Cedras said the two trails will diversify visitors’ experience while in Seychelles. He said the trails which were well frequented during the Covid-19 pandemic has given the organisation an impetus to renovate and reopen all of them.

“Today our Copolia trail is doing very well, Anse Major is functional and will be commercial once we install the right infrastructure and we will then move to Praslin to open its first commercially-viable trail on the island,” said Mr Cedras.

He thanked H Savy Insurance for being a loyal partner. The company had the first request in 2020 for the Trois Frères nature trail.

General manager Lambert Woodcock said when they received the second request, H Savy Insurance saw it fitting to make an additional contribution.

“We believe that the new experiences for visitors will strengthen the country’s tourism offering and generate additional revenue for the community,” said Mr Woodcock.

Renovation work on the Morne Blanc nature trail has cost around R400,000 while the Trois Frères trail was R250,000. The entrance fee for the latter is R150.

The accompanying photos show some highlights of the opening ceremony yesterday.

Patsy Canaya

Photos by Louis Toussaint