Paradis des Enfants gets new flying chair attraction |02 October 2023

Kids enjoying the ride on the flying chair

The Mayor's Office, in collaboration with Paradis des Enfants Management and the board of directors of Paradis des Enfants Entertainment Limited (PDEEL), unveiled a brand-new attraction, the flying chair ride, at the Paradis des Enfants on Saturday afternoon.

The exciting addition to the park has been generously sponsored by the Chinese embassy and the Children's Special Fund. It marks a significant milestone as it will be the first time that children in Seychelles (except for those who have travelled abroad) will have the opportunity to enjoy a thrilling ride on the flying chair.

In handing over the ride, chargé d'affaires of the Chinese embassy in Seychelles, Mu Jianfeng, said it is his hope that the new facility will bring extra joy to the children of Seychelles.

“Hopefully, this new facility will add another element to the Amusement park,” Mr Jianfeng stated.

Mr Jianfeng seized the opportunity to reaffirm the commitment of the Chinese embassy in Seychelles, and on behalf of the government and people of China, to further strengthen mutually beneficial ties between the two countries.

The PDEEL has a primary objective of rejuvenating outdoor recreational activities and facilities by replacing outdated ones and promoting recreational, leisure, and sports activities on-site for families and young adults.

Given the growing concerns of anti-social activities among the youth, such as drug and alcohol abuse, Paradis des Enfants serves as an ideal entertainment destination for this age group.

Parks and playgrounds play a crucial role in enhancing the physical and mental well-being of citizens of all ages. Playgrounds offer safe spaces for children to be themselves, express their joy, and develop essential cognitive, physical, social, and emotional skills.

Chairman of the PDEEL board, Danny Fontaine, stated that during recent years, the management, under the direction of the Mayor’s Office, had invested their utmost support to maintain the operations of the park, and to ensure that it remains safe and secure. However, as a government budget dependent entity, it faces several challenges such as limited resources, to equip the facility with modern games and entertainment, to cater for all.

Mr Fontaine remarked that the park’s management has to incur high costs of freight, taxes, installation and commissioning of new games.

“Paradis des Enfants also endures high repairs and maintenance costs yearly. All these factors negatively impact our ability to equip the park with more new games,” he said.

“We are therefore grateful when benefactors like the Chinese embassy and the Children’s Fund support us in financing new games, or even assist with equipment and infrastructure maintenance,” he stated, calling on other organisations and businesses to support PDEEL. 

Paradis des Enfants, located in Victoria, is the only entertainment park for children and adolescents in the town. It offers a variety of games and hosts recreational activities after school hours or during school holidays to keep young people entertained and engaged.

Feedback from users of this fun park has revealed a demand for both indoor and outdoor games catering to all age groups. Last year, we introduced new bumper cars, and additional toys were installed. Our ongoing commitment is to enhance attractions that appeal to individuals of all ages.

The park was opened in 2014.

Present for the ceremony was the Minister for Local Government and Community Affairs Rose-Marie Hoareau, acting Mayor Lydia Charlie and member of the National Assembly for English River, Andy Labonte, among other guests.

Laura Pillay

Photos contributed