Victoria in the spotlight: Seychelles' Creole capital giddy with rapid growth
by Phil Hoad from on (#36784)
More than a pit stop between resorts, Mahi(C)'s tiny capital boasts lively history and vibrant architecture. But will its melting-pot mores survive a cash influx?
The self-styled "Creole capital of the world" makes its play for the title this week celebrating its unique African, Malagasy, Indian, Chinese, French and British blend at a six-day festival. Whether the claim is correct, this provincial city of 27,000 - crammed on to reclaimed mangrove swamps and artificial islands on the main Seychelles island of Mahi(C) - is one of the world's smallest capitals. Most tourists will know it as a sarong-shopping time killer between the airport - 8km to the south - and the harbour that ferries them to the Seychelles' other principal islands.