Seychelles is primarily a magnificent nature. The capital of the islands, the city of Victoria, is enveloped by greenery, the aroma of exotic plants, and a light sea breeze. Of course, you can try to explore the entire flora of the islands on your own by going on forest hikes. Or you can enjoy the extraordinary beauty in the gorgeous National Botanical Gardens.

It was created more than 100 years ago, in 1901, when the botanist Paul Dupont planted unique local plants and flowers brought by him from different countries and continents. At first, it was a small garden. Gradually it grew, themed alleys and parks appeared. And today, the National Botanical Gardens is a real pride of locals.

The first thing that guests see when they come to the garden are the Lodoicea maldivica coconut palms, which have the largest fruits in the world! These unique coconuts grow only on Praslin Island and are no longer found in any part of the world.

But this is not the most curious gimmick presented in the National Botanical Gardens. There is a unique local plant - the Cannonball tree. It got its name since its fruits are so large and heavy that when they fall to the ground, they make a loud sound and often burst like real kernels. Although the appearance of flowers and fruits is very attractive, they have an extremely unpleasant smell. Therefore, locals often use the juice of this plant to keep insects away: they rub their skin or clothes with it, so the flies stop annoying them with their buzzing.

The must-see and the main attraction of the fauna of the National Botanical Gardens are giant turtles. These giants live for 200 years, and the first turtles of this kind appeared on the islands long before people began to live there. Tourists have the opportunity to get as close as possible to this huge creature nowhere else except there. And if you are careful and not aggressive, you can even pet or feed the turtle.