Unlimited Internet Seychelles
Temika
Most resorts, hotels, and guesthouses in the Seychelles now have WiFi. Internet cafs are also available on the three main islands of Mah, Praslin, and La Digue.
Alternatively, you have the option of purchasing a local SIM card (Airtel or Cable & Wireless) on-site in the Seychelles. This can easily be inserted into your phone or modem, allowing you to surf. A Sim card or eSim can be ordered online, conveniently and much cheaper than on site, when applying for a Travel Authorisation. This card can then be collected at the airport after entry at the Airtel or Cable & Wireless booths and contains the data package you chose when purchasing it.
Airtel and Cable&Wireless booths at Mah airportAirtel and Cable&Wireless booths at Mah airportIf you'd like to use the internet via your own provider, you should inform yourself in advance about international roaming charges.
At some accommodations, the only internet available is via iSurf, which has limited data volume. This system usually involves direct access to data from your accommodation or purchase of an iSurf prepaid card.
Connectivity in the Seychelles is quite well-developed. There are currently two telephone providers who use a GSM standard connection: Airtel and Cable Wireless. The international roaming agreement between the Seychelles and other countries is steadily being improved and expanded. Coin and card telephones are also available in all localities.
On all Seychelles islands, they use 220/240 volts AC and the British three-pin socket type (13 amps). Anyone not travelling from a country that uses this socket type (UK, Ireland, Hong Kong and others), should buy an adaptor in advance. It is also recommended that you bring a multi-socket adaptor from home to charge several devices at once.
However, issues relating to COVID-19 continue to impact research into internet adoption, so actual internet user figures may be higher than these published numbers suggest (see here for further details).
IFC's support to Intelvision, which provides data, Internet, and Internet-based voice services as well as pay-TV, includes an up to $10 million loan from its own account and an additional loan of $10 million mobilized from partners under the Managed Co-Lending Portfolio Program (MCPP).
The funding will enable Intelvision to lease a new cable being built by Vodafone Carrier Services as a branch of the 2Africa cable network, one of the largest subsea projects in the world, spanning over 37,000 kilometers and connecting 26 countries around the world.
The new cable will complement the existing Seychelles East Africa System and is expected to lower the cost of connectivity for telecom operators on the islands and increase competition for fixed broadband and mobile data services.
"I think it will revolutionize the way we experience the internet here in Seychelles. We are pleased to work together with Vodafone and IFC amidst the challenges of the pandemic. Our aim is to enhance the telecommunication infrastructure of Seychelles and strengthen our digital offering to the people of Seychelles," said Mukesh Valabhji, Chairman, Intelvision. "Our innovative products and services will continue to add value to the ever-growing demands for Internet connectivity. We have been at the forefront of offering affordable connectivity solutions to the Seychellois Nation and we intend to continue on the same path."
Through the 15-year lease agreement with Vodafone, Intelvision plans to launch mobile telephony services in Seychelles, a country where most consumers access the Internet through a mobile phone. The new cable system will also allow Intelvision to eventually expand its terrestrial network by providing 4G and 5G mobile networks to the whole of Mah and the inner islands.
"By working with Intelvision to expand Seychelles' digital offering, we can help the country meet growing demand for Internet connectivity while helping to lower prices to build a strong foundation for the country's digital economic development," said Marcelle Ayo, IFC's Country Manager for Seychelles.
Seychelles' economy relies heavily on tourism, accounting for 30 percent of GDP, which has suffered due to COVID-19-related travel disruption. Seychelles' government is focused on strengthening the digital economy to support recovery and the next phase of the country's economic growth.
Intelvision is a triple-play (Internet, TV, Voice) operator based and operating in Seychelles since 2004. Starting on the main island of Mahe providing cable tv services over a HFC (Hybrid Fiber Coaxial) network, Intelvision then branched out and launched Broadband internet and VOIP services in 2006. This led to the launch of affordable capped broadband internet packages and subsequently unlimited internet package for residential customers. Intelvision subsequently purchased connectivity to the SEAS submarine cable from the SCS (Seychelles Cable System) consortium, which then led to the launch of its fiber optic network (GPON). Today 80% of Mahe is covered on GPON and Intelvision has fully covered the sister island, Praslin on GPON.
Vodafone is also taking significant steps to reduce our impact on our planet by reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2025 and becoming net zero by 2040, purchasing 100% of our electricity from renewable sources in Europe and across our entire operations by 2025, and reusing, reselling or recycling 100% of our redundant network equipment.
In 2007 we spent 10 wonderful weeks in the Seychelles, all during the strong southeast trade winds time (May through October). and we returned again, (heading the other direction!) in August 2009, so our comments on anchorages apply to that season. From about November through April, the Southwest Monsoon is in force. With the different prevailing winds, different anchorages can be used and the conditions are obviously different.
Pirates: New. As of 2009, the anti-piracy efforts in the Red Sea and its approaches have pushed some Somali pirate activity further south. Some pirates have been known to operate near the Seychelles. In April 2009, 2 Seychellois boats were hijacked and their 9 crewmembers held for US$3 million ransom. For much of April and May, the Seychelles were not allowing cruising boats to leave, as the waters were considered unsafe. In June of 2009 the Indian Navy and the stronger trade winds forced the pirates to abandon the Seychelles so cruising boats were again allowed to leave. Still, it's always best to check the situation. TheInternational Chamber of Commerce keeps track of all piracy worldwide, and they publish both a piracy map and a piracy report that are well worth examining before entering Seychelles waters. Note that their data is usually a week or so old before it gets published. You can read Jon's rant in our first newsletter once we were back on the boat in April 2009 in South Africa, and anxious about sailing north in a pirate-ridden sea.
Arrival/Departure: When approaching the Seychelles, you have to call Victoria Port Control on VHF 12 or 16 on arrival. They can see you as you approach the quarantine anchorage , and will tell you to stop within a designated area just outside Victoria Harbor. Be sure to call again once you reach the anchorage, so that they don't delay the boarding. Try to arrive during work hours M-F or you may pay overtime or spend the night at the fairly exposed quarantine anchorage. Most of the quarantine anchorage is hardpan, but we found anchoring depth in sand/rock on the western extreme (0437.1 S 5528.4 E) of the quarantine area. You'll shortly be boarded by officials, then invited into the inner harbor. Do not attempt to enter Victoria Harbor in the dark unless you've been there before. There is now a charge for the boarding of your boat, payable (obviously) after you've had a chance to hit the ATM. In mid-2009 it was Rs 175 (at 13/US$). There is still a per-day charge that is dependent on your tonnage, paid on departure. For example, a yacht of 20 to 100 gross tons pays Rs 75/day for the first 5 days, then Rs50 per day for days 6 - 10, then Rs40/day for days beyond that.
Customs and immigration are all within the port complex so relatively easy to walk to. This is the first place in the world we have had to turn in our passports while competing the clearance procedures prior to departing, which the local US consulate did not like at all. Once you have been cleared to leave (which you must do within the narrow time frame of 2 days) your passports are returned by immigration as you leave the harbor. In fact, they only gave our passports back once we were underway.
Victoria is the most convenient anchorage for running errands in town, such as shopping or internet. The Seychelles Yacht Club at the head of the bay is friendly and welcoming. Their charge of about US$40/boat/month allows use of the docks, restaurant and bar (we've never figured why we must pay to patronize a bar!) and (cool) showers. The Yacht Club is a lovely hang-out place with a big covered veranda by the water and some of the best food deals on the island. Behind the club building are several workshops where we found men competent to help with outboard engine repairs and general boat repair info. Drinking water can be had from the faucet by the small boat-ramp (on the right as you're coming in). In 2007 the Yacht Club was in danger of being evicted and having to move, so nobody was doing any maintenance and the place was getting a bit run-down. On our return in 2009, we were pleased to see it not only still in situ, but improved! There is now an extension on the deck, and a floating pontoon for dinghies, making it accessible at all tides. Diesel can be bought from the fishing wall on the right as you come in, and the wall is deep enough to take most yachts alongside. There is a surcharge to bring your boat, but not if you jerry can it.
Internet: There is pay WiFi at the Yacht Club run by Coco-Net, one of the big cyber-houses (you can buy an access card at the bar) but it's pretty weak by the time it gets out to the anchorage. To send email, Coco-Net insists that you change your email server to go through their server, which is an unsafe internet practice in our opinion (they can then see all your email and harvest the addresses to sell to spammers). So we didn't use any of the Coco-net outlets. Better (and possibly cheaper) is to take the short walk to Cable & Wireless and use their network. All internet access in the Seychelles is pretty slow as it all has to go via satellite, which adds almost half a second of latency (delay). In 2007 it took us all day to update our website (OK, it was a big update) but we were eventually successful. 3G wireless internet access was available but new enough that few people knew how to hook it all together and get it working. There is also a good private internet cafe up the hill from Beau Vallon near the bus stop for the Victoria buses. They buy bandwidth from both Cable & Wireless and Coco-net.
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