Denis Private Island Seychelles
Denis Island is a living, breathing island community, for those who believe giving back to nature is the only way to receive its bounty in return.
It’s a place where you can bathe along beaches renowned the world over for their pristine beauty, snorkel in a sea turtle sanctuary, spot some of the rarest birds on earth, and go sport-fishing at the edge of a continental ocean drop-off…and all of that in a single day.
You won’t find a signal for your mobile phone when you arrive. There is no in-room internet. No cable television. This is for you to unplug from digital distraction and reconnect to the loved ones you hold dear, and to the earth that you share with them.
On Denis, you’ll re-discover a forgotten mode of luxury: one of real food and real people, immersed in nature on one of the most secluded islands in the world.
Spacious rooms echo the Seychelles’ colonial past, from the furniture and wood flooring fashioned at the island’s carpentry workshop just a few hundred metres away, to the refined simplicity of the décor. Open-air bathrooms and garden courtyards in all of the rooms once again defer to nature’s calming influence. Five Cottage categories provide a breadth of choice to suit any holiday preference. Beach Cottage, Deluxe Beach Cottage, Beach Front Spa Cottage, Beach Villa and Family Cottage.
Conservation
The Green Islands Foundation, an NGO with a decade-long track record of conservation success in Seychelles, has a permanent outpost on the island and oversees a variety of programmes.
The translocation of some of Seychelles’ rarest endemic birds has been one of Denis’ most important environmental achievements, paving the way for some of these species to improve their standings on the IUCN Globally Threatened Birds list. As a result, Denis is the only place in the world in which a morning’s walk can bring you across the Seychelles fody, magpie robin, paradise flycatcher and the Seychelles warbler.
Hawksbill and green turtles laying their eggs on the protected shoreline of Denis are monitored and tagged, providing valuable information to assist in the protection of the species. Extensive research into the ecosystem of the island’s reef flats – essential nursery and feeding grounds for fish and green turtles – and the Seychelles government designating official protected status for the waters surrounding Denis, have been instrumental in preserving the island’s marine environment just the way nature intended.
The restoration of native forest habitats, rearing of giant land tortoises, and a fledgling seabird colony are just a few of the many other conservation projects currently ongoing on Denis.
Experience
Rise early with the rangers, to tally tracks of egg-laying sea turtles on the beach, or scout the forests for magpie robins and paradise flycatchers to learn more about breeding and tagging projects for these critically endangered birds. You can also discuss with the Green Islands Foundation rangers about current adoption programmes available and other ways you can contribute to the cause.
For a more relaxed experience in which to get to know the island and its inhabitants, a simple stroll or bicycle ride can reveal plenty: century-old tortoises, the island’s poultry coops and animal pens, the chapel, the staff lodging (a community in its own right), and much, much more.
