Victoria City Tour, Mahé

Victoria, on Mahé’s east coast, is the only town of any size in the Seychelles, and it can be explored on foot in a couple of hours. At its centre stands the silver Clock Tower, modelled on a clock in London and a symbol of the islands since the early 1900s.

The Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke Market is the heart of town, with fish, tropical fruit, spices and vanilla, and close by is the Arul Mihu Navasakthi Vinayagar Temple, the islands’ Hindu temple, its gateway tower bright with carved deities.

Go in the morning, when the market is busiest. The National Botanical Gardens on the edge of town, with giant tortoises and coco de mer palms, make a good final stop.