Vallée de Mai

The Vallée de Mai ( German " Maital " ) is a national park on the island of Praslin and one of the most famous attractions of the Seychelles. It was taken in 1983 by the UNESCO list of World Natural Heritage.

History

The densely vegetated valley is one of the world's smallest national park areas with 19.5 ha. The landscape is a remnant of a prehistoric forest that existed when the granite rocks still belonged to the continent Gondwana. The Precambrian Seychellengranit in the valley has an age of about 650 million years ago. Through millions of years of evolutionary isolation of the Seychelles is unique plants and animals could develop. Nowhere in the Seychelles which is to be so clearly seen as in the Vallée de May

Until about 1930, the valley remained untouched - in contrast to most other areas of the Seychelles. Around the 1930s, a new landowner decided to reshape the valley as a recreation area and botanical garden. Ornamental plants, coffee and fruit trees were introduced to " beautify " the valley. Only in 1945 was the valley of private ownership in government ownership over. Since then, the government aims to eradicate all non-local plants and to restore it to its original state. This takes time because many endemic species have disappeared. The valley was in 1983, declared National Park in 1966 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has been managed since 1989 by the Foundation "Seychelles Iceland Foundation".

Flora and Fauna

The Vallée de Mai is the traditional home of the coco de mer. A total of 5000 of these palm trees are found there in a confined space, which is the largest number in a square world. In addition to the coco de mer can be found here with Deckenia nobilis, Verschaffeltia splendida, Phoenicophorium borsigianum, Roscheria melanochaetes and Nephrosperma van houtteanum the five other endemic species of palms in the Seychelles. Also to be found are three of the four endemic screws tree species of the Seychelles: Pandanus hornei, Pandanus Pandanus sechellarum and multispicatus.

There are several copies of the acutely endangered little Vasapapageis. The chameleon Calumma tigris is endemic. In addition, refer to the Vallée de Mai various sunbirds, Island Blackbirds, geckos and snails. The only mammals are the Seychelles flying fox and not originally native to the Seychelles Large Tenrek.

Tourism

The valley is one of the most popular tourist attractions of the Seychelles. At a price of about 25 euros (as of 2009), you can enter it. It is located inland and can be reached by a bus service. The area is traversed by a brook that becomes a waterfall, and accessed by multiple attached and marked trails. On top of a hill can be the Vallée de Mai overlook from a single vantage point. It is strictly forbidden to smoke, something to leave in the Vallée de Mai or take something from the Vallée de Mai.