There will be a biosecurity briefing at three oclock.
Your attendance is mandatory.
My husband, Chris, on the other hand, found the idea a chore.
Le Jacques-Cartier at Assumption Island, in the Seychelles.Credit:David Swanson
What do you mean we have to go to a briefing?
he said, exasperated.
I promised him that, this being a French-flagged ship, the food and drink would be exceptional.
Observing a coco-de-mer, an endemic palm; a frigate bird on Aldabra in Seychelles.David Swanson
But, I confess, I may have left out the wordexpedition.
As luxurious as our trip turned out to be, it was, without a doubt, an adventure.
All of this was orchestrated by expedition director Geraldine J. D. Massyn.
A roadside bar on La Digue.David Swanson
For me, the come-what-may nature of our sail through this remote archipelago was just part of the fun.
More people have climbed Mount Everest than have stepped foot on this atoll, she said.
Aldabras remoteness has rendered it relatively untouched by humans, making it an ideal place to observe evolutionary processes.
Anse Patates, one of several fine beaches on La Digue.David Swanson
The birds, I thought, were on to something.
We spent the morning drift-snorkeling through Passe Dubois, a channel that connects the lagoon and surrounding ocean.
Aldabra does have an inhospitable side: theres no fresh water, and the temperature soars each day.
A red fody on the island of Poivre.David Swanson
Still, our visit was delivering exactly the kind of far-flung escape Id been hoping for.
Chris, meanwhile, was getting into the rhythm of the expedition and enjoying the comforts of the ship.
Given the equatorial heat, the pool, though small, proved to be popular.
As we hopscotched through the Seychelles, we had more adventures.
Each island brought unexpected discoveries, and each was completely different from the last.
Its been a privilege, he said as we clinked glasses.
Fourteen-day expeditions in the Seychelles onLe Jacques-Cartierfrom $17,495 per person, all-inclusive.
A version of this story appeared in the Dec. 2023/Jan.
2024 edition ofTravel + Leisureunder the headline “A Study in Blues.”