About me

Hi, I’m Chantelle aka Seychellesmama.   My husband Mark and I moved to our little island in the Seychelles in 2012.  Since then we have had our two little island boys, Arthur and Freddie.

Seychellesmama - about me

This is Praslin island.  We are so lucky to call this place home!

About me: we live here praslin island, seychelles

Mark is the headteacher at the International school on Praslin, and I’m lucky enough to get to be a stay at home Mummy to my little guys.

On my blog you will mostly find me writing about family life and what it’s like to live in the Seychelles.  I also  share information for people looking to visit Seychelles.

As you’d probably expect we spend a lot of time outside; at the beach, in the garden, in the national park, wherever really!!  In between all that though we are still a pretty normal family!

About me: Seychellesmama

So that’s a little about me, hope you enjoy my blog!!

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me

Chantelle


34 thoughts on “About me”

  • Hi there,

    Hope you’re well. Just to say, I’ve nominated you for the Blog Your Heart Out Award meme. It’s a bit of fun and a way to spread the love and promote new bloggers. If you’ve not come across this yet (I had to Google it!) then hopefully my post explains all http://bit.ly/1lvfr0h. Completely up to you if you want to take part – I won’t be offended if you don’t.

    Best wishes,
    Mummy’s to do list

  • Hi Chantelle,

    I found your blog on Expats Blog and really love it – your website is beautiful! I’ve added your blog to our “Blogs We Follow” list on my website.

    My website, http://www.womenwholiveonrocks.com, is a collaboration of funny women writers, blogging all about the quirks and eccentricities unique to island living.

    As a fellow island girl, I’m sure you’ll be able to relate to some of our humorous stories. I’m always looking for fresh perspectives and you seem like a great fit for the site. Women who write for the site contribute as much or as little as they like ­- having fun and celebrating the humor of island life is what it’s all about (and, you know, griping sometimes! 😉 ). My goal with WWLOR is to get it published as a book of essays and I am working on building our platform now, so it’s a fantastic time to get involved.

    If you’re ever interested in writing with us, whether as a regular contributor or as a featured guest, just let me know and I can send you the details on how to join in.

    Cheers!

    chrissann@womenwholiveonrocks.com

  • Hi Chantelle,

    I am a casting Producer on the US travel and property show ‘House Hunters International’. I’m not sure how long you have been there, but we are looking for English speaking expats who have moved to the Seychelles within the last two years or so and would like to share their story. I wonder if you might be interested?

    As you may know, House Hunters International is a half-hour TV show currently airing on the Home and Garden Television Network (HGTV) in America. The series is designed to de-mystify the international home-buying / renting process, by going behind the scenes of a house hunt where expats and their real estate agents tour 3 homes. At its core, House Hunters International is a travel show concentrating on the idiosyncrasies of the locales and what makes them special and different.

    Here are some links to show you what our show is all about!

    http://player.vimeo.com/video/75803046

    Here are some examples of the show that you can watch on Youtube:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY-JQWPJr8s – Charlottenlund Denmark

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP2zqdunHo0 – Athens Greece

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo8RevsW-DM – Marrakech Morocco

    We would love to film in the Seychelles, so please do get in touch if you or any of your contacts may be interested in the show.

    Best wishes,

    Michelle

    Michelle James
    CASTING PRODUCER LEOPARD FILMS
    1-3 St Peter’s Street, London N1 8JD – +44 20 7704 3300
    michelle.james@leopardfilms.com
    http://www.leopardfilms.com

  • Hi Chantelle,

    I found your page while googling “children and Seychelles” and discovered that we have a few things in common while browsing through your blog! My son Noah is just a little younger than yours (Born 18 July 2013) and we will be traveling with him to the Seychelles mid September for almost three weeks (we will stay on Mahe, Praslin and La Digue). Funny enough his first night sleeping through was also in March and equally I felt like a new person ;), had to smile about your post.
    What you have written about children and the Seychelles just confirmed me in my thinking that it’s a perfect destination for a toddler. We live in South Africa so the flight is also not too long. I was wondering if you are constantly using insect repellant for your son because of Dengue fever? I found different information as to how high the risk is for Dengue on the Seychelles – to me it seems rather small but most webpages recommend using insect repellent constantly. What’s your opinion?

    • Hi Esther! Thanks for stopping by!!
      In regards to dengue fever we definitely don’t use insect repellant all the time! The risk of getting it is definitely really small! There are times when we do use it on Arthur when there’s lots of Mosquitos around but even with that you’ll never stop all bites!!!
      So exciting for you guys coming here you will love it and Noah will definitely have a great time 🙂 if you have any thing that you wanna ask or any recommends for places let me know 🙂
      X

      • Hey Chantelle,

        thanks for your quick reply – I thought as much with Dengue, good to have your confirmation!
        If you have any special secret tips for Praslin, La Digue or Mahe I’d be more than interested :)!

      • Hi Chantelle,

        Not sure how it works, am I allowed to put a comment here please? As my questions are really to do with your offer of recommendations for places.
        We are thinking to travel with our 19 months old baby to Seychelles soon, possible end of February. Any suggestions for best places please?
        We have been to Mahe before the baby arrived, and we just hired a car and found a perfect place through a combination of just driving and reading through Lonely Planet.
        But this time we can’t do that, the little one is going to need somewhere to crash straight when we arrive.
        We are thinking Lemuria, but I am not really 5 star hotel person. But they seem to be hogging some of best beaches for that time of the year, and the beach and the accomodation’s proximity to it is important. I also love little, covy beaches, swimmeable.
        Any suggestions please?
        Thank you

  • Hello Chantelle. Lovely to read your blogs! My hubby is going over to seychelles for work in November for a week or so and I am thinking of joining him so that we can enjoy a few days together in paradise before we become parents in December (we’re adopting YAY! so excited!)

    We wouldnt consider this trip with our expenses coming up as new parents, but we also think its such a great opportunity to go to the Seychelles! Some advise on things to do in Seychelles on a budget would be so helpful and since you live there, hopefully you have some advise for me?

    We enjoy nature and being active, love food, but are on a budget. ie. cant afford this trip at all but think we might do it anyway lol

    Looking forward to hearing from you! Regards from Sunny Cape Town!

    • Hi nadine!!
      Can I assume that accommodation is sorted through your husbands work? Where will you be based?
      The Seychelles can be very expensive but there are ways to do it on more of a budget!

      Hire cars and taxis can be expensive but buses are VERY cheap (we are talking 5-10 scr depending if there’s air con or not)

      Food….hotel restaurants are generally pretty expensive and can be hit and miss but if you fancy a treat I could recommend a couple of places!
      There are lots of creole take always where you can pick up a big portion of rice and curry/stir fry that kind of thing for cheap . Available usually for lunch and dinner so cheap. This is what a lot of Seychellois people eat so will be an authentic Seychelles experience too….can be hit and miss though!
      If your self catering cooking for yourself here is not so expensive…..one tip though plan ahead as ALL meat is frozen!
      Let me know where you are staying and I’ll try to recommend some nice places to visit near by!!

      Congratulations on your exciting news of becoming parents by the way, so wonderful to be adopting too!!!
      X

  • I spotted your username on something someone posted on Facebook and linked my way here. Love your blog. Very envious of you being there now, I was on Mahe for a couple of years when I was a child. Back in 1983 – 85, aged 8 to 10. Went to the International School there. There wasn’t one on Praslin then I don’t think.

    Will doubtless be back to live vicariously in Seychelles again by reading of your experiences!

    Helen

    • Hi Helen! So glad you found me and that you like my blog, thank you very much 🙂
      Very cool that you used to live here, I bet it’s changed a lot since then! Have you been back at all to visit since you left?
      Thanks for stopping by and for commenting, hope you’ll be back again 🙂 x

  • Hi, just stumbled across your blog as I prepare to head to the Seychelles with my siblings & boyfriend on Sunday. Would love your recommendation on good affordable places where the locals eat in Praslin and the surrounds.
    xx
    Thando

    • Hi thanks for the comment! On Praslin you will find the locals eat mostly at the creole take aways. My husbands favourite is called ‘organibar’ it’s down by the jetty, but there are loads everywhere! Cheap rice and curry!

  • Hello Chantelle,
    What a treat to find your blog! I am a stay at home mother of a 21 month old girl and it looks like we are moving to La Felicite in a few months for my husbands job. The resort he would be working for is the only thing on that particular island I believe but I know your island isn’t far. There is an international school on Praslin (the Vijay International School) that takes preschoolers as early as three, but wondering if you know of any other places for a child 2 years old as I worry about her not having any playmates. I seen they have a Montessori school in Mahe which would be ideal but the trek back and forth seems a bit much. Also wondering if it is easy to find resale items for toddlers from expats coming and going. Stuff that is hard to pack/ship. Crib,Play kitchenettes, small table and chairs, outdoor slide etc… Any other thoughts or advice as a mother living on a remote islands would be wonderful…. Things we should surely pack .And if all goes through would be wonderful to meet up for a play date!!!!!

    • Hi Misia!! This is very exciting, so pleased you found my blog! Will definitely be great to meet up once you get here!!
      The school is a great one, I may be biased since my husband works there haha but it really is very good!! It starts from 3 and goes right up to a-level!
      Do you have an email address I can contact you on, will be the best way to answer all your questions 🙂 xx

    • Thanks Laura 🙂 I’ll be sure to pop over to your blog! I’d love you to join in my blog link up called ‘my expat family’ sometime and share a blog post! The next one is the 9th April! X

  • Hi Chantelle – I stumbled across your fab blog last night doing some research on toddlers and Seychelles so just popped by to say hello. We’re fellow Brits who jacked in our jobs, chucked the kids in our backpacks and head off on a great big adventure in April 2014. Our next destination is the beautiful Seychelles (we have a bit of a weakness for bucket and spade days on gorgeous beaches….) We’ll be spending 4 weeks in Mahe (Beau Vallon), 1 week on Praslin and the same on La Digue. Our girls are 4 years and 20 months – be great to meet up if you guys are around? Any top tips on things to do with little ones, hidden gems, cheap local eats etc be fantastic! I hope your pregnancy is going well (it’s sooooo much more tiring 2nd time around!) and hopefully we can meet up at some point! x

  • Hi,

    What luck stumbling across your blog, congratulations on your expanding family.

    My hubby is to be seconded to the Seychelles for a year (we’re currently in Abu Dhabi) and I’ve already found answers to many of my questions from scrolling through your posts. Thanks! Someone earlier asked about what baby equipment to bring, I have a 9 month baby who will be going up to the next size car seat soon. Is it best to buy and bring with us? Any other recommendations of what we should bring that can’t be easily sourced?

    TIA
    Hannah

    • Hi there! Glad you found my blog helpful so far 🙂
      I’d say to bring the car seat, you can buy here but we recently just changed Arthur’s car seat to the next size and bought from the UK as we wanted a brand we knew! You can get pretty much everything you want/need for a baby here but it might not be the brand or the style you like! If you drop me an email (through the contact screen) I’d be more than happy to answer any questions you’d have!
      Chantelle

  • Your family Is beautiful!!I would like to be a part of your journey by reading what you write..Must be fun ,fun,fun to have the life you have ..

  • Hi Chantelle

    Just wondering if you are still using your blog. Looking for some advice on moving to the Seychelles. Thinking of applying for a teaching job, but this would be a move just for me. It would be myself, husband and two daughters. If you’re still blogging would love to be able to ask you some questions.
    Phoebe

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