The gangplank of a cruise ship may seem to be an unlikely catalyst for a book. However, that was where we met when, in 1995, as guest lecturers on the MV Rhapsody, we were boarding for a cruise to many islands in the western Indian Ocean. Our complementary interests in the terrestrial and marine environments made us well-suited to guiding passengers at the many islands we visited. We had loads of fun and thought that it would be appropriate to put together a guidebook to this part of the planet – even getting as far as drafting a contents page while sipping sun-downers on the upper deck!
Fortunately, fate intervened after Lyn had spent three months on Aldabra atoll and Hilary Bradt asked if she would be interested in writing a guide to the Seychelles. Recruiting assistance from Lynnath, working on the book became an inter-continental exercise in blending the needs of visitors, interests of authors and desires of editors. Several trips to the Seychelles to gather information about the diverse islands, interisland transport, hotels, restaurants etc, often tested by Creole laissez-faire, kept us suitably occupied and the book reached fruition.
We still visit the Seychelles as often as our respective careers allow because these multifarious oceanic islands are indeed rather special.
