Seychelles Homes and the History of the Seychelles Home that is just alongside Chalets d' Anse Forbans.

I recently came across some wonderful quotes of different peoples observations when visiting the Seychelles in the 1800's which relate to the style of the Seychelles homes during that era:

In all the habitations I visited simplicity reigned, a wooden house just one story high airy but with spacious rooms with good furniture. ( JSC Dumont D' Urvill 1830)

The houses in general are built of wood upon coral foundation, and have the high roofs, gables and general character of the little chateaux and farmsteads of Normandy ( Lewis Pelly 1862)

The houses are constructed of hard wood roofed with shingles of Capucine wood. The Seychellois have a method of walling houses with the bark of the lathe palm. Almost all have covered verandas, and many are built in two or three storeys, the more modern ones being raised well above the ground , supported on wooden piles, or heaps of stones, to allow a current of air to pass underneath ( Fanny Barkly 1887)

Well it is truly fascinating to know that our Grandmere's home still offers visitors to the Seychelles island this bygone era of Seychelles Architecture.

Homes of the Seychelles
The extraordinarily Seychelles home of our Grandmere is built on the beach of Anse Forbans alongside Chalets d' Anse Forbans and was built between 1938 and 1940 by the current owners' father Francois Jumeau. Francois built a simple beach bungalow so he could come and visit his brother from time to time who stayed on the plot of land toward the small bay of Anse Marie Louise (alongside Chalets d' Anse Forbans). The position of the Seychelles house was built in the centre of the valley so that the cool winds would blow down the valley through the house allowing no need for further ventilation. And believe me it really works this home never feels warm. So much thought and planning went into the homes built during this time versus today.

The beach house was never meant to be a full time residence as the family home was at Anse La Mouche and the family would merely come to Anse Forbans for picnics and family get together.

The road side image of the House of Anse Forbans
Over time the home underwent renovations: rooms where added, the original roof which was made from latinier (palm fonds) was replaced with roof sheeting due to the cost of the latinier.
Image left: The view of the house from the road side of Anse Forbans is the back of the house while the front of the house overlooks the bay of Anse Forbans. The house has no glass windows but rather shutters that lock from the inside. Two veranda's surround the house one in the front and one on the road side. The main portion of the house has wooden floors and a high ceiling.

This Creole style home is one of the last remaining Creole homes built in the early 1900's and is a natural heritage for the Seychelles.

Chalets d' Anse Forbans is a family run business built on a former coconut plantation on the South East Coast of Mahe Island Seychelles. Chalets d' Anse Forbans offers Seychelles Self catering bungalows on the secluded beach of Anse Forbans at affordable rates.