Lying in the Indian Ocean to the east of Kenya and north of Madagascar is the smallest archipelago in the world, the Seychelle Islands. The Seychelle Islands once housed the American government’s Indian Ocean Station (IOS) for tracking satellites; the station was operational from 1963 until 1996 when it was dismantled and mostly abandoned.

Most people have never heard of Seychelles and assume I am saying “seashells” incorrectly; spoiler alert, I’m not.

My grandfather introduced me to Seychelles when I was a little girl. He worked for the US government and traveled a lot, often to undisclosed locations, including the IOS in Seychelles. My grandpa claimed Seychelles was the most beautiful place in the world. He wasn’t wrong.

The Seychelle Islands is exactly what you think of when someone says “island vacation”. Crystal clear, turquoise waters kiss the miles and miles of white sand beach. Perfectly placed palms and enormous smooth rocks dot the picturesque landscape. It is truly otherworldly.

When I was there, I spent a week on the main island of Mahe and a week on Praslin with side trips to Curieuse and La Digue.

La Digue was probably the most surreal, with seemingly untouched beaches, marshland inhabited only by non-human beings and giant boulders and plants you have only seen on the pages of National Geographic.

Curieuse is home to giant tortoises that roam free and will gladly take selfies with you – some will even smile!

Praslin is the home to the Coco de Mer plant, the largest nut in the world, found only in Seychelles.

Mahe, however, was my favorite, probably because I could feel my grandfather with me the entire time. I stayed at an Airbnb on Mahe. While my time on that island was full of rich experiences, the best day was when my Airbnb hosts asked if I would like to go to an off-the-beaten-track waterfall with them. Of course, I said yes!

As we drove, my host started telling me about Seychelles, how there used to be an American satellite station at the top of the mountain we were currently navigating. They continued with how Seychelles had become a primarily European travel destination with very few Americans even knowing about the island nation after the dismantling of the IOS.

When my host asked me how I had come to visit Seychelles, I smiled as I told him that my grandpa used to work at the satellite station for weeks at a time and had always told me Seychelles was the most beautiful place in the world. Surprised, my hosts offered to take a detour to drive me up to the satellite station. I once again accepted their generous invitation.

We continued twisting and turning on the only road up the mountain while my host pointed out various locations that had been part of the IOS, including housing, the commissary, and the Satellite Club aka the bar/lounge for all American employees. We passed through an old gate, apparently the original gate for the station, shortly after which we were forced to turn around.

As we drove back down the road, I couldn’t help but think how special it was that I was on the same road that my grandpa had driven countless times, passed buildings that he had been in, walked on beaches he had explored, shopped in the same open-air market, the road on the same bus lines, and stared out at sunsets on the same horizon … decades after he did.

The Seychelle Islands are not just the most beautiful place in the world, they are truly magical.