The Republic of Seychelles is comprised of a hundred and fifty or so islands that run all over the Indian Ocean. We visited the three main islands that hold almost the entire population of this little country of 50,000 or so people. The islands are known for the beaches and idyllic setting and we were pretty cynical going in. But we loved it. The beaches really are the most beautiful we've ever seen, the water is like a bathtub and the island scenery is wonderful. The locals were interesting. The islands were populated in just the last 200 or so years and by a mix of predominantly African, Indian and Chinese natives. We met some really friendly and helpful people, but the majority on the big islands seemed lulled into an island trance by the easy life that tourism can bring. They've become so dependent on tourism, they apparently do almost no farming or ranching. There's almost no fruit or vegetables to buy, and it's imported when you do find it!
But none of these details matter. The Seychelles are a wonderful place to visit. It's not backpacking, but prices actually aren't too bad and arguably cheap compared to Hawaiian resorts. For getting near private beaches with hardly any other tourists, locals or annoying touts and you've got a picture perfect vacation spot.