Top Five Coolest Beach Bars—And They're Not Here in the Seychelles

By Louise Pool
“Anyone for another Seybrew?” The sun is setting and I'm sitting on a giant bean bag squishing my toes in the sand. Slow rhythmic music is playing in the background and all around me is lively chatter. I'm not mingling much tonight; I'm more in the mood for people watching and it's a good crowd gathered here to watch the sunset tonight. Maybe I'll stick around for a couple of hours and see if I can spot a falling star. 
 
Sadly, this scenario exists only in my imagination. There isn't a single cool bar on the beach in the Seychelles. Once upon a time, the Coral Strand had a good Happy Hour going on Sundays, but we all know what happened there...

Seychelles' beaches were once again well marketed and we got on CNN's top ten this year. Year after year, some travel magazine puts a few of our beaches up there with the best and, once in a while, a luxury hotel makes it on the top ten list as well. What has never happened (and if something doesn't change drastically) never will happen is that we get on a top ten list for the coolest beach bars. We'll never even make it onto a top 100 list for coolest beach bars and the reason for that is simple: there isn't a single beach bar cool or otherwise on the islands.

Yup, we lack the coolness factor. Even the tourists know it. We're well know for our staidness factor. Many a tourist has asked me with a hopeful gleam in their eye if it's really true that there is no night life in the Seychelles. Of course there is some, I reply, but not the cool laid back island vibe beach bar shebang they might expect.

But never mind the tourists—I live here and want some of that vibe I've experienced elsewhere and now only live vicariously thanks to the internet. For those of you who want to do the same, here's my list of Top 5 Beach Bars we should emulate in the Seychelles.

1. Champlung Beach Bar, Bali

2. Samana Beach Bar, Dominican Republic

3. Kali's Beach Bar, St. Martin

4. Panormos Beach Bar, Mykonos

5. A Beach Bar, Bahamas

If you know where this is, please let me know.

I'm batting my eyelashes at some enterprising soul; please, please open a beach bar for all of us to enjoy. It's time to say hello to that cool factor here on the islands.

(all images are from Pinterest)