The island was swamped with people coming mainly from Mahe and Praslin, and all boats arrived with a full load. The hotels and guesthouses were fully booked during the whole weekend, and people also camped in the school grounds. Others stayed with relatives and friends.

As every year, the Feast of Assumption mass and procession drew a large crowd of the faithful.
All in all, La Digue was certainly the place to be last weekend whether you were a local or a tourist.
For the first time, the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation moved its technical and newsroom teams to La Digue – thanks to a partnership with the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) – and they broadcast live on the AM and FM airwaves.
The SBC brought a new flair to the entertainment area as the sounds of non-stop music echoed in all four corners of the island.

The STB also came on board as a major partner this year in its aim to help turn the La Digue festival into a real event where tourists can celebrate alongside local people.

La Digue has always been strong in cultural events, and this was a chance for tourists not only to have a glimpse into Seychellois culture but to take part and revel till the early hours of the morning.

STB chief executive Alain St Ange spoke on their involvement in this year’s event, saying: “We are so happy with the results because today we see tourists mingling with the locals and being part of the crowd.

“We wanted to include the August 15 feast on our calendar of activities in a bid to attract more visitors to Seychelles as well as to get those visiting Mahe and other islands to come and discover La Digue.”

Apart from arranging the SBC’s trip to La Digue – which Mr St Ange said had brought a new flair to the celebrations – the STB also sponsored a Mahe-La Digue yacht race on Saturday August 15 and a mini-boat race between buoys on the following day.

Many tourists made sure they had a taste of all the activities and celebrations, and the late-night open-air disco in front of the Ports Authority building at La Passe turned into a marriage of different nationalities as they danced to the beat of popular songs on Paradise FM.

From rhythm and blues to twist, sega and pop songs, there was something for every visitor in the crowd, and Mr St Ange congratulated the Seychellois public for welcoming and encouraging the tourists to join in the dances.

“As a Seychellois, I felt really proud to see our visitors being welcomed in such a way and encouraged to join in. And once they do, they don’t want to come out because it’s fun and everybody is cheerful,” he said.

One lady visitor who was learning to dance the sega told her Seychellois dancing partner: “This is fun. I love the sega and I love the Seychellois people.”

Her husband said they only learned about the celebrations on La Digue when they checked into their hotel on Friday, though they could feel the ambiance as they arrived on the island. They were encouraged to go down and have a look.

“We will have plenty of time to go to the beach afterwards, but for now we are really enjoying this festival,” he said above the sounds of loud music, before being led away to try out the sega moves.

Another couple said they were happy to be part of the crowd on La Digue and it was better than they expected.

“We were encouraged by our tour operator to visit La Digue this weekend instead of Praslin, and we are so happy we did.

We love it here – the food, the people, the music and of course the beaches,” they said.
“You have such a beautiful country and lovely people. We are yet to visit Praslin and Mahe but we love the whole of Seychelles already after seeing all this on La Digue.” Among the many activities organised during the weekend were Kapatya Digwaz (open bazaar), sports and leisure games, a talent show, gospel songs, musical shows, the Miss La Digue beauty pageant and an auction sale.

A new monument – an oxcart – was also unveiled during the weekend, and the chairperson of the La Digue Feast organising committee, Monica Figaro, said it holds immense historical value for the Diguois.

Through this monument, she added, tourists will be able to acquaint themselves with the island’s rich heritage and they will be able to take souvenir pictures with it.