The Seychelles' outdoor experience is anchored by its extraordinary ecology. Vallée de Mai on Praslin Island — one of only two places on earth where the coco de mer palm grows wild, a UNESCO World Heritage site — is a forest trail through palms with fronds 10 metres wide, where the black parrot (endemic to Praslin) calls from the canopy and the whole palm forest creates a sound ecology unlike any other. The Aldabra Atoll, the world's second-largest coral atoll and a UNESCO World Heritage site, carries 100,000 giant tortoises (the world's largest population), accessible only on research permits and occasional managed dive/nature tours. Cousin Island Special Reserve — a 29-hectare granitic island managed by Nature Seychelles — is a seabird colony of considerable density: fairy tern, wedge-tailed shearwater, and white-tailed tropicbird nest within arm's reach of the walking trail. Tours by locals often reveal the rhythm of the place in a more natural way. The hidden gems usually do the rest.