Farquhar Atoll

Lodging Details
Accommodations on Farquhar are in a basic-but-comfortable guesthouse, which was totally rebuilt and redone in 2017. All double-occupancy bedrooms are fully air-conditioned and spacious, with two single beds, bedside tables, mini bar, and coffee station. Each room also has its own phone (guests can purchase calling cards at the lodge) and as of this year, there is also fairly dependable Wi-Fi. The lodge is equipped with 24-hour, 220-volt electricity, air-conditioning, and a constant supply of hot water. There are daily housekeeping services as well as a daily laundry service that is included. Groups as large as 12 can be accommodated. In short, the new guest house is very comfortable and nice, and the facilities have undergone a major upgrade from how things were prior to 2017. The old “house” where all the rooms were is now an indoor dining area, bar, and lounge. The bar also faces onto the veranda where there is an outdoor lounge. Meals are served on the veranda overlooking the moorings. In bad weather, meals can be served inside.

Whilst the new guesthouse facilities are a huge improvement from the previous one, the vegetation will still need years to recover as a result of the cyclone of April 2016. The big old Casuarina trees that used to be around the lodge are gone along with 90% of the coconut palms on the island. The low-level vegetation has grown back very quickly, and there is an ongoing rehabilitation program to help the trees and other vegetation recover in the shortest amount of time possible. Guests visiting the island will be able to see first-hand see how the island rehabilitation program works – an interesting and massive job. One positive from the storm is that the guides have managed to identify and create a few paths from the lagoon side of the island across the north and south parts of the island, meaning guests can access surf areas that were previously only accessible by walking the entire length of the island.

Food and Beverages
A covered dining area on the water’s edge provides an idyllic setting for both breakfast and dinner each day on the Atoll. Most meals are served in this outside dining area (weather permitting), and the lodge chef prepares a mix of Creole and international food on a daily basis. All mineral water and soft drinks are included in the package, and the lodge has plenty of local beer for sale. Spirits and wine may be pre-ordered or you may bring your own bottle(s) of preferred liquor and wine.

Typical Length of Stay
All packages are seven (7) nights / six (6) fishing days.

Non-Angling Activities and Options
The reason to make this trip to Farquhar is to fish. There is very little infrastructure on the island, and – aside from wading the flats, walking the beach or snorkeling – very little for the non-angler to do.

Internet / Communications
There is Wi-Fi on the island and the guesthouse is equipped with satellite phones in the rooms, which can be used at a cost of $4 US per minute

How To Get There
The primary airport and access hub for the Seychelles is Mahe International Airport (SEZ). It is recommended that guests arrive on to Mahe and overnight the night before the weekly transfer flight to Farquhar. If you do plan on arriving the same day as the transfer to Farquhar, it is recommended that you try to arrive as early as possible in the morning. The return flight from Farquhar to Mahe will leave at mid-day, which means that on arrival, guests can connect to their international flights for the evening trip home, or overnight in Mahe.

Arrival and Departure Details / Times
Guests are expected to arrive in Mahe (SEZ) on the Friday before their flight to Farquhar, or early on the Saturday morning of the day of the charter flight to Farquhar. The group will meet an hour before the scheduled departure time at the domestic terminal (next to the international terminal). The flight from Mahe to Farquhar is one hour and forty-five minutes onboard a private chartered Beechcraft 1900. Guests are then transferred in true island style via tractor and trailer on a short 15-minute ride to the guesthouse.

Documents Required
All U.S. citizens are required to have a valid passport that does not expire within six (6) months of trips dates. Please be sure that your passport has at least two blank, unstamped pages remaining in back, and that it is not torn, delaminated, or damaged in any way. UK, US, EU, and RSA passport holders do not require a visa for entering the country of the Seychelles for vacation purposes.

Travel Arrangements
Yellow Dog provides airline reservations ad ticketing assistance through etcTravel Group, and a full-service airline logistics agent that can help book airline tickets, hotels, rental cars, and more. You can click here to request a quote or contact Yellow Dog for more information at 406-585-8667. etcTravel Group offers dedicated support services for all Yellow Dog clients. Service fees may apply when booking or researching tickets, and etcTravel will discuss this with you before sending quotes.

IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING LUGGAGE WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS
Beginning in late 2014, Mason’s Travel (the third party on-ground “guest handlers” in Mahe) has been instructed to enforce the 15 kilograms (33 pounds) main luggage / 5 kilograms (11 pounds) hand luggage rule for all passengers boarding the IDC aircrafts to Alphonse Island, Farquhar, Cosmoledo and Astove Atolls. Although these weight restrictions have been in place for the past few years, most guests simply ignored the allowances. Beginning this season, passengers that fail to comply with the restrictions will be instructed to unpack their overweight luggage and will have to leave the unpacked goods in Mahe at their expense. We are being told that IDC will not make any exceptions to this rule, as all flights to the outer islands and atolls will be full. Please be aware that there is not an option to pay ‘overweight’ baggage fees, as the aircraft can only carry so much cargo.

Travel Tools
- Travel Insurance
- Moon Phases
- Airline Ticketing
- Rent This Rod
- Global Rescue Membership

General Information
The fishing at Farquhar has over the past few years become synonymous with the term “fly fishing paradise.” Since first opening, this destination has given a select group of anglers the opportunity to fish some of the finest and most productive flats the Indian Ocean has to offer. These flats are characterized by hard white sand, turtle grass, and broken coral, which all combine to create a situation for very easy wading. Overall, Farquhar is best known for its impressive diversity of species, including bonefish, various trevally species (including trophy-sized giant trevally), the finicky Indo-Pacific permit, triggerfish, barracuda, Bumphead Parrotfish, milkfish, and more. 

If stalking bonefish in skinny water, throwing crab flies at colorful tailing triggerfish, or trying to maintain your composure as a large GT charges your fly sounds interesting, then Farquhar is certainly a venue that should make the top of your list. Aside from fantastic flats fishing, there are also some legitimate bluewater opportunities, as deep water begins very close to shore. Here the most common bluewater species encountered are giant trevally, barracuda, wahoo, yellowfin, dogtooth tuna, grouper, bohar snapper, and sailfish. Whether it’s on the flats or offshore, the guides of Farquhar will help you identify your desired target species, access the areas they frequent, and explain the correct techniques with which to catch each species. They will without question go the extra mile to put you on to the fish of a lifetime. The first part of the fishing season on Farquhar traditionally runs from early October to late December. The second part runs from late February to early May, with a break over the Christmas and New Year’s holiday. These are the peak periods, as January is one of the rainiest months in the Seychelles. (From middle May to October, the strong southeastern monsoon winds blow incessantly. These winds bring cold water onto the flats and make fly fishing a fairly unpleasant and unproductive experience.)

Boats and Equipment
Guests will have access to 17-foot skiffs, each of which is outfitted with a 90HP, 2-stroke Yamaha engine. These boats have been specifically designed and fitted to fish both the flats and offshore waters of the Seychelles in comfort and safety. The boats have a draft of approximately nine inches, allowing anglers to access extremely shallow areas of the atoll. That said, the main attraction of Farquhar still lies in wading the flats. Each boat is skippered by one of the professional guides on the island, all of whom are qualified skippers who speak fluent English. Anglers should plan on bringing all equipment such as rods, reels, extra fly lines, and quality, heavy-duty wading boots. The guides do have some flies available for purchase at the lodge and fly selections can be pre-ordered for your trip through Yellow Dog. A comprehensive tackle and gear list will be provided by Yellow Dog after your booking has been confirmed.

Package Rates
Remember that Yellow Dog’s services are completely free! When you book a trip with Yellow Dog, you never pay more than when you book directly with the lodge or outfitter. All prices listed below are per person and quoted in U.S. dollars.

2024 RATES
Fishing Package Double Occupancy, shared skiff = $14,200.00 per person
Fishing Package Single Occupancy, shared skiff = $18,190.00 per person
Limited single room options are available at a surcharge of $3,000.00 per person
Single Skiff rate $3900.00 per week / $650.00 per day

What’s Included:

• All accommodation on Farquhar for seven nights (based on two people sharing a room)
• Six (6) days of guided fishing (2 anglers per boat/guide)
• Three meals per day on the island
• All bottled water, coffee, tea, and juice
• Round-trip flights from Mahe (SEZ) to Farquhar
• Landing fees on Farquhar
• All applicable taxes and GSTs
• Daily laundry and housekeeping services
  
  

What’s Not Included:

• International flight to Mahe (SEZ)
• Gratuities for guides and lodge staff
• Liquor and wine (BYO!) and beer (available for purchase at the lodge)
• Meals and accommodation in Mahe or any other en route cities
• Travel insurance and Global Rescue coverage (mandatory)
• All fishing equipment, tackle, and flies
• Island Conservation Levy of $210 per person (the amount of which will be added to the invoice)

TERMS AND CONDITIONS – CANCELLATIONS
NOTE THAT EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 29, 2021, THE FOLLOWING TERMS, CONDITIONS, AND CANCELLATION POLICIES ARE IN PLACE FOR ALL ALPHONSE FISHING COMPANY-RUN DESTINATIONS. PLEASE NOTE THAT TRIP INSURANCE COVERAGE, AS WELL AS MEDICAL EVACUATION COVERAGE, ARE BOTH NOW MANDATORY FOR ALL SEYCHELLES (AFC) BOOKINGS, AS FULL REFUNDS ARE SIMPLY NOT OFFERED IN ANY CASES OF CANCELLATION, REGARDLESS OF THE REASON.

 RESCHEDULE AND CANCELLATION POLICIES:

> A 10% fee shall be levied if cancellation is made more than 180 days prior to arrival
> A 10% fee shall be levied if the reservation is moved to an alternative date within the same year
> A 10% fee and the rate increase shall be levied if the reservation is moved to an alternative date that is not within the same year
> A fee of 50% shall be levied if cancellation is between 180 and 90 days prior to arrival
> A fee of 100% shall be levied if cancellation is 90 days or less prior to arrival
> All cancellations and provisional bookings must be confirmed in writing

 INDEMNITY & INSURANCE:

> All activities require the client to sign an indemnity once on location
> All clients are required to submit “From Scene of Accident Medevac Insurance” prior to arrival

> It is required that guests take out travel insurance that covers part or full cancellation of a trip due to flight delays, health (including infectious diseases), weather, force majeure or any other reason

 THE FOLLOWING EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE:

> A ban on travel issued by the departing country stating that citizens may not travel to the Seychelles
> Border closure prohibiting non-residents from travel into the Seychelles 

For all Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures, L.L.C. (YDFA) Alphonse, Cosmoledo, Astove, Poivre and Farquhar fishing packages, both deposits and final payments are non-refundable. If a cancelled package is resold by either the lodge/operator or by Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures, then a full refund will be sent minus a $100.00 per person cancellation fee charged by Yellow Dog. In the case of cancellation by the client, both deposit and final payment may be transferred to another guest or angler for those same (original) dates if facilitated and arranged by the client. In case of cancellation due to weather, a full or partial credit may be rolled over and credited to a future date, but this is wholly at the discretion of the operator. Yellow Dog reserves the right to charge a minimum handling fee of $100.00 per person for date changes (approved by the lodge) after the initial reservation has been made. At time of quote, all flight charges, island fees and government taxes are correct but nonetheless are subject to change without prior notice. All guests are REQUIRED to purchase a comprehensive medical emergency evacuation insurance policy, and Yellow Dog strongly recommend that anglers and guests purchase travel insurance for your trip. It is the right of the lodge and operators to cancel any booking without refund if the client is not adequately insured. Please be aware that all guests will be required to sign and return the Alphonse Fishing Company Reservation and Indemnity Form prior to the trip, and there will be no exceptions to this. No refunds can be made for unused arrangements or fishing time lost due to inclement weather. Receipt of deposit and/or final payment is acknowledgment that registrant has read and accepts the deposit, cancellation, refund and responsibility clauses for these Seychelles packages.

Payment Terms for All Yellow Dog Trip Bookings  
Unless otherwise noted on your invoice, for all trips less than 90 days out, full payment is required after receipt of the confirmation email to secure guides and reservations. For trips outside of 90 days, a 50% deposit is required upon receipt of confirmation email to confirm your reservations.   

Yellow Dog accepts on-line payments via a secure payment portal – a quick and easy way to complete your trip reservation. Please reach out to accounting@yellowdogflyfishing.com to gain access. 

Yellow Dog Flyfishing Standard Forms of Payment 

• Debit card (fee-free) and credit card (3% convenience fee) - to pay via card please utilize the customer payment portal. If you need assistance, reach out to 406-585-8667 ext. #3 
• Wires - please include name and/or invoice number for reference on your wire. Please reach out to accounting@yellowdogflyfishing.com for wiring instructions. (client is responsible for wiring fees) 
• Physical check - please include your invoice number in the memo. Mail checks to 213 S. Willson Ave. Bozeman, MT, 59715

If you have any questions about alternate payment methods, please contact Yellow Dog at (406) 585-8667 ext. #3. We are available Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM MT.