Seychelles' Eden Islands development attracts Hong Kong and Chinese buyers

A developer from Seychelles, the island nation where Prince William and his wife, Kate, spent their honeymoon, hopes to lure Hong Kong and mainland property investors into buying homes on the tropical island located off the east coast of Africa.

"We're looking to expand the market here. The introduction of regular flights from Hong Kong to the Seychelles has made that a bit easier," said Craig Heeger, executive chairman of residential marina development Eden Island.

Located in the Indian Ocean northeast of Madagascar, the Seychelles archipelago has 115 islands famed for their beaches and marine parks. The country has a population of 91,000 and enjoys a warm and humid climate all year round.

Eden Island is a luxury project located a few hundred metres from the country's capital island of Mahé. Covering just 56 hectares, it is one of a few residential property projects in Seychelles approved by the government for sale to foreign buyers. The project offers 580 villas and apartments. About 430 have already been sold, mainly to South African, French and British buyers. The properties are sized from 88 to 609 square metres.

The remaining unsold units are priced from US$450,000 for an 88 sq m one-bedroom apartment to US$4.5 million for a 609 sq m six-bedroom villa.

"We see the Chinese market as having the greatest potential for us because all the traditional markets are collapsing," Heeger said in Hong Kong.