Moyenne Island, off the north coast of Mahé, Seychelles, is only 24 acres and the smallest national park in the world. The island is home to the Aldabra Giant Tortoise and some 16,000 trees, including mahogany, palm, mango, coco de mer, and pawpaw. Newspaper editor Brendon Grimshaw purchased Moyenne in the early 1960s and restored the then-abandoned and untamed island to its present natural state by adding hiking trails, native plant species, and 2,000 species of birds. During our day trip there, a heavy thunderstorm dumped cascades of rainwater along the hiking trails as we waited under shelter for the storm to pass. We also enjoyed some homecooked native food and the music of Enzo Gonzalves, a ringer for a young Bob Marley. Just a few weeks after we returned to the United States, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, shutting down Seychelles and most of the world to travel. January 17, 2020.

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