Raymonde Donkin – A Pioneer in Tourism
January 1922 – August 3, 2009
Family and friends mourned this week the passing away of Raymonde Donkin.
If in later years, Mrs. Donkin has been familiar mostly to residents of Bel Ombre where she was known as Mme. Jourdan, she has also a past of national significance. She was one of the pioneers of Seychelles tourism, engaged in the industry even before it took a leap with the opening of the international airport.
Raymonde, together with her first husband Jourdan Delorié, ran what was probably the first hotel in Seychelles outside of Victoria, known as Raymonde’s Beach Hotel and located on the site where the Fisherman’s Cove stands today. In those days visitors arrived by ship, usually the B.I. liners Kampala and Karanja.
Along with running the hotel, Raymonde was known for her love of nature, keeping a garden with not only an abundance of flowers and shrubs but also tortoises and birds, including parrots. It was a passion she kept long into her retirement. She passed away after a period of illness.
Source: Regar 8-7-09