The Villas d'Or were built on a 2 hectare estate that was once part of the beach, but nowadays has been transformed into a beautiful tropical garden by the Seychellois owners. As opposed to some of the foreign-owned hotels in the Seychelles, there is a great deal of attention-to-detail and love put into the maintenance of the estate, including a number of native Seychelles plants in the garden. A magnificent driveway leads from the street to the garden, where the only sounds you'll hear will be the rustling of palm trees in the wind and the splashing of the waves on the nearby beach.

The garden houses 6 spacious villas, all of which have verandas facing the sea. Small sandy paths lead through the garden and connect the villas to each other. One of the paths also leads to the entrance area of the estate, with its large reception and sheltered gazebo beside the pool.

Thanks to its beach-side location, the pool probably won't see much use. The beach here is simply too inviting thanks to its beautiful scenery and plentiful shade. The entrance to the water is also extremely shallow, and the sand underfoot is soft and white, making the beach a fantastic year-round prospect for swimming, something that doesn't necessarily ring true for all of the island's beaches.

According to the estate's charming manager, Pierre, the villas were originally designed to be high-class self-catering villas, but as time went by the services were extended to excellent breakfasts and evening meals. The Villas d'Or receive our special recommendation as they rank among the best accommodations available in this price category on Praslin. If you look at the pictures you'll see that they speak for themselves.