The Earth as It Was Millions of Years Ago...

We were fortunate enough to spend 5 days on the beautiful island of Praslin. The whole island is stunning, but my favourite beach was definitely Anse Lazio, in the north of the island.

We hired a car to get there, which was an adventure in itself, as we had never driven a right-hand-drive car before. We arrived at the beach early in the morning and were immediately struck by its wild beauty: the white sand, lush green vegetation, imposing granite boulders and, finally, the countless shades of blue in the sea. The water was wonderfully warm, and we spent more than 2 hours swimming. We even managed to open a coconut and enjoyed it while floating in the water and admiring the view.

We also tried to climb into the interior near the beach, but unfortunately we could not get very far in flip-flops, so if you would like to do this short hike, I recommend bringing closed-toe shoes.

What impressed me most about this island, however, was not a beach, but the Vallée de Mai nature reserve.

At the entrance to the reserve, Coco de Mer are on display – the famous fruit that symbolises the Seychelles – but the real sense of wonder begins as you venture deeper into the park. The dense vegetation barely lets the sunlight through, and the entire time I felt as though I were in the film ‘Jurassic Park’, because it truly seemed as if I were seeing the Earth as it must have looked millions of years ago, with plants reaching up to 30 metres high and leaves larger than me. We climbed to the highest point in the nature reserve, and the breathtaking view more than repaid the effort and heat we endured on the way up. From there, you can admire the vivid green jungle plunging into the blue waters of the Indian Ocean.

There are 3 trails through the nature reserve, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, each taking a different amount of time. However, we fell so deeply in love with this place that, after completing the orange trail – the longest one, which takes you around the entire perimeter of the park – we decided to walk the other 2 trails as well, one of which led us to a beautiful mangrove forest.

I would also like to devote some space to the beautiful island of La Digue. We visited it on a day trip during our stay on Praslin, as the ferry between the two islands takes only 15 minutes. As soon as we arrived, we hired bicycles and headed straight to Anse Source d'Argent. Before our trip, I had read that it was one of the most photographed beaches in the world, and now I understand why: it is an extraordinary celebration of natural beauty!

This beach has the most beautiful granite boulders I have ever seen. They are immense, rising above the sea like enormous natural monuments. The beach is also sheltered from the waves by the coral reef, creating an oasis of calm water where you can fully appreciate the sea’s clarity and wonderful colours!

All in all, these were 5 wonderful days, and these places have truly remained in our hearts.