Birthday in Paradise
It was a milestone birthday that inspired us to take a special trip. We therefore spent the last two weeks of June in the Seychelles. We had no idea how fortunate our choice of dates would be: several locals told us that most tourists visit in July and August, over Christmas and New Year, and in April. As a result, the streets were not crowded, we sometimes had the beaches entirely to ourselves, and there was no need to book restaurants in advance. (Some restaurants were even closed in June.)
We arrived on Mahé on 19 June 2016 and immediately continued to Praslin in a small propeller plane. There was not a great deal to see, but it was still worthwhile as a little adventure. Especially as it was quite possible to get seasick on the ferry on the return journey. (It is best to book seats on the upper deck as well.)
On Praslin, we stayed at Les Villas d'Or, accommodation that I can only recommend enthusiastically. The rooms were spacious and very well equipped, with Wi-Fi, and the beautiful property had only a small number of units and was virtually right on a deserted beach. We received exceptionally friendly assistance from the owner, Pierre, and his receptionist, Cecile, who gave us lots of useful tips for exploring the island. For example, they suggested visiting the Fond Ferdinand Nature Reserve rather than Vallée de Mai National Park. Although we did not visit ‘Vallée de Mai’, it is hard to imagine anything better than our tour of ‘Fond Ferdinand’ with the highly dedicated guide Elbert.
It is a 20-minute walk along the beach from the guesthouse to the nearest village. There, you can stock up on essentials, including ingredients for cooking for yourself, as eating out in the Seychelles is quite expensive: you can expect to spend €50–€100 per person in a restaurant, particularly if you would like a glass of wine (€10–€15). Speaking of money: the Seychellois do accept euros, but the best exchange rate they will offer is 1:14, and they much prefer Seychellois rupees (SCR). Some traders and taxi drivers do not accept euros at all. As you will always receive your change in rupees anyway, I recommend using the local currency from the outset.
After four days, we took the ferry to La Digue and stayed at Fleur de Lys. This is another guesthouse I can thoroughly recommend, with spacious rooms, a central yet quiet location and very friendly staff. There was no television, no Wi-Fi and not even a telephone for calling reception – we enjoyed the peace and quiet.
There are now countless guesthouses on La Digue, but fortunately it was not yet high season. Everything on the island can be reached on foot or by bicycle, and the takeaway outlets, which open every day at lunchtime and in the evening, are excellent places to eat. Depending on the outlet, you can get everything from traditional local rice dishes to burgers, served in practical polystyrene containers. Of course, you can also eat at a restaurant or buy your own provisions from the supermarket (the largest shop is on the main road heading south, shortly before the end). Incidentally, there is no street lighting, so a torch is an essential item to pack.
Internet: there is a restaurant/bar called Fish Trap on the main road. If you order a drink, they will give you the Wi-Fi password on request.
Excursions: cycle to Grand Anse, with only a gentle incline, then walk for approximately 30 minutes over the hill via Petit Anse to Anse Cocos – my absolute favourite. However, please wear sturdy footwear for the walk, as you will quite literally be clambering over rough ground and rocks.
Anse Source d‘Argent is certainly worth a day trip, even though there is an entrance fee of SCR 100. But be warned: you can really only enter the water wearing reef shoes or similar footwear, as the beach consists of one vast coral shelf with a reef just offshore. After another four days, we took the ferry, as mentioned above, to Mahé. There, we stayed at the Bord Mer Villa guesthouse, which, for once, I cannot recommend without reservation (see Tripadvisor).
Two tips for Mahé: 1. Simply take the number 22 public bus and travel via Glacis around the northern tip of the island to Victoria. Spend 1–2 hours exploring the city, then take the same bus to complete the circuit, followed by the short remaining journey back to your accommodation. 2. Ask a German-speaking taxi driver to show you around the island. It costs considerably more than hiring a car (€100 for four hours or €200 for eight hours), but we received information and saw places that we would probably otherwise have missed.
We returned to Germany on 30 June 2016. All’s well that ends well? Not quite, as our suitcases went missing and did not arrive until six days later. But that was not SeyVillas’ fault. Quite the opposite: the flights, hotels and transfers – everything went like clockwork. Full marks to SeyVillas! We would gladly book again!
