Island Hopping: Mahé – La Digue – Praslin

After a 6-hour flight, a 7-hour stopover in Abu Dhabi and another 5-hour flight, my boyfriend Chris and I finally arrived on Mahé early on 22 July.

Exhausted from the long journey, we were glad that we did not have to head straight to the harbour and continue by ferry, but were instead taken to our first accommodation on Mahé, the Oceanview Guesthouse.

The owners were very friendly, and the room – we had the apartment with a small kitchen – was simple but clean and practical, offering excellent value for money.

Breakfast consisted of toast, butter, jam, a fruit platter, eggs, coffee, tea and juice. For those who prefer to cater for themselves, there is a small shop within a 5-minute walk. Both the guesthouse’s own beach, Anse Marie-Laure – which was almost deserted – and the well-known, more touristy Beau Vallon beach were very clean and ideal for swimming.

Our other highlights on Mahé included a trip to the capital, Victoria – we travelled by public bus, which cost just 5 SR, or 40 cents, per person each way – and a hike to Anse Major. You can do this without a guide: simply follow the road towards Danzil to the end, then continue by following the signs. The walk takes around 1 hour each way. We were less impressed by Anse Royal in the south, as there was a lot of seagrass when we visited.
After 5 nights on Mahé, we took the ‘Cat Cocos’ ferry to Praslin, then continued straight on to La Digue aboard the smaller ‘Cat Rose’ ferry. If you are prone to seasickness, you should definitely fly instead!

We spent the next 6 nights at Pension Michel on La Digue.

La Digue was our personal favourite. We loved our accommodation, with its attractive décor, friendly staff and excellent, varied breakfast, as well as the beaches and the fact that every part of the small island could be reached on foot or by bicycle, as there are hardly any cars.

Breakfast here again included toast, butter, jam, coffee, tea, eggs and a fruit platter, with a different combination of fresh fruit each day, as well as something sweet such as banana cake or pancakes. Gala Takeaway, around a 3-minute walk from Pension Michel, is also a good and inexpensive place to eat, serving delicious, authentic Creole curries for just €3–5. This restaurant is also very popular with locals! We did not try Pension Michel’s evening menu, but you can also dine at many other guesthouses even if you are not staying there. There are also a few independent restaurants, although prices are comparable to those in Europe.

Our main highlights on La Digue were:
- Visiting Grand Anse, which we personally found even more beautiful than the famous Anse Source d’Argent
- Continuing from there on foot to Petite Anse and Anse Cocos.
- Hiking around the southern tip to Anse Marron – this is only possible with a guide, as you would not be able to find the route on your own.
- Hiking to the summit of Nid’Aigle, the highest mountain on La Digue.
- Exploring the beaches along the north and east coasts by bicycle
- And taking a snorkelling trip to the Sister Islands, Ilé Coco and Felicité.

Thinking that the final part of our holiday could hardly be more beautiful than La Digue, we continued to Praslin with mixed feelings.

We spent our final 4 nights at Villa Bananier on Anse Volbert. The accommodation was not particularly attractive, but it was clean, practical and one of the more affordable options in the area. The staff were friendly here too, and the owner offered us a complimentary late check-out. Breakfast consisted of the usual items, except there were no eggs. There was a shared kitchen, as well as the option of having the owner cook for us, but we did not use either. We can highly recommend the Italian restaurant ‘Gelateria de Luca’, which serves authentic Italian ice cream, as well as the curry takeaway ‘Tasty Bites’.

Besides the almost obligatory visit to the Vallée de Mai and the beautiful Anse Volbert, our highlight on Praslin was taking the bus to Anse Lazio. From there, we hiked to Anse Georgette – the path is a little difficult to find – then walked out through the Lemuria Resort and took the bus back. It is almost like getting a tour of the island at the same time!

In the end, Praslin was also absolutely beautiful and well worth a visit!