Our First Time in the Seychelles – but Certainly Not Our Last

Our accommodation was in a relatively secluded location at Anse La Blague, but we had no regrets about staying there (and having a hire car made it easy to get around) – quite the opposite: we stayed at Elizes’s Villa, right beside the deserted beach, and it was absolutely beautiful.

We could hear the waves as soon as we woke up. Most days began with us snorkelling in the Indian Ocean, right on our doorstep – how often do you get the chance to do that?!

Another special highlight on Praslin was ‘Vallée de Mai’, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This almost completely unspoilt park is breathtakingly beautiful, not least because of its unique flora and fauna, some of which can only be found on Praslin. One example is the black parrot, which we even managed to glimpse briefly. The coco de mer palms are also unique to Praslin (apart from Curieuse Island) and are very impressive. Afterwards, we drove to Anse Lazio in the north-west of Praslin, which is rightly considered one of the island’s most beautiful beaches.

Another unforgettable experience was an organised full-day excursion with a wonderfully varied international group of around 25 people, travelling in small boats to Cousin Island, Curieuse Island and St Pierre Island. We set off from Côte d’Or beach at 9.00 in the morning. Our first stop was Cousin Island, where we enjoyed a guided tour through the protected palm forest (fantastic, especially for bird lovers), followed by some free time on the snow-white beach. From there, we continued to Cousin Island, where Seychelles giant tortoises were already waiting to greet us on the beach.

The tortoises roam freely around the island and are definitely worth seeing! Afterwards, we stopped off the coast of St Pierre Island to go snorkelling. At a depth of around 2–3 metres, we saw fish in every colour imaginable, which was simply wonderful.

After our stay on Praslin, we took the ferry to the smallest of the three main islands: La Digue. We spent another four unforgettable days there.

From the moment we arrived, we felt as though we were on another planet. Apart from taxis, there are no cars on La Digue. You either walk or get around by bicycle. This gives everything a wonderfully relaxed pace, and we felt very much at home on La Digue. Exploring the island by bicycle was a completely new experience.

Our personal highlight on La Digue was the protected area around the world-famous Anse Source d’Argent beach. There is an entrance fee of 100 Seychelles rupees per person, but it is definitely worth it. First, you pass an old cemetery belonging to La Digue’s first settlers, followed by an old rum distillery. The next stop is a giant rock more than 700 years old, around which approximately 50 Seychelles giant tortoises live. Their enclosure is bordered by a stone wall about 1 metre high, but with sturdy footwear you can climb over it and feed the tortoises using the leaves provided or fruit you have brought with you (the tortoises particularly enjoyed bananas and pieces of papaya). From there, the path continues past vanilla plantations until you eventually have to leave your bicycles behind and walk the final 200 metres to Anse Source d’Argent. The guidebooks certainly do not exaggerate. This really is an absolute dream beach, and it feels as though you have stepped into a postcard.

The fish came right up to the shore, and it is a fantastic spot for snorkelling, walking or simply relaxing on the beach.

One thing you definitely should not miss is a boat excursion from La Digue to Felicité Island and Île de Coco. This was where we saw the most beautiful fish while snorkelling, as well as a real sea turtle.

From La Digue, we took the ferry back to Mahé. We spent three days at this final stop on our trip.

We stayed at Ocean View Guesthouse, close to Beau Vallon beach, one of the island’s most beautiful and popular beaches.

It is a particularly good place for swimming and bathing in the sea, as the water in this bay is very calm. If you are visiting Mahé, you should definitely plan to hire a car, as the island is relatively large. We drove all around the island and visited some wonderfully beautiful beaches along the way, such as Anse Solei and Anse Intendance. We also visited the tea factory in the mountains and stopped at the craft village in the east of Mahé, where we bought a few unique souvenirs. The capital, Victoria, is also definitely worth visiting (and it is quite easy to get there by bus).

The large market should certainly be on your itinerary; there is so much to discover there! But it was also lovely simply to wander around the city, discovering special little shops here and there and chatting with the locals.

It is also worth mentioning that the Seychellois are incredibly friendly and open. We always found it easy to strike up conversations and met so many kind and helpful people. Many were also genuinely interested in learning more about us and asking how we had enjoyed our holiday so far – it was always clear just how much the locals love their islands, something we can now understand even better after our dream holiday in the Seychelles. And so, it certainly will not have been the last time we spend a holiday there...