Our First Trip to the Seychelles

After a stopover of a few days in the Emirates, we landed on Mahé, the largest island in the Seychelles and home to its capital, Victoria. As you can imagine, compared with Dubai’s enormous buildings, shopping centres, five-lane motorways and expanses of concrete, the surroundings felt very different as soon as we set foot in the Seychelles. The only thing the two places had in common was the heat, although this time it was humid rather than dry! We went straight to the port (spending quite a lot on a taxi... but with our suitcases, there was not much alternative) to catch the Cat Cocos ferry to Praslin, the second-largest island in the Seychelles.

Following a recommendation from SeyVillas, we stayed for 4 nights at the Palm Beach Hotel, which is on the western side of the island. The property has a retro, almost colonial feel, with pastel colours that offer a pleasant step back in time. It is also fortunate enough to stand on a bay where the sky, land and light come together to create spectacular sunsets — something beautiful that everyone should see!

Our apartment was a large room with glass doors opening onto a terrace in front of the swimming pool. After breakfast on our first day, we decided to use public transport. Just behind the bus stop (very inexpensive, although it does take a little getting used to...), we had our first big surprise: 3 giant tortoises, with enormous bodies and of an impossible-to-guess age, were quietly munching on leaves in the sunshine! Our first stop was Anse Volbert beach, on the opposite side of the island from our hotel. What a breathtaking beach! With its incredibly fine white sand, the blend of blue and turquoise in the sea, and the cheerful green of the palm trees, it was simply enchanting — and, as it was early December, there were hardly any tourists!

What is more, you do not have to go far to snorkel and find fish and corals that you would normally only see in tropical aquariums: simply enter the water from the same beach, swim out a short way and, before long, we spotted our first beautiful red starfish!

On the second day, we took a boat from the same beach to three nearby islands — Félicité, Cousine and Coco Island — to go snorkelling, and we really recommend it! You should choose a day with plenty of sunshine and few waves. Our day was perfect: the sunlight made the water completely transparent right down to the seabed, and we swam with turtles, rays, octopuses, barracudas and fish of every shape and colour. Do not forget to wear a T-shirt even in the water, otherwise your pale back, fresh from the cold continent...

Another unusual sight was the islands’ many enormous black bats (nothing dangerous — they eat fruit), which can be seen flying throughout the day. Apparently, the local people eat them and they form part of Creole cuisine, or so we were told... Evenings on Praslin are very quiet and dark: after sunset, the island ‘turns out the lights’ and slowly falls asleep. It is wonderful for admiring the sky, with its display of bright stars and seemingly endless constellations. If you are as lucky as I was, you may even see a shooting star!

From Praslin, we once again took the Cat Cocos ferry, this time to La Digue. We had planned to stay for only 4 nights, but we were so delighted with the place that we extended our holiday and did not move on again.

La Digue is a very small island, known for having virtually no cars or modern tarmac roads. Instead, bicycles are the preferred way of getting around for both local people and tourists. The island has wonderful colours, which take on different shades depending on the time of day and the sunlight. It also has beaches to suit almost every taste: with or without a coral reef, with or without tides, and with or without waves. They are surrounded by rocks that create landscapes unlike anywhere else in the world, while the water temperature is so perfect that you never want to leave the sea!

The people on the island are very welcoming and kind, always with a smile on their faces. They speak English, French and Creole, and there are also a few Italians who have moved there. Again following a recommendation from SeyVillas, we chose to spend another 4 days at Zerof Guesthouse, where we received a warm welcome and were well looked after. Just watch out for the mosquitoes and remember to light mosquito coils! In the evening, choose your restaurant carefully: there are not many, and they are generally all quite expensive. During the day, however, the island is at its best, and we used our bicycles to reach its different areas. Our only daily dilemma was deciding which beach to choose... Along the road, we once again came across enormous tortoises, and we could not miss the opportunity to take a photograph.

La Digue has beaches with waves where you can go bodysurfing, as well as places for snorkelling. The beaches remain in their natural state, without toilets, parasols or sun loungers like those typically found on our beaches. Apart from a few small local bars hidden among the vegetation, everything is very simple and natural. It is perhaps an island better suited to adults, although we did also see tourists with young children. Almost everyone was European, with a few Indian and Asian visitors; I was the only Brazilian, as my homeland is a very long way from here!

We were very pleased with our decision to visit the Seychelles. It is a romantic and unspoilt place, without the charter flights and large resorts found on other tropical islands. Ideally, you need around 10 days, and anyone who loves the sea and photography will enjoy it to the full. We appreciated every minute: relaxing, feeling the warmth and enjoying our holiday. We recommend it to anyone who would like to have the same experience!

We love the Seychelles!!

Nathalia and Luca