Relaxation, adventure and exploration!
We are incurable travellers… my wife, our 8-year-old son and me. This year, we wanted a holiday that would give us time to relax on beautiful beaches, along with plenty of nature and adventure; what better place could there be? We were off to the Seychelles! We divided our stay between the three main islands.
Mahé
We arrived on Mahé and spent the first 3 days exploring the island. After an afternoon recovering from the journey, we began our adventure in the south on our second day and immediately fell in love with Anse Takamaka, with its incredible turquoise waters, powdery white sand and lush vegetation… in short, the ‘Seychelles promise’ fulfilled!!!
But our adventurous spirit would not let us stop there, so we hopped from one beach to the next: Baie Lazare, Anse Soleil and then up to Grand Anse. For the rest of the day, we gave in to complete relaxation on the beach that had captivated us most of all: Anse Intendance. Absolutely wonderful!
We devoted our third day to the north, which, to be honest, left us a little disappointed. It probably was not the best time to visit, but between the low tide and the seaweed, renowned beaches such as Beau Vallon could not reveal their much-praised charm. But no problem: the island is large enough to offer so many alternatives that we were soon off again… heading back south, where Anse Royale would pamper us for the rest of the day.
La Digue
We were ready to change islands, so we boarded the Cat Cocos and set sail for La Digue.
Perhaps it was the relaxed atmosphere, the pleasure of exploring by bicycle, the glorious weather or the even more spectacular beaches… but we made our choice: La Digue was our favourite!
We immediately hopped on our bicycles to explore this corner of paradise, heading north. We spent a couple of hours at Anse Patates, snorkelling and playing in the turquoise, delightfully lively waves, surrounded by dazzling white sand, before spending the rest of the afternoon at the more peaceful Anse Severe, admiring an enchanting sunset.
On our second day, we felt ready to tackle the long cycle ride to Grand Anse. We picked up a packed lunch from a takeaway along the way, and off we went! Even the route there, through incredibly lush vegetation, was wonderful… but nothing compared with what awaited us when we arrived. We were lucky enough to enjoy the beach without overly strong currents, so it was time for swimming, sand and sunshine!
Feeling refreshed and remembering the information we had gathered before leaving, which promised more spectacular sights just a few minutes’ walk away, we reached Petite Anse after around 15 minutes on foot. It was impossible to rank these beaches… this was yet another wonder! These are exactly the sort of beaches we love: vast and unspoilt, with palms and lush vegetation behind them, pristine turquoise waters in front and imposing granite boulders framing the view.
One last effort: we set off for the third beach in this part of the island, Anse Cocos, which is better suited to snorkelling.
On the third day, we were ready for our excursion. Between the fascinating snorkelling and islands that looked as though they had been drawn by hand, such as Coco Island, the day once again ended with that pleasant feeling of tiredness and countless images that would remain in our memories forever.
Day four: we headed south to Anse Source d’Argent, with its giant tortoises and granite boulders that looked as though they had ‘fallen from the sky’, perfectly set upon a beach that seemed to have been painted.
Praslin
It was already time to move on to Praslin, whose natural beauty, with its lush forests and picture-postcard beaches, soon stirred even more emotions. We immediately set sail on an excursion to Curieuse Island, as we had become truly fascinated by the giant tortoises and wanted to visit somewhere we could experience them to the fullest.
We spent the final 3 days of our trip moving from one glorious sight to another. The beach overlooked by our guesthouse (Beach Villa), Grand Anse, enchanted us with its low tide, which continually changed the sea level and transformed the view. Anse Georgette is an absolute must. As visitor numbers are limited, access needs to be booked at least 2 days in advance. Our favourite beach on Praslin, it is reached by walking through the golf course before emerging, after around 20 minutes, into a paradise of white sand, turquoise water and palms leaning over the beach like an artist’s finishing touch.
The grand finale of our holiday was our last day at Anse Lazio, a larger version of Anse Georgette. What more can we say… it was the perfect farewell to the Seychelles!
Everyone has their own tastes, so I do not feel I can give specific advice about what to do on these dream islands, but I do have one recommendation: do not be lazy! Whether by car or bicycle — or even by public transport, apparently, although we honestly prefer having the freedom to travel independently — the real joy lies in touring every island and exploring every corner. Each day, whether following a recommendation or discovering somewhere by surprise, these islands will give you unforgettable experiences!
