An Unforgettable Holiday in the Seychelles

We spent the least amount of time on Mahé, which, in hindsight, was not a bad decision, as unfortunately it rained almost continuously. The island is very large and mountainous, so if you are staying for longer, we would recommend hiring a car. We would allow no more than half a day for visiting the capital, Victoria — or perhaps just a few hours — as the town really is very small.

Fish stall at the Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke Market in Victoria A visit to Le Jardin du Roi near Anse Royale is highly recommended, especially for its homemade ice cream and food. On Mahé, we stayed at Demeure de Cap Macon. It is a beautiful colonial-style property. The owners also live on the premises, which makes the experience feel very personal. We would therefore recommend this accommodation, although it is worth bearing in mind that it is located in the far south of the island, so you are fairly reliant on a hire car. Unfortunately, dining options in the area are also very limited.

Praslin is a much smaller and less mountainous island, so it is easy to get around by bus. One very beautiful beach, with fine white sand and turquoise water, that also offers excellent snorkelling is Anse Lazio. Take the bus towards Anse Boudin, then walk the final kilometre to the beach, which is rather steep in places. A visit to Vallée de Mai National Park is also highly recommended. The guided tour with Francis was particularly interesting and great fun!
We booked the ‘Robinson Crusoe Adventure Cruise’ through our Creole representative and would recommend it as well. There was not a great deal to see while snorkelling near St Pierre Island, but we really enjoyed the guided tour on Curieuse with the Aldabra giant tortoises, lunch on the catamaran and the catamaran trip in general.

Aldabra giant tortoise on Curieuse On Praslin, we stayed at Colibri Guest House. It was the most beautiful hotel or guest house we stayed at in the Seychelles! The grounds include a lovely, albeit small, pool, and both the chalets and the entire property are very well maintained and thoughtfully designed. The staff are very attentive and exceptionally friendly. Half board at this hotel is highly recommended: there is a wide selection at breakfast, while dinner is delicious, beautifully presented and varied.

La Digue was the smallest island on our island-hopping trip. There are hardly any cars here, so it is a wonderful place to enjoy the peace and quiet and simply relax. You can hire a bicycle for the equivalent of €7 per person per day and explore the island in no time at all. The cooling breeze while cycling is another welcome benefit!
We highly recommend Anse Patates. It is a very small bay and can therefore become crowded quite quickly, but it is ideal for snorkelling and offers picture-perfect postcard views.

Anse Patates A visit to the former copra plantation, L’Union Estate, is also highly recommended. You pass through the vanilla plantation, which smells of honey, and by the giant tortoises. Just before the cemetery on the plantation, you can buy a range of locally produced items, such as jams and vanilla extract. The famous Anse Source d´Argent can only be reached through this plantation. It is worth getting up early, as the bay is extremely popular. However, the small bays before it already offer excellent snorkelling. At Anse Source d’Argent, not far from the dead end formed by the enormous rocks, you can also see several large, very tame and hungry fish.

Feeding fish at Anse Source d’Argent A hike up to Belle Vue is also highly recommended. To be honest, the hike is very strenuous, but you are rewarded with a beautiful view across the neighbouring islands. The sunset from this viewpoint is also wonderful. On La Digue, we stayed at Chateau Saint Cloud. The hotel was good, and we would book half board again, although we preferred Colibri Guest House.

Where available, we would recommend booking half board, as we found self-catering rather difficult. Eating out is quite expensive — you can easily spend €20 per person — and although takeaway food is very inexpensive, at around €4, and offers fairly good value for money, it is not really a good long-term solution.

Travelling by bus is very inexpensive in the Seychelles, at around €0.50 per journey. However, the buses are not particularly reliable or frequent.

In most places in the Seychelles, you can pay directly in euros, and you will often receive change in the local currency. The exchange rate used is roughly the same as the bank rate.

The Seychelles has a very hot and humid climate, so you should certainly remember to bring high-factor sunscreen, as well as a long-sleeved top and full-length bottoms for snorkelling.

We thoroughly enjoyed our holiday in the Seychelles, and it was unforgettable! The natural scenery is simply breathtaking. We would definitely recommend a trip to the Seychelles, especially as an island-hopping holiday. It is certainly not an inexpensive holiday, but it is well worth the investment. Our highlights were the Aldabra giant tortoises, the Coco de Mer palm — and the natural surroundings in general — snorkelling and Colibri Guest House.

Ana & Sören