Seychelles: Paradise in the Indian Ocean

When we arrived at Mahé Airport, we were welcomed by a wonderful temperature of around 30°C, which we greatly appreciated after leaving behind rain and temperatures of around 5°C in Milan. On Praslin, we hired a car, again through SeyVillas, and it was already waiting for us at the villa. We strongly recommend having a car on this island because, as it is not particularly small, it is useful for getting around, visiting the wonderful beaches and going out to restaurants. We did, however, have a couple of beaches and restaurants fairly close to the villa, as well as a mini-market. It was not as well stocked as those back home, but it had everything we might need. We recommend checking the opening hours carefully, as they are very different from ours and almost everything is closed on Sundays.

The following day, we arrived at Cote D’or (only 4 km from our villa) and were immediately left speechless by the very long beach of Anse Volbert. The main hotels and guesthouses are located just behind it. We stopped for lunch at La Pirogue Restaurant, which was good but expensive.
That evening, we preferred to stay at our wonderful villa and have dinner on the patio overlooking the garden, which was full of plants, including a mango tree whose delicious fruit the owner had invited us to enjoy. Above us, the moonlight shimmered on the sea. It was enchanting.

The following day, we took an excursion to Curieuse Island. When we landed, we had the chance to meet the giant tortoises that roam freely there. We then followed a trail of around 1.5 km, crossing a mangrove swamp on wooden walkways, until we reached the splendid beach of Anse Josè, surrounded by palm trees and with clear, calm, warm turquoise water. It was a fantastic place.

At around 15:00, we travelled to the nearby island of St Pierre, where we were able to go snorkelling. The weather was wonderful, and we were captivated by the beauty of these little islands.

We spent another wonderful day at Anse Lazio, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. In our trusty Kia Picanto, we drove to the car park and then walked a few metres to the expanse of pure white sand, bordered at either end by enormous granite boulders. The sea was turquoise, and everything was so dazzling that it was difficult to look at without sunglasses.

From the beach, we followed the signs to the Honesty Bar, which offers a wonderful view. If no staff are there, the price list is on the table and you simply help yourself from the fridge, leaving the correct amount in an open box. Now that is faith in humanity! We had lunch at ‘Chevalier’, which was excellent and reasonably priced. As a welcome drink, we were offered a delicious local fruit smoothie.

For one of our dinners, we bought fresh fish from a local fisherman on the beach at Anse la Blague, close to our villa, just as he was returning in his little boat. For 150 rupees (around €10), we made a wonderful dinner. Jack, our host, who lives in the nearest villa, let us use his barbecue, and the result was excellent.

We arrived on La Digue after a crossing of around 15 minutes (transfers and tickets were all included with SeyVillas) and found ourselves in a wonderfully lively village. The fact that there are no cars here, apart from a few taxis and work vehicles, and that everyone gets around by bicycle makes it even more special.

After a short taxi transfer, we arrived at Le Melon. The property managers had the bicycles ready for us and showed us around the villa. We were immediately enchanted. There was even a swimming pool, and it may be the only private villa on the entire island to have one, apart from the resorts.

The only drawback was that there was no Wi-Fi, and the island’s only internet café was closed. As suggested, we got around this by going for a drink at the Fish Trap, a bar on the main road not far from the harbour. Once we had received the password as customers, we were able to connect from nearby on the following days as well.

We immediately set off to explore the island on our bicycles. With the harbour behind us, we went up a small hill and passed the cemetery on our right before reaching the splendid Anse Severe on our left. Continuing onwards, we came to the small and charming Anse Patates and the enchanting Anse Gaulettes. We carried on as far as Anse Banane, where we enjoyed a swim in the warm pools formed by the low tide. The beach was covered with shells and coral.

The following day, we packed a lunch and headed to the immense Grande Anse in the south of the island. The sea was rough, but the colours were beautiful: turquoise water, white rocks and lush vegetation.

That evening, we enjoyed a Creole dinner prepared for us by Marva and her husband for €20 per person: Creole-style octopus cooked in coconut milk, rice, three different types of salad and vegetables, an enormous jackfish (from the mackerel family) cooked on the barbecue, and a local fruit salad. Everything was delicious and so plentiful that we also had it for dinner the following evening.

Another unmissable place on La Digue is Anse Source D’Argent. Admission to Union Estate Park costs 100 rupees (around €7), and the route takes you past coconut palms, vanilla plantations and the giant tortoise enclosure. At the start of the sand, we parked our bicycles and walked towards Source D’Argent. What an incredible natural spectacle! A long stretch of golden sand bordered by magnificent granite boulders. Thanks to the low tide, walking further brought us to one delightful little beach after another, each more beautiful than the last, framed by boulders, palm trees and blue sky. It was wonderful.

Although we visited in February, which is considered part of the rainy season, we had only one day of unsettled weather and two nights with rain. Based on our experience, we would therefore recommend visiting at this time of year as well. Remember to bring a British plug adaptor and, if several of you are travelling together, an extension lead with multiple sockets will be useful for charging mobile phones, cameras and other devices.

If, like us, you arrive on a Saturday afternoon, you will not be able to exchange money until Monday morning. However, credit cards are accepted everywhere, as are euros.

As for insects, there were not many. We used repellent on only a couple of evenings, while numerous geckos were our constant companions on the verandas of both villas.

We were extremely pleased with our holiday. We would like to thank SeyVillas for providing all the requested services perfectly, and we wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone wishing to visit this earthly paradise. Returning home is always sad, but it was wonderful to experience these magnificent moments, which will remain in our hearts forever.

We hope to return soon!