Our Spontaneous Holiday in the Seychelles

When we arrived on Mahé, we were immediately given a friendly welcome by ‘Creole’ and driven straight to the jetty, where our boat to Cerf Island was already waiting. We had never got from the plane to our accommodation so quickly on any previous holiday – just 1¼ hours! And passport control took up most of that time ;o)

As soon as we arrived on Cerf Island (L'Habitation), we felt as though we were in paradise! We loved almost everything about Cerf Island: the small hotel with just 11 rooms, the remarkable peace and quiet with no cars or parties, the sea only 20 metres from our room, the stunning beach, the reef directly in front of the hotel for snorkelling, and the hotel food, although it was not particularly cheap. When the weather was a little cloudier, we took one of the hotel’s free canoes and were even able to paddle over to the neighbouring uninhabited island.

The only things we would criticise were the rather unfriendly hotel staff and the price of the boat crossing to Mahé. There is a free boat in the morning and evening, but between those times the crossing costs €10 per person. That is definitely too much for a 7-minute boat trip and makes popping over to the other island for just 2 hours impractical!

Our excursion to the neighbouring island of Moyenne with boat skipper James was also a wonderful and completely hassle-free experience. He collected us from the hotel in a small boat and, on the way to Moyenne, told us everything worth knowing about the country and its people, the climate, neighbouring islands, snorkelling spots and more. Once there, we set off to explore the island on our own, which is usually what we prefer. Walking all the way around the island was great fun. We encountered giant tortoises roaming freely, wonderful viewpoints and, above all, stunning stretches of beach where we still had time to enjoy a dip in the sea. We would highly recommend this excursion with James.

Moyenne Island Bay

After 5 nights on Cerf Island, we moved to Mahé for another 6 nights and spent the rest of our holiday at the self-catering apartment complex Villa Koket in the north-east. Our stay at Villa Koket was also very pleasant. The owner, Brian, goes out of his way to make your stay as enjoyable as possible and is always happy to help with any problem. If you do not feel like cooking, Brian can prepare a delicious 3-course evening meal for you. The apartments were very spacious and well maintained, and so close to the sea that we fell asleep to the sound of the waves.

Villa Koket We did not particularly like the beach directly by the villa, but after a short walk of around 500 m, we reached a stunning bay (Carana Beach) with enormous rocks and turquoise water, where we sometimes had the entire beach to ourselves!

Carana Beach The villa’s location is not ideal, particularly without a hire car, but it is fine if you do not expect too much from the local supermarket. There is a bus stop directly in front of the villa, making it fairly easy to reach Beau Vallon in 20 minutes.

We were generally lucky with the weather, as we had actually expected more rain in March. During our 12 days, however, it only rained for one afternoon and the following night. For the rest of the holiday, the weather ranged from partly cloudy to brilliant sunshine, especially in the north-east, where the clouds over the mountains did not affect us.

It was an absolutely wonderful holiday in the Seychelles, and one we would recommend to everyone!