Island hopping across the four largest islands

We spent 14 nights across four islands in the Seychelles at the end of March and beginning of April 2017. We wanted to go snorkelling while also getting to know the country and its people. We therefore chose the Seychelles over the Maldives, as there is simply more to explore. Our wish was more than fulfilled. The islands are incredibly varied, and we were particularly impressed by the sea, the beaches, the natural surroundings and, above all, the wildlife.

  We wanted to organise the trip independently and deliberately chose not to book any of the packages on offer. Instead, we put together our own itinerary across four islands using the Island Hopping Configurator, which was extremely convenient. We chose the following islands and accommodation:

• 4 nights on Cerf at the highly recommended L'Habitation, for relaxing and snorkelling (the half-board option is highly recommended – during our four evenings, we were lucky enough to enjoy both a barbecue and a Creole buffet, each of which was a culinary experience in its own right; at dusk, you can also watch fish such as rays and reef sharks from the jetty)
• 4 nights on Praslin at the exceptionally clean Beach Villa Guesthouse, using the bus to explore and taking an excursion to Curieuse (the bus stop is directly on the road behind the guesthouse)
• 3 nights on La Digue at Oceane L'Union Villa, cycling to the beaches (it is worth noting that the villa is in a very secluded location, and you will need a bicycle to reach the beach, restaurants and shops)
• 3 nights on Mahé/ Beau Vallon at The Beach House, with a hire car, to round off the trip perfectly (after all the wonderful experiences we had already enjoyed, we were not expecting too much from Mahé, but that was entirely unjustified, as the island is definitely worth a stop!)

Crab on Cerf Booking the four properties went smoothly, and everything was exactly as described when we arrived. Organising the transfers independently ultimately took a great deal of time, and we found that arranging our own transport was barely any cheaper than SeyVillas’ ‘package deal’. We would definitely book with SeyVillas again next time and opt for the transfer package.

The Seychelles are certainly worth visiting, whether you want to explore, go snorkelling or simply relax. You just need to be prepared for the consistently high temperatures and humidity. The advice to make sure our accommodation had air conditioning was extremely valuable!

Snorkelling off Cerf One definite highlight was an excursion from Praslin to Curieuse, where the wonderful giant tortoises roam freely. We enjoyed a traditional local barbecue served on palm leaves and finished the day by snorkelling near the small island of St Pierre and off Anse Lazio. A dream day!

Tortoise on Curieuse Anse Lazio One day on Praslin, we walked the Salazie Track and then took the bus to Anse Lazio for just 5 SP (approximately €0.35 per person!), where we spent the rest of lunchtime. If you enjoy hiking and exploring independently, I can highly recommend this nature trail. You should certainly wear long trousers, as parts of the path were quite overgrown when we visited. However, the experience of being immersed in tropical nature was priceless.

Salazie Track Vallée de Mai National Park also impressed us much more than we had expected. The French guide was kind enough to translate everything into English for us, which was very interesting. Despite the admission price of around €26, I would not miss it. We visited early in the morning, and given the number of visitors and the climate, I would definitely do the same again.

I can also recommend the Boathouse in Beau Vallon, where you can enjoy wonderful sunsets over a lovely cocktail.

Boathouse Restaurant Sunset on La Digue overlooking Praslin All in all, our trip to the Seychelles was a dream. You can truly unwind there, and everything moves at a slightly slower pace than in our everyday lives in Germany.

Thank you very much for organising such wonderful accommodation!