Seychelles – A Dream Destination for Relaxation and Little Adventures

Anse Takamaka – one of the most beautiful bays on Mahé

We stayed at Chez Batista on Anse Takamaka. The hotel is fairly basic, but its fantastic location gives it unbeatable value for money. We explored the whole island by hire car and can therefore confirm that this beach lies in one of the most beautiful parts of the entire island.

Unlike Coco Island or Felicité, where the coral reefs are dead, the underwater world here is still almost entirely intact. Snorkelling trips in the early morning and late evening are highly recommended. We went into the ocean very early in the morning with the day’s first rays of sunshine, when the water was actually quite cool and pleasantly refreshing. This allowed us to enjoy some unforgettable moments with sea turtles, which drifted beside and beneath us for minutes at a time, completely unperturbed by our presence.

Snorkelling with turtles in the bay at Anse Takamaka Eagle rays and fish in every colour of the rainbow are also a regular sight while snorkelling. These are moments you never forget. Afterwards, you can sit at breakfast with your feet in the sand, enjoying the idyllic view across the bay and the jungle beyond. It made every morning the perfect start to the day. The nearby and deserted beaches of Anse Intendance and Police Bay are also well worth visiting. We had them almost entirely to ourselves all day. The scenery, the colours, the setting – perfect for any postcard. In the evening, the sun sets directly on the horizon of the Anse Takamaka bay – almost too beautiful to be true.

A thrill for any traveller: flying to Praslin in a propeller plane

Not for anyone who suffers from claustrophobia: the flight from Mahé to Praslin. We were determined to see the Seychelles from above at least once. As it is usually still dark, or already dark, during the long-haul flights on arrival and departure, we knew that we would need to board a different type of aircraft. The 20-minute flight between the two islands is therefore an extremely affordable alternative to the expensive helicopter sightseeing tours. It is also much quicker than travelling by ferry. When the tiny aircraft is full, you just have to be prepared for what feels like 50°C – but when you are on holiday, it is easy to take such things in good humour, and you are rewarded with the chance to look directly over the pilot’s shoulder. How often do you get to experience that? A little tip: be sure to reserve window seats in advance for a fantastic view and the perfect experience! Row 1 consists of individual seats – we sat in 1A and 1B, and both enjoyed a beautiful view.

Fascinating harbour activity right outside the balcony on Praslin

The hotel Chalets Cote Mer on Praslin offered a wonderful change from our previous accommodation by the beach. All the rooms are set slightly higher up the hillside, with a fantastic view across Baie St. Anne and its harbour. There is certainly no shortage of space in the rooms. You can also enjoy the sunrise from here every morning. The reception staff are absolutely delightful and gave us a wonderful welcome. The team in the service area and restaurant are also extremely attentive, exceptionally friendly and always smiling. The breakfast leaves nothing to be desired: bread, croissants, pancakes, fresh fruit, yoghurt, muesli, peanut butter, scrambled eggs, omelettes, fried eggs and much more. There are even plenty of delicious local jams in flavours such as banana, mango and coconut. In the evening, there is an ever-changing, lovingly planned 3-course menu, with great attention paid to every detail. We dined there twice during our stay and were very well looked after.

Overall, the entire property and its gardens are very well maintained. The pool area has plenty of sun loungers and secluded spots for spending peaceful hours with a good book. Every now and then, though, you have to put it down for a few minutes, because it is almost impossible to get enough of the view.

Once again, we spent several days exploring the island by hire car, achieving a good balance between lazing by the pool and exciting excursions filled with new discoveries. Be sure to arrange a reservation for Anse Georgette at Constance Lémuria Resort well in advance, ideally 2–3 days beforehand. There is a fruit seller there who prepared a delicious fruit platter for us on a palm leaf. It is little touches like these that can brighten your entire day. The beach itself is not very large, but it truly is a little gem on this pretty island.

Anse Lazio, one of the world’s most famous and beautiful beaches, really does live up to its reputation. Once again, however, the early bird catches the worm. It can become very crowded during the day, as this beautiful spot is naturally a major tourist attraction. Snorkelling gear should, of course, be on your packing list here too. Not a single snorkelling session passed without something new to discover. One particularly impressive encounter was with an almost unbelievably vast shoal of fish, which surrounded us completely. In this case, the pictures say more than 1,000 words.

Snorkelling at Anse Lazio

Deep relaxation in paradise on La Digue

After 1.5 weeks in the beautiful Seychelles, we had not realised it was possible to feel even more relaxed. La Digue is pure holiday bliss. We are so pleased that we saved this island for the end of our trip. Thanks to a fortunate turn of events, we stayed at L'Union Chalet, right in L’Union Estate Park.

L’Union Chalets in L’Union State Park You will not find a better or more exclusive location near the world-famous Anse Source d'Argent anywhere on the island. The 130 m² chalets are located right in the heart of the park. This gives guests the privilege of being able to enjoy the surroundings completely alone outside opening hours. There is no entrance fee to pay either.

All alone at 6 a.m. in L’Union State Park at Anse Source D’Argent The chalets have two bedrooms, a living area and a large kitchen. They are located right on the beach and feature an enormous veranda with fantastic views, a private beach shower and sun loungers amid exotic vegetation. For travellers like us seeking seclusion and tranquillity, this is an absolute dream destination. Breakfast is served at the affiliated La Digue Island Lodge. Here too, no one goes thirsty and hardly any wish is left unfulfilled. There is fresh fruit as far as the eye can see. Even those who prefer a savoury breakfast are well catered for, with beans, rice and vegetables. And, of course, the obligatory omelette station is also present.

The number one means of transport on the island is the bicycle. We hired ours for the entire stay. Life really does slow down here! However, for an island that is supposedly car-free, there are surprisingly many cars and Jeeps on the roads. We hope this does not become even worse in future.

Naturally, the must-see beaches included Anse Source d’Argent, Grand Anse and Petite Anse, although we liked the smaller of the latter two slightly more. Unfortunately, we did not find the path to Anse Cocos straight away, so we missed out on that experience. By then, however, we had already admired so many magnificent landscapes and stretches of coastline that we could easily shrug off this small disappointment. 

On La Digue, we took our only boat trip: a snorkelling excursion to Sister Island, Albatros Rock and Felicité. Luck was on our side, and we finally spotted a small shark, which was harmless, of course. On the return journey, the skipper circled the entire little island once more, giving us a wonderful overview of all its remarkably varied beaches.

Snorkelling around Sister Island We could not leave without one final, slightly risky adventure: at sunrise, we climbed the black granite rocks in L’Union Estate Park. We had seen this in a documentary about the Seychelles and were determined to try it ourselves. Naturally, we asked the hotel for permission beforehand – but we had to find the route on our own. And that was not at all easy. There is no official climbing route, and the rock faces really are steeper than they look. This adventure requires a certain amount of courage and is not for the faint-hearted. We were rewarded with a magnificent view. So, at the end of our journey, we were able to take home one last thrill as a souvenir… Anse Source d’Argent Climbing the granite rocks at sunrise in L´Union State Park