Paradise
With some experience of long-haul travel (the Caribbean, South-East Asia, Africa and the Maldives) and a great deal of anticipation, we (a couple in our mid-40s) set off for La Digue and Praslin in April 2017.....and were completely overwhelmed by the beauty of these islands.
But let us start at the beginning:
Thanks to the wealth of information on the SeyVillas website, we realised relatively quickly this year that we wanted to discover some of this island group.
After a very friendly and straightforward email exchange with SeyVillas, we found accommodation for 7 days each on La Digue and Praslin. We also booked another night on Mahé, as we had chosen to fly with Emirates (with a very early return flight).
Week 1 – La Digue
Accommodation
We received a warm welcome from the owner, Fleurance, at Belle des Iles Guest House. Belle des Iles is a relatively centrally located guest house on La Digue with a range of quite different ‘apartments’. We spent the first night in a smaller apartment with an outdoor kitchen, but then moved into a larger apartment that had previously been ‘occupied’. It was no problem at all – everything was handled in a friendly and relaxed manner, and from then on we had a wonderful view of the tropical garden and a large private terrace. Beautiful!
If we were to be very picky, you should not expect a ‘fully equipped kitchen’ to have the same fittings and utensils as you would at home, but a few pots, plates, glasses and cutlery are perfectly adequate for self-catering. After all, who wants to spend hours in the kitchen when you can reach heavenly beaches by bicycle in under 10 minutes? Bicycles can be hired from the guest house.
Belle des Iles has a very beautiful tropical garden with plenty of local fruit, which Fleurence is always happy to share with guests. You will also receive occasional visits from stray dogs that are keen to get a ‘treat’ and a cuddle from us tourists!
Beaches (in April/May 2017)
From Belle des Iles, all the beaches on La Digue can be reached within a few minutes by bicycle – although you should not underestimate the various inclines, which at temperatures above 34°C will certainly ‘encourage’ you to get off and push....
As is often mentioned, the sea is too shallow for swimming at low tide, while at high tide the powerful waves make it more suitable for surfing. In return, there are stunningly beautiful and sometimes deserted stretches of beach. Our favourites were Grand Anse
and Petite Anse. Anse Source d'Argent is beautiful, but usually quite crowded....and everyone should discover the various ‘hidden’ little coves for themselves, some of which are reached via rather adventurous paths...
There are various shops and restaurants in La Passe, as well as several takeaways around the island. As is often said about the Seychelles, the food in most places is simple and good, but considerably more expensive than in Germany. Of course, you also get to enjoy the atmosphere of a dream island – alternatively, the food from the takeaways is really good and inexpensive. A highlight is the often-mentioned CHEZ JULES in the east of the island, at the end of the cycle path (giant tortoises roaming freely – fantastic!).
There are various boat excursions to other islands on offer (snorkelling, diving and fishing) – you should definitely do one! It will be a wonderful day!
Week 2 – Praslin
Accommodation
Islander apartments (Superior rooms) – a small complex with several semi-detached bungalows. The Superior rooms are located considerably closer to the property’s own restaurant and beach. Clean, spacious and well furnished.
As Praslin is considerably larger than La Digue, we can only recommend hiring a car. You can book one locally – we booked a small Hyundai from Germany before our trip. The entire process was very relaxed and straightforward.
Beaches
Praslin also has a wide variety of beaches, but they are all very, very beautiful. This may also have something to do with the fact that you do not see endless rows of sun loungers and hundreds of parasols on the islands.....
Our favourites were Anse Lazio and Anse Georgette in the north of the island. The combination of blue skies, turquoise sea and lush green vegetation with palm trees amazed us time and again...Have fun discovering which beach you think is the most beautiful...
Vallée de Mai National Park (famous) and Fond Ferdinand (less ‘famous’) – we visited Fond Ferdinand and had an extremely entertaining and very amusing guided tour in a small group of 8 people. Highly recommended!
Centres / dining
The same applies here as on La Digue! There are several small centres with shops, restaurants and takeaways – everyone should try them according to their own taste.
Final day on Mahé
Accommodation
Hotel Hotel La Roussette – as we had booked a very early Emirates flight, we needed and wanted to spend another night on Mahé. This small hotel is close to the airport and has a small pool and spacious, clean rooms. However, this was where we encountered the only real criticism of our trip. As there was no restaurant within walking distance of the hotel, we accepted the hotel manager’s offer to cook for us. We were rather annoyed to be charged €30 per person for a chicken leg with chips and 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream. However, as we had just enjoyed a truly fantastic holiday, we responded to this dinner with hearty laughter.....
SeyVillas is an excellent and reliable tour operator. La Digue and Praslin are stunningly beautiful islands.
The memories and impressions will stay with us for a long time, and we had some wonderful experiences! We hope everyone travelling to Mahé soon has a fantastic time!
