A Journey to Paradise: The Seychelles with SeyVillas

After a six-hour flight to Dubai and another 4 hours to reach our destination, we finally arrive in the Seychelles. At the airport, we are immediately welcomed by the very kind representatives from Creole, who assist us with each transfer on our way to our island, La Digue.

After a few boat transfers, we finally arrive on our little island, La Digue. Here too, we find helpful representatives ready to accompany us by taxi to our accommodation: La Diguoise. A guesthouse surrounded by greenery, very welcoming and, above all, wonderfully peaceful. Our host is the extremely kind Madame Elodie, who is waiting for us with a welcome cocktail and introduces us to our island representative. The room is small but cosy and equipped with everything you could need in a place like this. We leave our luggage here, have a short nap to recover from the journey, and then immediately set off to explore the island.

Our first brief stop is Anse La Réunion. A long stretch of dazzling white sand, crystal-clear sea – a picture-postcard view! We immediately dive in for our first swim, then head back to our accommodation for a delicious candlelit dinner. Exhausted from the journey, we go straight to bed.

Today we wake at dawn to begin our day exploring La Digue. After a generous breakfast in the living area of our guesthouse, we get on our bikes and set off towards Grand Anse. The journey there is a little challenging because of the many uphill stretches, but once we reach the beach, we are overwhelmed by its vastness. The vegetation frames fine coral sand, while the sea is rough with high waves and is not suitable for a pleasant, relaxing swim. After taking a few photos, we decide to make a short stop at Petite Anse, but here too the sea is choppy and wavy.

Then we head towards the famous Anse Source d'Argent. To reach the beach, you have to cross a nature park, and entry costs 100 rupees per person for a day ticket. We enter the park with our bikes and find ourselves immersed in wonderful natural surroundings. As we cycle, we discover numerous fruit plantations and the captivating scent of vanilla. Here we can also visit a museum dedicated to Seychellois culture, and after a short tour we are immediately struck by the gigantic tortoises, which are also residents of the Seychelles.

We leave our bikes and continue on foot towards the various little coves. The first one we come across is Anse Union. Just beyond it is the small Petite Source d’Argent, followed by Anse Source d'Argent. Its transparent waters allow us to see tropical fish without even diving in. Here we meet some very friendly local girls selling fresh fruit directly on the beach, but we choose to enjoy coconut water straight from the coconut itself. After several swims and a little snorkelling, we decide to take a short walk along the beaches to visit nearby Anse Pierrot. As the weather is not at its best today, we decide to head back towards the village. We make a brief stop at the takeaway and then head to the tranquillity of Anse Reunion. Sitting on the sun loungers, we enjoy a breathtaking sunset, which unfortunately does not last long because an annoying spell of rain forces us to make a run for it. We get back on our bikes, head torches on, and race back to our room!

Anse Source d'Argent, La Digue

This morning we wake to rain, but we do not let the weather dampen our spirits. After a generous breakfast, we put on our swimming costumes, get on our bikes and set off towards Anse Severe. As with all the most beautiful beaches, plenty of cycling is involved, and after climbs, descents and enchanting views, we arrive at this little corner of paradise. After the rain, the sun finally comes out, so all that remains is to dive in and enjoy the peaceful sea. It is safe to swim here thanks to the coral reef protecting the beach, so even though we can see that the sea is not very calm further out, we can still enjoy a swim. On the beach, there are also some young people selling fresh fruit and a hammock where you can relax in the shade of the trees.

After plenty of swimming and sunbathing, we finish taking our photos and set off north towards Anse Patates. Unlike Anse Severe, the sea here is a little rough, but we do not let that discourage us. We get off our bikes, walk down a few steps and… find huge palm trees towering over the brilliant white beach, providing shade where we can relax and shelter from the strong sun. Alongside the palms, there are also beautiful granite rocks and white sand. Unfortunately, the rough sea means that we cannot enter the water safely. Nor do we have the chance to see the dolphins that regularly visit this area. All we can do is relax beneath the enormous palms and take brief dips at the water’s edge. Before it gets dark, we get back on our bikes, pick up a takeaway and head home to plan tomorrow’s activities.

Once again today, we wake to a proper thunderstorm, though we know that the warm sun will come out after the storm. We therefore spend half the day buying souvenirs and wandering around the village between showers. Even after the wind blows away all the dark clouds and the sun begins to appear in a bright blue sky, we continue exploring the small centre of La Digue. We see lots of children leaving school in their uniforms, always ready with a smile, and even in the little shops we notice the kindness and courtesy of the local people.

After finishing our tour and stopping at the takeaway to pick up lunch, we decide to enjoy it by the sea – and where better than Anse La Réunion? After countless swims and getting burnt by the sun, we take advantage of the low tide to walk out towards the coral reef, which is simply fantastic. Naturally, we take endless photos and wait for sunset with two ice-cold Seybrews, the local beer, before heading home. Unfortunately, as it is Sunday, our favourite shop is closed, so we set off with our bikes and torches in search of somewhere else to buy dinner. After eating, we cycle through the island’s little streets in the dark and make a brief stop at the beach to see the many crabs swarming across the sand, before returning home happy.

Anse Reunion, La Digue

Good morning. As on every other morning, by 08:00 we are already on our bikes, rucksacks on our shoulders, ready to discover the remaining parts of La Digue that we have not yet seen. After a brief stop at the post office to send two postcards – yes, even in the age of email and WhatsApp, we still send postcards when we travel – we head north towards the last bays on the island that we have yet to visit. Following a long, winding, tree-lined road with plenty of climbs and descents, we visit Anse Gaulettes, Anse Grosse Roche, Anse Banane, and finally reach Anse Fourmis. From here, the other beaches can only be reached along a trail with a local guide, so we decide to turn our trusty speed machines around. We take our first round of photos and relax at the very secluded Anse Banane. With swims and photos between the various descents, it is impossible not to admire the scenery and take even more photographs, just as we have done before.

Today the weather treated us to beautiful sunshine and calm seas, so why not stop at Anse Patates, relax beneath a coconut tree and enjoy a safe swim, as the sea here is not protected by the coral reef. We had lunch at a charming little beach bar, choosing a plate of fresh fruit and eating beneath a palm tree. Knowing that it gets dark very early in the evening, we headed back towards Anse La Reunion, waited for sunset and then went straight to our room to change, grab our torches and try a very romantic little restaurant. With full stomachs, we returned to La Diguoise.

Anse Patates, La Digue

Today we leave for Cerf Island, so we spent the morning making our final purchases in the little shops, grabbed a quick lunch and passed the afternoon at peaceful Anse Reunion. Before leaving La Diguoise, we said the customary goodbyes to Madame Elodie, who proved to be an excellent host, and then took a taxi to La Passe, where we boarded the boat to Praslin. After arriving and waiting briefly, we took another catamaran to Mahé, which gave us the chance to relax and doze for a while during the long crossing.

We reached Mahé towards evening, and a taxi driver took us to Eden Island, an artificial island and a popular haunt for wealthy sailors. There, a boatman was waiting to take us aboard his boat to Cerf Island, a fantastic little island just a few miles from Eden Island, inhabited by very few people. Waiting for us on the jetty were Wendy and Kevin, 2 lovely, friendly hosts who welcomed us with extraordinary kindness and showed us to our fabulous apartment at Fairy Tern, right on Takamaka Beach. Tired but happy, we cooked our dinner and then made a brief visit to the jetty to see the famous nocturnal aquarium, hoping to spot a manta ray or small shark, but the sea current brought us only needlefish and other fish.

Good morning. As on every other morning, today we woke at dawn and went straight to breakfast. Compared with La Digue, Cerf is a very small island that can be explored on foot, between beaches and natural surroundings. Between one jetty and the next, we met some young people who told us that there were manta rays and squid near the beautiful reef. So we hurried home to fetch our masks and fins before diving straight in. Unfortunately, we were not quite so lucky, but we were treated to the sight of starfish and sea urchins instead. Near the beach, among the rocks, a small shark shot past us like a missile. After spending some time in the sun, we returned to Fairy Tern.

After a quick lunch, we headed straight to the beach, but found the sea rather rough. Following a suggestion from the wonderful and exceptionally kind Wendy, we ventured along a trail in the afternoon to reach the other side of the island. You can encounter tortoises here, and not only those…the forest is full of wildlife, especially small and medium-sized spiders, which my wife is not particularly fond of. After an hour of discussions and laughter, we finally reached that paradise of perfectly calm water. But the thought of how we would get back only left us enough time for a quick walk and some photographs before…retracing the long trail. Once back at Takamaka Beach, we relaxed with 2 beers and a romantic sunset.

We spent today simply relaxing…the morning passed on the beach, enjoying the sunshine and the sea. In the afternoon, to work off the generous lunch we had eaten in our garden, we decided to have some fun in the kayak. My wife was a little hesitant about that too, but once aboard she enjoyed herself, even though every time I told her to paddle, she resembled a placid tortoise, so I had to do everything myself. Once back on shore, we met James, one of the island’s boatmen, who recommended a snorkelling excursion to Moyenne Island. After dinner, we went to the jetty, desperately hoping to spot a small shark, but the evening ended with just a ray, which seemed to bid us farewell before disappearing into the darkness.

Today we are off to MOYENNE, an island once inhabited by pirates, where treasure is said to be hidden. After our usual generous breakfast and a chat with Mrs Wendy, we headed to the jetty, where James was waiting for us. After setting off, we stopped close to the reef and quickly dived in to snorkel with our masks and take a few photographs…a shoal of colourful fish cheerfully greeted us as we took photographs and recorded videos. Back aboard the boat, we resumed our journey towards the little island. Between stories about the island and the sighting of a large ray, which unfortunately did not even give us the chance to take a photograph, we arrived.

There, we found a little paradise. Crystal-clear water and dazzling white sand reflecting the strong sunlight. Our guide took us to the small sanctuary for the 100-year-old tortoises. Here too, there was of course a lovely trail to follow, offering views from above of the beautiful blue sea and natural surroundings, along with encounters with the enormous tortoises. We found a small church and graves bearing the names of 3 pirates, as well as one belonging to the island’s first inhabitant. Once the cultural part was over, we cooled off in the shade of a palm tree, alternating between relaxing and swimming in the sea until lunchtime. We ate lunch at a little bar on the island, which offered a set buffet menu. In the early afternoon, James returned to collect us and take us back to Cerf Island. Once there, we enjoyed a little exercise: we took out a kayak and paddled until sunset, which we watched from 2 comfortable sun loungers before heading home. After dinner, we put on our head torches and went to the jetty to watch the fish.

Moyenne Island

Sadly, today marks the end of our wonderful holiday, and as if to coincide with it, strong winds are also battering the island, so today we can only admire the sea from the veranda. We did not let that discourage us and opted for the calm of the swimming pool instead…that is how we spent the morning…. After a very quick lunch, we set off for Eden Island. There, a Creole taxi driver took us to the airport. After a short wait, we boarded our flight to Dubai.