Island-Hopping Honeymoon

Mahé is inevitably the first stop on a trip to the Seychelles, as it is home to the islands’ only – and rather small – international airport. Just like that, a little Coco de Mer stamp went into my pristine passport, and there we were, amazed by the heat and humidity at 7 in the morning, standing in front of our tour operator’s welcoming committee. Our chauffeur then drove us to our first hotel, Le Jardin des Palmes, along a route lined with steep, jungle-covered hills on the right and sand and beaches on the left.

One thing that became apparent within our first hour in the country was the genuine friendliness of the people. Our driver was very keen to chat, both with us and with other drivers he knew – although their preferred means of communication seemed to be honking their horns – and the hotel staff were also extremely friendly. We were amazed and delighted by the size of our room: it was almost a small cottage, perched on top of a hill with breathtaking views over the shallow, turquoise sea, dotted with dinghies and fishing boats. Breakfast was also very good. In general, there is a great deal of fresh fruit on offer in the Seychelles. Otherwise, breakfast is a mixture of classic British and American options, with eggs prepared any way you like – scrambled, fried, as an omelette or simply boiled – as well as baked beans, Cheddar, ham or bacon, all of which are standard breakfast fare in the Seychelles. This is rounded off with croissants, fruit juices, yoghurt and bread rolls, although admittedly these were usually a little soft. It is worth being slightly cautious with the tea, as the locals apparently do not remove the teabag from the hot water, meaning it can sometimes be very bitter, depending on how long it has been left to brew.

On Mahé, the ‘Domaine de Val de Prés’ – not included in SeyVillas’ programme – comes highly recommended. It is a colonial-style house commemorating the lifestyle of the colonial settlers in the 19th century. The huts built around the house, where a wide variety of local handicrafts are sold, are particularly worth a visit.

A hire car is recommended if you want to explore everything Mahé has to offer. Driving on the island, however, is an adventure in itself. The steep drops, poorly maintained roads – most of which are also incredibly narrow, with pedestrians on both sides – do not make things easy. There are also plenty of short walks to enjoy. We particularly liked the hike to Montagne Brûlée, for example. We did not encounter another soul, apart from one very helpful local who showed us the starting point when we asked him: ‘That’s where you want to go? Just follow me!’ At the end, we reached a viewing platform that was worth every step.

The fish market in Victoria is, of course, also a must.

(Although it personally put me off fish for the rest of the day; the intense fishy smell really gets under your skin.) There are also plenty of shopping opportunities, including spices that are otherwise very expensive and difficult to find.

Finding a good beach on the main island, however, proved more difficult. As German holidaymakers, perhaps we had imagined it would be a little easier, or perhaps our expectations were simply wrong. The road was often very close to the beach, and at high tide the water came almost all the way up to it, leaving a relatively narrow strip to lie on, as was the case at Anse Boileau, for example. Alternatively, tide warnings or strong currents made swimming very difficult, although that may also have been due to the time of year. Our favourite beach on the island was Beau Vallon, with plenty of sand to lie on and lots of shallow, calm water. Although it is Mahé’s most popular tourist beach, lies very close to Victoria and has several hotels and restaurants nearby, it still did not feel crowded in the slightest. Our favourite restaurant, with a fabulous view of the sunset directly from the table, was Chez Batista at Anse Takamaka! Swimming was also perfectly possible here.

After the first six days, we continued to Praslin by ferry. Easier said than done: the swell during the 60-minute crossing was very hard on my stomach, and I was not the only one. Half the passengers regularly reached for the little white bags. Once we arrived on the other side, however, everything looked brighter again. We had absolutely no complaints about our hotels, although Germans and Seychellois clearly have very different ideas about what constitutes a swimming beach. At the hotel’s private beach, we had to climb down over a few rocks to reach a very small ‘entry point’ into the sea. Unfortunately, it was very stony, with small pieces of coral beneath our bare feet, and once again the current was incredibly strong. Swimming here was really only for the adventurous. On the other hand, it was the perfect place to watch the breathtaking sunset:

Standing directly on the reef, with the waves crashing below, we watched the ball of fire disappear into the sea – preferably with a cocktail from the nearby hotel in hand. This island was also home to two of the main highlights of our trip: Anse Georgette and the ‘Vallée de Mai’ National Park.

Anse Georgette is a very exclusive beach that can only be visited with an advance reservation. The best way to get there is to ask your hotel to reserve a place on the beach for you. You can then report to the gate on arrival and walk through the hotel’s expansive, luxurious golf course for around 20 minutes to reach Anse Georgette. Despite the high waves – or perhaps precisely because of them – swimming there was great fun. The sand is soft, fine and white. Every bit of effort it took to get there was absolutely worthwhile. The beautifully maintained national park is equally worth seeing and very informative. Incidentally, the bus journeys around the island are particularly entertaining and, at just 5 SRC, extremely inexpensive. At times, the experience feels rather like a rollercoaster ride – especially when all the seats are taken.

Our final stop. Here, we were able to spend the last three days unwinding in peace. We took a short trip to L’Union Estate, for example, where coconuts and vanilla are harvested and processed.

Behind the estate is another series of beaches that are also very popular with couples getting married there. We came across more than one pair of newlyweds. At Pointe Source d’Argent, we even went swimming with the fish. Provided we moved as little as possible, the small, colourful creatures had no fear of coming close and gathered all around our legs. Our favourite snorkelling spot was at Anse Severe, where we were happy to stay until dusk.

All in all, it was a fantastic holiday. If travelling there and eating out once there were not so expensive, we would love to return! It was certainly worth it.