Discovering Eden’s Last Paradise

Day 1

We departed Rome on 6 November on an Emirates flight to Mahé, with a stopover in Dubai. We arrived at 7 in the morning, and as soon as we stepped off the plane, we immediately felt the lovely tropical warmth. After completing the customs formalities, we made our way to the public bus stop for Victoria, the capital. The buses have a charming ‘retro’ feel, but they are efficient, inexpensive and punctual. We used them to travel everywhere throughout our holiday and found them excellent. Once we reached Victoria’s main bus station, we took another bus to Beau Vallon, where we had booked a guesthouse, The Diver's Lodge, opposite the beach and the bus stop.

Day 2

We woke up early and set off to explore the beautiful beaches of Beau Vallon and Bel Ombre. From the latter, we followed a nature trail which, after around an hour’s walk through dense vegetation, enormous granite cliffs and breathtaking scenery, led us to enchanting Anse Major: a small stretch of pure white sand surrounded by lush vegetation and crystal-clear sea. It was a dream.

Day 3

We devoted this day to exploring the area south of Beau Vallon, taking the bus to Grand Anse, an enormous beach of pure white sand where we were the only people there. After several swims, we continued to Port Launay North Beach, in the marine national park. Here, there is a bay with emerald-green water where we could even go snorkelling without a mask, as the receding tide revealed corals and fish of every species and colour.

Days 4–7

We travelled aboard the Cat Cocos to the island of Praslin. On arriving at the port, we took the bus to Anse Volbert (Cote d'Or), where our hotel, the Berjaya Praslin Resort, was located and where we stayed for four nights. We were very pleased with the resort, both because of its location, very close to the beautiful Côte d’Or beach, and because of the warm welcome and excellent facilities. As well as visiting Praslin’s beautiful beaches, such as Anse Lazio and Anse Takamaka, we recommend not missing the Vallée de Mai, where you can see the famous ‘Coco de Mer’.

Days 8–9

We travelled by boat to the island of La Digue, where we stayed for two nights. This island is truly extraordinary: peace and tranquillity reign, there are no cars, only bicycles, and there is very little lighting in the evening, making it possible to admire a truly exceptional starry sky.

We spent an entire day at the world-famous Anse Source d'Argent, considered one of the 10 most beautiful beaches in the world. We recommend waiting until sunset to understand why it was named ‘Source d’Argent’.

Days 10–11

We returned to Mahé aboard the Cat Cocos and, before heading to our hotel, took a stroll through the capital, ‘Victoria’, with its distinctive market, where we bought delicious fruit including mangoes, papayas, coconuts and star fruit. We spent these final two days exploring southern Mahé and visiting Anse Royale and Anse Takamaka

Day 12

On our final day, we prepared to return to Italy. As the plane carried us away from these islands, the spectacular colours of the sea, the intoxicating scent of the vegetation and the wonderfully sweet flavour of the tropical fruit they had given us remained forever etched in our hearts, along with the memory of these days spent in what felt like the last paradise of Eden.