Our Seychelles Highlights
This year, my parents and I visited a very special holiday destination: the Seychelles. We landed on the island of Mahé and took the ferry from there to Praslin. When we arrived at our accommodation, Acquario Villa, we received a warm welcome from Nora, the manager. Praslin has many beautiful beaches, including Anse Georgette, Anse Lazio and Anse Volbert (Cote d'Or). Each beach has its own distinctive character, and no two are alike. While Anse Lazio is a wide beach with slightly coarser sand, Anse Volbert (Cote d'Or) is narrower and has very fine sand. Anse Lazio was particularly lovely in the morning. Until around 10.00 am, we had the beach almost entirely to ourselves, and we could also enjoy an excellent breakfast at the nearby restaurant. We always found a pleasant spot beneath the palm trees where we could read a book.
Anse Georgette is fairly small, but perfectly formed. Even the walk to the beach is wonderful, as it leads through beautifully maintained parkland and a golf course featuring endemic plants. As visitor numbers are limited, the beach is wonderfully peaceful and has retained its natural beauty. The fruit platter served on a banana leaf was particularly delicious.
It is very important to book your visit to Anse Georgette well in advance, several days beforehand, through Constance Lémuria Resort, as you have to cross its grounds to reach the beach. Nora is happy to help with this.
Of course, we also visited Vallée de Mai National Park in the island’s interior, with its enormous coco de mer palms. It was very impressive.
Vallée de Mai, Praslin" title="Vallée de Mai, Praslin" sizes="(max-width: 160px) 160px,(max-width: 320px) 320px,(max-width: 480px) 480px,(max-width: 640px) 640px,(max-width: 800px) 800px,(max-width: 1024px) 1024px,(max-width: 1152px) 1152px" srcset="/img/journals/301/160x120/vallee-de-mai-praslin-seyvillas-travel-journal-elias4.jpg 160w, /img/journals/301/320x240/vallee-de-mai-praslin-seyvillas-travel-journal-elias4.jpg 320w, /img/journals/301/480x360/vallee-de-mai-praslin-seyvillas-travel-journal-elias4.jpg 480w, /img/journals/301/640x480/vallee-de-mai-praslin-seyvillas-travel-journal-elias4.jpg 640w, /img/journals/301/800x600/vallee-de-mai-praslin-seyvillas-travel-journal-elias4.jpg 800w, /img/journals/301/1024x768/vallee-de-mai-praslin-seyvillas-travel-journal-elias4.jpg 1024w, /img/journals/301/1152x864/vallee-de-mai-praslin-seyvillas-travel-journal-elias4.jpg 1152w">After our stay on Praslin, we took the ferry to La Digue – our favourite island. One of the best things was exploring the island by bicycle. With no stress at all, we could experience every place at our own pace. We cycled through the rainforest, surrounded by countless plant species, and along the beaches. It was pure relaxation, always accompanied by beautiful views. On La Digue, we stayed at Etoile Labrine. The rooms were clean and spacious, and the breakfast was excellent and varied. The fruit and vegetables came from the property’s own beautifully tended garden, which was also full of magnificent flowers.
One of the greatest highlights of our stay in the Seychelles was an adventurous hike along the southern tip of La Digue, which we completed together with our guide, Sheldon. The trail led through the tropical rainforest and along the coast.
Sheldon told us a great deal about the local plants and animals and also showed us several plants that can be used medicinally. We were also able to spot a rare bird found only in the Seychelles: the Seychelles paradise flycatcher. Later, Sheldon cracked open a ripe coconut for us to eat during our hike, as well as another one for a refreshing drink. We learnt a great deal about the native wildlife and plants as we walked through the countryside.
Of course, the beaches on La Digue are also a dream: Anse Source d'Argent, Anse Cocos, Grand Anse, Petite Anse and many more. Everywhere we went, there was fine sand, palm trees and a variety of endemic plants, delicious coconuts and an abundance of fruit. We also really enjoyed the food from the takeaways, especially the freshly prepared curries with fish, chicken or simply vegetables. They were always served with a fresh salad. We can highly recommend them. For us, the best takeaway was Mi Mums near the harbour. In the evenings, we could eat there amongst the locals. The evening meals at Etoile Labrine were also excellent.
From La Digue, we took the ferry back to the island of Mahé. As we are not particularly good sailors, the crossing was not very pleasant. Fortunately, we had prepared by bringing travel-sickness chewing gum. On Mahé, we stayed at Grann Kaz. It was simply brilliant. We particularly enjoyed the company of the resident cat belonging to the chef and night watchman. Mahé also has beautiful beaches with large waves. We spent most of our time at Anse Soleil, as it reminded us of Anse Georgette on Praslin.
The holiday was so wonderful that, as a family, we decided to return soon.
