Dream Days on Praslin
After landing on Mahé, we first had to queue at immigration, where our passports were checked and we received a lovely Coco de Mer-shaped stamp in them. This process took around 40 minutes, after which we were warmly welcomed by the transfer company ‘Creol Tours’.
We were given a small refreshing towel and information about the upcoming transfer.
First, we travelled in a small minibus carrying around 4–6 people to the ferry terminal on Mahé, where we dropped off our suitcases and received our tickets for the ‘Cat Coco’ ferry to Praslin. Before the ferry departed around 30 minutes later, we had another chance to freshen up and some time to relax.
The journey to Praslin took approximately 55 minutes. We should mention that this ferry is not particularly suitable for anyone prone to seasickness when the waves are high. My partner and I, along with several other passengers, spent the journey on the upper deck with one of the sick bags provided on board. Once we arrived on Praslin, another small minibus took us to our accommodation, Cap Jean Marie Villas, in Anse Kerlan.
We were immediately given a warm welcome by the owner’s daughter and quickly felt at home. We stayed in one of the guest houses that was not directly on the beach, but this was absolutely fine for us, as the beach was only a few metres away. We had booked our accommodation with breakfast included, so every day began with a delicious breakfast. This included a choice of an omelette or two fried eggs, incredibly tasty fruit such as papaya, coconut, bananas and oranges, toast with jam and butter, as well as coffee and fruit juice. We can wholeheartedly recommend the breakfast, as it was a fantastic start to the day!
We spent the first two days on the beach right outside our ‘front door’ and explored the area around our guest house. Like so many beaches on Praslin, it was deserted most of the time, allowing us to spend the day there undisturbed.
One of the highlights of this trip was the day excursion to Curieuse Island, which we would recommend to everyone! We were collected directly from our accommodation at around 09:00 and taken to the boat, which transported us from one place to the next throughout the day. We travelled to Curieuse Island, passing many remarkable beaches along the way and hearing plenty of interesting information about them. The boat trip alone was quite an experience!
Once on the island, we first visited a small museum called the ‘Doctor’s House’, as it was once home to the doctor who treated people with leprosy there.
This was followed by a walk of around 45–60 minutes across the island, during which we encountered many animals and plants. Our guide explained everything and looked after us brilliantly. We found the walk genuinely wonderful and interesting, although it is worth mentioning that some of the paths are quite steep and narrow, so you do need to be reasonably fit and steady on your feet. At the end of the walk, we reached the giant tortoises, which were a particular highlight for us. The barbecue afterwards was also fantastic, and everything was taken care of. We then went snorkelling, first at St Pierre, followed by Anse Lazio, and finally swimming at Anse Georgette. It was an excellent excursion from start to finish, with first-class service!
On the other days, we visited a different beach each time in our hire car, a Mini Moke.
We visited Anse Volbert (Cote d'Or) quite often, as the water there was lovely and the waves were not too high.
A hire car is essential on Praslin, as it allows you to explore everything and remain flexible. We spent several days at Anse Lazio, which is, of course, absolutely beautiful.
Visiting Anse Georgette was a real highlight. We fell in love with this beach immediately: clear water like an aquarium, fish everywhere and swimming close to people, fantastic snorkelling... and so much more.
This beach is therefore an absolute must, but remember to register in advance. We had to register 4 days beforehand because the beach was already ‘fully booked’. There were around 35–40 people there with us that day, although it still did not feel crowded. A visit to Vallée de Mai National Park is also highly recommended. This excursion is particularly well suited to cloudy days, as it requires a fair amount of stamina.
Vallée de Mai" data-caption="Vallée de Mai" title="Vallée de Mai" data-srcset="/img/journals/304/80x160/vallee-de-mai-seyvillas-travel-journal-julia3.jpg 80w, /img/journals/304/160x320/vallee-de-mai-seyvillas-travel-journal-julia3.jpg 160w, /img/journals/304/240x480/vallee-de-mai-seyvillas-travel-journal-julia3.jpg 240w, /img/journals/304/320x640/vallee-de-mai-seyvillas-travel-journal-julia3.jpg 320w, /img/journals/304/400x800/vallee-de-mai-seyvillas-travel-journal-julia3.jpg 400w, /img/journals/304/480x960/vallee-de-mai-seyvillas-travel-journal-julia3.jpg 480w, /img/journals/304/512x1024/vallee-de-mai-seyvillas-travel-journal-julia3.jpg 512w" data-src="/img/journals/304/600x1200/vallee-de-mai-seyvillas-travel-journal-julia3.jpg" data-srcset-webp="/img/journals/304/80x160/vallee-de-mai-seyvillas-travel-journal-julia3.webp 80w, /img/journals/304/160x320/vallee-de-mai-seyvillas-travel-journal-julia3.webp 160w, /img/journals/304/240x480/vallee-de-mai-seyvillas-travel-journal-julia3.webp 240w, /img/journals/304/320x640/vallee-de-mai-seyvillas-travel-journal-julia3.webp 320w, /img/journals/304/400x800/vallee-de-mai-seyvillas-travel-journal-julia3.webp 400w, /img/journals/304/480x960/vallee-de-mai-seyvillas-travel-journal-julia3.webp 480w, /img/journals/304/512x1024/vallee-de-mai-seyvillas-travel-journal-julia3.webp 512w">
Vallée de Mai" title="Vallée de Mai" sizes="(max-width: 120px) 120px,(max-width: 240px) 240px,(max-width: 360px) 360px,(max-width: 480px) 480px,(max-width: 600px) 600px,(max-width: 768px) 768px,(max-width: 864px) 864px" srcset="/img/journals/304/120x160/vallee-de-mai-seyvillas-travel-journal-julia3.jpg 120w, /img/journals/304/240x320/vallee-de-mai-seyvillas-travel-journal-julia3.jpg 240w, /img/journals/304/360x480/vallee-de-mai-seyvillas-travel-journal-julia3.jpg 360w, /img/journals/304/480x640/vallee-de-mai-seyvillas-travel-journal-julia3.jpg 480w, /img/journals/304/600x800/vallee-de-mai-seyvillas-travel-journal-julia3.jpg 600w, /img/journals/304/768x1024/vallee-de-mai-seyvillas-travel-journal-julia3.jpg 768w, /img/journals/304/864x1152/vallee-de-mai-seyvillas-travel-journal-julia3.jpg 864w">For self-catering near our accommodation, there was a small supermarket within walking distance and another one, ‘Whole Foods’, which we often visited by car. You can find enough food there to cater for yourself. We can also recommend ‘Village Takeaway’, a small takeaway serving delicious Creole food at very reasonable prices.
We also have nothing but positive things to say about the accommodation: the house was extremely well maintained, the kitchen was adequately equipped, it was cleaned every day, the Wi-Fi worked well enough, the bathroom was lovely and, very importantly, the air conditioning worked exceptionally well. The friendly owners of the guest house deserve a special mention. We felt at home from the very beginning, received excellent tips for possible activities and were even driven to Anse Georgette or the takeaway, all free of charge. All in all, it was a perfect holiday, superbly organised, with local contacts always available whenever we needed them.
