Dream Destination: The Seychelles
A long-held dream that became affordable with SeyVillas finally came true. A ‘completely carefree holiday’ across 3 islands, filled with unforgettable experiences – thank you to the SeyVillas team, as all transfers with Creole Travel were perfectly organised and the accommodation we had booked was excellent.
We took the direct Condor flight departing Frankfurt at 17:35 and landed on Mahé early in the morning after 9.5 hours. It is a wonderful feeling to step out of the airport and feel the warm tropical air so early in the morning; the holiday mood set in immediately. A member of the Creole Travel team welcomed us at the airport, and everyone received an information pack and an itinerary listing all collection times for the entire trip. Every transfer really did run smoothly!
Praslin
We continued with the 15-minute domestic flight to Praslin, which is absolutely worthwhile. You arrive on Praslin in no time and also enjoy wonderful aerial views of the islands.
On Praslin, I had booked a superior apartment without breakfast at Acquario Villa – a small, lovely property, with the powdery white sands of Anse Volbert (Cote d'Or) just 50 m down the road.
The apartment was very spacious, with a large private terrace, extremely comfortable beds, a large bathroom with a double shower and a well-equipped kitchen, making self-catering easy. The only drawback was the lack of free Wi-Fi.
The road runs in front of the guesthouse, but the limited traffic did not disturb us, and in the evenings it was completely quiet – unless the neighbour’s dog happened to be barking. The bus stop is very close by, each journey costs just 5 rupees, and the bus runs approximately every 30 minutes. It is important to make sure you are standing on the correct side of the road, as traffic drives on the left; otherwise, the bus will simply pass you by.
Anse Lazio (take the bus to the terminus at Anse Boudin, followed by an approximately 10-minute walk – it is steep both uphill and downhill, but then the path opens out to reveal a truly spectacular dream beach. It was quite busy, but you can always find a peaceful spot).
Please note: take care not to step on any stingrays lying in the shallow water – I was surprised by how many there were.
Tip: visit the Honesty Bar at the end of the beach (a small staircase leads up to it). There is chilled Seybrew and a selection of other drinks; payment is made using the honesty box, and the views of the beach are wonderful.
Vallée de Mai National Park – the bus stops directly outside the entrance – admission costs €23, and a guided tour (recommended) costs €10. Walking through the unspoilt palm forest with its many Coco de Mer trees is truly impressive. Afterwards, you can enjoy some refreshments in the visitor café by the entrance; the vanilla iced tea was excellent.
Anse Takamaka – take the bus to the Raffles Hotel, then follow the small path down to find yourself on an almost deserted dream beach overlooking the island of Curieuse. The beach belongs to Raffles, but that is no obstacle, as all beaches are public. You can also walk through the hotel grounds without any difficulty.
Watching the sunrise at Anse Volbert (Cote d'Or) was a very special experience for me. I got up at 05:45, and it was well worth it – that early-morning sunrise atmosphere was unforgettable.
Anse Volbert (Cote d'Or) is only suitable for swimming at high tide; otherwise, the water is merely knee-deep. The sand is as fine as flour, and there are plenty of shady spots. One highlight is the beach bar at the Paradise Sun Hotel – directly on the beach, with reasonable prices and very good food. Anse Volbert (Cote d'Or) is also convenient for self-catering guests. There are several restaurants and a number of small ‘supermarkets’, although they were all some distance from the guesthouse.
None of the islands is a shopper’s paradise, but spices, tinned tuna and coconut oil are good purchases. Picture postcards featuring idyllic beaches (7–9 R), together with postage (10 R), are an inexpensive way to send greetings home (the post arrived back home after 2 weeks).
La Digue
The hotel we had booked, Moonlight Beach Villa, was only a 3-minute walk from the harbour and is ideally located. The centre of the village is within easy walking distance, while a 5-minute walk in the other direction takes you to Anse Severe, where the snorkelling is excellent.
The standard sea-view room (no. 9) has a large balcony (although the sea view is partly obscured by palm trees), is spacious and equipped with a kettle, fridge and television (although you really do not need one there). Free Wi-Fi with a very good connection is available throughout the hotel. The owners are very warm and welcoming, and the breakfast is delicious: a large fruit platter, eggs prepared to your liking, a fresh smoothie, good coffee, toast, butter and jam. Breakfast is served outside, with a wonderful view of the sea.
Anse Severe – a beach with beautifully fine sand and excellent snorkelling, particularly by the rocks at the southern end, where I also saw sea turtles. There are plenty of shady spots, and the various juice stalls serve incredibly delicious smoothies and milkshakes (100 R).
Anse Source d'Argent – you simply have to see it... The park admission fee of 100 R includes the L'Union Estate Park, with its historic cemetery, vanilla plantation, tortoise enclosure, coconut mill and plantation house. It is all worth seeing, though none of it is particularly exceptional. By contrast, I found the beach, with its small coves and breathtaking granite rock formations, extremely impressive. If you want to avoid paying the admission fee, simply turn towards the beach before the helipad and walk along the water’s edge (only at low tide), or swim.
Anse Banane – travel by bicycle or walk (1 hour) along the well-surfaced road. Apart from bicycles, there is no traffic – heavenly peace and a truly idyllic setting! Once you reach Anse Banane, it is definitely worth stopping at Chez Jules. This rustic beach restaurant serves excellent food, and the iced coffee... an absolute dream. On the way back, we stopped at the deserted beaches of Anse Grosse Roche and Anse Gaulettes – simply beautiful.
Anse Patates – although it was not suitable for swimming in September, the different shades of blue in the water, combined with the waves, palm trees and granite rocks, made this one of the most beautiful beaches for me!
There are plenty of places to eat in La Passe, as well as well-stocked supermarkets, numerous restaurants and inexpensive takeaways.
My tip: Bor Lanmer Takeaway (turn into the road opposite Fish Trap), which is very tasty and inexpensive (60 R), and Seraphina’s supermarket (they always had Seybrew in stock; it was often sold out elsewhere).
Mahé
After 6 days on La Digue, it was very hard to leave, and I was curious to see whether Mahé had been a good choice for the end of the trip. The ferry crossing (La Digue–Praslin 15 mins, Praslin–Mahé 1 hr) was calm, and no one was sick....next time, however, I would book the upper deck rather than the main deck on the Praslin–Mahé ferry, as the air outside is simply better...!
On Mahé, I had booked The Beach House guesthouse at the northern end of Beau Vallon, which proved to be a very good choice. The beautiful Beau Vallon is just 3 mins away, and directly opposite the guesthouse there is a small beach that is ideal for snorkelling. At the offshore reef (sadly, most of the coral is dead), you can see lots of colourful fish as well as sea turtles.
On Mahé, I really missed having a pavement for the first time, as the road in front of the guesthouse is very busy during the day (although quiet at night) and, as everywhere, has no street lighting in the evening. It is better to walk along the beach (and do not forget a torch in the evening).
The standard room with garden view (No. 4) was very spacious, and the terrace even had a sea view. Very good breakfast and highly attentive staff.
I really appreciated being able to store my luggage on the day of departure (check-out at 10:00) and use a separate shower (unfortunately with cold water only and no socket for a hairdryer) and toilet. This is particularly convenient if your flight does not leave until late in the evening.
Without a hire car, bus 22 is the alternative – it provides easy access to Victoria, and from the bus station there you can get almost anywhere (although you should allow plenty of time). What feels like the ‘smallest capital in the world’ is easy to navigate, and you can hardly get lost. I did not particularly like the heavy traffic, congestion and exhaust fumes. Among other things, you can buy inexpensive spices at the market. Dolce Vita ice-cream parlour on Independence Avenue is a good place for refreshments, with excellent coffee, ice cream and snacks.
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Beau Vallon beach – a long, powder-soft beach with plenty of shady spots, ideal for swimming and with excellent water quality.
My tip: have pizza at Baobab Pizzeria at Beau Vallon. It is delicious, inexpensive and quite an experience. It is best to arrive by 18:30, otherwise finding a table can be difficult.
After 2 weeks in the Seychelles, I feel deeply relaxed and somehow much calmer. And I already miss my favourite island, La Digue! I can thoroughly recommend September as a time to visit. Not a single drop of rain fell on 12 of the 14 days, the climate is very pleasant and not too humid, and there are hardly any mosquitoes.
