Our Holiday in Paradise

After deciding that we wanted to spend this year’s holiday somewhere particularly exotic, we settled on the Seychelles by process of elimination. The photos online had convinced us. Looking back, we can honestly say that this island paradise really does look just like the pictures in the brochures!

We had three wonderful weeks in the Seychelles and travelled around Praslin, La Digue and Mahé. We booked our accommodation on Praslin and La Digue through SeyVillas. Affordable guesthouses were all we needed, and these were available from around €80 during our travel period. We preferred not to book a complete package, as these usually covered no more than 2½ weeks and were limited to specific accommodation. However, it is easy enough to arrange flights, accommodation and transfers yourself.
Winter there is often considered the more pleasant time for a holiday, as it is not quite as hot, there is less rain and a refreshing breeze is nearly always blowing. We can only agree. With a consistent temperature of 27°C, the warmth was very pleasant.

After arriving on Mahé on 9 August, we continued to Praslin with Air Seychelles, a flight of just 20 minutes.

We can thoroughly recommend taking the connecting flight. It does not cost much more than the ferry, saves a great deal of time and is much easier on the stomach, as many passengers struggle with nausea during the hour-long crossing! It is also a real highlight to see the islands from the air!
You can easily spend a week on Praslin. The absolute musts are: an excursion to the nearby island of Curieuse, which was once home to people with leprosy and is now a sanctuary and breeding centre for numerous giant tortoises; snorkelling at St Pierre; a visit to Fond Ferdinand Park, which is considerably cheaper but no less worth seeing than Vallée de Mai; Anse Lazio — ideally followed by a hike from there to Anse Georgette — and definitely travelling by bus!

Hiring a car would not have been worthwhile for us, as the buses run every 30 minutes and the journeys do not take too long. A hike through the island’s interior is also very rewarding, for example along the Pasquière Track. We were very happy with our accommodation (Amitie Chalets) — we had our own little thatched cottage just 50 m from the beach. We took advantage of the option to order dinner there several times. Another huge compliment to the kitchen! You certainly will not find food this delicious and affordable in any restaurant.

After a week on Praslin, we took the ferry to La Digue, a crossing of just 15 minutes. This island really does have a special charm, and it is easy to see why it is one of the most popular islands in the Seychelles. Quite a lot of new construction is taking place, which means lorries are regularly on the roads. We very much hope that the new accommodation will blend in with the character of the island and not obstruct views of the beautiful natural surroundings. Although there are none of the enormous hotel complexes found elsewhere — indeed, there generally are not any in the Seychelles — the tourism boom is still very noticeable, especially when cruise-ship day visitors flood the island from around 9 or 10 in the morning.

Once we had settled into our accommodation with Fleur (Belle des Iles Guest House) in the island’s interior, we immediately hired bicycles (€8 per bicycle, per person). You should not expect too much from the bicycles, but do check beforehand that the brakes work, as there are several hills to tackle. You will be glad if yours has gears.
With our bicycles as our daily companions — we had brought bicycle lights with us, as the paths become rather dark after sunset — we were able to explore La Digue quite quickly. We regularly encountered giant tortoises, which never failed to fascinate us.

We thoroughly recommend the route around the south of the island to Anse Marron!

Please do not attempt it on your own, as parts of the route are dangerous and it is not signposted. We can recommend the local guide Robert Agnes — booking once you are there is sufficient; simply ask at your hotel or guesthouse. He has been leading this tour for many years, knows every rock and always makes you feel safe when you think there is no way to continue.
We would also highly recommend the boat operator Shamyl. We took a full-day snorkelling excursion with him, including a barbecue (€230 for 2 people). Shamyl has a good eye for where underwater visibility is best at any given time and where conditions are too dangerous because of high waves. We first snorkelled off Big Sister Island and enjoyed a barbecue there. This small private island has an incredibly beautiful and secluded beach on its eastern side! Afterwards, we went snorkelling again off Félicité. The visibility there was impressively clear, and we saw colourful fish of every size and colour, including 2 rays.
Of course, we also visited what is probably the most photographed beach, Anse Source d'Argent, and enjoyed a magnificent sunset there in the evening.

Our final stop was Mahé, the largest island in the Seychelles. We had booked a hire car before leaving Germany, which we would certainly recommend given the size of the island and the fact that our accommodation (Takamaka Green Village) was in the unspoilt and more secluded south. It is best to book the car through Seychelles-Info before your holiday as well. If you are not used to driving on the left, it is better to book an automatic. We speak from experience!

Compared directly with La Digue, Mahé feels enormous. The beaches in the south are particularly beautiful, although not exceptionally spectacular. By that point, we had already seen so many beaches. After 2 weeks in an island paradise, you become accustomed to the unique natural beauty surprisingly quickly. The main island of the Seychelles offers more hiking opportunities than the other 2 islands. However, you need to check carefully whether the trails are passable. They are not always recognisable as paths, and even we were warned by locals against venturing into the jungle. Sturdy footwear with good grip is advisable because of the damp conditions! We can recommend the Copolia Lodge Trail and the short walk to the viewpoint on Trois Frères, starting from Sans Souci Road. The former offers a magnificent 360° view from a high plateau.

Other highlights include: Le Jardin Du Roi Spice Garden, a botanical garden featuring fruit, spice and medicinal plants as well as some of the few remaining endemic species; Takamaka Rum Distillery ; Seyte’s Tea Factory; Mission Lodge Lookout, formerly a farm and school for the children of freed slaves and now only a ruin, but with wonderful views over the western side of Mahé; the National Marine Park in the north-west; and, above all, the secluded beaches in the south (Police Bay, Anse Intendance, Anse Takamaka).

A visit to the market in the capital, Victoria, is also worthwhile.
The Seychelles also have plenty to offer when it comes to food. There is fresh fish prepared in every imaginable way, a variety of curries, and bananas — apparently there are more than 30 different varieties there — that taste unlike anything else, as well as comparatively inexpensive vanilla. If you would like to save money, you can manage very well with takeaway food.

We are incredibly happy that we chose the Seychelles as our travel destination.

We fell in love with the atmosphere of the islands, and the combination of a beach and activity holiday completely won us over. We recommend allowing plenty of time, spending several days on each island and not hesitating to speak to the locals. This way, you will not only explore all the main tourist attractions, but also learn a great deal about the lives of the Seychellois and have time to appreciate the unique natural surroundings.