Escaping the Rat Race

My idea of the Seychelles was: expensive, posh and boring. I could not have been more wrong! It was only when friends told us about their holiday there, and it did not sound at all exclusive or snobbish, that I began doing some research and came across SeyVillas.

Cerf

Our base was the Fairy Tern on the little island of Cerf.

Fairy tern on Cerf It was the perfect place to unwind after the hectic pace of life in Germany. Although Cerf lies directly opposite the capital of the Seychelles, it was the perfect place to settle in.

Beach on Cerf My husband could happily gaze out to sea, while there was a hiking trail across the island for me, so my restless urge to explore soon quietened down too.

Hiking trail on CerfGarden at Cerf Fairy Tern Our hosts, Wendy and Kevin, were very friendly and attentive, and the property was simply beautiful.

Fairy tern on CerfFairy tern on CerfFairy tern on Cerf Before long, I too was enjoying ‘doing nothing’.

Pure relaxation Feeling physically refreshed, we continued on to La Digue after 5 days.

La Digue Our base on La Digue was the Belle des Iles Guest House .

Belles des Iles, La Digue Another excellent choice! The Belle des Iles Guest House is not by the sea but in the middle of the island, up a hill. However, as the entire island is easy to explore by bicycle and the hill is not particularly high, you do not need to be a sporting genius.

Cycling on La DigueCycling on La Digue On foot, we were in the ‘centre’ within 10 minutes, and by bicycle it took us between 5 and 30 minutes to reach all the wonderful beaches. The first of these, of course, is the world-famous Anse Source d'Argent.

Anse Source d'ArgentAnse Source d'ArgentAnse Source d'Argent You simply have to visit it, of course – but we actually preferred Anse Cocos . It is idyllic, and even the route there is wonderful – a little strenuous, but well worth it. From Grand Anse , you have a short climb to Petite Anse , followed by another 30 minutes over the hill and through the jungle. As that is too strenuous for most people, you are rewarded with peace and seclusion. We even spotted some baby sharks while snorkelling.

Anse Cocos Along the way, you can always find somewhere for a little refreshment.

Refreshing coconut drink And stopping at one of the juice bars is quite an experience.

Juice bar on La Digue We went diving with the Azzurra Dive Center, and once again my expectations were exceeded. La Digue is a small, highly individual island with real character. Seven days was perfect, although I could easily have ‘put up with’ staying longer. Praslin For our base on Praslin, we had chosen the Villas des Alizes .

Villas des AlizesVillas des Alizes Once again, we were lucky – it was a lovely accommodation, prepared with great care. It was particularly stylish in the evenings. ;-)

Villas des Alizes in the eveningVillas des Alizes in the eveningVillas des Alizes Here, however, we swapped our bicycles for the bus, as the island is considerably larger than La Digue – an experience in itself!

Bus on Praslin And, of course, we were drawn to the world-famous coco de mer. We chose Fond Ferdinand, which is less well known but very unspoilt. The guided tour was excellent, led by a fantastic guide who was genuinely passionate about it, and it cost only a third as much. And the coco de mer seeds really are quite something!

Coco de Mer, Fond FerdinandFond Ferdinand After so many ‘trees and seeds’, it was time for the beach again. We took the bus from Grand Anse in the west, around the island to the final stop in the north. From there, you can reach Anse Lazio , which, in my opinion, is the most beautiful beach on Praslin. Anse Lazio, Praslin We then walked around the northern tip and back to the western side. It is a truly beautiful route and well worth doing, even without visiting Anse Georgette. After 6 days, it was time to say goodbye. If I had to leave out one of our 4 stops, however, I would choose Praslin. The sand flies really took their toll on me there. Perhaps it was the time of year, the ocean currents, or simply because they found me particularly tasty. I had no trouble with those little blighters on the other islands. Mahé Our 4th stop was Mahé. We spent our final 10 days exploring independently and ended up at Beau Vallon. Although this is said to be the most touristy place on the island, we certainly did not find the beaches crowded. Everything continued at the calm, unhurried pace that had become familiar to us and is so typical of the Seychelles. Alongside diving, relaxing and hiking – all using public buses or travelling on foot – we took an island tour with a local guide, which we would highly recommend.

Tour of Mahé IslandTour of Mahé IslandTour of MahéTour of Mahé Island Then our final days of holiday were over, and we returned home enriched by many new experiences. The Seychelles is a very peaceful ‘country’. Many different cultures and religions coexist in peace and mutual acceptance. The motto here is: live and let live. Minor problems are initially simply ‘smiled away’. There is hardly any rubbish on the streets or in the sea, plastic bags have largely been replaced by reusable bags, and alternative energy is used in many different ways. Of course, during a 4-week holiday we could only see a small part of life there, but what I saw convinced me that we in Germany could learn a thing or two from the Seychellois.

We would also like to thank SeyVillas. The organisation was perfect, as was the execution. Every transfer went without a hitch. The little inconveniences are simply part of travelling: when one goes on a journey…

Sunset at Grand Anse