A Perfect Dream Holiday in Destinations We Had Longed to Visit

Quite honestly, visiting the Seychelles fulfilled a long-held dream for us too. After all, who has not seen all those wonderful photographs of the Seychelles’ landscapes and beaches? Our expectations were therefore very high and – to give the game away – not only were they not disappointed, they were exceeded by far. But first things first…

Cruising through the islands aboard the M/S Pegasus

We had opted for a combination of a cruise aboard a larger yacht followed by a relaxing stay far from the noise and bustle on the largely undeveloped island of Cerf, very close to the main island of Mahé. After our direct Condor flight to Mahé, it was not long before we boarded the M/Y Pegasus.

My Pegasus The M/Y Pegasus sails year-round through the Seychelles islands for ‘Variety Cruises’. However, we had booked the cruise through SeyVillas. The yacht was built in the early 1990s and accommodates up to 44 guests in 21 cabins. You should not expect a great deal of luxury, particularly in the cabins.

Everything was mainly practical, but in terms of comfort it was naturally no match for other cruises with AIDA, Costa, NCL and the like. So it is not for anyone who primarily wants to show off their expensive clothes during a cruise, or expects an ice rink or climbing wall on board. But honestly, do you need any of that when your eyes are treated to such luxury from the deck in every direction, with magnificent scenery, fascinating wildlife and unique dream beaches?! One more thing about the cruise: the atmosphere on board was very relaxed and friendly, and the entire crew were attentive, welcoming and exceptionally dedicated. The food was also excellent for the most part. The best thing, however, was the itinerary and programme, with the opportunity to visit at least one new island every day.

There were also swimming and snorkelling stops along the way, although the sometimes rather rough sea meant that a few compromises had to be made.

Fairy tern on CousinTortoise on Cousin IslandSt. PierreFelicite IslandBirdlife on ArideAnse Source d'Argent, La DigueCocos IslandAnse Volbert, Praslin Alongside better-known islands such as Praslin and La Digue, the cruise also gave us the chance to discover ‘hidden gems’ such as Curieuse, Cousin Island, Aride and Moyenne Island. Professionally guided tours were also offered on these almost uninhabited islands, where we could encounter imposing palms, tortoises and rare birds in their protected habitats. There was also time for the very best beaches, including those on Praslin and La Digue. In reality, they were even more impressive than in the postcard photographs. While sailing aboard the yacht, we also discovered many other wonderful beaches with unique rocks and rock formations that we would gladly have taken home with us????

Relaxing in the heart of nature

After the cruise, we wanted to unwind for a few more days, so we chose Cerf, a small neighbouring island of Mahé. We spent some wonderful days there at South Point Villas (bookable directly at www.southpointvillas.com, as well as through SeyVillas). Surrounded by magnificent nature, with no traffic noise and almost no disturbances, it was the perfect place to switch off completely and slow down. The southern tip of Cerf Island and the neighbouring ‘pirate island’ – Ile Caché – are also wonderful places from which to explore the colourful marine life of the Indian Ocean or the Sainte Anne Marine Park using the kayaks available on site.

The manager of South Point Villas and all the staff were always there whenever we needed them, making our stay perfect and a truly special experience. The time certainly flew by, so we did not take the boat back to Mahé until the day of our departure.

Cerf IslandSouthpoint Villas, Cerf IslandCerf Island Like so many visitors to the Seychelles before us, we would have loved to stay longer. Our consolation on leaving was our firm intention to return by 2020 at the latest…

P.S.: Before the trip, we had given the weather a great deal of thought because we were visiting in the middle of the rainy season. However, even the locals gave us very different opinions about the ‘ideal travel weather’. Perhaps we were extremely lucky to have no more than 3–4 half-days of rain in almost two weeks, along with plenty of sunshine and blue skies, particularly as Mauritius, for example, was experiencing severe storms at the same time. But perhaps the truth is that there really is no ‘bad time to travel’ to the Seychelles.