A Dream Holiday in One of the Most Beautiful Corners of the World

With a huge sense of anticipation, we set off for the Seychelles at the end of January. Well prepared with detailed information (and even a packing list) from SeyVillas, nothing could go wrong. We flew with Qatar Airways (highly recommended!) via Doha to Mahé, where we were met and given a very warm welcome by the local partner agency, ‘Créole’. As we arrived at the harbour earlier than planned and it seemed we could still catch the ferry to La Digue departing 5 hours earlier, we asked whether it might be possible to change our tickets at short notice. We were in luck: Créole quickly and reliably took care of everything and immediately rearranged our onward transfer to the bungalow as well. We were delighted, so another big thank you for such flexibility!

La Digue:

On La Digue, we booked ‘Villa Kara’ at Island Bungalow (very close to Anse Severe ), the newest but smallest of the three available bungalows. The hosts were very friendly, the bungalow was cleaned thoroughly every day and beach towels were also provided. Conveniently, bicycles could be hired here for 100 rupees (around €6) per day. Breakfast included fresh fruit from the garden every day, as well as toast, jam and eggs prepared to order. The accommodation is simply furnished, but offered excellent value for money for us. It was more than adequate and the ideal place to stay on La Digue, as we were out exploring all day anyway.

On our first day, we explored the beaches in the north and east (they can easily be visited in a single day without rushing). We particularly liked Anse Severe, Anse Patates and Anse Fourmis . Chez Jules restaurant, with its delicious fresh fruit juices, is also highly recommended.

On our second day, we cycled to Grand Anse, which is truly breathtaking. From there, you can continue on foot through beautiful jungle to Petite Anse , which we liked even more. The only downside is that there is no shade until the afternoon. If you keep as far to the right as possible, the path is reasonably easy to find, even though there are no signs (around 15 minutes, although you should be fairly sure-footed, as some scrambling is required). From Petite Anse , you can also continue to Anse Cocos (around 30 minutes).

On our third day, we visited L'Union Estate & Anse Source d'Argent . It is best to arrive quite early if you would like to enjoy the beach before the crowds arrive. It becomes a little busier around midday. You can also enjoy some beautiful sunsets here. The park and beach are lovely, but in our opinion they are a little overhyped and no more beautiful than the vegetation and beaches elsewhere on the island.

It is quite possible to see most of the island in 3 days. During our remaining days, we returned for a second (or even third) visit to our favourite spots: Anse Severe, Anse Patates and Petite Anse.

We highly recommend Le Repaire, dining at what is probably the island’s most luxurious hotel, Le Domaine de L'Orangeraie, and Snack Bellevue . The latter was a particular highlight for us. For 500 rupees, we were collected from our hotel or bungalow and taken to the restaurant, which offers a magnificent view across the island and serves superb Creole food. In theory, it would be possible to cycle up there, but for us, despite being fairly fit, it was unthinkable in practice because the gradient is extremely steep.

On the day we travelled from La Digue to Mahé, we changed our ferry bookings again so that we could spend the whole day on Praslin and see that island too. With a little negotiation, we hired a car for the equivalent of €40 and explored the island. It was lovely too, although we definitely preferred La Digue. There is something particularly charming about exploring the island by bicycle!

Mahé:

We spent the second part of our trip at Kempinski Seychelles Resort Baie Lazare on Mahé. We can also recommend this hotel without reservation. The food is excellent, the rooms are wonderful and the beach is beautiful too. A particular highlight is the view from the hill above the hotel, overlooking the resort and the stunning bay. As we liked the hotel so much, and would definitely have needed a hire car to explore the island, we spent our final days simply relaxing at the hotel. If you would like a little more comfort but still have a budget to consider, this hotel is a good option, as it is one of the more affordable luxury hotels in the Seychelles.

Conclusion:

Pack your bags and fly to paradise!

P.S. Although February is considered part of the rainy season, we had only 3 overcast days in 2 weeks. On one of those days, it rained for 1 hour; otherwise, it only rained at night.