Dream Holiday in the Seychelles

After a very friendly welcome from the Creole staff at Mahé Airport, we boarded an island flight to Bird Island in a tiny propeller aircraft. Before landing, the aircraft circles the island once, and we simply could not stop marvelling at its beauty. Following an adventurous landing on a grassy airstrip, we disembarked directly in front of reception, where a member of staff gave us a warm welcome and a brief introduction to the island. What stayed with us most was her advice to always use torches on the paths at night, as there was no electricity, so that we would not trip over the giant tortoises roaming freely. The bungalows are very simple and nestled within the island’s lush vegetation. There are no glass windowpanes, but what could be lovelier than a warm sea breeze blowing through the room at night and a little bird landing on the windowsill early in the morning, chirping into the room? You can walk all the way around Bird Island along the beach in just over an hour. We were particularly fascinated by the dazzling white sand and the countless shades of green, turquoise and blue in the sea. Above all, however, the fact that there were only eight other tourists on the island and that we were often the only people on the deserted beach for hours at a time left an unforgettable impression. Bird Island

After flying back to the main island of Mahé, we continued by high-speed catamaran to Praslin, where we had chosen to stay at the Beach Villa Guesthouse, located directly on Grand Anse . You should definitely try the freshly prepared jobfish made by the hostess. If you do not particularly want to hire a car, the island is also very easy to explore by bus. Each journey costs SCR 7 per person, or approximately €0.42. Praslin boasts beautiful beaches such as Anse Lazio and Anse Volbert (Cote d'Or). A day trip to the nearby islands of Curieuse and St Pierre is also highly recommended and is offered daily by tour operators and local providers such as King Creole. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Vallée de Mai was particularly impressive. Here you can admire the coco de mer palms found only on Praslin and Curieuse, and the enormous size of some of the palms makes you feel as though you have shrunk. Our diving excursion with Whitetip Divers at Anse Volbert was also worthwhile. At the Ave Maria Rock dive site, you can see numerous shoals of fish, enormous bumphead parrotfish and turtles.

Just 20 minutes from Praslin by high-speed catamaran lies the island of La Digue, which offers a completely different island atmosphere. Much smaller than Praslin, the island already feels wonderfully sleepy when you arrive. There are hardly any cars, with bicycles being the main form of transport, and the journey from the harbour to our chosen and thoroughly recommended Le Repaire Boutique Hotel took less than 3 minutes. We hired bicycles for the equivalent of €6 per person per day to explore the island. After first visiting Anse Source d'Argent, with its distinctive granite boulders and turquoise-green water, we decided to cycle as far as possible along the coastal road. Along the way, we passed countless idyllic coves, all inviting us to linger and some completely deserted. It takes approximately 35 minutes to cycle leisurely around as much of the island as the roads allow. The beaches of Grand Anse, Petite Anse and Anse Cocos, however, are truly indescribable and unique, with snow-white sand and crystal-clear turquoise water as far as the eye can see. Each of the three beaches is separated from the next by a short walk through the lush vegetation, but it is certainly worth visiting all three and treating yourself to a fresh coconut from one of the makeshift coconut stalls along the way. Cycling on La DigueAnse Source d'ArgentLa Digue

To round off our island-hopping trip, we spent another three nights at Pointe au Sel on Mahé, staying at Villa Dorado . This enchanting villa is located directly on a beach that is also rarely busy. As we did not have much time left on Mahé and wanted to spend two more relaxing days, we used the public bus here as well, travelling both to the beautiful Anse Royale and to Victoria to visit the market. Southern Mahé is also an excellent area for diving, and Dive Resort Seychelles, the only dive centre in the south, is highly recommended. One of our dives here was particularly unforgettable: not only were we joined by numerous grey reef sharks, but we also saw a group of around 12 manta rays. All in all, the Seychelles exceeded even our expectations and will always remain in our memories as a dream destination! We would also like to express our special thanks to SeyVillas. Not only did the booking process at home run smoothly, but the organisation and support provided locally by the partner agency Creole were also flawless, and we always felt that we were in safe hands! Snorkelling off Mahé