The Seychelles Are a MUST – Stunning Islands That Stay with You Forever
My girlfriend and I visited the Seychelles for the first time in mid-October 2015 and were immediately delighted.
Mahé
We collected our hire car at Mahé Airport, which I would recommend to everyone, and set off along the island’s winding coastal roads. The island’s lush greenery immediately caught our attention. It is truly beautiful to see how richly covered in vegetation this and all the other islands are.
As you drive, wonderful coves with fantastic beaches and turquoise water repeatedly come into view. There are small fruit stalls at regular intervals along the roads where you can stock up on fresh produce. The people of the Seychelles, whether locals or newcomers, are very open, friendly and sociable. Our accommodation, Chez Batista, on Mahé was located at Takamaka Beach. It is a lovely, spacious beach, ideal for relaxing. You can also see giant tortoises here. The accommodation is simple and could be a little cleaner, but it was still perfectly adequate, as it is generously laid out and directly on the beach. The food in the restaurant is not to be missed. The fish was some of the best we had in the Seychelles.
The first beach we visited was Anse Intendance. You read almost nothing but positive things about virtually every beach in the Seychelles, and we can confirm that this is justified. We arrived very early in the day and therefore had the beach to ourselves. You can park in a designated car park, after passing the Banyan Tree Hotel, and then walk just a few metres along a path to the beach. There is also a small bar there, which is open during peak times. The beach is beautifully spacious, with wonderful sand and granite rocks at either end.
Close to Intendance is Petite Police. This is a small, very secluded and peaceful beach. It feels considerably wilder than most of the other beaches.
Another beach where we spent a lot of time was Baie Lazare in the south-west.
It is beautifully long, so people are well spread out. When the waves are suitable, you can regularly watch surfers here or take to a board yourself. Slightly hidden away but very worthwhile is Anse Soleil, a small beach that also has a restaurant. The area around Port Glaud is also truly beautiful, particularly because of the islands of Therese and Conception.
There is a lovely wide beach here and plenty of opportunities to enjoy the underwater world. To reach the north-west by car, you have to drive through the island’s mountainous interior.
This route offers wonderful views towards the west and, on the other side, across Victoria. With its many bends, it is also great fun to drive.
We particularly liked Sunset Beach.
The beach is not particularly large, so you will not have it entirely to yourself, but it is definitely worth visiting, especially if you enjoy snorkelling. At the left-hand end, below the restaurant built on the rocks, you can snorkel among the underwater rocks and be surrounded by plenty of fish. At the right-hand end of the bay, we were able to swim alongside rays without having to venture far out.
Beau Vallon is somewhat livelier, as described, but by no means overcrowded. The beach is very long and ideal for a pleasant stroll. Several diving schools are based on the beach, as are fruit sellers. You can enjoy beautiful sunsets from one of the bars or restaurants along the promenade.
Tip: Bazar Labrin on Wednesdays! Absolutely delicious!
La Digue
We really wanted to see the world-famous Anse Source d’Argent on La Digue, so we decided to go island hopping. From the harbour on Mahé, the ferry, a modern high-speed vessel, travels via Praslin to La Digue. There are also direct services, although on the day we travelled these had been replaced by a service requiring a change. Take care if you are prone to seasickness, as the crossing can become relatively rough. La Digue is truly tranquil. There are small shops and bars around the harbour, and the area is really charming. On La Digue, we chose to stay at Fleur de Lys and can thoroughly recommend it. It is a wonderful, beautifully maintained property with lovely, very spacious houses.
One of the great things about La Digue is that there are hardly any cars, as everyone gets around by bicycle. Bicycles can be hired everywhere. There are also ox carts that you can ride in, which is a wonderful experience.
To reach Anse Source d’Argent, you have to pass through a park where an admission fee is charged to help with its upkeep, which is completely reasonable. Giant tortoises are also cared for and kept in the park, and you can feed them fresh leaves. They are truly wonderful animals and definitely worth seeing.
The beach, with its distinctive rocks, is truly impressive. I should mention, however, that you are unlikely ever to have this beach to yourself. You should also expect Asian tour groups and, of course, plenty of couples. This is not a problem at all and does not detract from the beach. You simply need to be aware that this famous beach attracts a lot of visitors. The rocks have been spectacularly smoothed and display different colours in the sunlight. Fresh drinks are also available from small bars, including delicious coconuts.
We cannot say too much about Praslin, as we only had a few hours there and it rained heavily that day. This limited us somewhat, but the beaches we did see looked wonderful even in the rain.
