Island Hopping in the Seychelles

We wanted to visit the Seychelles, and we did.

The lead-up, however, was disappointing. We visited 3 different travel agencies. Apart from the fact that it took several days to receive a response, none of the 3 could arrange our chosen accommodation for the dates we wanted, we were poorly informed about the transfers and, most importantly, the prices quoted were far too high for us. So, at that point, our conclusion was: there goes our dream of visiting the Seychelles.

Then we came across the SeyVillas website. We told the SeyVillas representative what we wanted: a 14-day trip, our preferred dates, direct outbound and return flights, 4 different islands with roughly the same length of stay on each and in our preferred order, 4 mid-range places to stay, no particular preference regarding meals, and all transfers throughout the entire trip. We would like to emphasise that we asked SeyVillas to arrange the entire holiday according to our own ideas. Our trip was completely tailored to us and cannot be found in any tour operator’s brochure.

Ms Cippitelli from the SeyVillas team promptly sent us an offer at a fair price. Our follow-up questions by telephone about exchanging money, entry requirements and medical care were answered immediately and competently.

So that settled it for us: Seychelles, here we come!

We booked that very same day.

SeyVillas sent us all our travel documents – flight tickets, hotel vouchers and transfer tickets – promptly and in full. We set off on 14 March 2018 and landed on Mahé after a 9-hour flight.

Immediately after landing, we received written information about the next stages of our trip at the Creole desk, SeyVillas’ local partner. We were also given the date and time when a Creole representative would visit us.

Our driver was already waiting at the airport when we arrived and took us straight to our accommodation. The punctuality and reliability of all the staff looking after us locally remained a constant throughout the entire trip. The people responsible for us were also easy to recognise: they all wore blue-and-yellow floral clothing, and the cars had stickers featuring the same pattern. We found this a great help, as we always knew immediately whom to approach. That cannot always be taken for granted on long-haul trips....

Mahé:

Chez Batista (3 nights with breakfast), There, we received a complimentary upgrade to a junior suite with sea views and a balcony. (SeyVillas must be very well known).

The room and sea views were sensational, and the beach was only a few steps from our room.

Chez Batista The beach had snow-white sand, crystal-clear water and shady trees. The rocks on the left-hand side of the beach are ideal for snorkelling. There was also a freshwater pool just a few steps from our suite – again with sea views.

On the terrace at Chez Batista Throughout our stay, the hotel staff were very friendly and helpful, and even a few words of school English were enough to get by without any problems. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were served in the barefoot restaurant

(dinner came with a direct view of the sunset) The Creole representative arrived punctually. She gave us the itinerary for the rest of our trip, provided plenty of useful background information for first-time visitors to the Seychelles and answered all our questions.

At the end of our stay at Chez Batista, we were collected and taken to the harbour. From there, we took the ferry to Praslin (1 hour), followed by another ferry to La Digue (20 minutes). All the transfers were superbly organised, and we had hardly any waiting time.

La Digue:

Zerof Guesthouse (4 nights with breakfast). We had a lovely room with a terrace; it was clean and practical. The owner arranged 2 bicycles for us to explore the island. On La Digue, you get around by bicycle, as there are hardly any cars – but take care, they drive on the left! For food and drinks, we could choose between the guest house’s restaurant and its own takeaway. There was also a small grocery shop belonging to the guest house.

Naturally, our first excursion took us to the dream beach of Anse Source d'Argent. You immediately understand why it is the most photographed beach in the Seychelles.

Anse Source d'Argent We happened to be there when a German couple were getting married in that very spot. On the way there, you pass through a park where you come across tortoises, which are very fond of fresh fruit. Anse Source d’Argent is also suitable for snorkelling.

We also visited Anse Severe in the north, which is another lovely place for snorkelling. But take care: at low tide, it can be difficult to get back from the reef to the beach. Everything on La Digue is very relaxed and easy-going, and you hear plenty of reggae music. Now for some bad news for night owls: there are no nightclubs, bars are few and far between, and there is no evening entertainment at all. Not that anyone needs it...

Of course, we were also visited by a Creole representative on La Digue. Once again, we were informed about the next stages of our trip as well as the island’s particular characteristics.

At midday, we were collected and taken to the harbour. We then travelled by ferry to Praslin (20 minutes) and continued on to the hotel. Once again, all the transfers were superbly organised.

Praslin:

Villa Bananier (4 nights with breakfast). Here, too, we had a lovely room with a terrace; it was clean and practical. Nearby is Anse Volbert (Cote d'Or), a long, spacious beach. Anse Volbert We took the public bus – an experience in itself and very inexpensive – to Vallée de Mai National Park, with its coco de mer palms, which is an absolute must-see.

We also took the public bus to Anse Lazio, a beautiful beach that is ideal for swimming and snorkelling.

Anse Lazio, Praslin We ate at a takeaway on the Côte d’Or; the food was delicious and inexpensive. Right next door, there is a pizza shop and an ice cream parlour. Here, too, we enjoyed the familiar support of a Creole representative. On Praslin, we also experienced the only disappointment of our trip:

As a general rule, the law in the Seychelles states that every resident and tourist must have access to all beaches. This also applies to the large, extremely expensive luxury resorts, which are required to allow everyone access to their beaches. In practice, however, they only do so under certain conditions. The luxury hotels insist that visitors at least purchase an expensive lunch before being allowed onto the beach. We really wanted to visit Anse Petite Cour, which our guidebook described as ideal for snorkelling. Madame Bananier was kind enough to telephone Hotel Le Domaine de La Reserve and make a reservation for the following day for lunch for 2 plus use of the beach.

We arrived the next day as agreed, but they would not let us in. We were told, in a rather condescending manner, that they had no booking under our name and that, because of its small size, the beach was barely large enough for their own guests. However, if we purchased lunch, we could use the hotel pool. And that was not too small for additional guests? We left feeling rather dejected and returned to Anse Lazio, which is more beautiful anyway and free for everyone.

At lunchtime, we were collected again and taken to the harbour. From there, we travelled by ferry to Mahé (1 hour) and then on to Eden Jetty, where a boat took us to Cerf Island (10 mins). This rather unusual transfer was also perfectly organised. The collection times always matched the accommodation check-out times, the waits for the ferries were very short, and our chauffeur was always waiting for us when we arrived.

Cerf Island:

Takamaka Beach Villas (3 nights) Here, we received a complimentary upgrade to the Beachfront Villa. Yes, we had our own villa, our own garden and our own beach – what more could you want?

Takamaka Villa We could have eaten at the neighbouring hotel’s restaurant, but decided to cater for ourselves, as our little house also had a fully equipped kitchen. We took the complimentary boat to Mahé to see the capital, Victoria, and bought groceries at the supermarket for very little money for our stay on Cerf Island. We also bought holiday souvenirs for those back home in Victoria.

On Cerf, we joined a complimentary snorkelling trip. It was offered by the neighbouring hotel and led by 2 American volunteers. The 2 young women taught us about the importance of coral reefs and what we can all do to help protect them. They showed us a coral garden they had created, where new corals are planted and cared for. We loved being shown interesting things underwater while also learning more about protecting the environment. We spent the final days of our holiday swimming and relaxing.

Relaxing on Cerf Island Unfortunately, our final transfer from the secluded island back to the airport was once again perfectly punctual and seamless (we would gladly have stayed longer).

We spent our last rupees at the airport, but do not worry – you can also easily pay there in euros or dollars. Tanned and relaxed, we boarded our flight home and landed on time.

Thanks to SeyVillas, we can honestly say that we enjoyed a dream holiday in the Seychelles!

Our tip: The Seychelles are a dream destination and do not have to be a luxury holiday.

Simply have a look at SeyVillas – there is something to suit every budget.

Best of luck

Best wishes Werner & Sonja