Our Seychelles Island-Hopping Adventure

My wife and I travelled to the Seychelles in July 2018, and we are delighted to share our experience with you.

We arrived on the island of Mahé at around 11 pm local time, after a direct 10-hour, 20-minute flight from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.
We stayed at Le Relax Hotel & Restaurant, located on the magnificent Anse Royale. The hotel offers a unique view over the entire bay and Souris Island.
Anse Royale, Mahé Mahé has a bus network connecting several of the island’s villages.
During our 4 days on Mahé, we visited Le Jardin Du Roi Spice Garden, which features a variety of tropical fruits as well as the famous coco de mer. As it is situated on high ground, the garden also offers a beautiful view of the island. Some tourists travel there by hire car, but we preferred to walk so that we could experience the 1 km uphill route and see houses built amid the natural surroundings. The climb was not easy, but the beauty of the garden soon made us forget our efforts.

We also enjoyed beaches such as Anse Takamaka, Beau Vallon and Baie Lazare. The beaches are unlike anywhere else in the world and offer the peace and quiet we were looking for.

Beau Vallon, Mahé Beau Vallon, Mahé

Only the sounds of the water and wind disturb the silence. The water at Anse Royale is clearer and ideal for snorkelling, while Beau Vallon stretches for around 1 km.
At Anse Takamaka, we discovered giant tortoises over 100 years old.
We also visited the capital, Victoria, with its famous clock tower, Victoria Clocktower, which is a miniature replica of Big Ben in London. We then went to the wonderfully exotic Sir Selwyn Selwyn Clarke Market, where we had the opportunity to try fruits such as star fruit and passion fruit. Not far from the market is a Hindu temple that is very popular with visitors thanks to its architecture.
All these sights in Victoria can be explored on foot, as the capital is not very large. The government ministries are also nearby. Finally, we went to Victoria’s port to travel to La Digue.

The ferry journey to La Digue takes 1 hour and 30 minutes, including a 15-minute stopover on Praslin.
La Passe harbour, La Digue La Digue is undoubtedly the most beautiful of the Seychelles islands. The few cars found there are official vehicles, while everyone else travels by bicycle. We loved cycling alongside children coming home from school and tourists setting out to explore the island. We stayed at Chez Marston, which is very close to the port at La Passe, around a 3-minute walk away. It was a pleasant hotel with a very relaxed atmosphere, much like its owner, Marston. On our first day, we visited L’Union Estate Park, where admission costs 115 rupees per person.
L'Union Estate, La Digue In the park, we saw many plant species, one of the oldest cemeteries in the Seychelles, giant tortoises and the famous Anse Source d'Argent.
Thanks to its beauty, this beach appears in many of the iconic images of the Seychelles, and it was an absolute joy for us to be there. The beach has beautiful granite rocks and no waves, and we swam among the fish. Couples from all over the world also come here to celebrate their weddings in this romantic setting.
Anse Source d'Argent, La Digue We also enjoyed Anse Severe, which is equally peaceful and beautiful.
Unfortunately, we did not make it to Grand Anse because our bicycle broke down on the way, so we had to turn back to have it repaired.
Finally, we visited the nature reserve dedicated to the Seychelles black paradise flycatcher ( Veuve Reserve ). This bird is found nowhere else in the world but the Seychelles, and admission to the reserve is free.
We spent 3 days on La Digue, which gave us enough time to explore almost the entire island, as it is not very large.
We then left the island for Praslin with our heads full of wonderful memories.

It took us 10 minutes by boat to reach the island of Praslin. In terms of size, it lies between Mahé and La Digue. There is a bus service for travelling around the island, with a flat fare of 7 rupees, just as on Mahé.
We stayed at Berjaya Praslin Resort, located on Anse Volbert (Cote d'Or). The atmosphere is very welcoming, and the staff are professional and attentive. The hotel also has a beachfront restaurant called ‘Pizzeria’, which we highly recommend. Anse Volbert offers a beautiful view of several smaller islands, including Curieuse, where giant tortoises can be seen beside the beach ( Curieuse Marine National Park ). A ‘taxi boat’ to Curieuse costs €25.
Anse Volbert (Côte d'Or), Praslin We also enjoyed Anse Lazio, which is large and magnificent. It also has granite rocks similar to those at Anse Source d’Argent. It is one of the most famous and beautiful beaches in the Seychelles.
Anse Lazio, Praslin To round off our stay on the island, we visited Vallée de Mai, where we had the opportunity to discover coco de mer palms and animals such as frogs and lizards.

Our stay in the Seychelles will remain etched in our memories, and it was with great regret that we left the country.
We were dazzled by all the beauty that nature had to offer. The Seychellois people are incredibly kind and have preserved their country’s natural character, which is why it remains so beautiful.
Although the cost of living is high, we warmly recommend the Seychelles to anyone who loves beaches, nature, mountains, peace and quiet.