A Dream Honeymoon!
We got married on 15 September 2018, and the following Monday we set off on our honeymoon.
We booked everything through SeyVillas, from the flights and transfers to the accommodation, and we are so pleased we did. The service was impeccable and the team were extremely helpful.
We flew with Air France from Malpensa, with a stopover in Paris.
For the first 5 nights, we stayed on Praslin at Chalets Cote Mer
in a standard room. The accommodation was very simple, but clean. The bathrooms were spacious and had hairdryers.
We would, however, recommend spending a little more and booking a sea-view room, as the view is simply breathtaking.
During our stay, we opted for half board, following the advice of people who had already been there, and we were delighted with it. On 2 evenings there was a buffet with grilled meat and fish, while on the other evenings there was a set menu featuring a starter, main course and dessert. The staff were incredibly kind, always smiling and happy to provide any information or assistance.
On Praslin, we hired a car for €45 per day. You need to be very careful about driving on the left, with the driver sitting on the right-hand side of the car.
As well as concentrating on staying on the correct side of the road, be careful when using the indicators and when reaching for the gear lever!
For the remaining days, we travelled around on the local buses. A single journey costs 7 rupees, around €0.50, and you can explore the entire island.
Be prepared to be packed in like sardines and for quite an adventurous journey: the drivers are a little wild, despite the narrow, unprotected roads!
Without a doubt, the most beautiful beach on Praslin is Anse Lazio, a true feast for the eyes, with crystal-clear water, white sand and a seabed teeming with life! There is a small restaurant on the beach where you can have lunch, as well as another restaurant a little further away, although it is not directly on the beach. Both times, we ate at the beach restaurant… there is a daily menu as well as an à la carte menu, and everything was very good and not too expensive.
Anse Georgette
is also very beautiful. We simply turned up at the entrance and asked at the gatehouse whether we could access the beach. Fortunately, we managed to get in without too much trouble, although it was a shame the weather was not at its best!
From the entrance of the Lemuria hotel, it is around a 20-minute walk through the golf course to the beach. If you are as lucky as we were, on the way back a very kind member of the resort staff may give you a lift to the exit in his golf buggy.
Anse Volbert (Cote d'Or)
is one of the largest beaches on Praslin, with small shops and restaurants behind it where you can buy souvenirs and have a bite to eat. It is very wide and popular. On the beach, you will find people from whom you can book excursions to the Curieuse Marine National Park,
St Pierre, La Digue and elsewhere.
During our stay, there was a tourism festival, with stall after stall serving delicious Creole street food!
We then travelled by ferry for around 15 minutes to La Digue, where we stayed for 5 nights at Chalet Bamboo Vert.
The accommodation was simple, but clean. The hotel’s most distinctive feature is its wonderful garden, where 5 bungalows are located, each containing 2 separate rooms with their own patio, furnished with armchairs and a clothes airer. At this guesthouse, we decided to book breakfast only. It was very simple and there was not a great deal of choice, but it was perfectly acceptable.
Unlike Praslin, La Digue has extensive coral reefs, so it is not always easy to enjoy a proper swim, partly because of the high and low tides.
The most beautiful beach is undoubtedly Anse Source d'Argent,
which is located within what you might call an ‘amusement park’. Admission costs 125 rupees, around €7–8, for the entire day, and you can leave and re-enter as long as you keep your ticket. You can walk among vanilla plantations, see giant tortoises and enjoy plenty of activities before reaching the expanse of white sand bordered by lush forest. On the beach, there are kiosks selling platters of fresh fruit for 200 rupees, around €13, as well as delicious freshly made fruit juices.
To explore the island, we hired bicycles directly from our guesthouse. They were extremely useful for reaching every part of the island.
With a little effort and a few uphill stretches, you can also reach the lovely Grand Anse and Petite Anse,
but take care, as the sea here is always very rough and the waves are high. If you are not a strong swimmer, abandon any idea of going for a dip!
If you are keen walkers, we recommend heading to Nid d'Aigle.
The elevation gain is only 333 m, but the route is fairly long and very steep. The first section is entirely paved, but do not attempt it by bicycle! Leave your bicycles at the side of the road and continue on foot until you reach the Bellevue Restaurant, where you can stop for some refreshment. From there, a forest trail leads to the top of the mountain.
Take care! Wear comfortable walking or hiking shoes and avoid doing the walk when it is too hot!
For our final 2 days, we travelled to Mahé on a ferry crossing lasting around an hour and a half. As someone who does not like boats, I found it quite difficult, and it was only thanks to Xamamina that I managed not to be sick. I can assure you that many people were unwell because of the rough crossing. If you can, therefore, take the ferry as far as Praslin, which takes just 15 minutes, and then continue by domestic flight.
We stayed at Villa Roscia in Beau Vallon.
The owner, Paolo, an Italian who had moved to the Seychelles 5 years earlier, was truly kind and welcoming and gave us plenty of advice.
The hotel had only been open for a year and has just 6 rooms, and he had thought of his Italian guests! There are Italian sockets, Italian television channels and some Italian products at breakfast, such as Nutella. Beau Vallon is the largest and most popular beach on Mahé, and is excellent for swimming and playing with children.
During our stay, we had the pleasure of attending Regatta, an annual festival lasting 3 days. It was wonderfully chaotic and Creole! There were so many kiosks where you could dine on local specialities, as well as beer, popcorn, ice cream and more, not to mention the souvenir stalls and a stage with DJs and reggaeton music. Quite a spectacle!
If you visit Mahé, you simply must see Victoria and its Sir Selwyn Selwyn Clarke Market. Mahé is very busy and the complete opposite of Praslin and La Digue, but it is certainly worth visiting and strolling through its streets filled with shops and small boutiques.
We went on just one excursion, booked through Creole, the tour operator who assists you during your stay. It included a full day on a catamaran, with snorkelling off St Pierre Island and a visit to Curieuse Island with an Italian-speaking guide, who took us around the entire island over the course of an hour and a half and explained everything about the tortoises, coco de mer, and local flora and fauna. This was followed by a lunch of grilled fish on the catamaran, snorkelling opposite the beautiful Anse Georgette, and a cruise along the coast of Praslin, also passing Anse Lazio, before arriving back at the harbour at around 17.00. The excursion cost approximately €100 per person, but it was money well spent. If you would prefer to spend less to visit Curieuse, you can easily book directly on the beaches. There are always people at small stands ready to sell you an excursion including a barbecue for around 65 rupees per person.
It was a wonderful trip. The Seychelles are so beautiful that they are almost moving; the power of the forests, along with the colours and scents of the flowers and fruit, creates a spectacle that leaves you speechless. The warmth and smiles of the people are second to none.
We left a little piece of our hearts there!
