A Childhood Dream Comes True

‘Stroking giant tortoises in paradise’ – that had been my dream since childhood. We finally made it come true on our honeymoon, and our expectations were more than exceeded. We had 14 nights and chose the 3 main islands of Praslin – La Digue – Mahé. We would make the same choice again in a heartbeat, as each island has its own charm and, looking back, we would not have wanted to miss any of them.

We flew from Munich to Mahé with Air Seychelles (Etihad). From there, we took the fast ferry to Praslin, arriving in the early evening at our fantastic accommodation, Heliconia Grove (lovely little houses with a small private pool and an excellent location), where we received a very warm welcome. Our host immediately recommended a very good restaurant (La Goulue), less than 5 minutes from the accommodation. We were so impressed with the food that we decided to dine there every evening.

In fact, we did not have a single bad meal in the Seychelles. The fresh fish and wide variety of curries were simply superb. A little tip: make sure you try the bat, or fruit bat, curry. It is a bit fiddly to eat, but absolutely delicious.

We had 3 full days on Praslin. We relaxed on our beautiful local beach, Anse Volbert (Cote d'Or), used the kayaks provided by the accommodation, and took the bus (for around €0.50 per person) to Vallée de Mai National Park. We opted for a guided walk, which we would thoroughly recommend. Not only did we learn a great deal about the flora and fauna, especially the famous Coco de Mer, but we also discovered some fascinating things about the country and its people. Of course, we could not miss the famous Anse Lazio. We set off fairly early, which was definitely worthwhile, as we initially had the beach almost entirely to ourselves. It never became particularly crowded later on, although it did get busier. Make sure you bring your snorkelling gear.

We really wanted to take the excursion to St Pierre and Curieuse, but as time on Praslin was becoming a little tight, we were very pleased when a Creole representative told us it was also possible to do it from La Digue.

We could have done with one more day on Praslin. I would have liked to explore the west coast as well.

On La Digue, we stayed at Moonlight Beach Villa. The location and breakfast (an incredibly good smoothie and an enormous fruit platter) were phenomenal. We were particularly taken with this island. The fact that there are hardly any cars here, apart from a handful of construction vehicles and hotel buggies, and that everyone gets around on foot or by bicycle makes it incredibly relaxing. From here, we took the excursion to St Pierre, Curieuse and Anse Georgette. There were around 50 people on the catamaran, but it did not feel crowded at all, as we were divided into 3 groups for the guided tour on Curieuse. We really enjoyed the excursion.

Giant tortoise on Curieuse Our highlights and activities on La Digue included snorkelling at Anse Severe, visiting Anse Source d'Argent in L'Union Estate , hiking up Nid d'Aigle, and hiking from Grand Anse, Petite Anse zur Anse Cocos (there are natural pools where you can swim, which is otherwise not possible on this side of the island at that time of year). Our favourite takeaways were Mi Mums, just around the corner from us, and Gala.

Cuddles at Anse Severe After 5 nights on La Digue, we headed to Mahé for another 5 nights. To be honest, we were initially a little sceptical about whether the main island could live up to the other two, but it definitely did. We chose Takamaka Green Village in the south of the island – another excellent place to stay! We hired a car for our entire stay, and it was even delivered to our accommodation, making everything completely hassle-free. If you want to explore the whole island, a car is highly recommended, and driving along the winding roads is great fun too.

Our little runabout on Mahé We particularly enjoyed Port Launay North Beach and Port Launay/ Baie Ternay Marine National Park. Both are excellent beaches for snorkelling. To reach Baie Ternay, we parked our car at Port Launay and walked for around 20–30 minutes. Although it is possible to drive as far as the park entrance, the road is so narrow that meeting oncoming traffic can be genuinely problematic, so we decided to walk instead.

Another highlight was hiking up Morne Blanc and along the Copolia Lodge Trail , which offers magnificent views of both the west and east coasts. We were also lucky enough to spot a black Seychelles wolf snake and a large tenrec.

Copolia Trail on Mahé We spent one day at Beau Vallon – probably the best-known beach on Mahé. The Regatta also began that day, a popular national festival with music and numerous bars and food stalls along the promenade. Tourists and locals alike came together here – it was a fantastic event!

Evening atmosphere at Beau Vallon Naturally, no trip would be complete without visiting the capital, Victoria, as well as the Takamaka Rum Distillery . After the rum tasting, we even met the owners – an incredibly lovely family. We spent our final day in the south, where we were staying. As our flight did not depart until the evening, we still had the whole day to enjoy. We drove around the southern tip of the island and eventually settled down at Anse Forbans. One final chance to sunbathe, snorkel and simply enjoy ourselves was on the agenda.

It was a fantastic holiday that we still look back on fondly. We loved not only the scenery and the food, but above all the Seychellois – make sure you take the time to speak to them. They are all incredibly warm and always happy to help. We returned home with so many impressions and memories. Many thanks to SeyVillas and Creole as well – everything went perfectly.