Two Weeks, Three Islands – a Dream Holiday

At the beginning of 2018, my husband and I started looking for a destination for our autumn holiday. Our criteria were a pleasant climate, a wide variety of nature experiences, a safe country to visit, no major health risks, reasonably affordable costs and, last but not least, somewhere new. The Seychelles eventually emerged as our destination. During my research, I soon came across SeyVillas’ island-hopping offer. I liked the website’s presentation and detailed information, as well as the variety of accommodation and the straightforward booking process.

We opted for the three main islands and a flight from Munich with Emirates, which was relatively inexpensive at the time and offered convenient flight times and a good level of comfort on board the A380.

We also booked the complete transfer package, which is managed by the local provider Creole Travel Services. It turned out to be exceptionally well organised. There were always representatives on hand, easily recognisable by their uniforms, we were informed of the relevant transfer times in advance, and all the staff were very friendly. If needed, there was someone from CTS available on every island who could easily be contacted by mobile phone or WhatsApp. On two occasions, our transfer to the jetty was delayed by 15 minutes, but we still always arrived in good time.

Relatively shortly before our departure, we found out that there was a building site directly in front of our chosen accommodation on La Digue, and we were given the option to cancel the chalet. As SeyVillas no longer had any suitable accommodation available for us at such short notice, we were able to book a guesthouse through another provider without any difficulty, and it was incorporated into the overall itinerary.

Mahé

We received a very warm welcome at The Beach House. The honeymoon room has a spacious terrace facing the sea, where we enjoyed spending time. However, it is often quite noisy there because the road running directly past the property is very busy. The Wi-Fi works perfectly. Breakfast was fine: a small plate of fruit, 1–2 slices of toast, jam and an egg dish. Definitely bring powerful torches so that you can walk with at least some degree of safety along the road without a pavement after dark! A major advantage of the guesthouse is its location right at the end of Beau Vallon Beach, surrounded by picturesque rocks. To our surprise, we even spotted quite a few fish while snorkelling, although, as elsewhere, most of the coral reefs are dead. The beach was never overcrowded, and there were always shady spots beneath the almond trees. Its west-facing location means there is a wonderful sunset to watch every evening. You can see the locals playing football and bringing in their catch, while fruit bats often gather in the trees towards evening.

We went on two exploratory trips by bus. The stops are close to the accommodation, and services along this route are relatively frequent, at around every 30 minutes. The fare is currently 7 rupees, approximately 45p. The buses are rather old and often packed. First, we travelled to Danzil and walked the trail to Anse Major. It is a very beautiful route and pleasant to walk for the most part. With plenty of stops for photographs, we reached our destination after around 90 minutes. A police officer is stationed on the beach to keep an eye on swimmers and their belongings. Apparently, crime on the islands has increased in recent years, particularly because of the growing problem of drug addiction. Guesthouse owners also usually advised us to look after our belongings and always close the veranda doors. Personally, however, we never felt threatened at any point.

You can swim and snorkel well at Anse Major, although it does get quite busy. For the return journey, we took the hourly taxi boat, which cost 200 rupees. The next day, we went on an excursion to Morne Blanc. We took the bus to Victoria and changed at the main bus station for the Port Launay service, which takes you to the starting point of the walk on Sanssouci Road. As the bus here only runs every two hours, it is best to plan the short walk so that you can catch the next bus back. This should not be a problem. We managed the approximately 200 metres of ascent in just under 40 minutes. Sturdy footwear is essential. The view from the platform at the top is truly beautiful.

View from Morne Blanc On the way back, we came across a snake around 1 metre long, and I was glad that I had already read there are no dangerous animals in the Seychelles, at least on land (! see below). One evening, we ate at Baobab Pizzeria. The pizzas were surprisingly good, the prices reasonable and the service very quick. For self-catering, there are also two small but comparatively well-stocked shops near the guesthouse.

Praslin:

Here we stayed in the loveliest accommodation of our trip, Villas du Voyageur. It is an exceptionally well-maintained property with just two units, set in a tropical garden on the most beautiful stretch of Anse Kerlan. You usually have the beach to yourself. Swimming is very pleasant here, although the waves are often considerable. Every evening, we enjoyed the sunset here with views of Cousin. At the time of our visit, large parts of Praslin were badly affected by foul-smelling seaweed washed ashore, but Anse Kerlan was not. The breakfast served on the veranda is very good. A particular pleasure is visiting the free-roaming giant tortoises in the grounds and feeding them scraps of fruit. It is also always lovely to stop for a chat with the owners’ family.

On Praslin, we had a hire car, including all insurance and separate excess waiver insurance from HanseMerkur, based on our previous experiences with car hire companies, and it was delivered punctually. Our excursions on Praslin:

Fond Ferdinand: Very worthwhile – the included guided tour lasts a good two hours and is highly informative, while experiencing the palm forest with its coco de mer palms is impressive. At the end of the climb through the valley, there is a beautiful view over Praslin’s harbour bay.

View from Fond Ferdinand Anse Lazio: A trail runs from the Mont Plaisir bus stop and took us to this dream beach in around 40 rather sweaty minutes. At the far left-hand end, there is a large rocky cove that is excellent for snorkelling.

Rock formation on Curieuse Anse Georgette: With an access pass provided to Villas du Voyageur as a neighbour of Lemuria Resort, we were able to walk across the golf course to the beach without booking in advance. There, we saw a pod of dolphins swimming past. Otherwise, we thought the beach was lovely, but not breathtaking.

Boat trip to Curieuse and St Pierre: A must! We chose the Sagittarius taxi boat from Côte d’Or, next to the Paradise Sun Hotel, and were more than satisfied. For 42 euros, we could decide for ourselves how much time we wanted to spend on each island, and we were collected again punctually. The free-roaming Aldabra giant tortoises are very impressive creatures, and here you can see them at very close quarters. The path through the mangroves to the Doctor’s House is also interesting, with various species of crab and mudskippers to be seen along the way.

Anse Lazio We enjoyed snorkelling off St Pierre less because of the crowds.

La Digue:

As there is a great deal of construction work under way in many places, I would recommend checking when booking that you will not have a busy building site right on your doorstep. Our guest house was in a quiet location and we liked it, particularly the value for money. We hired bicycles directly from the owner (100 rupees per day).

Our excursions on La Digue:

Anse Source d'Argent: Union Estate opens at 7 am, and I recommend arriving then. That way, you can really enjoy the beach without the crowds.

Anse Source d'Argent The rock formations are truly stunning. At low tide, the water becomes so shallow that swimming and snorkelling are difficult. At high tide, there is plenty to see underwater. Among other things, we spotted a sea turtle and an apparently lost — and potentially dangerous — lionfish patrolling right along the water’s edge.

We stayed all day until sunset. For a lunchtime snack, I recommend the little open-air eatery at the start of the beach. The pancakes are delicious and very reasonably priced (50 rupees), accompanied by a fresh drinking coconut…

Cycling/hiking tour to Anse Cocos:

The hilly road certainly works up a sweat when cycling. The beaches of Grand Anse, Petite Anse & Anse Cocos are magnificent, with turquoise water. Swimming is actually discouraged here because of the strong currents. Nevertheless, while we were there, a great many people were splashing about in the waves. By contrast, it is safe to swim in the small lagoon at the end of Anse Cocos. Parts of the trail to Anse Cocos are quite steep, so once again I found myself wondering how people managed it in flip-flops. In the forest, we spotted a pair of paradise flycatchers.

Anse Cocos Veuve Reserve: A small nature reserve with an information centre that is always accessible. We saw paradise flycatchers here too. Snorkelling excursion to the islands of Félicité, Sister and Coco Island We took a half-day excursion with Nevis Ernesta for €55, which was one of the absolute highlights of our holiday. Underwater visibility off the islands is excellent. The highlight was a sea turtle that was enticed up from the seabed and seemed to move curiously among our group, coming very close before diving down again after several minutes.

Sea turtle Otherwise, we enjoyed the sunset from Anse Severe every evening. It is also the best spot for observing fruit bats at close quarters. At high tide, the rocks at the far right of the beach offer good snorkelling.

Back on Mahé:

As we had an early flight home, we returned to Mahé on the penultimate day of our trip. Our accommodation at Hotel La Roussette near the airport was fine, and the staff were very friendly. The nearby Anse aux Pins was the only neglected beach we saw during our trip. We therefore took the bus — approximately every 20 minutes on this route — to Anse Royale, about 5 km away, which was well worth it. It is an almost empty beach, excellent for swimming and with lovely shady spots. The snorkelling at the far left is worthwhile too.

Overall, the Seychelles exceeded our expectations as a travel destination. The climate was extremely pleasant, the natural scenery spectacular and the accommodation comfortable. From a health perspective, you are advised to take precautions against mosquito bites because of the risk of dengue infection. Despite using No-Bite, I was bitten at least 20 times. The possible incubation period is nearly over, and fortunately I have not experienced any symptoms so far.

We would be very happy to return here one day. We were also completely satisfied with SeyVillas as our tour operator.