In the Seychelles

Hello, we are Conni and Uwe. After my wife and I watched a television programme about the Seychelles in spring 2018, it quickly became clear to us: we had to go there too. The fantastic beaches and wonderful natural scenery immediately captivated us. We soon came across SeyVillas online. From our very first telephone conversation, we had a very positive impression. The member of staff listened to our wishes, gave us a few tips and sent us two no-obligation travel proposals by email that same day. In the end, we chose a combination of four days on Mahé (in the north-west, with a hire car), seven days on La Digue and another three days on Mahé (in the south-east, with a hire car). We have rarely experienced such a straightforward holiday booking process.

Below, we would like to tell you about the different places we stayed in the Seychelles and share some useful tips.

Ocean View Guest House (Mahé)

The Ocean View Guest House is located in Belombre, in the north of Mahé.

Ocean View Guesthouse It has a total of five apartments and enjoys a very peaceful location above the road. Only local residents live in the surrounding area. We stayed in room 4 on the ground floor and had a fantastic view of the Indian Ocean from our balcony. Breakfast was served in the breakfast room from 9.00 to 10.30 and was very generous. As well as a fruit plate with papaya, bananas, oranges and melon, there was toast and jam. You could also choose from various egg dishes, including omelettes, boiled eggs and fried eggs. Tea and coffee were served on request. Two very friendly ladies looked after us at breakfast and were also responsible for cleaning the rooms. With our hire car, we could reach the beautiful Beau Vallon in just a few minutes. If you do not have a hire car, the beach is also easy to reach by bus. The bus stop is very close to the accommodation.

Our tip: At weekends, vendors sell delicious traditional Creole dishes at very reasonable prices along the road behind Beau Vallon beach, including freshly grilled fish, meat, rice and sauces.

Grilled fish on the beach We paid 100 rupees per person and ate very well. We used our hire car to take several trips from our accommodation. We can recommend visiting the capital, Victoria. The fish market, which only takes place in the morning, is well worth a visit. You can watch the colourful hustle and bustle of the fish and fruit vendors and will also find plenty of lovely photo opportunities.

In the far north of Mahé, we came across a small beach by chance. The only indication that it is there is a small sign by the roadside on the sea-facing side that reads “Top Soleil Beach Grill”.

Path to the beach You follow a narrow path downhill and arrive at a very secluded beach that receives few visitors. While diving here, we saw many colourful fish and rays. The beach is well sheltered, with very few waves. For us, a visit to the Tea Factory was not worthwhile. Although we bought some delicious tea from the Seychelles there, we did not find the tour of the factory building particularly interesting. Judging by the expressions on many of the other visitors’ faces, they had also expected more.

Villa Authentique (La Digue)

Villa Authentique, on the beautiful island of La Digue, is just a few minutes’ walk from the harbour. The owner, Prem, and his very friendly team take excellent care of their guests. We had a king-size room with a terrace on the ground floor.

Villa Authentique Breakfast was served in the large breakfast area, which is open on all sides. Here too, alongside the customary fruit plate featuring a changing selection of local fruits, there was toast and jam, eggs prepared to order, as well as coffee and tea.

Almost everyone gets around La Digue by bicycle. You can reach one of the island’s beautiful beaches in just a few minutes. Villa Authentique offers guests well-maintained bicycles for exploring La Digue, at a cost of 100 rupees per day. The most beautiful beach on La Digue is surely Anse Source d'Argent.

Anse Source d'Argent The beach is located within a nature reserve. For a small entrance fee of 115 rupees per person, you can access the reserve and, as well as visiting the beach, explore a tortoise sanctuary and see many exotic plants, including vanilla. Our tip: Do not settle down on the first stretch of beach you come to. Walk a little further and explore the different coves.

Beach vibes You can often find a secluded section of beach where you will be almost entirely on your own.

We also visited Anse Severe several times. It is located in the north of La Digue, around 5 minutes by bicycle from the guest house. We recommend wearing water shoes to enter the sea here and at several of the other beaches. Wild giant tortoises lie dozing beside the path behind the beach.

A half-day snorkelling excursion is also highly recommended on La Digue. You can book this through the guest house or directly at the harbour for €50 per person. These excursions generally visit three different diving spots. We have rarely seen so many colourful fish. During our snorkelling sessions, each lasting around 45 minutes, we also saw a sea turtle and a ray. It gets dark very quickly in the Seychelles. We therefore recommend bringing a torch or head torch from home. Bicycles rarely have lights, and the roads are not as well lit as they are in Germany. We felt much safer in the evenings with our head torches.

One final tip: You can enjoy the most beautiful sunsets at La Digue harbour. It is well worth ending the evening here with a cold drink.

Villa Dorado (Mahé)

Villa Dorado is located directly on the beach. We had room number 4 on the upper floor, with a direct view of the sea. The house manager, Martha, takes very attentive care of her guests. Breakfast is served on the terrace overlooking the sea. Here too, there is a fruit plate, toast, jam and eggs prepared to order, as well as coffee and tea from the Seychelles. In the evenings, we ate at the hotel next door, which can be reached in just a few minutes by walking along the beach.

We visited the Le Jardin Du Roi Spice Garden with our hire car. It was not particularly easy to find, as the small, inconspicuous road uphill became increasingly narrow and difficult to navigate. Simply keep driving to the end and you will reach the beautiful Jardin du Roi. The visit was well worth it. You will find a great many exotic plants here, including the Coco de Mer, which is found only in the Seychelles. Of all the beaches in southern Mahé, we thought Anse Soleil was the most beautiful.

Anse de Soleil This beach is somewhat secluded and receives relatively few visitors. In the evening, you can enjoy a beautiful sunset from here. All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Seychelles. Temperatures remained at around 29°C during the day and 26°C at night, while the sea was correspondingly warm and delightful. We especially loved the beaches and the lush natural scenery.

Transport from the airport to our accommodation, to the ferry and back again was included in the transfer package, which could be booked separately through SeyVillas. With this package, we did not have to organise anything ourselves, and the ferry costs were also included in the price. All transfers and taxis always arrived punctually at the stated time. We can wholeheartedly recommend the transfer package.