Dream Islands in the Indian Ocean – A Return to Paradise

We had already discovered last year just how breathtakingly beautiful the Seychelles islands are, and we were thrilled to be able to return this year. Following our positive experience, we once again booked our island hopping trip, including all transfers, through SeyVillas. We wanted to spend another 8 days on the relaxed ‘bicycle island’ of La Digue, as well as 5 days on Cerf Island and 4 days on Silhouette.

Cerf Island

The island covers just 1.27 square kilometres and lies within the Sainte Anne Marine National Park , around 5 km from Mahé, the main island of the Seychelles. The crossing by water taxi took just 7 minutes. There are neither roads nor shops on the island. We had booked a self-catering apartment at Fairy Tern, which is personally run by Kevin and Wendy. A starter pack of groceries was provided in the well-equipped kitchen. The rooms were very clean. Sun loungers overlooking the sea and Mahé were available in the garden. During our stay, we had two opportunities to take the lagoon taxi to Eden Island on Mahé free of charge. We strolled through Victoria, visited the market and saw the city’s well-known landmarks.

We then travelled up to the Mission Lodge Lookout and relaxed on Beau Vallon. We stocked up on food and drinks at the supermarket on Eden Island. A few times, we took out the kayak provided free of charge for guests and paddled along the coast of the island. The views from the sea towards Cerf, Mahé and the surrounding islands are beautiful. On another day, we crossed Cerf Island from the eastern to the western beach along rather overgrown jungle paths that were not always easy to find. From the viewpoint, the offshore islands of Moyenne Island, Long Island, Ile Round and Sainte Anne on the western side look stunning.

View from Cerf towards an offshore island

La Digue

Arriving on the island felt like coming ‘home’. Our hire bicycles were already waiting for us at our cosy Maison Charme de l'Ile, and just two hours later we cycled past the harbour and up to Anse Severe and Anse Patates, then continued to Anse Banane, greeting tortoises along the way and stopping at the beach restaurant. We were amazed by how much had changed in just one year. During a visit to Pension Michel, where we had stayed the previous year, the lovely Marisa brought us up to date with all the news. We spent the following day at Anse Source d'Argent, with its famous rock formations. While snorkelling in the shallow, clear sea, we encountered colourful marine life before relaxing on the beach against the magnificent backdrop. Incidentally, the day pass for L'Union Estate & Anse Source d'Argent allows you to enter and leave as often as you like throughout the day. If you keep your admission tickets, your fourth visit is free after three paid visits.

One truly unforgettable experience was a guided trip around the southern tip of La Digue to Anse Marron, passing through the jungle, over granite rocks and between narrow crevices. Our guide explained how to climb over the slippery rocks and pointed out a female Seychelles paradise flycatcher in a cinnamon tree, a bird species endemic to La Digue and found nowhere else. At a natural pool at Anse Marron, we cooled off in the shallow water and enjoyed the fruit and snacks provided.

As we had not yet had enough of clambering over rocks and wanted to reach even greater heights, we climbed Nid d'Aigle on another day, a mountain whose name means ‘Eagle’s Nest’. From the very top of La Digue’s 333 m peak, the views are fantastic. In the island’s wild south-east, we were once again impressed by the enormous waves at Grand Anse. The broad beach curves around the turquoise-blue sea and is framed by granite rocks. To reach the next beach, we continued eastwards along the shore, then followed narrow jungle paths and crossed granite rocks until we reached Petite Anse. After another 15 minutes through dense vegetation and over rocks, we arrived at the next bay, Anse Cocos. A natural pool has formed between the rock formations, where we saw a surprising number of large, colourful fish while snorkelling. For the final three days, the owners upgraded us to the beautiful, almost new Maison Charme de l'Ile due to overbooking. SeyVillas had already assisted us with the arrangements before our departure, so the move went smoothly once we were there.

Day trip to Praslin

To visit the Fond Ferdinand nature reserve, we took a day trip to Praslin. A ranger guided our group through the reserve, which is six times the size of Vallée de Mai. The guide’s explanations about the reserve’s flora and fauna were sometimes very amusing, and we learnt a great deal. My personal highlight, besides the walk through the valley with its famous Coco de Mer palms, was the hike up to the viewpoint. From there, magnificent views unfold across Praslin and several other islands of the Seychelles. View from Fond Ferdinand

Silhouette

The final stop on our island hopping trip was Silhouette. After crossing to Mahé aboard the Cat Cocos, we were driven to the hotel’s jetty near Beau Vallon. At the harbour, we checked in for our room at the lounge of Hilton Labriz Resort & Spa before taking the shuttle boat to Silhouette. The crossing took 40 minutes. Our garden bungalow was conveniently located close to the restaurants, reception and pool.

Pool at the Hilton Labriz on Silhouette It was spacious and well equipped, with a lovely bathroom featuring both an outdoor and an indoor shower, as well as a terrace overlooking the garden. We had booked half board here. The buffet restaurant offered a wide selection of dishes to suit every taste, with changing themes such as Indian cuisine, accompanied by a dance and singing group. We also enjoyed the Mediterranean restaurant and Asian cuisine. As we were interested in the island’s history, we visited the former plantation house of the Dauban family.

Grann Kaz colonial villa The old colonial villa is now called Grann Kaz and houses a museum as well as another of the hotel’s restaurants. We also used the well-equipped fitness room, relaxed in the pool and went snorkelling in the sea. A moray eel looked at me just as bemusedly as I looked at it, while several triggerfish, a school of small reef fish and a parrotfish swam around me. The long white sandy beach directly in front of the hotel is ideal for an extended stroll and is sometimes almost deserted, while the sunset against this beautiful backdrop is very romantic. We would gladly have stayed on Silhouette a little longer. But perhaps we will return one day.

Beach on Silhouette