Journey to Paradise

Praslin

After 12 hours with a stopover in Dubai, we finally landed in the Seychelles. Shortly afterwards, we continued by plane to Praslin, which we found very pleasant (we had heard that the sea could sometimes be quite rough, so we deliberately chose to fly rather than take the ferry). Although we were still tired from the long overnight flight, we did not hesitate for long before heading to the first beach near our accommodation, Acquario Villa – Anse Volbert (Cote d'Or) – and were immediately overwhelmed by the sight of our first picture-perfect beach.

We spent a few hours here and met our first friendly beach dogs before returning to our accommodation and, later, falling into bed exhausted after dinner. We would recommend the accommodation itself; there was nothing to complain about, and the welcome was very warm. Unfortunately, the location is a little remote, and you have to walk along the main road, which we did not feel was entirely safe.

Dog at Anse Volbert Over the following days, we visited the giant tortoises on Curieuse Island in the Curieuse Marine National Park and the Fond Ferdinand nature reserve – we thoroughly enjoyed both. Otherwise, we were particularly taken with Anse Lazio, so we visited it twice and stayed until the beautiful sunset. This was also where we saw a sea turtle for the first time, which was a very special experience for us. We did not hire a car on Praslin, which we would not recommend, as some of the bus journeys were rather adventurous. The buses were also infrequent and unreliable. Next time, we would definitely hire a car.

Tortoises on Curieuse Fond Ferdinand

La Digue

On La Digue, we stayed at Oceane Self Catering. Although the accommodation itself was very lovely, we were unfortunately disappointed with the service, including the welcome. We also often had trouble locking the apartment door, which left us feeling less than secure. The bicycle hire, however, went smoothly.

What we particularly liked about La Digue was its tranquillity and the convenience of being able to cycle everywhere. We made the most of this and explored every corner of the island. We especially loved Anse Patates, Anse Source d'Argent (but only in the morning, as it otherwise becomes far too crowded!) and Grand Anse. We had excellent meals at Le Repaire, Gala Takeaway and the beach bar Chez Jules (with a magnificent view!).

Anse Patates Of course, we also did the ‘must-do’ hike to Anse Marron. It was quite strenuous in places and not entirely without risk, but with a good guide (Sunny Trail Guide), it was no problem. We thought the hike was beautiful and would happily do it again.

Grand Cap, La Digue On our final day on La Digue, we went on a snorkelling trip with Simplicity Boat Charter to Félicité, Big Sister and Coco Island. As well as seeing lots of colourful fish, we even spotted an octopus, a ray and small sharks.

Mahé

On Mahé, you should definitely hire a car so that you can explore at your own pace. We chose an automatic because we had no experience of driving on the left, and in hindsight it had another advantage: the narrow, steep bends were probably much easier to manage because we did not have to concentrate on changing gear.

Our beautiful and highly recommended accommodation, Le Domaine de Bacova, was in a very peaceful location and very close to one of our favourite beaches, Fairyland Beach, where we spent many hours. Anse Takamaka and Baie Lazare were also very beautiful and not particularly busy.

Of course, we could not miss Victoria, the smallest capital city in the world, the luxury resort of Eden Island or the famous Beau Vallon. At the latter, we also visited the night market (held every Wednesday), where we were able to enjoy Creole cuisine once more and buy a few souvenirs for those back home.

On our final day, we visited the beautiful and varied spice garden, Le Jardin Du Roi Spice Garden, as well as Mission Lodge Lookout, and enjoyed the last rays of sunshine at Anse Soleil before reluctantly driving back to the airport a few hours later for our journey home.

Although we spent 5 days on Mahé, we did not come close to seeing everything this wonderful island has to offer. There are still a few beaches to visit and several hikes on our list for next time. The same goes for Praslin and La Digue – yes, we will definitely return and visit this beautiful paradise in the middle of the Indian Ocean once again!