Make Your Dreams Come True

For more than 20 years, I had dreamt of travelling to the Seychelles. Something had always got in the way: my partner did not want to go, my child was too young, or I could not afford it. Then someone close to me became seriously ill, which made me wonder how much longer I wanted to wait, as something like that could happen to me too.

Well, I had already booked the time off work, so no sooner said than done. As I did not have much experience of long-haul travel, I put my trust in SeyVillas to organise everything. I gave them a general idea of what I wanted and waited to see what they would offer me. I quite liked the initial suggestion of self-catering accommodation and guesthouses, although on Mahé I wanted somewhere a little more central, as the thought of driving on the left did rather worry me. It was no problem at all, and the new proposal suited me well. So I decided it was time to be brave and book.

My excitement grew with each passing day, but so did my pre-travel nerves. The SeyVillas staff patiently answered every question that came up shortly before our departure. For example, whether the takeaways also offered vegan food, as my daughter, who was travelling with me, is vegan (yes, they do).

On 14 September 2018, we set off from Frankfurt on a direct flight. When we arrived on Mahé, we were met at the airport straight away and driven to the harbour. The ferry crossing to Praslin was not for those with delicate stomachs, but we made it in the end. On Praslin, someone from the Creole agency was also there straight away to direct us to the correct transfer vehicle. We had booked the Acquario Villa guesthouse at Anse Volbert (Cote d'Or).

Aquario Villa The Creole representative and Nora from the guesthouse explained everything to us and immediately suggested reserving entry to Anse Georgette as you have to cross hotel grounds to reach it. We had booked an apartment where the kitchen was shared with other travellers. Amusingly, they also turned out to be a mother-and-daughter duo, and they were even from the same city as us. So my quiet concern that we would meet only honeymooners proved unfounded.

After resting for a while, we headed to the beach, where the sand really was as soft as icing sugar, and went swimming in the Indian Ocean for the first time – unforgettable. Over the following days, we visited Vallée de Mai with its magnificent palms, as well as several beaches. Of them all, Anse Georgette was the most beautiful to me. Even the walk there through the hotel grounds and across the golf course was worth seeing.

Anse Georgette Anse Lazio is almost as beautiful, just busier. On the other hand, it is perfect for swimming. And yes, our idea of when a beach is ‘busy’ changed noticeably in the Seychelles; on the Mediterranean, the same number of visitors would be considered ‘quiet’. We used the inexpensive public buses throughout our stay to get around the island, including to visit Vallée de Mai.

Vallée de Mai As darkness falls early in the Seychelles, we had packed a few games at home and spent our evenings playing them with the other women sharing our accommodation. In fact, sharing the kitchen proved to be no problem at all. On our final evening, Nora from the guesthouse cooked us a delicious meal and served everything in our apartment.

The transfer to La Digue was also completely straightforward and punctual. Our accommodation at Belle des Iles Guest House was a first-floor room with a balcony, and it was absolutely charming.

Belle des Iles The kitchenette was outside on the balcony veranda. We felt as though we were staying in a treehouse, and the tropical atmosphere was perfect. We were immediately greeted by the owner’s little dogs, who returned over the following days to demand their share of affection. Of course, we could not miss a visit to the beach of all beaches, Anse Source d'Argent.

Anse Source d'Argent It is located in l’Union Estate Park, which charges an admission fee, but you can enter and leave as often as you like on the same day. As it attracts many visitors, we went early in the morning and then returned in the late afternoon to watch the sunset (in between, there was a tropical downpour, which we preferred to sit out on our balcony veranda). The beach offers endless photo opportunities, while the park itself, with its old farmhouse and plantations, is also interesting to explore. Of course, we also visited other beaches, including Grand Anse and Petite Anse, as well as Anse Severe and Anse Patates. Unfortunately, prolonged tropical downpours repeatedly disrupted our plans, although the locals told us they do not normally last so long. We made the best of it and practised taking things in the relaxed Seychellois way. We would also have liked to hike to Nid d'Aigle, but we had to leave that out.

Our final island was Mahé, and once again the transfer went smoothly. Thanks to the travel sickness tablets we had taken as a precaution, we also felt perfectly fine. On Mahé, however, we experienced a little culture shock: the ‘many’ cars and people, followed by the large, bright holiday apartment, which was quite a contrast to our previous accommodation in the jungle. But we soon came to appreciate Tropical Hideaway. A small breakfast starter pack had been prepared for us, Beau Vallon was not far away, and the apartment also had a washing machine, so we could freshen up our beach towels and clothes. Our location proved ideal for exploring the capital, Victoria, or travelling into the mountains from there. During our stay, a regatta was being held in Beau Vallon, although the accompanying festivities seemed to be the main attraction. There were countless food stalls catering to every taste, as well as drinks stalls and music. Watching the sun sink into the sea with a cocktail in hand – pure holiday bliss.

Beau Vallon However, the later it became, the busier it got, and eventually it was too crowded for us. Now that we finally had consistently fine weather, we spent the last few days of our holiday snorkelling and found Sunset Beach to be the ideal place for it.

On our final day, we decided to pay a little extra so that we could keep the apartment until our evening departure. The only worrying moment was when our transfer arrived very late because of traffic caused by the regatta. We were already sitting in the apartment owner’s car, as he had offered to drive us to the airport instead, when it finally arrived. As the transfer still had to call at other accommodation, we reached the airport very late, but everything worked out in the end.

In conclusion, I can say that I am glad I finally fulfilled this dream. When I look at the photographs, I think it was like a dream, except that this time it was real.