The Seychelles Are a Must for Every Nature Lover

We took off from Germany on 6 April 2019 and set off for our dream destination. On 7 April 2019, we landed at the small airport on Mahé. From there, we took the ferry across to Praslin. The crossing took an hour, and the holiday feeling began as soon as we boarded the ferry. We enjoyed the view and felt the warm breeze on our faces. Wonderful!

PRASLIN

On Praslin, we received a very warm welcome at the Beach Villa Guesthouse and were able to go straight to our rooms. It was incredibly idyllic, as we could see and hear the sea directly from the terrace. The rooms were lovingly furnished and very clean. In the mornings, we started the day with breakfast overlooking the sea before collecting our hire car. We had also booked this through SeyVillas. Everything went smoothly, and our little Hyundai i10 was to take us around the island for the next two days. We began at Vallée de Mai and were amazed as we stood beneath the enormous leaves of the coco de mer palms. The park is truly impressive, and the natural scenery is breathtakingly beautiful. We then continued to Anse Lazio. It is a wonderful place for snorkelling, and we saw countless fish.

Fish at Anse Lazio We recommend snorkelling along the rocks on the right-hand side, as you can see a great many corals and fish there. The next day, we did a little beach-hopping and simply took things as they came. The people of the Seychelles are incredibly hospitable and friendly. That was something we noticed straight away. On our final day on Praslin, we took a boat trip to the Curieuse Marine National Park and St Pierre with Martin, the owner of our accommodation. On Curieuse, we learnt a great deal about the giant tortoises and the island’s natural environment. They are truly wonderful animals, and you can get remarkably close to them. After a short hike, we enjoyed a delicious barbecue on the other side of the island. After lunch, we continued to St Pierre for some snorkelling. It is a truly beautiful spot, and the underwater world is especially captivating. We thoroughly enjoyed the excursion and would recommend it to everyone.

Giant tortoise on Curieuse

LA DIGUE

Our second island was La Digue, where we stayed at Pension Michel. The guest house is set in a wonderful garden and is very cosy. We were given bicycles as soon as we arrived and immediately set off to explore the island. On La Digue, it is easy to take things at your own pace and discover everything by bicycle in a very relaxed way. We also booked a boat trip here with a local operator. Jonathan from Infinity Charter was very friendly and introduced us to the underwater world around Félicité, Grande Sœur, the marine national park and Coco Island. At lunchtime, we travelled to Marianne.

Beach on Marianne A delicious barbecue with fish and salad had been prepared there. We had the whole island to ourselves, which was a real highlight. The excursion began at 9.00 am, and we returned to the ferry jetty at around 5.00 pm. We saw many sea turtles and were taken to some ideal snorkelling spots. We never felt under any time pressure, as we were able to spend plenty of time at each stop. It was a thoroughly enjoyable day.

Sea turtle Another highlight was the tour around the southern part of the island with Robert from Sunny Trail Guide. Robert is a local whose girlfriend is German. He speaks good English, and if necessary, his girlfriend can also join the tour and translate for anyone who does not speak the language. The tour begins at 7.45 am at the Heli. From there, you are driven by jeep to Grand Anse, where the hike begins. The route continues southwards along the beach. You climb over rocks, pass through small caves and make your way through the jungle. After a good two hours, you are rewarded with a view of the rocks in front of Anse Marron.

Rock formations at Anse Marron There is a small natural pool here, sheltered from the surf. While we cooled off in the water, Robert prepared a delicious snack. There was a large fruit platter with small local delicacies and smoked fish. Very tasty! After spending around two hours there, we continued towards Anse Source d'Argent. The walk took another good two hours before we reached the meeting point. You learn a great deal about the natural environment and can take some truly wonderful photographs. The Heli is also a fantastic place to watch the sunset.

Sunset on La Digue After all that exertion, a day at the beach is certainly well deserved. We recommend Anse Severe. Once you reach the cemetery, you can practically just roll downhill and arrive directly at this lovely beach. Near the entrance, you can relax in the shade beneath the trees, while the left-hand side provides easy access to the water, as there are no corals there. You should definitely bring your snorkelling gear. Around the small rocks in the water, you can see a particularly large number of colourful fish. For us, La Digue was truly the most beautiful island, as life moves at a slightly different pace there. Everything is relaxed, and there is no sense of haste. You can completely let go and truly switch off.

MAHÉ

Our third and, sadly, final accommodation was The Beach House at Beau Vallon on Mahé. We had rooms with sea views, and it was wonderful to sit on the terrace in the evenings and watch the sunset. In the evening, we walked along the beach to the local food market. You can find local dishes there at very reasonable prices. We had delicious curry and fish. We enjoyed both the atmosphere and, above all, the food so much that we ate there every evening. Our hire car arrived on the second day, and we used it to explore Mahé. Our first stop was the Le Jardin Du Roi Spice Garden.

View from the Jardin du Roi It is situated on a hillside and has been beautifully laid out. You learn a great deal about the local plants and can easily explore the garden independently with the help of an information map. The sea views are also well worth seeing. Afterwards, we drove to Anse Soleil. The bay is not particularly easy to reach due to the limited parking, but it is worth the effort. We parked the car a little further up the road and walked down to the beach. There was shade on the beach, good swimming and, once again, some excellent snorkelling spots. We particularly liked the left-hand side of the bay. After a short break, we continued to Police Bay. Swimming is not possible there, as the surf is too dangerous, but the beach is simply beautiful and well worth a visit.

Police Bay On Saturday, we visited Victoria and explored the Sir Sir Selwyn Selwyn Clarke Market . There is plenty to discover, including fish, fruit, vegetables, spices, souvenirs and much more. It is also simply enjoyable to watch the locals and the colourful hustle and bustle.

Fish at Sir Selwyn Selwyn Clarke Market Another beautiful beach is Anse Takamaka. It is a lovely place to spend some time. There is a beach bar if that is important to you. We chose to settle a little further away, where it was more peaceful. Here, too, you will find a wonderful reef with plenty of marine life. You should swim out a little way and then snorkel towards the rocks on the right. The reef there is home to many hard and soft corals, as well as a correspondingly diverse range of fish.

Corals at Anse Takamaka To sum up, I can recommend the Seychelles to anyone who enjoys spending time in nature. You can admire the diversity of species both on land and underwater, and the dazzling array of colours never ceases to amaze. I must offer one small warning, however: anyone who visits the Seychelles will definitely not be there for the last time. The islands cast their spell over you and never let you go!!!!