Dream Holiday in Paradise: The Indian Ocean
Arrival / Welcome / Ferry to La Digue / Fleur de Lys / La Digue Island
We landed with Condor at the small SEZ/Mahé airport on time at 5:30 and quickly cleared passport control. The temperature was already above 25°C. We were welcomed by a member of staff from Creole Travel Service and quickly escorted to our allocated bus. After a 15-minute journey to the ferry terminal and a simple yet ‘unusual’ check-in for our luggage, we were soon sitting in the ‘Cat Cocos – Business Lounge’, which we would certainly recommend for comfort when the sea is rough. The crossing was quite choppy, but we reached La Digue after 60 minutes. The transfer and check-in at the lovely Fleur de Lys went perfectly, and so our actual holiday on La Digue began. Thanks to the excellent information provided by SeyVillas, we visited almost all the beautiful ‘anses’ and restaurants (Fish Trap, Tarosa and Pizza at Georgette’s). Life on La Digue is unique – bicycles, few cars and an all-round pleasant atmosphere that is ‘exceptionally’ beautiful for Europeans. During our 4 days, we visited Grand Anse, Petite Anse & Anse Cocos, Anse Pierrot, Anse Union, Anse Severe, Anse Fourmis (with a detour to Chez Jules) and, last but not least, L'Union Estate , with its tortoises, vanilla plantation and much more…
Transfer to Praslin / Cote D´Or Chalet / Praslin Island
After 4 wonderful days on La Digue, we ‘hopped’ over to Praslin on a short Cat Rose crossing. As on La Digue, the transfer and check-in at the lovely Cote D'Or Chalets (with beautiful decorations each day) once again went perfectly. With a hire car, we managed to fit in almost all of SeyVillas’ recommendations over 5 days – the various anses, Vallée de Mai (unique) and, of course, Curieuse Island with its tortoises. We swam at Anse Lazio (a very beautiful beach), Anse Volbert (Cote d'Or) , Anse la Blague. We only briefly visited the other bays, such as Anse Kerlan , Anse Takamaka and so on, to admire their special beauty. For dinner, we visited Café de Arts, Pirogue Restaurant & Bar . Coco Rouge Take Away & Cafeteria is also worth mentioning for a light lunch.
Transfer to Mahé / Bougainville Chalet / Mahé Island
We spent the remainder of our holiday on the main island of Mahé. The crossing was less choppy, and all the ‘organisational’ procedures once again went smoothly. Bougainville Chalet deserves a special mention – it is a beautiful property with wonderful sea views. We explored the island by automatic hire car on several different tours of the north, south and west. Tour 1: Port Launay North Beach, Glacier Waterfall, Grand Anse, Anse Boileau and Anse Royale for a swim. Tour 2: Beau Vallon, Sunset Beach and Carana Beach (wild, deserted and beautiful). Tour 3, taking in the sights: Le Jardin Du Roi Spice Garden, Victoria, ‘Sans Souci Road with Mission Lodge Lookout), Takamaka Rum Distillery .Tour 4: Anse Takamaka (near Chez Batista ), Anse Petite Police (wild, rugged and beautiful).
Return journey
In short: more tiring because of the long queue at the airport.Conclusion
We had a wonderful time in the Seychelles and would love to experience our highlights again.