A Dream Family Holiday in the Seychelles

For months, we had been looking forward to this trip, and many friends had often told us how brave we were to travel so far with two young children. At the end of October, we set off from Düsseldorf, flying overnight with Turkish Airlines via Istanbul to Mahé. After a relaxing flight with the children asleep, we landed in Mahé in the morning, where we received a warm welcome and were shown to the domestic terminal.

We wanted to spend our first week on Praslin, so we flew across in a small plane. The flight took just under 15 minutes, and it was the first time any of us had flown in such a small aircraft – a wonderful experience.

When we arrived on Praslin, a bus took us to our accommodation on Anse Volbert (Cote d'Or), the Hirondelle, where the incredibly friendly Maggie welcomed us and showed us straight to our Ocean View Loft Apartment. We were immediately delighted with the lovely apartment, its sea view, two separate bedrooms and spacious living area.

The accommodation was wonderful overall – we would book it again without hesitation, and Maggie always had a good solution for everything we needed, such as arranging a hire car at short notice.

L'Hirondelle We spent our week on Praslin exploring its many wonderful beaches, as well as the magnificent Vallée de Mai National Park. There, we saw the famous ‘Coco de Mer’ and were captivated by the rainforest.

Vallée de Mai, Praslin However, the place we particularly fell in love with that week was the beach right on our doorstep. From our accommodation, we walked quite a long way to the right along Anse Volbert (Cote d'Or), past hotel complexes and busier stretches of beach, although it was still usually quiet, until we reached a completely secluded section at the end. There were hardly any waves, and we almost always had the sea and beach to ourselves.

Ane Volbert A few crabs were always happy to keep us company, though.

It was particularly lovely for the children, as they could play undisturbed on the beach and in the sea. The sand is also perfect for building sandcastles. We also spent a day taking a boat trip from Anse Volbert (Cote d'Or) to Curieuse Island and the Curieuse Marine National Park to visit the giant tortoises. Rather than booking a tour, we approached a water-taxi operator on the beach, who took us there for €60 and collected us again at the agreed time.

On Curieuse, we were completely captivated by the beautiful giant tortoises and spent hours feeding them. The children particularly enjoyed giving the animals plenty of leaves and getting close to them.

Later, we walked through the mangrove forest to the other side of the island, took a quick dip in the sea there and were then collected by our taxi. This really was the best day of the trip for us as a family!

Giant tortoise on Curieuse After a week, we travelled across to Mahé. We had booked the Cat Cocos ferry to take us there. The crossing was a little choppy, but as both children fell asleep as soon as the engines started, it was also fairly peaceful. On Mahé, a minibus collected us and drove us to our second accommodation, the Fleur de Sel. We were immediately delighted by the wonderful view from the terrace. Every morning, as soon as we got up, we enjoyed looking out over the sea with a cup of coffee.

Mahé, view from the Fleur de Sel terrace For us as a family, Fleur de Sel was every bit as wonderful as L’Hirondelle. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there, but on Mahé we also made the most of having a hire car. We explored the island extensively and discovered many beautiful beaches. We also visited the nearby Le Jardin Du Roi Spice Garden, where you can admire many native plants, spices, fruits and vegetables. There are also a few giant tortoises, and the view from the top is truly magnificent.

Spice garden on Mahé One day, we took a small boat to Moyenne Island. Moyenne Island We followed the beautifully laid-out circular trail around the island and encountered numerous giant tortoises, crabs, hermit crabs and birds. We went for a swim in a small bay before continuing along the adventurous trail. The day on the island was a real adventure for the children, as we had previously told them the story of the two pirates who were supposedly buried there.

They followed the trail through the rainforest full of excitement and stared wide-eyed at the graves. We also marvelled together at the ‘smallest church in the world’. Moyenne really is a beautiful island, and its secluded atmosphere is particularly enchanting. We would recommend this trip to everyone. On the remaining days, we explored the beaches and soon found our two favourite places: Tusculum Beach, a small bay in the north of the island, above Beau Vallon. While Beau Vallon was far too touristy for us, this small bay at Anse Tusculum was a dream. We were almost alone there and genuinely felt as though we were in paradise.

The way down is a little difficult to find – opposite the supermarket, simply climb down through the crash barrier – but once you are there, you will not want to leave. The sea was slightly rougher than in the south, but neither we nor our children minded at all.

Anse Tusculum, Mahé Our second favourite beach was Anse Forbans in the south-east of the island. The sand there was fairly coarse, but the water was so incredibly clear that all you had to do was put your head underwater to see fish. Even our eldest, who was 4, went snorkelling there and could hardly be persuaded to come out of the water. The surf was very gentle, so the children could splash about safely.

Our two weeks in the Seychelles were an absolute dream for the whole family. We will definitely be back!!