The Seychelles – for nature lovers and independent travellers!

We arrived on Mahé early in the morning on an Air Seychelles flight. The approach alone was breathtakingly beautiful. From above, we had a fantastic view of countless small islands nestled in the turquoise sea and glistening in the sunshine. Naturally, this made us even more excited! With temperatures around 30°C and a gentle breeze, we immediately fell in love with the warm tropical climate.

After collecting our hire car, we set off straight away. We had never driven on the right before, so our first journey got off to a rather adventurous start. But with time and a little practice, we soon got used to it. Our first stop was the Beau Vallon Beach House, right on Beau Vallon Beach. This area is something of a ‘tourist centre’ on Mahé, although that means something quite different in the Seychelles from what you might expect. There are certainly several hotels, guest houses and souvenir shops here, but it could hardly be described as crowded. Our guest house had a lovely Creole charm, largely thanks to the friendly local hosts.

Our first sunset was an extraordinary natural spectacle. The colours of the sky, the cloud formations, the granite islands sculpted by the wind and weather, and the beautiful ocean – we were deeply impressed. These were the sort of scenes we had only ever seen in wonderful documentaries or magazine photographs – and now we were experiencing them for ourselves. That evening, we visited a Creole festival nearby. There were plenty of delicacies to eat and drink, as well as handmade souvenirs sold directly by talented local artisans. Kalou, a drink well known in the Seychelles, was also on sale – a fermented palm wine said to have a particularly potent effect.

Over the following days, we explored the entire island and were largely on our own. We discovered one wonderful beach after another, but Anse Takamaka stood out in particular, as it was where we enjoyed the most beautiful sunset of our stay.

We went snorkelling in Baie Ternay Marine National Park. There were colourful corals and tropical fish to admire, and we were able to swim with sea turtles. The shallow water and long, sweeping bay made it the perfect place to spend hours relaxing. We spent our final night at Savoy Seychelles, a spacious five-star hotel directly on Beau Vallon Beach. As well as taking time out in the largest swimming pool in the Seychelles and enjoying delicious food in the restaurant, we spent several relaxing hours in the extensive spa.

We then continued on to the island of Praslin. We had chosen to fly, which gave us a spectacular view of the tiny groups of islands below. The aircraft are very small, seating around 25 people, and you can see straight into the cockpit and watch the pilots.

We stayed at the charming and authentically furnished Beach Villa Guesthouse, run by an Austrian and his Seychellois wife. Praslin is completely different from Mahé – much smaller and quieter. We soon found our favourite beach: Anse Volbert.

On our first visit, we happened upon a Creole festival held there just once a year. Alongside grilled meat and fish, there was also a stall run by the Seychellois Takamaka rum distillery, where wonderfully exotic cocktails were mixed for us. During a visit to Vallée de Mai, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, we set out in search of the legendary coco de mer. Found only here, it is the largest and heaviest coconut in the world. There are several routes through the legendary primeval palm forest, and it is well worth visiting.

Of course, we were also determined to see the giant tortoises, so we took a day trip to Curieuse Island.

As well as mangrove forests that can be explored along a trail, the island is also home to Seychelles giant tortoises – impressive, friendly creatures found in only a few places around the world. They particularly enjoy having their necks gently scratched. You can also spot numerous crabs of all different sizes on the island. From there, we took a boat to the snorkelling area around the island of St. Pierre.