Mahé, the Underrated Beauty

When it comes to the Seychelles, many people say that the islands’ true beauty can only be discovered on Praslin, La Digue or the even smaller islands. But that simply is not true. The main island of Mahé, which unfortunately is far too often treated as little more than a stopover because of its airport, also has so many wonderful places to offer. We saw this for ourselves during our 11-day holiday in the Seychelles in November 2019.

Baie Lazare, Mahé Our first stop was Chez Marston on La Digue – a simple, practical place to stay on the island for which we had the highest expectations. La Digue certainly lives up to its promises. By bicycle, you can explore wonderful beaches such as Anse Patates and Anse Source d'Argent. As you make your way around the island, you may even encounter giant tortoises making themselves comfortable by the roadside or right in the middle of the road.

Our highlight on La Digue was the guided hike around the southern tip of the island – forget trying it without an expert, as you would never find the route. Beautiful, deserted beaches such as Anse Marron are the reward for a walk that can be quite strenuous, with rocks to climb and the hot sun overhead. Even more demanding is the arduous climb to the island’s highest point. The Bellevue restaurant, which serves as a stop along the way, is still relatively easy to reach. After that, the path through the bush becomes very challenging – but you can also skip it, as the view from the very top is not actually that much better than the one from Bellevue.

La Digue After two full days – which were exactly enough to see everything on La Digue – we took the ferry to Praslin on the third day, where the car hire company was already waiting for us at the ferry terminal with a little sign bearing our name. After a quick introduction to the car, we set off in our Kia Picanto, crossing the mountain in the island’s interior, passing the national park and heading towards our accommodation in the west. The moment we arrived, we fell in love – not only with our host Denise’s fluffy Chihuahua, Kiki, but also with the Villa Admiral we had booked. The kitchen, living room, bedroom and bathroom are all wonderfully spacious, clean and bright. Best of all, this comparatively affordable private villa is located directly on Petite Anse Kerlan.

Waking up, stepping outside, settling down on the two private sunloungers on the beach and simply enjoying ourselves – what could be better? Of course, you must also visit Anse Lazio and Anse Georgette. You should also treat yourselves to a delicious pizza at Island Pizzeria, which is comparatively inexpensive at around €9, and visit one of the national parks to admire the legendary Coco de Mer. Following a recommendation, we went to Fond Ferdinand.

Three full days on Praslin were enough to see everything there as well, although we would happily have spent longer relaxing at Villa Admiral. We then continued to Mahé, once again by ferry and once again with a hire car, travelling to the south-west of the island and, more precisely, to Chez Batista. Our first glimpse of the beaches while driving from the harbour to the south-west seemed to confirm what we had heard: perhaps Mahé really was not quite as attractive. But if you visit the right places, you can enjoy some wonderful days here too. In the south, take a look at Anse Intendance and Police Bay – two beautiful and still very secluded beaches with comparatively wild seas. Baie Lazare is heavenly, while Chez Batista’s ‘local beach’, Anse Takamaka, is also a little piece of paradise.

And while you are here, make your way through the woodland behind Chez Batista and enjoy a dip in a natural pool nestled among the rocks above the sea. Visit Victoria and Beau Vallon, which offer such a striking yet fascinating contrast to everything else you will have seen on Praslin or La Digue. The grilled prawn skewers and cocktails right on the beach, the fish and vegetable sellers at the market, the music, the energy, the people – this is the Seychelles!

Rock Pool Finally, one last insider tip for food on Mahé: Maria’s Rock Café – ‘rock’ in the sense of a large stone rather than the music genre. The meat platter with prawns, fish, beef and chicken costs an affordable €20 by Seychelles standards. It is enough for two people with normal appetites, and you cook the raw meat yourselves at the table on a hot stone, using garlic and saffron butter. We enjoyed it so much that we ate there several times during our three full days on Mahé.

Creole delicacies