Petting Tortoises on a Dream Holiday

On 9 November 2019, we flew with SWISS/Edelweiss Air from Düsseldorf via Zurich to the Seychelles. Our first island was Praslin. As we landed at 10 am local time and the next ferry was not due to leave until the afternoon, we decided to fly from Mahé to Praslin. This meant we were already at our accommodation by early afternoon and could explore the surrounding area on foot before it became dark at around 6.30 pm.

Propeller plane from Mahé to Praslin While out exploring, we immediately discovered the tortoises at a nearby hotel, which visitors could feed with the mini bananas provided – and they were certainly keen to be fed.

Hungry tortoises at Anse Takamaka (Praslin) The following day, we collected our hire car. A car is highly recommended on Praslin. Before the trip, I was initially concerned about driving on the left, as until then I had only ever driven on the right side of the road. However, you get used to driving on the ‘wrong’ side fairly quickly. As the steering wheel is also on the other side, the driver still sits towards the centre of the road, just as at home. You really only need to stop and think about which side of the road to use when pulling out of a parking space.

On our first day, we drove straight to Anse Lazio, which turned out to be the best beach of our entire holiday. It has fine sand, a gentle slope into the water and plenty of trees providing shade, as well as a lifeguard on duty. You can also go snorkelling at the far right-hand end of the beach and spot lots of colourful fish. What more could you want?

We always booked breakfast at our accommodation. There was fresh fruit, egg and toast every day.

Breakfast at Sea View Lodge On Praslin, we mainly ate at the food truck by Anse Volbert (Cote d'Or), right where the side road branches off from the main road. It serves a changing selection of dishes for SCR 80, around €5.40, at both lunchtime and in the evening.

Takeaway at Anse Volbert

After 5 days on Praslin, we continued to La Digue. We stayed at Fleur de Lys, which was the best accommodation of our trip. In addition to the modern, well-equipped bungalows, the location was a major advantage. Even after dark, it was still easy to walk into the centre of La Passe to pick up something to eat from a takeaway or the bakery. On our first day, we cycled to Grand Anse and then hiked from there to Petite Anse and Anse Cocos. We spent most of our time at Anse Cocos, as there was shade to relax in and a juice bar where we could recharge with freshly prepared juices for SCR 100.

Anse Cocos, La Digue One of our highlights on La Digue was coming across a free-roaming tortoise during a cycle ride. Naturally, it wanted to be stroked first.

Wild tortoise We were slightly disappointed by L'Union Estate and Anse Source d'Argent. You are not given a map or any other information explaining what the park actually has to offer. Although the rock formations at Anse Source d'Argent make a beautiful photo opportunity, the water is so shallow that you have to be careful not to knock your knees on the rocky seabed while swimming or snorkelling.

After 4 days on La Digue, we continued to Mahé, the final island of our trip. After Praslin and La Digue, the beaches on Mahé were not highlights for us. However, when the temperature and humidity allow, Mahé’s hiking trails are a real advantage. Several signposted hiking trails start from ‘Sans Soucis Road’. Among others, we hiked the Copolia Lodge Trail and were rewarded for this strenuous, sweat-inducing walk with a wonderful view.

Hiking the Copolia Trail The planning and organisation through SeyVillas, as well as the support provided locally by Creole, worked perfectly. All transfers were punctual, and we were very satisfied with the assistance we received during our stay.