A Short Break on the Paradise Island of La Digue

Tuesday: Arrival Day

We arrived on the beautiful island of La Digue early on Tuesday morning by ferry from Praslin. SeyVillas, or rather our accommodation, Bois d'Amour, had arranged a transfer for us, and the driver greeted us at the ferry with a sign bearing our name. On the way to our little home in paradise, the charm of this small island was immediately apparent in the sheer number of cyclists and its winding, rustic roads.

At Bois d'Amour, we received a warm welcome from our host, Alvis, who showed us the reception hut. It has a toilet with a shower, a luggage room, a book collection and a veranda with seating. We were told that guests can use this area before check-in and after check-out while waiting. The Kokover Chalet is open-plan, with the kitchen and bathroom accessible directly from the veranda. The two bedrooms are a good size and each has a fan and mosquito net over the bed. The kitchen has everything you need, while the veranda, with its large dining table and seating area, is perfect for breakfast or reading.

We spent the rest of the day exploring the village centre and our first beaches, as well as stocking the fridge with the essentials.

Wednesday

We spent our second day on La Digue testing our bicycles and exploring the beaches along the western and northern coasts. Our first stop was Anse Severe, where we treated ourselves to a milkshake from the ‘Bikini Bottom Bar’ with breakfast. There are also two giant tortoises here that very much enjoy all the attention from visitors.

The beach is beautiful and stretches for 300 metres, while the trees close to the shore provide more than enough shade. The southern end of the beach is only partly suitable for swimming, as there are quite a few rocks. However, if you swim approximately 100 metres out towards the granite rocks just offshore, you will find some excellent snorkelling spots with colourful fish and fascinating rock formations. On our way home, we picked up a takeaway dinner from ‘La Digue Pizzeria’.

Thursday

For our third day on La Digue, we planned to get up early so that we could see Anse Source d'Argent without anyone else appearing in our photos. We arrived at L'Union Estate at 08:00. Admission was 115 rupees per person, which included access to a vanilla plantation, giant tortoises and Anse Source d'Argent itself. The park wristband allows you to enter and leave as often as you like on the same day, so you can visit in the morning to take photographs and return in the afternoon for snorkelling or sunbathing.

The granite rocks here were impressive and are definitely worth seeing. You can easily spend an hour or two on the various sections of beach, and numerous bars along the path provide refreshing cold drinks.

In the evening, following our host’s recommendation, we booked a sunset dinner at Snack Bellevue. Our host made the reservation for us, and a taxi collected us at 17:00 and drove us up the mountain. It is possible to hike up to the restaurant to admire the view, but the route is very demanding, with gradients of 20–30% not uncommon. When we arrived, we received a warm welcome and were invited to choose our seats.

The dinner costs 500 rupees per person, although drinks are not included. You can enjoy the view with a cocktail until 18:30, after which dinner is served. We personally really enjoyed the food, and it was interesting to try the local cuisine. The view is highly recommended, as you can also see the islands of Praslin and Mahé in the distance.

Friday

The fourth day of our holiday on La Digue was devoted entirely to the beach. We cycled to Grand Anse, where we parked and locked our bicycles. After a short stay at the first beach, we continued on foot to Petite Anse. Both beaches offer very little shade, so cooling off in the sea was very welcome. However, it is important to be aware that the currents are very strong and you should not swim too far out.

A further 45-minute hike along the coast brought us to the last of the three beaches, Anse Cocos. There is a freshwater lagoon here where you can swim safely, and we saw a baby lemon shark in the shallow water by the shore. The hike back took approximately 1.5 hours, so it is advisable to bring plenty of water.

Saturday (Departure Day)

Our departure on Saturday aboard the 14:15 ferry was arranged just as smoothly as everything else on La Digue. The hosts at Bois D’Amour met us at reception at 10:00, the check-out time, and we left our luggage there. We then hopped back onto our bicycles and headed towards the village centre.

The 3 hours between check-out and our transfer, with our luggage, to the ferry can easily be spent browsing the various souvenir shops. For lunch, we picked up a selection of quiches and pastries, along with coffee, from ‘Glorious Bakery and Snacks’.

The ferry departure is organised directly at the jetty beside the ferries. Here, a ‘Cat Coco’ agent exchanges the online voucher for tickets, and the luggage is loaded. The journey to Praslin, where you change to another ferry, takes just 15 minutes, while the onward journey to Mahé takes an hour and is also comfortable.

And so our wonderful holiday on La Digue came to an end. Like every holiday, but especially in this case, it felt far too short on this unique island. We were more than satisfied with our accommodation and the hospitality shown by everyone on the island. Hiring bicycles is highly recommended so that you can explore every corner of the island.