The Seychelles Islands, an Earthly Paradise
A trip to the Seychelles is an exciting experience, ideal for those looking for a truly relaxing holiday while visiting some wonderful islands. Most tourists, mainly Europeans, choose the Seychelles as their honeymoon destination, but there are also small groups of friends setting off to discover these unique places. I travelled with an Italian friend of mine who was the same age as me, 26.
Practical tips before you travel:
Bring seasickness tablets or sweets (absolutely essential if you are taking the ferry for more than 15 minutes).
Bring a British plug adaptor for charging your electronic devices.
Bring SPF 30 sun cream (in my opinion, the sun is not strong enough to require SPF 50, given that temperatures are around 28°C all year round).
Bring plenty of T-shirts and shorts, and avoid long trousers and shirts (the climate is very humid, so these can be uncomfortable to wear even in the evening).
Praslin (3 days)
Our first destination was the island of Praslin. We stayed at the Colibri Guest House, a truly sensational and relatively inexpensive place to stay.
Our room had an ocean view. The restaurant also overlooks the ocean, and the view is absolutely breathtaking.
The restaurant prices are quite reasonable (around €20 for lunch and €25 for dinner).
The property has a wonderful swimming pool that also overlooks the ocean: the scenery is truly stunning!
Colibri Guest House was certainly the loveliest hotel we stayed at during our holiday.
It is advisable to hire a car on the island (€45 for 24 hours) to get around.
It is worth visiting Anse Lazio and, above all, Anse Georgette, which in my opinion is the most beautiful beach on Praslin and a true paradise on earth.
If you have time, I recommend taking the tour of Fond Ferdinand: for just €10, you can join a guided walk to the island’s highest point, climbing around 650 steps, where you can take some truly unique photographs.
During this long walk of around 2 hours, the guide will regularly explain the various plants found on the island, showing you the famous Coco de Mer palms, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as cinnamon and takamaka trees, among others.
You can also take an excursion to the nearby islands, organised by Creole, the local agency partnered with SeyVillas. It costs €125, and the tour of Curieuse Marine National Park runs from 08:30 to 17:30. It includes snorkelling near Saint Pierre Island and a visit to see the giant tortoises on Curieuse Island, followed by an extensive guided tour of the island. The price includes a very generous lunch on the boat, with a fish and meat barbecue freshly prepared by the crew that day, as well as various snacks and cocktails.
La Digue (2 days)
The island is tiny and easy to explore by bicycle (around €6 for 24 hours).
We stayed at Le Repaire Boutique Hotel, which has two swimming pools and sun loungers set directly on the beach.
The hotel restaurant is relatively expensive (around €60 per person for a starter, pizza and a drink), but the quality of the food is certainly high. The hotel provides its guests with single and double kayaks, complete with paddles, free of charge. We definitely recommend going out for a paddle!
The stretch of coast where this hotel is located is not at its best in June; the water here is quite murky, so we recommend cycling to the opposite coast, which offers wonderful beaches at this time of year.
Finally, we recommend taking an afternoon excursion to the island’s highest point, where there is a fabulous restaurant: Snack Bellevue. For just €30, the excursion includes transfers from your hotel and dinner (drinks not included), which you can enjoy while watching the sunset from the top of the mountain. I highly recommend this excursion!
Nightlife on La Digue is practically non-existent, at least during the week, so we recommend staying for no more than 2–3 nights.
Mahé (2 days)
Our final stop was the main island. Mahé is the largest island in the Seychelles, so hiring a car is definitely necessary if you want to get around. We recommend hiring one directly at the port, where you may find some good deals. We managed to negotiate a rate of €90 for a total of 54 hours, which was a real bargain considering that some hire companies charge €60 for 24 hours.
We stayed on the north coast at the Bliss Hotel. The hotel has a very distinctive style, and both the reception and restaurant overlook a truly fabulous rocky coastline.
However, the rooms are surrounded by greenery and do not have sea views. The hotel has a swimming pool and sun loungers, all set amid lush vegetation, making it ideal for those who value privacy and tranquillity.
We stayed on the island for 3 days and spent most of our time at Beau Vallon, the island’s most popular tourist area. The ocean is spectacular along this stretch of coast, which has numerous stalls serving food prepared by local people. For just a few euros, you can buy grilled fish with Creole sauce and a variety of side dishes!
There are also plenty of water-based activities available in the same area, such as parasailing behind a boat (around €60 per couple for 8 minutes of pure adrenaline), snorkelling, windsurfing and more.
In the evening, you can head to Eden Island, probably the most fashionable part of Mahé, where there are several venues for dancing and meeting people. We recommend Boardwalk in particular, especially at the weekend.
