A Honeymoon in the Time of Covid
12 wonderful days in the Seychelles
We flew to the Seychelles with Emirates in November, with a stopover in Dubai. Everything went very smoothly. The requirements were a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 72 hours beforehand and registration on www.seychelles.govatas.com before travelling. Within an hour of registering, we received the ‘go-ahead’ to enter the Seychelles, and at last there was nothing standing in the way of our honeymoon.
In total, we explored 3 of the Seychelles islands. We spent the first 4 days on La Digue, the fourth-largest island in the Seychelles, travelling there by ferry from Mahé. At Le Repaire Boutique Hotel, we had a sea-view room, which we would highly recommend. The entire hotel is set within a botanical garden, and we felt at home straight away.
We spent one whole day simply enjoying the beach in front of the hotel, which is ideal for swimming and activities such as canoeing. For 2 days, we hired bicycles directly from the hotel, which cost the equivalent of €9 per person. We would definitely recommend this as a way to explore the island. There are hardly any cars on the island, and cycling somehow made us feel like we belonged there. It took a good 20 minutes to explore the island in either direction, south or north. In the north, there are lovely beaches for snorkelling, such as Anse Severe. A giant tortoise even crossed the path right in front of us. Naturally, it was time for a selfie.
In the south, there is a small national park, L'Union Estate . For a small entrance fee, we were able to reach 2 beautiful beaches, which made it absolutely worthwhile: Anse la Source à Jean and Anse Source d'Argent. The COVID-19 period even had its advantages here: we had the beach almost entirely to ourselves, although Anse Source d'Argent is apparently usually a tourist hotspot, and visitors are advised to avoid the peak hours of 10:00–17:00. That was not the case for us in November; we were able to enjoy the beach, relax in complete peace and take some fantastic photos! Hiking tours to Anse Marron are also available. However, as it was very warm, we decided against it.
We went on a short hike from Grand Anse to Anse Cocos. It is a hilly route, and you need to take care when it is wet, as the rocks can become very slippery, so sturdy footwear is recommended. After walking for around 45 minutes, we reached Anse Cocos, where we were rewarded with a dream beach. This one was deserted too. The only person there was a local selling coconuts.
It was overcast for almost the entire day of our hike, but we both ended up quite badly sunburnt, even though we thought we had only been walking in the shade. The sun can be deceptive when cycling too. A little tip: make sure you bring plenty of high-SPF sun cream and a cap. On the fourth day, we continued by ferry to the next island, Praslin. Someone was already waiting for us at the port, and we were taken comfortably by private transfer to our next hotel, Le Duc de Praslin.
On the first day, the grounds were very quiet, and we had the pool and beach entirely to ourselves. Not bad, but it did feel rather strange. A few guests appeared at dinner, though, and the hotel became busier towards the weekend. We hired a car here for 2 days for the equivalent of around €60. As there are no multi-lane roads or junctions, driving on the left was still pleasant. We visited the Fond Ferdinand nature reserve. Highly recommended! It is slightly smaller than Vallée de Mai and more affordable too. We walked through the park in a small group with our own guide and learnt some interesting facts about the coco de mer, cinnamon trees and more.
What is more, the view after our strenuous, sweaty climb was simply breathtaking. In our opinion, the beaches Anse Lazio and Anse Georgette are an absolute MUST. We had never seen such beautiful beaches with sand that was so incredibly white. Anse Georgette is located within the grounds of Constance Lémuria Seychelles. You need to cross the grounds and require permission to do so. We obtained this very easily at the entrance gate. Once again, there was an advantage: the beach was barely visited at the time.
The hotel Le Duc de Praslin is located on Anse Volbert (Cote d'Or). It is a long, gorgeous beach with plenty of water sports on offer, although unfortunately these were not available at the time due to the COVID-19 situation. We rounded off our evenings at the lovely Café de Arts with a delicious cocktail.
Next, we flew back to Mahé. We were the only passengers on the plane, which normally seats 15 people. Flying is an easy and quick alternative to the ferry, and of course you get a fantastic view of the islands. Once again, everything was superbly organised. Someone was already waiting for us at Mahé Airport, and we were taken to our final hotel, Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa. We had booked our own villa with an infinity pool. Simply WOW! We had a fantastic view across the sea and could spend our days enjoying complete privacy.
Beau Vallon is very close by. It is around a 15-minute walk along a road. There are usually plenty of water sports available here too, but unfortunately most of the small stalls were closed. We were not particularly taken with the beach, though, probably because we had been spoilt over the previous few days. As of 23 November 2020, the Seychelles were not classified as a risk area by the Robert Koch Institute, so there were no additional requirements to observe when entering Germany.
Conclusion: We would travel to the Seychelles again and again, even under the same ‘circumstances’. Everything was superbly organised and carefully planned by SeyVillas. Social distancing was observed everywhere in the Seychelles, and the staff set an excellent example by wearing face coverings. All seating and tables in the restaurants were disinfected regularly, and every hotel guest had their temperature checked each morning. For us, it was simply a perfect dream holiday from start to finish!
