15 Days of Dreamy White Beaches
At the end of February, we set off for a break from the German winter to recharge our batteries on the sunny beaches of the Seychelles. Our absolute highlights were Anse Intendance on Mahé, Fond Ferdinand on Praslin and Anse Marron on La Digue, as well as papayas, banana chips and, of course, the dreamlike white beaches and turquoise sea. Once we arrived in Victoria, we quickly had to shed our long jeans – with average temperatures of 31°C, we did not need them at all during the holiday.
Mahé
On Mahé, we had a hire car, which we had also booked through SeyVillas. Everything went smoothly, and we spent two mornings exploring the island. One trip took us around the south, visiting the Takamaka Rum Distillery , the small, beautiful coves of Anse Royale, the surprisingly lovely Anse Intendance by the Banyan Tree Hotel (fantastic waves, but hurry from the car park to the beach or the mosquitoes will get you) and enjoying an exciting drive through the mountains.
Our northern tour then took us through Victoria and up to Beau Vallon. You can do the whole tour in one day, but we wanted to take things a little more slowly. We also had an exceptionally lovely place to stay (Le Nautique Luxury Beachfront Apartments), where we could cool off in the afternoons thanks to the direct access to the sea. The accommodation itself was an absolute delight – superbly equipped, lovingly furnished and stocked with everything you could possibly need, whether in the kitchen (toaster, whisk, non-stick pans and much more) or for the sea (surfboards, stand-up paddleboards and kayaks). Everything was there, and the owners were incredibly warm and friendly, with lots of excellent tips and information about the island.
We spent the remaining days alternating between swimming in the sea, stand-up paddleboarding and exploring. If you are self-catering, it is interesting to see what is available in the small supermarkets and at the market stalls – and the papayas here are a dream!Praslin
Next, we took the ferry to Praslin, where our transfer brought us directly to our hotel on Anse Volbert (Cote d'Or). After Mahé, Praslin feels even more peaceful: it is smaller, there are fewer cars, the beaches are larger and whiter, and there is even more nature. Every evening, we walked along the seafront and browsed the shops again. Overall, it seemed less humid to us than Mahé, although that probably varies completely from day to day.
After our first night, our tour with a fantastic local guide began bright and early at 8 a.m. From Anse Albert, we walked through Vallée de Mai National Park – the scenery was breathtaking – to Anse Georgette, probably one of the most beautiful beaches here. It is fairly small, however, and you need a reservation. From the gate, it is another walk of around 15 minutes across a golf course – unless you are staying at the neighbouring hotel, in which case there is a shuttle.
We then continued to Praslin’s second national park, Fond Ferdinand, where we climbed more than 620 steps to a viewpoint. Along the way, we learnt a great deal about the endemic coco de mer and saw takamaka and cinnamon trees. The climb was very sweaty, but the view at the end was truly impressive: you can see the entire southern tip of the island, including the beautiful turquoise sea.
Afterwards, we headed to Anse Lazio, which is larger than Anse Georgette and only 2 minutes from the car park. That is not entirely unimportant when you are out and about in 90% humidity. We stayed there for around 3 hours, enjoying the waves and relaxing on the beach. Although we did not have our own hire car, we saw a great deal of the island on this tour and learnt so much about Praslin from our guide.
Of course, after so much exertion :) there also has to be time to relax, and Anse Volbert (Cote d'Or) is perfect for that. Fantastic beach, fantastic sea, fantastic views – everything was fantastic! If you wish, you can also book an excursion to Curieuse and the Curieuse Marine National Park, followed by a snorkelling stop off St Pierre, or choose from various other tours. My tip: haggle a little, as the prices initially quoted are, of course, tourist prices ;) The excursion to Curieuse was enjoyable, although next time I would simply take a taxi boat to Baie Laraie – that is where the giant tortoises are – with a stop at St Pierre.
La Digue
The next island was also the final and smallest island of our holiday: La Digue. For us, this was the island of superlatives, with the finest sandy beaches, the most beautiful sea and, thanks to the ban on cars, the most relaxing atmosphere of all.
On La Digue, we hiked to a secluded cove, Anse Marron – and it was quite an adventure! We set off shortly before 8 a.m., waded through the sea with our rucksacks balanced on our heads, clambered over rocks and found our way through the undergrowth. This tour is fairly strenuous, and you should definitely go with a guide. In return, you are rewarded with plenty of magnificent viewpoints, a refreshing break at Anse Marron with a small snack – fruit has never tasted better – and lots of wonderful memories.
To celebrate a milestone birthday, we also had a barbecue right on the beach. A freshly caught fish was grilled for us, and we enjoyed an atmospheric evening with the sunset and a bottle of red wine.
We then set off on a northern tour on our hired bicycles – right to the very end of the surfaced road – seeing many more beaches and gaining further impressions of La Digue along the way.
On another hike in the south of La Digue, we finally had the chance to explore the island’s most beautiful beaches: Anse Cocos and Petite Anse. Crystal-clear water like a swimming pool, long white sandy beaches and only a handful of people – simply breathtakingly beautiful and a magnificent end to our trip to the Seychelles.
