Backpacking on La Digue
La Digue is the smallest of the Seychelles’ three permanently inhabited islands. La Digue does not have an airport, so it can only be reached by ferry, helicopter or private boat. We crossed from the island of Praslin on the Cat Rose’s ferry in just 15 minutes.
Life on this small island is centred around the harbour. Here you will find everything you need: a pharmacy, supermarket, restaurants and souvenir shops. There is also said to be a market at the harbour in the morning selling fresh local fruit. This is useful to know, as there is hardly any local fruit or vegetables in the small supermarkets.
We found and booked our accommodation through the SeyVillas travel website. It was a small house with three rooms: one large family room for up to 4 people and two smaller rooms for 2 people. In the centre of the house, there is a well-equipped communal kitchen and a lobby. The accommodation is right in the middle of the island, between its highest mountain, Nid d'Aigle, and the harbour, which is around 1 km away. The island is ideal for backpackers, as everything is within walking distance. You can also hire bicycles, but you can easily manage everything on foot.
Day 1: Exploring the island on foot
We arrive in the afternoon on the Cat Cocos ferry and walk to our accommodation with our backpacks. Right at the harbour, we are offered hire bicycles several times, but we decline. For one thing, our accommodation has bicycles available to hire, and for another, it is not far away. We soon arrive at Elje Villa. We are welcomed with a drink and settle into our room. Then we set off to explore the area around the harbour. On the way back, we pick up some food from Julie’s Takeaway, but unfortunately, we cannot recommend it.
Day 2: Hiking up Nid d’Aigle (333 m)
The new day begins with a homemade breakfast of toast and some fruit. Unfortunately, the selection is a little more limited than on the two larger islands. The only places with every kind of fruit are the numerous juice bars; the supermarkets stock very little. We set off on foot again, this time heading towards the centre of the island rather than the harbour. At the Belle Vue junction, the path climbs towards Nid d'Aigle. We walk up the narrow road past lots of small houses. From the Belle Vue restaurant and café, the route continues along a narrow trail. It quickly becomes steeper and steeper, and the rocks on the path grow larger. The signposting is not particularly helpful. There are 2 routes to the summit: one via an iron step ladder, or you can continue straight ahead at this junction. The latter route is easier.
Once at the top, we have a beautiful view over the western side of La Digue. Giant Union Rock is clearly visible. We continue along the mountain ridge and reach a second viewpoint with a huge granite boulder. We are alone here and enjoy the view for a while. The descent is also rocky and slippery, but manageable. We spend the evening relaxing on the terrace of our accommodation.
Day 3: Anse Source d’Argent
Of course, a visit to one of the most beautiful beaches in the world is a must while we are on La Digue. It is the first beach in the Seychelles for which we have to pay an admission fee. Officially, I believe you pay to enter L'Union Estate , which the beach is part of, rather than for the beach itself, so that seems fair enough. There are also several other highlights on the estate. I particularly enjoyed the vanilla plantation. The vanilla pods are harvested just once a year. We were lucky and spotted a few still hanging from the plants. The drying process for these pods takes around 4 months. By then, the pod has turned black and is ready to be used. Fruit and vegetables are also grown here, and of course, the giant tortoises are not to be missed. There is a copra mill to visit, and Rapunzel’s spice shop is highly recommended.Of course, our first stop is Anse Source d'Argent. It is worth arriving early, as the beach is still fairly quiet and you can choose your spot. It is also excellent for taking photos. We have to wait for high tide before snorkelling, as the water is almost too shallow at low tide. There are sea urchins further out on the reef, so you need to take care not to step on one. At the bar, you can select tropical fruits to be mixed into a cocktail and then enjoy it on the beach. It is not exactly cheap, of course. Turquoise water, the granite boulders typical of the Seychelles, and fine sand lined with palm trees.
Day 4: The 3 beaches in the south-east of the island – Grand Anse, Petite Anse and Anse Cocos
After breakfast, we set off on foot towards the south. Our first destination is Grand Anse on La Digue. The route there feels very much like a jungle, with lots of trees bearing edible fruit. Golden apples, cinnamon trees, breadfruit trees and mango trees all grow here. A wedding is taking place at Grand Anse when we arrive. From here, we follow the narrow trail towards Grand Anse, Petite Anse & Anse Cocos. All 3 beaches are very wide and long, with beautiful sand. We make sure to sunbathe and go into the water at every beach. At Petite Anse, we are lucky again and find a few coconuts that we can open and drink from. At Anse Cocos, we buy some fresh juice from the bar. The route is easy enough to walk, rocky but manageable. We set off back in good time so that we do not have to walk in the dark.
Day 5: Anse Fourmis and Anse Banane
Today, we hire bicycles. So far, we have managed to explore the island perfectly well on foot, but today we follow the crowd and cycle. We want to ride all the way to the north of the island, our longest journey so far. We start by cycling past the harbour towards Anse Patates. We like it so much that we jump straight into the water. After an hour, we set off again. We reach the end of the road more quickly than expected. We leave the bicycles here and continue on foot. We want to reach Anse Caiman Bar, but unfortunately, the route is so rocky that we have to turn back halfway. The rocks are taller than we are and difficult to climb over. On the way back, we stop at Anse Banane. We then have something to eat at Chez Jules.
6. Day 6: Anse Source d’Argent and dinner at Natural Bar and Grill
Today, we enjoy another relaxing day at Anse Source d’Argent. Once again, we walk through the vanilla plantation to the beach. The snorkelling is better today, and we see lots of fish. Otherwise, we simply relax and enjoy our final day at this beach. In the evening, we have dinner at Natural Bar and Grill. The atmosphere is lovely, but the food probably did not agree with us. We can recommend Rey & Josh Café and Takeaway.
Day 7: Departure day from La Digue
