Honeymoon in the Seychelles
We spent 5 nights each on Praslin, La Digue and Mahé. We started on Praslin, where we stayed at the Acajou Beach Resort on the Côte d’Or. We received an upgrade from a standard room to one with a sea view. The entire resort was very well maintained, the food was delicious (half board), and the staff were exceptionally friendly.
We spent our first day on the long Anse Volbert (Cote d'Or) beach. On our second morning, we took the bus to Fond Ferdinand. We were able to buy the bus tickets through our hotel. We chose Fond Ferdinand mainly for its viewpoint, so we did not visit Vallée de Mai. We walked to the viewpoint in a group of around 20 people and learnt a great deal from our guide. The humidity was quite intense, and we certainly worked up a sweat.
The following day, we went on an excursion with Surfari Seychelles to Cousin Island Special Reserve and Curieuse Marine National Park, followed by snorkelling near St Pierre. We had booked the excursion in advance, and the day was an absolute highlight of our trip. David, the owner, guided us around Cousin Island and told us all about the birds that live there.
On Curieuse Island, we first enjoyed a fantastic barbecue and then followed the trail through the mangrove forest to see the tortoises. Wonderful animals, and feeding and stroking them was an indescribable experience!
To finish the day, we travelled to the small island of St Pierre to go snorkelling and discovered a beautiful underwater world. Among other things, we saw two small sharks there.
The next day, we took the bus to Anse Lazio. We were absolutely enchanted by this beach, and it is probably one of the most beautiful beaches we have ever visited. We went snorkelling here too, and after less than 5 minutes in the water, we saw a sea turtle – simply beautiful!
Our days on Praslin flew by, and before we knew it, we were continuing on to La Digue. Here, we had booked the Chateau Saint Cloud. The property is located right beside the tropical forest. As we were on our honeymoon, we were given complimentary bicycles for our entire stay! We spent our days on La Digue visiting the various beaches, all of which were easy to reach quickly by bicycle.
We particularly liked Anse Patates, with its impressive granite rocks. One afternoon, we were even able to watch a manta ray there.
Of course, we could not miss hiking the Grand Anse, Petite Anse & Anse Cocos route either. We enjoyed fresh coconut at the Coco Bar, and at the far end of Anse Cocos there is a natural pool where you can swim.
Another highlight was our hike to Anse Marron. This tour should only be undertaken with a guide, and we booked it in advance with La Digue Paradise Tours (Henry Bibi). We started at Grand Anse and made our way through the jungle and over rocks. It was great fun, but also strenuous, and you definitely need to be sure-footed. Once you reach Anse Marron, you are rewarded with a beautiful natural pool where you can swim.
The tour then continues through the jungle, eventually reaching Anse Source d'Argent and L'Union Estate. On La Digue, we only had breakfast included at the hotel, so we bought our evening meals from takeaway stands (Rey & Josh) or ate at restaurants (Le Repair). We thoroughly enjoyed exploring La Digue by bicycle, and it was wonderful to have so much flexibility. Our journey then continued to Mahé, where we had booked the Fisherman's Cove Resort. We had a lovely room with a sea view, and the entire resort was beautiful, with an infinity pool at the left-hand end of Beau Vallon.
On one of the days, we booked a full tour of Mahé with Ian Pillay. We visited Victoria and Sir Selwyn Market, the Takamaka Rum Distillery , and the various beaches Mahé has to offer. Unfortunately, the weather was not on our side that day, but it was still a very enjoyable experience, and Ian gave us a wealth of information about Mahé and the Seychelles in general. On a sunny morning, we walked the Anse Major Trail. The hike was also very beautiful, and we spent a good hour at Anse Major before taking a water taxi back to Beau Vallon. Apart from that, we spent our final days on Mahé relaxing by the pool and beside the sea. At this accommodation, we had also booked breakfast only, so we bought our evening meals from takeaway stands (Sisters Take Away, Green Coconut) or ate at a restaurant (Gecko Bar).
We had a wonderful time in the Seychelles! Each island has its own unique charm, but Praslin and La Digue were our particular favourites.
