An Unforgettable Trip to the Seychelles
Our journey began at Milan Malpensa, with a stopover in Doha. The flight took around 6 hours. After a 2-hour and 30-minute stopover, we continued to Mahé on another 4-hour flight. Once at the airport, we collected our luggage and took the 10-minute domestic flight to Praslin. We reached La Pirogue Lodge, overlooking Côte d’Or. We exchanged some euros for enough Seychellois rupees to take the bus, which allowed us to explore the island and reach its most beautiful beaches.
It is definitely an experience worth trying. We visited the famous Anse Lazio; from the bus stop, it is a good 25-minute walk to the beach, and it is not flat! However, it is well worth the effort. One of our favourite beaches was Anse Georgette, which can only be reached by sea or with permission to cross the golf course at Lemuria resort, although the sea there is always a little rough. From Praslin, we took an excursion to Curieuse, home to the Aldabra giant tortoises, followed by a stop in the waters off St Pierre Island for some snorkelling. Today was a very busy day: we went out just after 6.00 am for a lovely walk along Anse Volbert. The sun was already hot, and the deserted beach was beautiful.
We had breakfast at 8.00 am and set off at 9.00 am for Vallée de Mai, a nature reserve where the palm tree bearing the largest seeds of any plant species grows: the famous coco de mer. After visiting the forest, we headed towards Anse Boudin. When we arrived at the beach, we found many local people there because it was Sunday. They too were having small gatherings, with food brought from home and fish barbecues on the beach.
It is worth being aware of the possible presence of sand flies, tiny insects whose bites can cause severe itching.
Our journey continued with a transfer to La Digue, an island 5 km long and 3 km wide. We left Praslin at 11.15 am and arrived 10 minutes later. We settled into our bungalow at La Digue Island Lodge and spent some time by the sea. The tide changes every 6 hours. The following day, we went to La Passe, essentially the island’s only town, where you can find supermarkets, banks, a fruit market, a hospital, souvenir shops and the harbour, which is also the departure point for various excursions. We hired bicycles and headed towards Anse Source d’Argent. To reach it by land, you need to pay SCR 150 per person and pass through a park called ‘L’Union Estate’.
The coral reef protects the beach from the currents, so the sea here is very calm. It is spectacular: white sand, crystal-clear water and the famous granite boulders. It is truly wonderful. La Digue is easy to explore by bicycle and, honestly, it is not at all tiring. There are many other magnificent beaches to discover on the island. After a night of strong winds and some rain, the day was very grey, but we set off on our bicycles to explore the other side of the island. It is a lovely road through lush greenery, with the usual ups and downs, and we eventually reached Grand Anse. The beach is very large, and the sea is impressively powerful.
We reached Petite Anse along a challenging path. Swimming at these beaches is not recommended because of the strong currents. We travelled to Mahé by ferry. The journey took around 2 hours, part of it across open sea. Unfortunately, we only stayed there for two nights. We stayed at the Berjaya hotel on Beau Vallon beach, where we saw a beautiful sunset. Victoria, the capital of the Seychelles, is the smallest capital city in the world, with around 10,000 residents. Its distinctive market is well worth visiting.
It was a wonderful holiday, superbly organised by SeyVillas. The support was excellent, and we highly recommend them. There are many more things to see in the Seychelles, and we will definitely return.
Kind regards Angelo and Angela
