Island Hopping in Paradise
The road to paradise
Our holiday began on a rainy November day at Munich Airport. As our flight was not due to depart until shortly after midday, the relaxed holiday mood began on the way to the airport, and our excitement grew with every kilometre that brought us closer to the Seychelles. We landed in Victoria on Mahé, which was already an impressive experience thanks to the airport’s location right beside the water.
After collecting our luggage, we received a warm welcome from Creole Travel Service and were shown to our driver. We were taken straight to the ferry port on Mahé, as our journey was beginning on Praslin. We had a short wait there, which we spent sitting in the sun at the nearby bar. We had tickets for the upper deck of the ferry and sat right by the railing. The view of the sea during the crossing was extraordinary. Praslin soon came into sight. As we entered the harbour, we did not know what to photograph first, as there were several picturesque little hotels and apartments dotted along the coast.
We could not wait to reach our first accommodation and explore the island on our own. When we arrived on Praslin, we were once again welcomed by a member of the Creole Travel Service team and were able to go straight to our shuttle. It took us directly to our apartment. The journey through the jungle gave us a spectacular first impression of Praslin.
Arriving on Praslin (or: Welcome to Paradise)
When we arrived in the spacious courtyard of Palm Holiday Apartments, the owner came out to welcome us straight away. He was very friendly, and we immediately felt at home. The apartments looked as though they had only been built the day before. Everything was exceptionally clean, modern and very nicely furnished. There was a large terrace, a spacious bedroom, a modern bathroom with a fantastic shower and a small kitchenette where we could cook if needed. After unpacking, we set off to explore the surrounding area. On our way out, we stopped by reception to ask about an excursion to Curieuse, the island known for its tortoises. Without hesitation, the owner immediately called a tour-guide friend and booked us onto a tour for the following day. Delighted by how quickly everything had been arranged, we headed straight to Fond de l'Anse (Grand Anse).
When we reached the beach, we were overwhelmed. It was deserted and truly beautiful. Although this beach did not have the famous granite rocks, it felt perfect compared with rainy Germany. We ended the evening there. Our tour began first thing the following morning. It was one of the best tours we had ever taken while on holiday. The tortoises were simply incredible and so relaxed, while the scenery on the way to the island was breathtaking. At last, we saw the granite rocks that we had viewed countless times in photographs online. The pictures do not even begin to do the spectacular scenery justice. The water was bright turquoise, and we could see all the way to the bottom. The palm-fringed beaches we passed as we travelled to the island by boat looked as though they had come straight from a postcard. Simply indescribable. The excursion also included three snorkelling stops, at St Pierre Island and the beaches of Anse Georgette and Anse Lazio.
We spent the next few days on Praslin exploring the beautiful beaches we had seen from the water, this time discovering them from the shore. We hired a car for this, which was easy to arrange through our accommodation.
Here, every beach seemed more beautiful than the last. Anse Lazio was easy to reach by car, and, as an insider tip, you could continue past the first car parks to a bar at the end of the road and park there for a small additional charge. The parking fee was returned to us as a voucher that could be redeemed in the restaurant. We enjoyed a day at the beach here and had something to eat on the way back.
To visit Anse Georgette, which is located within a golf resort, you need to register in advance, as only a certain number of people are admitted each day. Once again, we received this information from our accommodation, and they immediately registered us by telephone. We had to leave the car outside the resort and then walk a short distance to the beach. In the heat, this can be rather strenuous. Anse Georgette was our favourite beach on Praslin because it looked as though it had come straight from a film.
It was simply picturesque: white sand, turquoise water, palm trees and enormous granite rocks. Before leaving for the next island, we went on a day diving trip. Then it was time to say goodbye to Praslin and make our way to La Digue.
Onwards to La Digue
The transfer to La Digue once again went perfectly. We were collected on time, taken to the ferry and driven directly to our accommodation upon arrival. Here, we stayed at Villa Creole, which consists of four small villas and is close to the national park and the distinctive Anse Source d'Argent. The accommodation itself was fine for us, although it could do with some modernisation. The bathroom, in particular, was considerably more dated. Nevertheless, we once again received a very warm welcome and were given a small smoothie on arrival. As bicycles are the only way to get around La Digue, it was very convenient to be able to hire them directly from our accommodation. We changed and immediately set off to explore the island. Naturally, we headed straight for what is probably the most famous beach in the Seychelles, Anse Source d'Argent. We were not disappointed. The beach is breathtakingly beautiful thanks to its many granite rocks. However, we both agreed that it looked even more beautiful from the water than from the shore.
Unfortunately, the sand here was not as fine as on Praslin, so we had to take care when swimming. The beaches were not as wide as those on Praslin either, which meant they felt a little more crowded with other visitors. For the following day, we booked an excursion in the famous transparent kayaks. We took a Robinson Crusoe tour and visited the beach where the film was shot. Unfortunately, the film was before our time and neither of us had seen it, but that did nothing to detract from the beauty of the beach. We had great fun paddling the kayaks, and it was wonderful to see the beaches from this perspective. When we arrived at Anse Pierrot, we learnt how to open a coconut, just like Robinson Crusoe stranded on a desert island.
We spent our remaining days on La Digue walking from the starting point at Grand Anse through the jungle to explore the beaches of Petite Anse, Anse Cocos,Anse Caïman and a secluded, unnamed beach.
If you watched your step, the hikes were easy enough to do in flip-flops, and the trails were fairly easy to find. As we set off early, we had the beaches entirely to ourselves, which was a truly wonderful feeling. We had a drone with us and were able to take lots of fantastic photos. We also really enjoyed swimming at the beaches here. The waves were fantastic, and we had great fun.
Here, the sand was finer again, although there were few shady spots. We spent a whole day at each beach and enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere before moving on to our final stop, the main island of Mahé.
Final stop: Mahé
Our final stop began at the ferry port where we had arrived on our first day, followed by a drive of almost an hour to our accommodation. On Mahé, we stayed at La Villa Therese Holiday Apartments. It comprises two buildings with several apartments. We were on the third floor of what was probably the newer building, and we had a wonderful sea view from the balcony. The rooms were similar to our first accommodation on Praslin and were very modern. Anse Royale, just down the road, was another very beautiful and peaceful beach, so we spent our first day there. The accommodation staff recommended a takeaway down the road called ‘Leo’s Food Bus’. We loved the food there so much that we actually went back every evening.
Once again, we had a hire car, which the accommodation had arranged for us, and we visited various beaches. These ranged from secluded beaches reached by hiking through the jungle to the island’s larger beaches and the beach belonging to what is probably the most expensive hotel in the Seychelles: the Four Seasons on Mahé. You can visit the beach here free of charge; you simply need to register in advance, as on Praslin. Our favourites here were Anse Intendance and Petite Anse. Apart from a short detour to the rum distillery, we spent our final days relaxing on the beaches of Mahé.
Conclusion
This holiday was definitely one of the best, if not THE best, we have ever had. The breathtaking scenery, the beautiful beaches, the friendly people. We would return to the Seychelles at any time, and I think I have already convinced everyone around me that they need to visit at least once. The success of the itinerary certainly played a major part in making this such a wonderful and relaxing holiday.
