The Seychelles in April/May 2024

‘Anticipation – the greatest joy’

As keen and frequent travellers, we had already been considering a trip to the Seychelles a year in advance. We read travel reports and drew inspiration from beautiful photographs, so the idea quickly turned into a concrete plan. While putting our plans together, we repeatedly came across SeyVillas, and soon found a knowledgeable partner to help turn our ideas into reality. Throughout the entire process, we felt well advised and looked after. Enquiries were always handled promptly, while detailed travel recommendations and tips heightened our anticipation.

Getting there

Around 24 hours after leaving our ‘home port’, we reached our first accommodation: Secret Villa on La Digue. We will probably always remember the journey there from the harbour on La Digue. There was not enough room in the pickup for all the new guests, so we spontaneously and entirely voluntarily made ourselves comfortable in the back, sitting on our suitcases. The warmth and salty sea air, the friendly village with its pretty houses, the colour of the sea and the palm fronds brushing our faces had us cheering more than once – as did the fast-paced drive up a steep track. We already suspected, however, that the next 7 days would be a strenuous and sweaty challenge. On arrival, our host gave us a warm welcome, showed us to our enormous ‘open-air room’ and explained the essentials over a refreshing welcome lemonade.

We deliberately chose this new style of accommodation at the ‘Secret Villa’. A sense of adventure and a desire for new experiences played a major part in our decision. A bed outdoors, with the toilet and shower outside too – we were determined to experience it for ourselves. After recovering a little from the long journey, we soon felt drawn back into the village. We quickly found a bicycle hire shop and rented bikes for the next few days. However, because of the steep climb to our accommodation, we left them locked up in the bushes at the bottom. Contented and exhausted, we enjoyed a good night’s sleep in the ‘room without walls’, in a bed protected from ‘flying critters’ by a mosquito net – a truly unique experience. Beforehand, however, as on every day that followed, we enjoyed excellent home-cooked Creole cuisine.

The first 2 days

…we explored the island by bicycle. First, we headed south to L'Union Estate. We were impressed by the giant tortoises and, of course, the famous Anse Source d'Argent. We had great fun with our ‘photo shoot’ there. Afterwards, we cycled on to Grand Anse, a beautiful, wild, sweeping beach with high waves, strong currents and few visitors. That night, we were woken by a brief but torrential tropical downpour, unlike anything we had ever experienced before. We will not forget that experience in a hurry either.

Early the next morning, we set off for the meeting point for our planned snorkelling trip. Unfortunately, we learnt that it had been postponed due to a lack of other participants. We spontaneously changed our plans. We cooled off at Anse Severe, then cycled on to Anse Banane, where we enjoyed a delicious drink at Chez Jules while taking in the magnificent view across the bay in glorious weather. Continuing along the paved east coast by bicycle also provided plenty of wonderful impressions. On our way back, we stopped for another swim, this time at Anse Fourmis. We had the beach almost entirely to ourselves. Later in the day, the weather changed, so we spent the afternoon in our lovely ‘room’, sheltered from the rain yet still out in the fresh air.

Days 3–4

The snorkelling trip now planned for today was cancelled because of the rough sea and persistent rain showers. SeyVillas handled the refund of the fees we had already paid without any fuss. Once again, we had to change our plans and adapt to the local conditions. A useful experience for us Germans, who normally organise everything down to the last detail ;). We thoroughly enjoyed breakfast and the generously filled fruit platter without any time pressure. There was time and inspiration to write this travel report, and as the rain pattered down, we could continue reading the novel we had brought with us while gazing out over the Indian Ocean, without feeling that we were missing anything. This is part of a holiday too! Sadly, it is something that is often neglected… But the weather did eventually take pity on us. The rain stopped, and we set off on our hike to Anse Cocos in the south-east of the island. It was exactly the kind of hike we enjoy. Passing Grand Anse, following jungle paths and clambering over rocks, with a stop at Petite Anse along the way, we reached our destination: the breathtakingly beautiful Anse Cocos.

Anse Cocos, La Digue Swimming in the sheltered bay was a delight. Gorgeous white sand, with hardly any stones or other sharp objects underfoot – we could even go into the water without shoes. Sunshine, tranquillity and, of course, the wonderful sea view completed our swimming stop before we headed back. We had barely arrived at our accommodation when another impressive, prolonged torrential downpour and thunderstorm swept in. The sheer amount of rain falling from the sky was incredible. So far, our verdict on the weather in the Seychelles at the end of April 2024 is as follows: in the hot, humid temperatures, water drips from every imaginable pore even without any exertion; plenty more water comes from above, and if you arrange it, you can also get some from below to ‘cool off’.

After a restless night due to the torrential rain, we were able to begin the day as planned with a guided hike around the southern tip of La Digue to Anse Marron. Our guide, Andreas, confidently led us to the island’s most beautiful bays with humour and plenty of charm. It was a visual feast in glorious weather. The tour challenged us: we crossed sandy tracks and granite rocks, squeezed through narrow crevices, followed jungle paths and, at the end, even waded through waist-deep water. But it was worth it. We were rewarded with unique landscapes worthy of a picture postcard. Swimming stops and a delicious fruit picnic rounded off this wonderful day.Anse Marron

Days 5–6 – weekend on La Digue

We began Saturday at a calm and leisurely pace, initially without any particular destination in mind. Our later plan to go snorkelling at Anse Severe did not work out because the tide was out, and with the waves, reaching the reef safely proved impossible for inexperienced snorkellers like us. After a light bite at Bikini Bottom, we cycled away from La Digue’s main road and gained a few glimpses into the lives of the islanders. To finish the day, we stopped for a swim at the small Anse Patates, whose magnificent rock formations delighted us.

On our final and hottest day (it felt like 38°C) on La Digue, we headed to Anse Fourmis, where we could relax wonderfully beneath the shade of a palm tree. We watched green salamanders, crabs and, of course, the sea. On the way there, we came across a giant tortoise that happily allowed us to stroke and feed it, and patiently posed for photographs. After our beach tour, we explored our host’s garden and were once again impressed by this man’s creativity and hard work – it really has to be experienced.

Anse Banane Our first week of holiday is now almost over. We are taking so many wonderful memories with us: the jungle atmosphere – enhanced by our accommodation in the ‘Secret Villa’, gorgeous dream beaches – we cannot name a favourite, as each beach has its own appeal, the delicious fruit drinks to cool us down at one of the many roadside bars, the tortoises… After a week on La Digue, we are now looking forward to Praslin and our new accommodation, which will certainly be less unique, but should also be less strenuous to reach.

Arrival on Praslin

The transfer from La Digue to Praslin went smoothly. We have now arrived back in civilisation. The welcome at the Bliss Hotel Praslin was very attentive and friendly. We were welcomed with iced tea and a refreshing towel. After a short wait, we were able to settle into our room in the Beach House. Air-conditioned, with sea views and once again surrounded by 4 walls, we are enjoying the comforts of the hotel and looking forward to more wonderful experiences in the Seychelles. We spent the rest of the day swimming in the pool.

Days 8 and 9

After collecting our hire car for the next few days in the morning, we immediately set off to gain our first impressions of Praslin. Driving on the left and negotiating some adventurous, steep and narrow bends demanded plenty of concentration, even from experienced drivers like us. Once we arrived at Anse Lazio, we settled down beneath a palm tree despite the light drizzle and enjoyed the magnificent beach, as well as by far the longest and most enjoyable swim of our holiday. No stones, wonderfully soft sand beneath our feet, turquoise water, lovely waves that were not too strong, and the occasional larger fish swimming close enough to touch made bathing in the sea a unique experience. Anse Lazio is therefore one of our firm favourites! On the way back, we made brief photo stops at various bays and enjoyed the wide variety of views. Praslin is different from La Digue, but no less appealing – that was our conclusion after our first outing on the island.

In glorious weather, we set off on the excursion to Curieuse Marine National Park that we had booked through SeyVillas, followed by a snorkelling stop at St Pierre Islet.

With a small group of just 5 people and calm seas, the short crossing was very pleasant. By around 09:30, we were one of the first groups to arrive and were able to admire the magnificent tortoises and their young in their natural habitat, undisturbed and at our leisure. We then followed the nature trail through mangrove forests to Anse St. Jose, where we enjoyed a wonderful swim in the sea after the strenuous, sweaty walk. This was followed by the barbecue included in our booking, which unfortunately did not meet our expectations: to us, it felt like a conveyor-belt affair without any personal attention.

We would not book it this way again. The snorkelling stop was once again in a magnificent setting and was fine, with our boat guide keeping watch. Unfortunately, we had also expected more from the underwater world than it ultimately offered. We had to search for quite some time to find a modest number of colourful fish. But that is simply how nature works – it does as it pleases. Perhaps it was also due to the large number of people snorkelling at this spot? On the other hand, we saw some fantastic underwater rock formations. In our opinion, snorkelling in the Seychelles is nowhere near comparable to the Maldives – but the wonderfully diverse natural surroundings here more than make up for it.

Snorkelling on a day trip to Curieuse

Days 10 and 11

Once again, the weather was at its best today, and we visited the Fond Ferdinand nature reserve. Our guide, Julia, gave us an entertaining explanation of the special characteristics of the Seychelles’ ‘coco de mer palm’, as well as plenty of other information about the rainforest. We really appreciated that the nature park was not crowded and that we could take plenty of time to explore it at a relaxed pace. After climbing more than 700 steps, the excursion was rounded off by a magnificent view of the surrounding islands. We took some fantastic photographs and could have stayed at the viewpoint forever .

We ended this wonderful day with a refreshing swim at Anse Boudin – a peaceful, pretty bay with smaller rock formations. On the way back, we stopped at Island Coco Enterprises. We were given a brief insight into how coconuts are processed and bought a few small souvenirs to take home: delicious coconut jam, coconut oil and cinnamon. A tiny shop run by a local – just the sort of place where you are happy to buy something.

On day 11 of our holiday, we explored the north-western tip of Praslin. After a brief visit to the ‘Black Pearl Gallery’ – the shop is tiny, and its selection did not tempt us – we continued to Anse Georgette. Our hotel registered us 2 days in advance, allowing us to gain access through the Lemuria Resort. We liked this bathing bay just as much as Anse Lazio. Swimming in the large waves over the fine sandy seabed was quite an experience and great fun. Unfortunately, the rain that arrived soon afterwards put a slight damper on our beach excursion. As the rain became heavier, we returned to the hotel in the early afternoon, where we finally had the chance to make full use of our balcony overlooking the sea.

The final 3 days of our holiday…

With uninterrupted sunshine again today, we drove our hire car to Anse la Blague for our final day. The journey there was rather adventurous, taking us up and down hills along a narrow road. Once we arrived, we were greeted by wonderful tranquillity and spent a very relaxing day swimming at the almost deserted beach.

Steady rain set in again overnight and stubbornly continued until midday. Our pre-booked morning massage therefore came at just the right time, and we enjoyed the soothing relaxation. Later, we walked a short distance along Grand Anse in front of our hotel and had to admit that this beach is not attractive. It was full of seaweed, muddy, unpleasant-smelling, hardly inviting as a place to linger and barely suitable for swimming. It was a good thing that we had a hire car over the last few days, allowing us to reach Praslin’s magnificent beaches. We cannot say how well this would have worked by bus.

In the afternoon, it was time to pack our suitcases. We had spent 2 wonderful weeks on holiday in the Seychelles. We enjoyed magnificent beaches, the fantastic tortoises and much more besides. We also liked the Bliss Hotel: the service was very friendly throughout, the atmosphere was very pleasant, and the food was tasty. We only felt that the interior was beginning to look a little dated. A refurbishment would certainly be advisable in the longer term. We were now also looking forward to being home again. We shall see where our next long-haul trip takes us. Our departure day turned out to be a very long one. Unfortunately, a late check-out was not possible, so we had to vacate our room by 10:00. Our transfer to Praslin Airport was not scheduled until around 15:00. However, we were able to remain on the hotel grounds. Thankfully, the rain cleared during the morning, so we spent some time by the pool.

Our transfer arrived on time, and the flight from Praslin to Mahé in the small propeller plane was a lovely end to our trip Domestic flight.