A Dream Getaway
Our longing for summer, sunshine, dream beaches and turquoise-blue seas made us want to visit the Seychelles. Once my husband and I had agreed that we wanted to venture on a trip to these islands, I started researching online to find out which islands would suit us, which meal plan made sense, what type of accommodation would be right for us, and so on. I quickly realised that we needed help to make this trip as wonderful as I had already imagined it.
I came across SeyVillas online and, looking back, I can say that our 12-day trip was wonderfully stress-free despite the transfers between 3 different islands. Thanks to the brilliant planning beforehand, we did not have to worry about a thing.
After a flight of around 10 hours with a stopover in Doha, we arrived on Mahé. We had left Germany in rainy weather at 5°C and landed in glorious sunshine and 30°C. The airport on Mahé is fairly small, and once we had collected our luggage, we were greeted straight away by representatives from Creole, who took us to our accommodation. We had chosen the Bougainvillas Seychelles apartment and were more than happy with our decision. We were welcomed with fresh juice as soon as we arrived. Our warm and friendly host showed us around the very spacious and well-maintained accommodation. Each morning, we were treated to a delicious breakfast served in our apartment. Whether we had questions about excursions or hiring a car, our host was always happy to offer advice and assistance. The accommodation was outside the centre, so hiring a car is recommended. There was a kiosk, restaurants and several takeaways nearby.
After inspecting the accommodation, we spent the afternoon exploring the local area on foot and visited Anse Bougainville, which was within walking distance.
We decided to enquire about an island tour, and no sooner had we done so than a guide was arranged for us for the following day.
After our generous breakfast, our guide from Ocean Blue Travel collected us promptly. The tour was scheduled to last 8 hours, and we were free to plan the day entirely according to our wishes. As we wanted to experience Mahé as authentically as possible, we asked our driver to show us his favourite places.
The car was very well maintained, we were provided with water throughout the day, and our guide introduced us to the nature, people, culture, wildlife and food of the Seychelles. We particularly enjoyed visiting the market. We are so glad that we took this tour! To round off the day, we visited the Del Place Restaurant. Wonderfully delicious food and a fantastic view.
Now we wanted to set off on our own, explore the forest and find the Rock Pool that we had admired in so many photographs. We had read plenty of directions online beforehand and felt confident about our route. We started at Anse Intendance. We reached the beach in our hire car, which our host had arranged for us that morning.
At first, there were small signs that we followed, but eventually we were relying solely on tracks we could see on the forest floor. After hiking through the jungle for 1½ hours, we decided to turn back. Just as we had made that decision, a young Seychellois man came towards us. He must have realised that we had already been walking for quite some time and very kindly asked whether he could help. We explained our plan and, after laughing, he replied, ‘You would never have found it on your own.’ Without hesitation, he set off ahead of us and showed us the way. We realised that we had not been too far off track after all, but we genuinely would never have found the route by ourselves.
When we arrived at the Rock Pool, we were amazed. Mr Gusto, as the local man called himself, jumped from the rocks into the pool and explained what we needed to look out for. We had a wonderful day with the self-proclaimed Mr Gusto and laughed a great deal. We have rarely met people as happy and content as those here in the Seychelles!
We wanted to see even more of Mahé and, as our fourth and final day on Mahé had begun, we decided to hike from our accommodation to Anse Capucins. We used the walk as an opportunity to see more of the natural surroundings and beaches. We had downloaded an offline map of the island beforehand to help us find the way. Unfortunately, there are no signs here either. After around 2½ hours, we reached the wild beach. Once there, we were surprised by a heavy rain shower, and this time it was not a brief one. We sheltered for a while before deciding to set off on the return journey anyway. It was fascinating to see how quickly the rain transformed the surroundings. On our way back, we suddenly came across numerous small waterfalls and streams of rainwater, allowing us to experience the same route in a fascinating new way.
Tired but very satisfied, we reached our accommodation around midday and decided to refuel at the nearby takeaway. On the way back, we stopped by the Takamaka Rum Distillery . A short tour of the grounds followed by a rum tasting made the day perfect!
It was now time for us to move on to the next island. We took the ferry to Praslin, where we would spend another 3 nights at the Oasis Hotel, Restaurant & Spa.
It was a truly lovely hotel with comfortable rooms, a large bathroom and attractive grounds. For us, it was the perfect base for our planned excursions. We spent the rest of the day by the pool, enjoying the sunshine.
After a good night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast at the hotel, we set off for Anse Georgette. To reach this beach, you have to cross the golf course at the Constance Lemuria hotel. We had enquired by email the day before and received permission to cross it. There was a bus stop not far from our hotel, and from there it took around 15 minutes to reach the bus stop directly outside the entrance to Constance Lemuria. Travelling by bus in the Seychelles is an experience in itself and well worth doing.
The walk across the truly beautiful golf course takes around 40 minutes before you reach what we consider to be the most beautiful beach on Praslin.
Before sunset, we headed back to the bus stop for the journey to our hotel. We were sitting at the bus stop waiting for the bus when a car suddenly pulled up beside us. Some holidaymakers from the Netherlands asked whether we would like a lift in their hire car. We did not hesitate and gladly accepted their very kind offer.
This gesture only strengthened our feeling that the friendliness and helpfulness of the local people rubs off on holidaymakers.
Poor weather had been forecast for today, but it never materialised. We decided to visit the Praslin Museum, which was also very easy to reach by bus. When we arrived, we were welcomed with a refreshing drink and fresh fruit. It is a private museum, and the owner himself gives the tour. The tour lasted around 30 minutes. We learnt a great deal about the local flora and fauna, fed fruit bats and tortoises, learnt how to open and eat coconuts properly, and much more.
Afterwards, we cooled off at the beach opposite, Anse Volbert (Cote d'Or). All the new impressions had made us hungry, so we decided to visit the restaurant I had already read so much about. The Les Rochers Restaurant & Boutique (with a bus stop directly outside) is a beautiful place with wonderful views and attentive staff. The food was delicious, and we thoroughly enjoyed the evening.
It was now time to pack our suitcases and travel onwards to the last of the three islands. I was already incredibly excited about this island and hoped I would not be disappointed. Our transfer took us to the ferry, and the crossing lasted just 15 minutes.
Our accommodation, Villa Creole, was only a few minutes from the ferry port.
The property consisted of 4 really lovely little bungalows and was situated close to the sea.
We decided to spend the rest of the day exploring L'Union Estate, which also provides access to Anse Source d’Argent. The path through the park leads past tortoises, an old cemetery and a vanilla plantation. On our way back, we picked up some bread from the nearby supermarket and, after eating, fell into bed.
Today it was time to get on our bikes and explore the island. What a wonderful experience. Dreamlike beaches, restaurants and bars, and the unique natural surroundings were just some of the many things we admired. You can hardly believe your eyes when, within just a few metres, you first encounter a tortoise crossing the path, followed by a cow grazing by the roadside, and then go swimming alongside peaceful dogs.
We have a dog ourselves, and I was concerned when I read before our trip that there were quite a few stray dogs in the Seychelles. However, I must say that I have rarely seen animals so well cared for and peaceful, so my concerns were unfounded.
We enjoyed the sunset at Bikini Bottom Bar.
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One of La Digue’s best-known beaches is Anse Marron. I had already read a great deal about this beach, and now I wanted to see it for myself. I found a guided hike online and booked it for today. My husband did not particularly fancy hiking for 6 hours in temperatures above 30°C and humidity of over 80%, so he preferred to spend the day by the pool. I therefore set off with our guide, Michelle, and 9 other holidaymakers. A strenuous hike over the cliffs, through the water and across rough terrain brought us to the long-awaited beach after around 2 hours. But the hike there was already a real highlight in itself. Michelle showed us rare birds, giant millipedes and much more.
As we had already seen so many dream beaches over the previous few days, I hoped I would not be disappointed. My efforts were rewarded with a truly unique beach. The rocks form a kind of natural pool where we were sheltered from the waves and currents. Many fish also use it as a refuge, which made snorkelling here more than worthwhile. After around 2 hours, it was time to continue our hike, and a further 2 hours later we arrived back at our starting point. For me, this was one of the highlights of the holiday! After the trip, we replenished our energy with a takeaway near our accommodation. We really appreciated how easy and affordable it was to get fantastic food from takeaway outlets on all the islands.
Unfortunately, on day 11 it was time for us to return to Germany. We were kindly allowed to remain at our accommodation until our transfer collected us. We took the ferry first to Praslin and then onwards to Mahé.
We used our time at the airport to reflect on this unforgettable holiday. From beginning to end, we felt completely at ease in the Seychelles. From the transfers to the accommodation, everything was simply perfect for us!
