Winter Holidays in the Seychelles
The four of us visited the Seychelles during the winter holidays, in the rainy season and therefore the low season. On Saturday morning, we flew from Hamburg via Zurich to Athens. On Tuesday evening, we then flew via Qatar to Mahé and continued from there to Praslin in a small propeller plane.
For the final leg to La Digue, we took a ferry. When we arrived at our hotel, Le Repaire Boutique Hotel, we spent the rest of the day relaxing on the beach and by the hotel pool after the long journey, as the time difference meant it was midday again.
The next morning, after a very tasty breakfast, we hired bicycles. La Digue is so small that there are hardly any cars, so almost everyone gets around by bicycle. We cycled to L'Union Estate, a nature reserve with a beach. On the way there, we fed the giant tortoises kept in an enclosure. The beach we eventually reached was beautiful and almost deserted.
On the way back, we saw some more tortoises, although these were sitting in the gardens of local residents.
The following day, we cycled to Petite Anse. Apart from a few other people, we had this beach almost entirely to ourselves as well. Although there was a brief spell of rain later on, the weather soon turned lovely again, and the water was crystal-clear and turquoise. As the weather was not ideal in the evening either, we ate at our hotel restaurant. The Italian food was delicious.
The next day was quite strenuous, as we travelled partly by bicycle and partly on foot to Anse Caïman. On the way there, we walked through the water, which was very tiring in the sun, but we did see crabs and sea urchins in the water. When we arrived, we bought a few drinks at the beach bar and spent some time simply enjoying the beach. We took the route over the rocks on the way back, which involved some fairly strenuous climbing, but it was still worth it. While cycling back, we stopped for a break at a beach bar.
On Sunday, we split up and did different things. Some of us spent the day at the hotel, relaxing by the pool and on the beach. The rest of us cycled to the Anse Cocos Trail, where we went swimming and enjoyed the beach and its surroundings. In the evening, we ate at the hotel restaurant again because we had enjoyed the food there so much.
At midday the following day, after breakfast, some time relaxing on the beach and packing, we took the boat to Praslin. After arriving at our hotel, we hired a car and drove to Anse Lazio, a very well-known beach. The drive was quite exciting, as we travelled up and down many very steep, narrow roads. Once we had finally made it back to the hotel, we went for a quick swim in the pool. We ended the day with a delicious dinner at the hotel restaurant.
On our first full day on Praslin, we learnt about something for which the island is famous: the coco de mer, a coconut found only in the Seychelles. It is the largest coconut in the world, has a very unusual shape and takes a very long time to grow fully.
We hiked through Fond Ferdinand, where coco de mer palms also grow. Besides the coconut, we saw other interesting plants and animals, and once we reached the top, we naturally enjoyed the wonderful view as well.
After returning to the hotel completely exhausted and drenched in sweat, we took a short break. That evening, we went for dinner at a restaurant recommended to us by a member of staff at the nature reserve.
Before flying on to Doha the next day, we visited a small beach and went swimming in the pool. We then took the propeller plane back to Mahé and flew from there to Doha, arriving during the night.
All in all, it was one of the best trips we have ever taken.
Our accommodation was simply wonderful, especially the ‘Le Repaire’ hotel on La Digue, which we booked through SeyVillas. The staff were very friendly, and our rooms were simply stunning. The hotel’s pool and beach were also lovely. Both breakfast and the food at the hotel restaurant were delicious, and we received three varieties of dried coconut as a welcome gift.
We visited gorgeous white beaches with turquoise water, watched beautiful sunsets, discovered fascinating wildlife and plant life, and met some very kind people. It was a unique experience made possible by SeyVillas, and everything went very smoothly. We would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing and beautiful holiday in the Seychelles.
