A Holiday for the Heart
Not everyone is lucky enough to spend 3 weeks in paradise. Our trip to three islands in the Seychelles was truly wonderful. White coral-sand beaches, fantastic diving experiences and hospitable people were what made the holiday so special for us.
On Praslin, visiting the national park, the Vallée de Mai, was one of the highlights. Our German-speaking guide, Roy, spoke passionately about the Coco de Mer palms, as well as the rainforest’s other plants and animals. As we travelled by public transport, we naturally also struck up a few conversations with locals, which gave us an insight into life and society there. We saw stingrays at the nearby beach, Anse Volbert. However, carefully entering the water ensured that we did not disturb them.
We also took a wonderful excursion to Curieuse Island, within the Curieuse Marine National Park, where we visited the giant tortoise breeding centre, enjoyed a fantastic barbecue and went on a snorkelling trip to St Pierre Island.
La Digue impressed us with its dreamlike beaches and enchanting granite rock formations. The best way to explore the island at a leisurely pace is by bicycle. Both our accommodation (Anse Grosse Roche Beach Villa) and the hike to Anse Cocos , including a detour to the Caiman Bar, were simply fantastic. Visiting the vanilla plantation and seeing the many flying foxes were further highlights of the trip.
The third island, Mahé, was completely different again: more populated, larger and with plenty of restaurants. Here, we went on several dives with Atoll Divers, including dives at two offshore wrecks. We saw an incredible variety of fish, as well as sea turtles and even a whale shark gliding beneath our boat. Very impressive. We were also able to reach other beaches by public transport. However, anyone wishing to drive around the island will definitely need a hire car on Mahé. We visited Sunset Beach, where we once again enjoyed some wonderful snorkelling. The beach also lives up to its name, with a magnificent sunset.
The food was very good on all the islands and usually consisted of fruit, fish and salad, accompanied by breadfruit or rice. Of course, we also enjoyed the occasional Takamaka cocktail while watching some of the many sunsets. The transfers between the islands were very well organised by SeyVillas, and we always received friendly welcome messages via WhatsApp. Everything was easy.
The holiday offered relaxation and adventure in equal measure. Life in the Seychelles can be quite minimalist if, like us, you opt for self-catering rather than staying at a hotel with full board. It is a very good way to discover how little you actually need and what the truly important things in life are. What matters is spending your time well and enjoying the moment.
We felt safe and welcome everywhere we went. We are glad to have met so many locals, who gave us different perspectives on the country and its people. We also enjoyed fresh fruit such as papaya, passion fruit and star fruit, as well as fresh fish. Whether from the supermarket or one of the fruit stalls, we were able to enjoy fresh produce everywhere.
Above all, however, we appreciated the openness, warmth and helpfulness of the local people. Whether Hindu, Christian or Muslim, people of all nationalities live together peacefully here. All in all, it was a holiday that touched our hearts. Thank you very much for organising everything, SeyVillas.
