Seychelles – 13 Days, 3 Islands and More Than Just Relaxation
The Seychelles – dream beaches, coconuts, crystal-clear water and relaxation. Those were the words we immediately associated with these islands. Even before our trip, we read everywhere that the people here take life slowly and enjoy it. True to the motto ‘Hakuna Matata’. And after our trip, we can wholeheartedly embrace this approach to life.
Arrival on Mahé
Our holiday began with an adventurous journey, as the airspace over Iran and Israel was closed. This meant an airport first had to be found that would accept our flight. Cyprus, Istanbul and Antalya turned us down at short notice – in the end, we went to Cairo. After several more hours that we were ‘allowed’ to spend on the plane, we finally landed in Dubai and had only a limited amount of time to change flights. We were therefore automatically rebooked onto the next flight to Mahé – long story short: we landed on Mahé a few hours late, but unfortunately our luggage did not. It was not due to arrive until the following morning.
So there we were at the airport in the Seychelles – without a bikini or swimming trunks! However, we were greeted so warmly and calmly that their relaxed attitude immediately rubbed off on us, and we stopped worrying altogether. Our first accommodation, where we stayed for 4 nights, was Blue Lagoon. Here, too, we received a very warm welcome with a fresh juice. The room was large and clean, and the service was very attentive. Breakfast was brought to our room each morning, so we could enjoy it at leisure on our balcony.
The following day, we collected our hire car for exploring the island and were able to pick up our luggage from the airport. We had never been so happy to see our luggage as we were that morning! After changing our clothes there at the airport, we drove to Victoria. And we can confirm that the guidebooks are not lying when they say you can see everything in just a few hours. Our highlight was the local Sir Selwyn Clarke Market. We also treated ourselves to our first coconut there. By chance, we found our way to the harbour, where the locals were buying their lunch from takeaway stalls. So we followed their example and enjoyed the delicious Creole cuisine together. In the afternoon, we went to Beau Vallon for a ‘refreshing’ dip in the sea and stayed to enjoy the sunset.
We spent each of the next 2 mornings hiking. First, we took on the Morne Blanc Nature Trail – 900 m, taking around 1 hour. This hike cannot be compared with any in the German or Austrian Alps. With humidity above 80%, you start sweating even when doing nothing.
The sweating is worth it, however, as you are rewarded with a phenomenal view at the end of the trail. After the exertion, we treated ourselves to a small snack at the TeaHouse and then spent the rest of the day at the beach. Port Launay is excellent for snorkelling, which we had not realised beforehand. So we were even more delighted when we spotted a sea turtle while snorkelling! What a perfect day.
The following day, we walked the Copolia Nature Trail (costing around €6 per person). This one was not quite as strenuous. Once at the top, we had views over Victoria and the airport, including a plane coming in to land. We also spent that afternoon at the beach before heading to Perry's Grillz for dinner. We can recommend this restaurant to everyone (if you do not have a hire car, the restaurant also delivers for a small additional charge). It was the perfect end to our time on Mahé.
The following morning, we were collected on time and taken to the harbour. From there, we caught the ferry to La Digue. The crossing quickly turned out to be a rather bumpy affair. If you are prone to seasickness, you should come prepared with every remedy available. We managed the crossing well, but others were even sick.
La Digue
When we arrived on La Digue, someone was already waiting for us and took us to our apartment, Granite Self Catering. We were welcomed with a fresh juice and plenty of useful information about the accommodation and the island. Sylvia went to great lengths to ensure we had a lovely stay. The accommodation was very clean and only a few minutes from the harbour.
We quickly noticed that everything here was even slower and more relaxed than on Mahé. Instead of busy roads full of cars, there were mostly small lanes and lots of bicycles! We had planned 3 days for this little island. On our first day, we still explored on foot and made ourselves comfortable at Anse Patates Beach.
The following day, we headed to L'Union Estate, now by bicycle, of course. Before leaving Germany, we had booked a kayak tour with CrystalWater in the park. The tour was not due to start until the afternoon, so we wanted to spend the time beforehand exploring the park and relaxing on the beach. And that is exactly what we did. You can cycle around the park itself, which means you can see everything quickly and have even more time to lie on the beach afterwards. Even the route to Anse Source d’Argent is beautiful. The only drawback of this beach is the stones and pieces of coral in the sand, which are not immediately visible and can easily cut your feet.
The kayak tour was absolutely wonderful! Not only did we get to see the island from the water, but we also learnt how to open a coconut and saw beautiful rock formations.
In the evening, we ate at Nature Bar&Grill. This restaurant gets 5 out of 5 stars from us. If you are on La Digue, go there! As someone who does not normally eat fish, I have to admit that the fish and octopus were my favourite dishes! This restaurant is absolutely worth a visit. Besides the food, the service was excellent and the atmosphere unbeatable!
On our third and final day, we ventured up to Belle Vue. And one thing we can say is this: if you think you are going the wrong way, then you are on the right track! And the view is worth it! After this hike, we again wanted to round off the day at the beach. So we cycled to Grand Anse, left our bikes there and jumped straight into the water. Afterwards, however, we set off on another short hike to Grand Anse, Petite Anse & Anse Cocos . There were only a few people on the beach here. Despite the large waves, it was still possible to swim safely because the water is very shallow.
Praslin
The next day, we travelled to island number 3 and therefore our final island: Praslin. The crossing took only a few minutes. As we wanted to spend more time relaxing on our final island, we had chosen a hotel offering half board, the Dhevatara Beach Hotel. On arrival, we could choose between fresh juice and Prosecco. Unfortunately, there was a power cut across the entire island, so our room was very warm and the pool pump was not working, although the problem was resolved during the course of the day. As the pool is chlorine-free, we were advised not to use it until then. We were also told to take care at the beach because there might be rays. We were a little surprised by this, as we had not heard about them before and had not seen any either.
We were looking forward to spending the day at the beach. However, when we arrived, it unfortunately bore little resemblance to a white sandy beach with blue water. Brown seaweed was a more accurate description. The hotel description mentioned that ‘there may be seaweed’, but it was very disappointing to find so much that we did not really want to go into the water.
Had we known about the seaweed in advance, we would have chosen a hotel on the other side of the island. Fortunately, although we had planned to relax, we had a hire car and could drive to other beaches. The service at the hotel was very friendly, and the staff were always happy to assist with any requests or questions. Our room was very spacious, well equipped and spotlessly clean. Unfortunately, the property as a whole was already beginning to show its age.On Praslin, we visited the Vallée de Mai and saw the Coco de Mer. We also went swimming and snorkelling at Anse Lazio. We can wholeheartedly recommend this beach.
Despite the waves, the water is so clear that you can see all the way to the bottom. It is a fantastic snorkelling spot with plenty to discover. Finally, on our last day, we took a trip to Curieuse Island. On the way there, we stopped to swim and snorkel. Once on the island, we were greeted by numerous free-roaming tortoises and enjoyed a delicious barbecue before returning to Praslin. The atmosphere on the boat was fantastic and exuberant. Everyone had fun, and by the end, even the most reluctant dancers were swaying their hips.
Conclusion
Overall, it was a wonderful holiday, and we are very grateful to SeyVillas for the excellent organisation and for always being so easy to reach, both before and during our holiday. All the transfers were punctual, and the drivers were friendly. There was only a delay with the hire car on Praslin, but this was also resolved quickly and efficiently.Anyone travelling to the Seychelles in October should check which side of the islands their accommodation is located on, as the trade winds can cause large quantities of seaweed to wash up on the beaches, as happened to us. The amount of time we spent on each island was well planned and sufficient. We were able to explore everything we wanted to see while still having time to relax.
We would also like to thank SeyVillas for being so flexible. We enquired around 3 weeks before our holiday, and you still made it possible. Simply fantastic and unbeatable. We are very happy to recommend you – or rather, we already have!