New Year 2016 on Cerf – Seychelles
Perhaps it was the cold, or our enduring longing for sunshine and the sea, but in December we decided to search online for our destination for New Year 2016. SeyVillas made the choice easy: we were looking for a peaceful location surrounded by nature, where we could snorkel straight from the beach and which was within easy reach of the international airport. We found it at the Fairy Tern chalet on Cerf Island, Seychelles.
When we arrived on Mahé, our driver was waiting punctually for the transfer arranged by SeyVillas to take us to the Fairy Tern chalet. We opted for accommodation only, as there is a supermarket on Eden Island, Mahé’s marina, which is 10 minutes from Cerf by speedboat. If you stay at Fairy Tern, James will take you to Eden Island free of charge at least once.
The chalet – we stayed on the upper floor – is very spacious and well furnished, with air conditioning and ceiling fans. The kitchen is fully equipped, while the bathroom has a bidet as well as a large shower. The cleanliness is impeccable.
Without a doubt, the part of the chalet we appreciated most was the veranda, where we ate almost every meal in the delightful company of colourful little birds that showed no fear at all.
Wendy and Kevin, the chalet’s owners, live just a few dozen metres away. Their kindness, helpfulness and utmost discretion were exceptional and, together with SeyVillas, made our holiday truly unique.
They welcomed us with a cocktail when we arrived. In the kitchen, we also found fresh eggs, bread, butter, water, milk, coffee and tea – in short, everything we needed for our first American-style breakfast.
During the week, we decided to take an excursion to Moyenne Island. James took us there in his boat; it is 15 minutes from Cerf. The island is full of giant tortoises and offers beautiful spots, small unspoilt beaches and truly spectacular views. You can also enjoy fish grilled on the beach.
We went snorkelling both at Cerf and Moyenne. The seabed is not as rich as in the Maldives, but it is still a fascinating sight. Cerf also has the advantage of being able to reach the reef directly from the beach, right beside Fairy Tern.
We made good use of the Christmas present we had received: a waterproof smartphone case. It was great fun to ‘capture’ so many wonderful underwater memories.
Cerf is an island that is easy to explore on foot. Its most beautiful side is precisely where Fairy Tern is located. Kevin has two canoes available for guests, so we chose to explore the island by canoe.
The hidden island of Ile Cachée is also very beautiful and can be reached on foot from Cerf at low tide or by canoe. You cannot explore the interior because it is a protected park, but it was certainly a pleasure to land on its little unspoilt beach and take a dip in the warm waters of the Seychelles.
Back at Fairy Tern, the wooden gazebo in the private garden was a very relaxing and useful spot between sunbathing sessions. There are also some beautiful orchids that Kevin is very proud of!
Guests have comfortable wicker sun loungers, as well as plastic beach loungers that we would move down to the water’s edge to enjoy the view and the sea breeze. Whenever our skin needed cooling down, a shower built into a tree in the garden made it very pleasant to freshen up from time to time.
What more can we say? The days simply flew by!
We had a wonderful experience with SeyVillas: without a doubt, it was a fantastic holiday, and we hope to do it all again soon!
