Among palm trees, granite boulders & the most beautiful I do of our lives – our Seychelles journey

On the evening of 27 April, our journey to paradise began: we flew with Emirates from Frankfurt, had a short two-hour stopover in Dubai and arrived in the Seychelles feeling relaxed around midday on 28 April. Immigration was completely straightforward, our suitcases arrived quickly, and we were soon able to leave the airport terminal and set off on our island adventure. We had applied for our travel authorisation online in advance – €10 per person – and only had to show it briefly at the airports together with our ID – all very relaxed. We took a taxi from the airport to our accommodation, Fler Payanke, near Anse Royale. Our first impression: exactly as shown in the photos – spacious and modern, with a fantastic view across the jungle towards the sea in the distance. One particularly useful touch was that large water containers were provided in the accommodation, so we did not have to worry about drinking water. Check-in was also pleasantly straightforward. The host was very friendly and helpful. Once we had unpacked, we headed straight to Anse Royale Beach, arriving at around 16:00. The tide was already quite high by then, so there was not much of the beach left to see. However, we found a comfortable spot at the nearby beach club, had a drink and watched the first waves roll in – the perfect start to our holiday. Back at the accommodation, we had a pleasant surprise: our hire car, which we had actually booked from the following day through SeyVillas, was delivered to us that evening. This meant we could drive straight to a small local supermarket and pick up a few things for breakfast. In the evening, we ordered dinner from the takeaway that works with the accommodation. Delivery cost an extra €8, but it meant we did not have to head out again after our journey – very convenient. The food was decent and the price was perfectly reasonable. All in all, it was a great start to our Seychelles holiday: stress-free, well organised and with accommodation that delivered exactly what we had hoped for.

We started early on our second day, with the aim of exploring the east and north-west coasts of Mahé. Our first stop was Anse aux Pins , a pleasant little beach that is good for a quick photo stop – although we did not want to linger there. We continued via Beau Vallon– which did not particularly appeal to us – to the starting point of the Anse Major Trail near Bel Ombre. We parked our car near a bus stop, although in hindsight we could have driven a little further. The walk can be quite challenging, particularly in strong sunshine, but the scenery is beautiful. Aerial view of Anse Major The Anse Major Trail itself is in a stunning location, but it should not be underestimated on an empty stomach and in the heat. It took us around 1.5–2 hours, including breaks. At the end, you are rewarded with the beautiful Anse Major bay, with turquoise water and fine sand. Drinks are available to buy on the beach. We had brought our own snacks. For the return journey, we took the boat taxi (€10 per person), which brought us straight back to the small harbour. The driver was incredibly friendly, and it was very welcome not to have to walk back – especially as we were still a little exhausted from the journey. In the evening, we continued to Sunset Beach – an idyllic little beach with a perfect view of the sunset. Afterwards, we returned via Victoria and the coastal road to Au Cap, stopping at the large STC Hypermarket along the way. It is very well stocked and ideal for picking up everything you need for the days ahead. It was a long but wonderfully varied day, filled with nature, beautiful views and an atmospheric end to the evening by the sea.

The alarm went off early again on our third day – this time, we had planned a beach-hopping tour along the west coast of Mahé. Our first stop was Anse Intendance – and this beach more than lived up to our expectations. For us, it was the most beautiful beach on Mahé: turquoise water, the finest sand, lush palms and huge granite boulders – exactly how we had imagined the Seychelles. After a few hours enjoying the sunshine and sea, we continued to Anse Takamaka. This beach was also beautiful, but for us it did not have quite the same wow factor as Intendance. Our final stop was Anse Soleil – another lovely, peaceful beach with impressive rocks. We stayed here for a while too, before making several photo stops along the mountain road on our way back to take in the spectacular views. Back at our accommodation, we enjoyed a relaxing end to the day, happy to have discovered some of the island’s most beautiful beaches.

Today it was time for our first island transfer. At around 08:30, we set off for the harbour so that we could return our hire car on time at 09:30. The handover was completely straightforward and punctual – a smooth start to the day. Beforehand, we had driven through the jungle for a little while to soak up the natural surroundings once more. We then had to sort out our ferry crossing. We had bought the tickets online in advance from seaferry. It is worth knowing that you first have to exchange your voucher for a ticket, while ideally the second person should already join the correct queue to check in the luggage. Be aware that there are two queues – one for luggage going to Praslin and one for La Digue. It all seemed a little chaotic, but there were plenty of staff on hand who were friendly and happy to help. Although it was rather busy, we arrived without any problems. The ferry to Praslin took about an hour. From there, we continued directly to La Digue after a brief stop to change ferries. After another 15 minutes or so, we reached our next destination – and were immediately approached by a bicycle hire operator, who not only rented us two bicycles (€10 per day) but also delivered our luggage to the accommodation. Our accommodation, Bois d'Amour, was only around 10 minutes from the harbour, set in a beautifully landscaped garden with coconut palms, fruit trees and even a Coco de Mer. The little wooden cottages were very charming, spacious and well equipped – unfortunately, only the oven did not work. Apart from that, we would definitely recommend it. The staff here were also very friendly, and everything was beautifully decorated with flowers. Bois d'Amour That afternoon, we headed straight out to explore our first beaches. Anse Réunion, just south of the harbour, did not win us over, so we cycled on to Anse Severe in the north of the island. Here you will find not only a lovely beach with good snorkelling opportunities, which we skipped this time, but also the well-known Bikini Bottom Beach Bar – complete with a free-roaming tortoise. In the evening, we returned to our accommodation to freshen up briefly before heading to Le Repaire (Le Repaire Boutique Hotel). We both had pizza, which we can highly recommend – it tasted excellent and was fairly reasonably priced.

Our fifth day in the Seychelles began early – and for good reason: we had decided to visit Anse Patates, having already heard so many positive things about it. We arrived at around 9.00 am – among the first people there – which was absolutely worth it. The beach may be small, but that is exactly what gives it its charm. For us, it was the most beautiful beach on La Digue: crystal-clear water, plenty of shady palm trees, wonderful rocks, a peaceful atmosphere and good snorkelling conditions too We were lucky enough to secure the spot beneath the three palm trees at the beginning of the beach – a real highlight. We spent the day snorkelling, sunbathing and happily doing nothing – exactly how you imagine a holiday in an island paradise. In the afternoon, we returned to our accommodation to get changed, as we had something special planned for the evening. We cycled to L’Union Estate Park – a useful tip: if you arrive after 4.00 pm, your ticket is also valid the following day. L'Union Estate Park This meant we could still watch the sunset at Anse Source d’Argent – one of the most beautiful places on the island and exactly the right moment for something very special: We got engaged there – at sunset in one of the most beautiful places in the world Us at Anse Source d’Argent An unforgettable moment for both of us. We rounded off the evening in style with a three-course meal at Le Nautique. The food was excellent, and we particularly recommend the steak. A perfect end to a day we will probably never forget.

The next morning, we made our way back to L’Union Estate Park. This time, we took the time to admire the giant tortoises living there in a large enclosure. The park itself is ideal for a leisurely cycle ride – and is certainly worth visiting for nature and plant lovers. We particularly liked the coconut palms, vanilla plants and the generally peaceful atmosphere of the grounds. Afterwards, we returned to what is probably La Digue’s best-known beach – Anse Source d'Argent. This time, we found a spot nearer the middle, on one of the small stretches of beach where a little bar sells fresh fruit and juices. If you buy something there, you can use the sun loungers beneath the trees – a real advantage in the tropical sun. As we were once again the first to arrive, we had our pick of the spots. We spent many hours there looking out over the crystal-clear water, surrounded by granite rocks, turquoise waves and a gentle breeze. You can also join various kayaking tours from here if you wish – we deliberately decided against it and simply enjoyed a relaxing day at the beach. That evening, we went to one of the small shops and stocked up on fresh ingredients. Back at our accommodation, we cooked for ourselves and ended the evening with a few games on the terrace – completely unhurried and enjoying time to ourselves. We definitely recommend visiting Mama Mia, where you can buy delicious Italian cold meats, as well as the bakery on La Digue, which sells toast, baguettes and the sweetest baked treats. Overall, however, self-catering is more difficult on La Digue than on Mahé – and a little more expensive too.

Today, our tour took us to the south-eastern side of La Digue. We first cycled to Grand Anse – a large, open beach with beautifully coloured water but fewer shady spots. The sky was overcast, so the water and sand did not glow as impressively as they do on sunny days. Even so, it was great to watch the large waves. From Grand Anse, we continued on foot – a little beach-hopping adventure along the coast. Our next stop was Petite Anse. The route there takes you through a short stretch of jungle and over a small hill, and takes around 10 minutes. The beach is much larger than its name suggests – white sand and an impressive bay. From there, we continued straight on to the next cove: Anse Cocos – our personal highlight of this short hike. The path there is a little more challenging than the one to Petite Anse, but you arrive after around an hour in total. Once there, you will find a truly beautiful beach with a special atmosphere: peaceful and spacious, with a small stall selling fresh juices and cocktails – and even freshly caught grilled fish. It is the perfect place to relax for a few hours, read or simply enjoy the moment. In the afternoon, we set off back along the same path through the jungle, once again enjoying wonderful views and seeing plenty of wildlife. Overall, the route from Grand Anse to Anse Cocos is highly recommended for anyone who likes to be a little active and experience nature. Back at our accommodation, we took things easy: reading, playing games and putting our feet up. In the evening, we picked up something from Gala Takeaway – it tasted fine, but compared with other restaurants, it is not a must.

On our final day on La Digue, we deliberately wanted to take things easy while still revisiting one of our favourite places: Anse Patates. So we set off fairly early again that morning to secure the perfect spot beneath the three palm trees once more Just as on our first visit, the beach was simply beautiful – peaceful and charming, with wonderfully clear water and that classic Seychelles postcard scenery. We spent the entire day there: swimming, sunbathing, reading and relaxing – exactly what you would wish for on a final day on La Digue. In the late afternoon, we returned to our accommodation, cooked ourselves a light meal and ended the evening on the terrace as the sun slowly set A relaxed, carefree farewell to an island that truly captivated us with its laid-back atmosphere and natural beauty.

The following morning, it was time for our second island transfer: we checked out of our accommodation on La Digue at 10.00 am, but were still able to spend a leisurely hour on the terrace before our bicycle hire provider, who was also transporting our luggage, accompanied us back to the harbour. While our luggage was taken ahead, we cycled leisurely behind – and still had around 45 minutes to wait at the harbour before the ferry to Praslin departed at 12.15 pm. The crossing was calm and short – after only around 15 minutes, we reached our next destination. Several taxi drivers were already waiting right by the harbour, so we had no trouble taking a taxi to our accommodation at Côte d’Or Beach. A real highlight awaited us there: Myra's Self Catering Apartment – our absolute favourite accommodation of the entire trip. The apartment was huge, modern and thoughtfully designed. It had an enormous balcony with sun loungers, a dining table and a sofa, as well as a fantastic view over the village, the beautiful natural surroundings and the sea . The bathroom was also excellent, and the kitchen – including a fully functioning oven – left nothing to be desired. Although there were a few steps to climb to reach the accommodation, the views and facilities more than made up for it. After checking in, we freshened up and walked down to Anse Volbert (Cote d'Or) – a long, pale sandy beach with pleasantly shallow water. Although it lacked the typical granite boulders, the sea was incredibly warm – in some places warmer than the air. That evening, we stocked up at the small local supermarkets, cooked for ourselves and enjoyed a peaceful evening with sea views from our terrace. Overall, we had hoped that Praslin would offer more options for self-catering – something as convenient as on Mahé – but unfortunately, that was not the case. We did not book the accommodation through SeyVillas, but it is listed there and was also recommended to us.

We had booked a tour to the islands of Curieuse and Saint-Pierre in advance for this day – and looking back, it was one of our favourite activities of the trip. The provider was Infinity Charter Seychelles, a relatively new company with excellent online reviews – and we can wholeheartedly confirm that these are well deserved. The entire crew were fantastic. We set off directly from Côte d’Or Beach, less than a five-minute walk from our accommodation – although we had not known this beforehand, so we arranged to be collected. Next time, we would simply walk the short distance. The tour began with an approximately 10-minute boat ride to Curieuse Island (Curieuse Marine National Park) We landed at a beautiful beach with clear, turquoise water, where we were immediately greeted by a special resident: a tortoise named ‘Obama’, who lives there alone and has found his own little retreat. From there, we set off on a roughly 1.7-kilometre hike across the island to the second beach and dining area. Although we had not booked the barbecue, we were still offered soft drinks, beer, bananas – including red ones – and dried fruit. Our guide was excellent – knowledgeable, entertaining and very attentive. Along the way, we learnt a great deal about the island’s wildlife and plant life, mangroves, medicinal plants and conservation project. We were particularly fascinated by the many large red and blue crabs that could be seen all over the island. When we reached the other end of the island, a little paradise awaited us: a wide stretch of beach with dozens of free-roaming giant tortoises that visitors could feed and stroke. At each of the two beaches, we had approximately 1.5 hours of free time to swim, walk or simply relax. For us, snorkelling around St. Pierre was the real highlight of the tour – rather than the tortoises at the second beach. After the short onward journey to Saint-Pierre, just 10 minutes away, we enjoyed a leisurely snorkel all the way around the island – with plenty of time, clear visibility and a great variety of marine life. We saw large shoals of fish, turtles, a ray and many colourful fish. Those without their own equipment can easily hire some there – although we had brought our own. We then returned to Côte d’Or Beach. This time, we skipped the return transfer and took a leisurely walk back to our accommodation, where we collected our second hire car – everything was straightforward, and the car was even an upgrade compared with the one we had on Mahé. We would definitely recommend hiring one, as the island is larger than you might think and a car makes many things much easier. That evening, we tried the small pizzeria nearby – Lemaire Pizzeria & Takeaway. The prices were very reasonable, but unfortunately, neither the pizzas nor the burger impressed us in terms of flavour – although the cake was delicious.

For this day, we had planned to explore the north of Praslin – more specifically, the highly praised Anse Lazio. When we arrived at Anse Lazio, we were not disappointed: crystal-clear water, fine sand, gently curving palm trees and imposing granite boulders – a true Seychelles postcard scene Hanna in the water at Anse Lazio For us, it was definitely one of the most beautiful beaches of the trip. We treated ourselves to a sun lounger each for approximately €10 per person, with the option of ordering fresh juices and soft drinks. As we had brought our own breakfast, we were able to enjoy the whole day without spending much extra money. The beach was not only stunningly beautiful but also pleasantly peaceful – ideal for relaxing, reading, swimming and simply enjoying the moment. Towards evening, we made our way back to our accommodation, cooked for ourselves and enjoyed a relaxing end to the day.

We wanted to spend our final day in the Seychelles somewhere truly special: at Anse Georgette – one of Praslin’s most exclusive beaches. Access is only possible through the grounds of the five-star Constance Lemuria resort, so we had to register by email in advance. The confirmation arrived quickly, although nobody actually checked it when we got there. The car park is located just outside the resort, and from there it is an approximately 25-minute walk through the hotel’s extensive golf course to the beach. The route is hilly and scenic, but in the sun it can be quite strenuous in places – and contrary to some claims, most of it is certainly not shaded. When we arrived at Anse Georgette, we were immediately rewarded once again: crystal-clear, brilliantly turquoise water, fine sand and small palm trees – for us, it probably had the most beautiful water of our entire trip, alongside Anse Patates on La Digue and Anse Lazio the previous day Hanna at Anse Georgette Once again, we treated ourselves to two sun loungers (€15 per person) – not exactly cheap, but absolutely worth it to us, especially as we would be leaving straight afterwards and did not want to be covered in sand. Unfortunately, there is no outdoor shower for day visitors, which was a little disappointing. In the afternoon, we began our journey home. We drove the hire car back to the harbour along the coast, returned it there without any fuss – as always, everything went completely smoothly – and prepared for the crossing to Mahé. The 17:30 ferry was quite full this time, and the sea was noticeably rougher than on our previous crossings – several passengers felt unwell. Those prone to seasickness should take a travel sickness tablet beforehand. After arriving on Mahé, we continued directly to the airport by taxi. This was another seamless transition. We spent a few more hours there before our Emirates flight took us back to Frankfurt via Dubai – tired, but full of impressions and memories of a trip we will never forget.

Mahé – diverse, green & underrated Mahé is the largest and most diverse of the Seychelles islands – and it pleasantly surprised us. We had initially planned it more as a stopover, but the island turned out to be a real highlight, with its mountainous landscape, fantastic viewpoints and numerous beautiful beaches. Anse Intendance, Anse Major and Anse Soleil in particular remain especially memorable. Mahé also offers the best infrastructure, good shopping and plenty of activities. Looking back, another day or two there would have been ideal.

Praslin – relaxed & close to nature We also really liked this medium-sized island, although we did not explore quite as much here as we did on Mahé. It feels like a smaller, quieter version of Mahé – with equally beautiful beaches, but fewer shopping options, which we missed a little. However, it is easy to get around by hire car. For us, Anse Lazio and Anse Georgette were among the most beautiful beaches of the entire trip – both absolutely stunning, peaceful and perfect for swimming and relaxing. We could easily have spent another day or two here as well.

La Digue – charming, laid-back & our favourite For us, La Digue was the island with the best vibe. Everything is within cycling distance, and the atmosphere is easy-going, relaxed and wonderfully unspoilt. There are only a few shopping options, but plenty of good restaurants and takeaways. The beaches – especially Anse Patates, Anse Source d’Argent and Anse Cocos – are breathtaking. La Digue touched us most with its tranquillity and authentic character, making it our personal favourite. We felt that 5 days here was plenty, but we would gladly have stayed longer.

Overall impression Altogether, we paid around €5,000 for absolutely everything – flights, accommodation, cars, ferries, food, drinks and activities – for 12 days and 2 people. That is our usual budget for a long-haul trip. The Seychelles impressed us not only with its dreamlike beaches, but also with its spectacular natural scenery, pleasant atmosphere and incredibly friendly locals. It is a trip that will stay with us for a long time.