Dream Holiday on La Digue and Praslin

Our mother-and-child trip to the Seychelles began with the Etihad flight from Frankfurt at 23:00. We had a stopover in Abu Dhabi before landing on Mahé the following afternoon. The service on board was good, and the flights themselves passed quite quickly. As it would have been rather tight to catch the late-afternoon ferry, we had booked accommodation for one night on Mahé. We stayed at Villa Caballero, around 15 minutes from the airport by taxi. The accommodation’s bungalows are beautifully set in a tropical garden with a pool. As it was high tide at the nearby beach in the afternoon and a lot of seagrass had also washed ashore, we spent the rest of the day by the pool. The Green House restaurant is just around the corner, where we enjoyed a very pleasant and reasonably priced dinner.

The next morning, we took a taxi back towards the harbour at 06:00. Looking back, if we only wanted to visit Praslin and La Digue, I would choose a more expensive flight arriving earlier next time. Taxis on Mahé are very expensive, and travelling back and forth for just one day is tiring. We eventually took the 08:00 ferry to La Digue. The crossing was very calm thanks to the smooth sea. Once on La Digue, we took a taxi to our accommodation, Badamier Self Catering. It would have been too far to walk. We received a very warm welcome from the owner with a chilled fruit cocktail. Our apartment, with a bedroom, kitchen and bathroom, was kept very clean.

Breakfast was simple but quite sufficient for us. The bicycles were kindly provided straight away, and the following day the very rickety children’s bicycle was even replaced with a mountain bike. We spent our first day on La Digue at Anse Severe and Anse Patates, before exploring the north of the island by bicycle. View while cycling on La Digue We treated ourselves to a delicious milkshake at the Bikini Bottom Bar. At Anse Severe, you can see lots of large, colourful fish while snorkelling along the rocks. After a lovely day of swimming and cycling, we enjoyed the sunset at the helipad and then went to the Reserve Restaurant for dinner.

There was a selection of dishes that could be enjoyed in comfortable seating areas on the beach. Although we mostly ate Italian food, we liked the setting so much that we had dinner there every day. For the following day, the owner of Badamier Guesthouse arranged a tour guide for us, who took us on a hike to Anse Marron.

At the agreed time and meeting point at the entrance to L'Union Estate, we set off and drove to Grand Anse. From there, we hiked around the southern tip of La Digue with two other visitors. The route took us through tropical forest, along beaches and over rocks. A good level of fitness and plenty of drinking water are essential. Climbing over the rocks is quite challenging in places, and a helping hand from an experienced tour guide is needed.

You certainly work up a sweat. My child is 10 years old, accustomed to hiking and not easily frightened, and we wore good walking shoes. He enjoyed it. On the way back, you then wade for around half an hour through waist-deep water until you reach Anse Source d'Argent. I would not recommend the route for younger children: the shorter their legs, the more difficult and dangerous it is in some places to climb over the rocks, and on the final section of the return journey, they would probably need to swim instead.

The guide helped us a great deal and explained a lot about the local plants and wildlife. It was an exceptionally beautiful tour, and the scenery there was breathtaking and uniquely beautiful. We also really enjoyed our second accommodation on La Digue, Elje Villa. It is a little more centrally located and has a garden, while the room and bathroom are very spacious and clean. There is also a comfortable shared lounge with a kitchen next door. Breakfast was plentiful and delicious, and was laid out on the terrace. Very good value for money. The owner was also very friendly and helpful. We would definitely stay there again.

She arranged a snorkelling boat trip for us, which departed from the harbour in the morning. The boat was in excellent condition, and all snorkelling equipment, life jackets and drinks were provided on board. We visited 3 snorkelling spots and travelled to a beautiful beach on the Sister Islands, which we could swim to from the boat. One of the tour guides was always in the water and showed the group turtles and reef sharks. The many colourful fish were wonderful to see, although unfortunately there is hardly any coral left. Early the next morning, we cycled through the beautiful vanilla plantation to Anse Source d’Argent. It is still quiet there in the morning. This beach has changed considerably over the past 10 years and has become very touristy. The water remains very shallow throughout the morning, and you can walk quite a long way out into the sea. For children, of course, it is ideal for paddling, swimming and practising snorkelling. Our highlight was the many large butterflyfish swimming around our legs. In the afternoon, we also visited Veuve Reserve. The flora in the small woodland is lovely, and the reserve helps to protect the Seychelles paradise flycatcher, among other species. We did spot one, but this time we could not see the many fruit bats that used to hang in the trees there.

The next day, we hiked to Anse Coco. We parked our bicycles at Grand Anse (photo 10) and walked from there via Petite Anse to Anse Cocos. The hike gently climbed and descended, mostly through shady forest, and was very easy compared with the Anse Marron hike. We set off early again so that it would not be quite so hot along the way, and apart from a handful of people, we were the only ones out walking. Thoroughly impressed, we reached Anse Coco, where there is now also a small beach bar selling refreshments.

At the other end of the beach is a wonderful natural pool with lots of fish, where we went snorkelling again. There are also shady spots there, and only a few people. That was our favourite day on La Digue. On our final day, we went swimming at Anse Severe once more. I had booked the last ferry at 17:00. We had to vacate the room by 10:00, but we were still able to use a shower in the garden. On Praslin, we took a taxi to our next accommodation, Ocean Villa. We received a warm welcome from Aylin, who was also our point of contact for arranging excursions.

Our flat was spotlessly clean and very stylish, and there were a few things in the fridge for breakfast the next day, which I thought was a lovely touch. The accommodation is right on the beach. In April, some seagrass had washed ashore there and the sea was a little murky, so it did not look particularly inviting for swimming. As there was a small communal pool, we went for a swim there instead in the late afternoon. At the weekend, we took the bus twice towards Anse Georgette, as buses ran more frequently along this short stretch at weekends. The bus journey to Anse Lazio takes just under an hour. Anse Georgette, Praslin We spent a lot of time exploring the different sections of the beach from the shore; when swimming, you should be prepared for very high waves at times.

The next day, Aylin arranged a full-day boat trip to the island of Curieuse and St. Pierre for us. The tour operator collected us from the accommodation in the morning and took us to the boat, which was anchored just a 5-minute drive away. This was very convenient, as it meant we did not have to travel back to the other side of the island. The prices were the same. With a small tour group, the boat travelled slowly along the coast of Praslin, and we were told about the scenery as we passed it. Once we arrived on Curieuse, we had 30 minutes of free time on the beach before hiking through the mangrove forest with our tour guide to the other side of the island, where the tortoises live and where the barbecue was held. We had a very friendly nature guide who once again gave us plenty of detailed information. Watching the free-roaming giant tortoises was one of the highlights of the Seychelles for my son, and he spent a long time feeding them leaves and bananas.

We then travelled to St. Pierre for some snorkelling. Beautiful, clear turquoise water and plenty more colourful fish awaited us there. St Pierre, Praslin The boat then stopped at another snorkelling spot, but we were rather tired after taking in so many impressions, so we preferred to spend that half-hour relaxing on the boat. Unfortunately, on the day of our departure, the only ferry available was in the morning, while our flight was not due to depart until late afternoon. We left our suitcase in the left-luggage facility at Praslin ferry terminal for €10 and walked to the Botanical Garden on Mahé so that we could do something enjoyable while we waited. It takes just over half an hour to walk there.

We really enjoyed it. There are lots of fruit bats in the trees, enclosed giant tortoises that you can feed and stroke, a pleasant café and beautifully planted gardens. Once back at the ferry terminal, we took a taxi to the airport, as the free transfer buses can only be used immediately before or after your own flight. A wonderful holiday in which everything went according to plan came to an end. We will definitely return one day!