Seychelles: Snorkelling, Hiking and Relaxing – Our Memories to Last a Lifetime

We – Marko (51), Katja (43) and our two sons, Tim (20) and Noah (16) – had an incredibly lovely and memorable time together in the Seychelles. We stayed on Mahé and La Digue because we thought that, after such a long journey, we did not want to stay on just one island. This was a very good decision, as both islands are beautiful but also quite different. On both islands, we opted for guest houses rather than hotels. Breakfast was included at both. Absolute MUST-HAVES are sturdy footwear, water shoes, a diving mask and snorkel, and, last but not least, microfibre towels (all the usual beach towels simply do not dry here because of the high humidity).

Our journey began on Mahé. We had a hire car for our entire stay here, which we can highly recommend, as it gives you complete flexibility to do whatever you fancy at any time and adjust your plans at short notice … Please note that traffic drives on the left throughout the island. Some of the roads are quite narrow, so you need to watch out for oncoming traffic, but overall the roads are fairly good. The blue island buses always travel at quite a pace, something we were warned about as soon as we arrived and collected our hire car. It is nothing to worry about – simply give way and leave them plenty of room.

Day 1: Arrival, collecting our hire car and driving to our accommodation, Captain's Villa. We received an incredibly warm welcome, were given lots of useful information and tips, and settled into our small accommodation with a bedroom, living room, kitchen and bathroom.

The ‘house beach’ is about a 1-minute walk away and left us speechless. We had not expected such a dream beach. WOW.

Dinner at Surfers Beach Restaurant, which serves everything from curries and sandwiches to pizza, so there is something for everyone.

Day 2: A wonderful breakfast at Captain’s Villa. Fresh fruit (bananas, papayas, coconut, mango …), freshly cooked eggs (in every possible variation) and pancakes. There is something to suit every taste. Then we were off to the La Louise viewpoint, which offers lovely views of Eden Island, before continuing to Eden Island itself. Eden Island has a marina and a small shopping centre with a supermarket and several little shops (PLEASE NOTE: almost everything is closed on Sundays). We then visited several beaches: Anse Royale, Fairyland Beach (Relax Beach), Au Cap, Anse Royale (with a brief stop at the church), and Anse Intendance (which really is absolutely stunning and beautiful). We also visited Anse Takamaka Beach, where we took a break at the beach bar and enjoyed a cold drink with our bare feet in the sand. The beaches are heavenly: white sand, coconut palms and turquoise water. It truly is unbelievably beautiful.

Day 3: After another fantastic breakfast, we set off for Anse Forbans before continuing to the spice garden, Le Jardin Du Roi Spice Garden. There is an admission charge, but there is also plenty to see and learn about: vanilla, nutmeg, pepper, pomelos, star fruit, custard apples, bananas … We then continued to the Port Glaud waterfall. There is a path leading through the mangroves and on to the waterfalls, and this route is free of charge. There is also another route, but it crosses a road for which you have to pay a fee. The walk through the mangroves is quite manageable, although sturdy footwear is essential. We were guided by a very friendly local, whom we gave €5 afterwards. As an added bonus, we were also given a freshly opened coconut. Our final stop of the day was the Takamaka Rum Distillery . Free guided tours are offered daily. They last around 1 hour and are very informative and entertaining. Our guide was an absolutely hilarious woman. We can highly recommend it to everyone, and there is no pressure to buy anything at the end; it is all completely optional.

Takamaka Rum Distillery

Day 4: After a hearty breakfast, we set off on 2 trails today. The first was Morne Blanc. Sturdy footwear is also a MUST here. There is quite a climb, and we certainly worked up a sweat. When we reached the top, we were a little disappointed to find ourselves in thick fog. However, as it was extremely windy, we only had to be patient for a while, and after around 15 minutes we were able to enjoy a magnificent view. From there, we continued to the Copolia Lodge Trail , where sturdy footwear is once again a MUST.Copolia Trail There is an admission charge for this trail, but it is worth it. The climb was also quite demanding and left us sweating, but it was definitely worthwhile. We were greeted by a wall of fog here too, but less than 5 minutes later, we were treated to a magnificent view of Eden Island. Beautiful. Here is a fantastic dinner TIP: Perry's Grillz – the fish was a dream .... Everyone was incredibly friendly and welcoming, and the food was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. We all loved it.

Day 5: Today we went swimming at Port Launay Beach. The water was a little choppy and murky, but there were still a few fish to see. We then continued to Anse Soleil. There are 2 really sweet, charming restaurants right on the beach. But BEWARE, they are quite expensive. We just had a drink and then carried on.

Day 6: The weather was not quite as good today, so we headed to the capital, Victoria. There is a fairly large free car park by the harbour, and from there we walked into the city, through the market, to the temple and past ‘Big Ben’ ... After no more than 2 hours, we had had enough and headed back to the beach. First Anse Etoile and then Beau Vallon. Beau Vallon is quite touristy and very busy. It was too busy for us.

Day 7: Today we headed to the Rock Pool/Ros Sodyer. Rock Pool, Ros Sodyer, Mahé The route is not particularly easy, and you absolutely must pay attention to the tides. You can only swim in the Rock Pool at low tide and when the sea is calm. Otherwise, it is extremely dangerous, as the waves can sweep you out into the open sea. Unfortunately, we were unable to swim, but the views alone made the trip worthwhile. The route starts at Chez Batista Villas on Takamaka Beach. We then spent our final evening at Perry’s Grillz because we had enjoyed it so much there, and once again we absolutely loved it.

Day 8: Departure for La Digue. We left our accommodation, returned the hire car and boarded the ferry. As our ferry did not depart until 16:30, we were allowed to stay at Captain’s Villa for as long as we wished at no extra cost. We then headed back to Eden Island, continued to Victoria and boarded the ferry. The crossing takes around 1.5 hours, with a brief stop on Praslin. On La Digue, we were met and taken to our accommodation, Chloe's Cottage. Once again, everyone was incredibly warm and friendly, and everything was very clean. Dinner was from Zerof takeaway. Very, very tasty and extremely affordable.

Day 9: There is another absolutely delicious breakfast here, served directly on our little ‘balcony’. Fresh fruit, eggs and a different treat every day (pancakes, baked bananas, vanilla cake...) – we are in paradise. Today, we are heading to the beaches: Grand Anse, Petite Anse, Anse Cocos and Anse Caïman. Grand Anse, La Digue

There is also a rock pool and a lovely little beach bar at Anse Caiman. We treated ourselves to freshly made juice here. It was not exactly cheap, but absolutely delicious and incredibly fresh. Dream beaches are on today’s itinerary too: blue skies, turquoise sea, coconut palms, enormous rocks... A DREAM Dinner at Le Repaire, an Italian restaurant serving excellent traditional pizza.

Day 10: So, from today onwards we are getting around by bicycle. The island is quite small, but cycling is considerably quicker, and all our swimming things fit easily into the bicycle basket and are much easier to carry. Today, we are heading to L'Union Estate. There is an admission fee, but you can buy the wristbands the day before, which saves queuing in the morning. It is quite busy here until around 12 noon, as there are lots of day visitors, but it becomes quieter after that. Be sure to walk along all the beaches right to the far end.

Anse Source d'Argent, La Digue

The further you walk, the fewer people you see. There are lots of beautiful spots where you can linger, whether in a hammock, on a swing or simply on the sand. While walking along the beach, you can actually spot quite a few fish here too.

Tonight, we had dinner at Belle Vue. We were treated to a fantastic view of Praslin. The whole evening is not cheap, but a transfer from the accommodation to the snack bar is included, as is the return journey after dinner. It is an incredibly steep climb on foot. We would not recommend cycling there either, as you would probably arrive completely drenched in sweat. For dinner, we had our own little buffet served at our table, with lots of different dishes to help ourselves to. Very authentic and delicious.

Day 11: Today, we are cycling all the way around the island. Anse Gaulettes, Anse Grosse Roche, Anse Banane, Anse Fourmis – all wild beaches that are not suitable for swimming because the currents are too strong, but they are wonderful to look at. Anse Patates is suitable for swimming, and we stopped here because it is phenomenal – absolutely beautiful.

Then we went snorkelling at Anse Severe. While walking through the water, we came across a ray and lots of other colourful fish too. We simply could not stop marvelling at everything. The Bikini Bottom beach bar also has two enormous tortoises visiting, which you can stroke. We watched a beautiful sunset here. Dinner was at Zerof.

Day 12: Today, we are heading back to Anse Severe. BEACH DAY. Wow, the underwater world is absolutely beautiful, and there is so much to see. The ray comes by again too.

Anse Severe, La Digue

Day 13: Today, we are heading through L’Union Estate Park once more to visit the wonderful beaches. The weather is very changeable, and we get caught in a rain shower. The water is now much warmer than being on land in the rain. But never mind – sunshine follows rain, and that is true here too. Our final dinner is at The Black Bull Cafe. Excellent fresh fish and absolutely delicious burgers and curries.

Day 14: Our final day on La Digue. At 17:00, we take the ferry back to Mahé, followed by our flight to Frankfurt via Dubai.

Conclusion: A beautiful, incredibly impressive and unforgettable dream holiday lies behind us. It is indescribable, and even if it sounds very sentimental, we were guests in paradise.