At Last, My Dream Trip Became a Reality
The Seychelles had long been an absolute dream destination for me. However, as my travel time is always very limited (I cannot be away from my horse for more than a week), the long journey had always made it seem impossible. But after spending 8 days in Bali a year ago, the Seychelles returned to my thoughts with a vengeance, and I even managed to win over my partner, who unfortunately is not keen on beach holidays and does not dive either.
Unfortunately, we were very unlucky with the weather – the islanders, like the tourists, were suffering from the ‘El Niño’ phenomenon, and we had heavy rain almost every day – although thankfully not continuously. Even so, we were rewarded time and again by the incredible beauty of the islands, the beaches, the rainforests, the plants and, of course, the underwater world. I have never seen such clean roads, beaches and seas anywhere else – it was incredible! The Seychelles are also among the very few holiday destinations where nature conservation is enshrined in law – something that is very important to me.
The people there were warm, open and helpful, but never intrusive in any way. We also thoroughly enjoyed the food. We can particularly recommend La Reduite on Mahé; it was fantastic and the setting was idyllic. It is a little difficult to reach and really only accessible by car, and of course you have to remember to drive on the left, which can be quite a challenge on the narrow, hilly roads.
All our accommodation was wonderfully attractive, clean and comfortably furnished, and all the transfers went smoothly too.
The climate was a little tiring because of all the rain, but of course it is not always like that, and I acclimatised fairly quickly. And underwater, it makes no difference anyway. My personal highlight was, of course, my dives – the snorkelling was fantastic too. And those beaches…
Unfortunately, our visit was rather too short, so we had to leave out Praslin, but the diving trip with TrekDivers also took us to the uninhabited little island of Coco Island, where we anchored and had another opportunity to go snorkelling.
Another recommended diving area is the south of Mahé, where I went diving with Leo Hoevers from New Dive Resort. Fortunately, it was very close to our beautiful hotel, Le Jardin des Palmes, in the lovely bay of Anse à la Mouche.
Another highlight was our visit to the ‘Jardin de Roi’ – a privately owned botanical garden on Mahé, which is beautifully situated and landscaped and also has a small museum and a good restaurant.
One experience that even non-swimmers and non-snorkellers should not miss is a cycle ride through L’Union Estate, a former colonial plantation where coconuts and vanilla are still grown. There is also a large open enclosure for giant tortoises. Admission costs 100 rupees and also provides access to the most beautiful beach of all, Anse Source d'Argent, whose name means ‘source of money’.
The drive on Mahé towards the Marine Park and Port Glaud was also beautiful. The road passes through a slightly marshy area criss-crossed by small canals, as well as the beach at Port Launay/Port Glaud.
One more word about the accommodation: it really was every bit as beautiful as in the photos on the SeyVillas website, and choosing between the options is genuinely difficult. Every time I look at my photos or visit the website, I immediately want to book another trip.
The only thing I would not do again is fly there with Emirates – or, if I did, I would only do so with a stopover – because sitting in Dubai for 3 hours in the middle of the night and then flying for another 4.5 hours is truly exhausting. Especially as the seats in Economy are VERY cramped. Afterwards, we still had to take the ferry to La Digue. So the journey there was tiring. But it was all worth it!! Next time, we will simply have to plan for 10 days…
So, that was it – I wish everyone travelling to the Seychelles a dream holiday, and with SeyVillas it is sure to be one!
Best wishes,
Doris
