The Three Main Islands

As a family of four, we once again decided to escape all the Christmas stress and the cold by simply flying somewhere warm. Of course, the Seychelles are not the only option, with many other destinations to choose from. However, these small islands have very good flight connections and are relatively affordable compared with other destinations. They are also very close to the equator, which makes the weather particularly favourable.

Our journey began with a flight to Dubai, where we changed onto our connecting flight to Mahé. That was where the adventure began. As we had 10 days available, we decided to visit the three largest islands. However, our tour did not begin on Mahé, as you might expect, but on the slightly smaller island of Praslin. We travelled between the two islands on a domestic flight, which was well worth the money. You fly at a very low altitude, giving you fantastic views across the sea and the beautiful islands this country has to offer.

On Praslin, we stayed at the Beach Villa Guesthouse. The accommodation is run by an Austrian and his Seychellois wife and is very welcoming.

It was also right on Grand Anse beach, which was almost deserted. If you love peace and solitude, you certainly cannot go wrong here. As for the beach, it was simply picture-perfect.

As it is a kind of bay and the water remains relatively shallow for some distance, it was correspondingly warm. We spent hours floating in the water, and within just a few minutes, our family’s everyday stress had simply melted away. As we also wanted to explore the island in more detail, we spent one day at Vallée de Mai National Park, which is very close by and easy to reach by bus.

It is a must for every adventurer and nature lover. The rather high admission fee may make you wonder whether it is really worth paying, but afterwards we did not regret spending a single penny.

We then took the ferry to the even smaller island of La Digue. Cars are a rarity there, and everything is easily accessible by bicycle. We therefore decided to look for a fairly central hotel so that we could visit a different beach each day. That is why we chose the Chateau Saint Cloud. As mentioned, it is a centrally located hotel with a swimming pool. One thing I particularly liked was that the hotel has its own tortoise enclosure. On one of our bicycle rides, we were even surprised by a tortoise roaming freely.

It was an experience that will probably remain a treasured memory for the rest of our lives.

We spent our final four days where our journey had begun: on Mahé. As these would be our last sunny days and our last time off for quite a while, we decided to make the most of them and simply relax. Our hotel was the Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay. It is situated on the wonderful Beau Vallon beach, which stretches for several hundred metres.

Unlike Praslin, there is a little more going on here. In my opinion, though, it made for a pleasant change.

All in all, it was a wonderful, relaxing and well-organised holiday. I can wholeheartedly recommend both the organisation and the Seychelles in general. It truly is paradise!