Family Holiday in the Seychelles
A family holiday in the Seychelles. Does that work? After all, surely it is only honeymooners who come here to enjoy some romantic time together. We asked ourselves the same question before our trip.
By ‘we’, I mean my wife Maria, our 11-year-old son Luis and me. Admittedly, honeymooners were in the majority, but that did not bother us in the slightest. We had planned to spend 14 days relaxing in beautiful surroundings. What we got was an absolute dream holiday, filled with experiences that will stay with us for a lifetime. The nearly 800 photos we took will make sure of that. And despite our concerns before travelling, even our wallets were still happy by the end of the holiday.
But how did we manage it – especially with a child? It was only on Praslin that we treated ourselves to a hotel for four nights. Despite its prime location within walking distance of the fast-ferry terminal, the spacious room with breakfast and a wonderful view of the bay cost only around €145 per night for the whole family. That is not much when you consider the price of an overnight stay in the centre of a major German city, even at the weekend. You might assume that the hotel could only offer this price if it were overflowing with guests. Not so. We encountered other tourists by the pool only once. The rest of the time, we had the pool and sunbathing area entirely to ourselves.
On La Digue and Mahé, we opted for self-catering accommodation. From what we could tell, there seems to be more and more of it available in the Seychelles. Those who book early can choose from a wide selection and stay in centrally located properties. At around €120 for three people, the price was very reasonable. We made sure that the accommodation was relatively new or had recently been renovated. As a result, we had no problems with the air conditioning, the rest of the furnishings or, most importantly, cleanliness.
Speaking of problems, the Seychellois do not seem to know the meaning of the word. Everything may happen at a slightly slower pace, but once you embrace it, even as a stressed Central European, you begin to appreciate the soothing effect of slowing down. Self-catering was also our solution for Luis, who is not particularly fond even of German cuisine. In addition to making breakfast, we therefore cooked in our well-equipped apartment kitchen about once a day. After all, pasta with sauce tastes the same all over the world. At lunchtime, we often picked up food from the tried-and-tested takeaway stalls by the roadside. The generous combination of meat, vegetables and rice tasted excellent and cost just €5.00 per dish.
One thing you should not economise on is a hire car. Mahé and Praslin may have extensive public bus networks, but getting around by hire car is far quicker and more convenient. We soon became accustomed to driving on the left and enjoyed exploring the islands in air-conditioned comfort, stopping wherever the breathtaking scenery demanded a photo. And there are countless subjects to photograph. Even after two weeks, we never tired of the dozens of picture-perfect beaches. Yet the Seychelles also have unique sights to offer inland. We were thrilled to see the coco de mer, the world’s largest seed, which can weigh up to 18 kilograms, in the Vallée de Mai National Park on Praslin, and to discover rainforest and tea plantations in the heart of Mahé. Here too, the hire car saved us a great deal of time and perspiration.
Our conclusion: a holiday in the Seychelles does not automatically have to be a luxury holiday. Simply follow our tips and opt for self-catering.
