It’s been 6 months since our Seychelles trip and we still haven’t gotten over the nice beaches, relaxed atmosphere and beautiful nature. So here a quick snapshot of all the great places to visit on each of the three main islands. Check out the blog post below more details and some woderful restaurants to eat local food.

Car rental

We rented a car in both Praslin and Mahe to explore the islands. If you consider renting a car, ask a few quotes by email. Do not rely on the resort organising one for you as this will be more expensive. We were in contact directly with the company in Praslin and they are really flexible: they delivered the car to our resort and we dropped it off at the jetty, before boarding the boat to La Digue. On Mahe we rented directly at the airport for the entire stay.

We had a car for 3 days out of the 5 spent on Praslin and it was more than enough. It is a small island and distances are not huge so you can easily drive around it in about one hour. The road crossing the island is quite steep and the southern part a bit narrow but it is generally easy to go about.

Our top 3 favourite activities in Praslin

1. Beach hopping – why Praslin is known for

Praslin is a compact island with several outstanding beaches. Some are easier to reach than others. We could not hike for hours due to my pregnancy but we still found pretty awesome stretches of sand and blue waters.

Our favourites were:

Anse Georgette

for the fact that it felt secluded and natural. No one day trippers make it that far. It was also easily accessible from the Constance Lemuria resort.

Anse Lazio

for the rock formations. Wider and busier, with some boat traffic and one-day trippers from other islands. Here we had the best snorkelling as the water is calm and there are no currents. In July, the beaches in the North are better protected from the Trade winds.

Anse Volbert

as the only one where you could have lunch or a drink in the cafes lining the sand. I can recommend Cafe des Arts for both drinks and a tasty lunch.

2. UNESCO heritage Vale de mai. Here you can see the rare coco de mai trees growing. The entrance price may be a bit steep but it is a lovely area to walk in. You get a map and can choose between three walks, between 1 and 2 km in length. You can also hire a guide for 50 Euros that can walk with you for an hour and explain about the indigenous flora and fauna or join a group tour. We just walked around ourselves admiring the nature and the landscape. There are boards with information about the indigenous plants and animals all along the paths.

3. Day trip to one of the nearby islands. Curieuse is the closest to Praslin and it has a giant tortoises farm and amazing snorkelling off Baie Larraie. This is the most popular for families and all hotels can arrange day trips, usually combining Curieuse, Cousine and St Pierre. You can organise your own water taxi or join a trip from the beach in Anse Volbert.

If you do not have any nights booked on La Digue, you should definitely add a one day trip there from Praslin as it is a lovely island and only 20 min by ferry.

As with Praslin, the main attraction in La Digue are its beaches. Anse Source d’Argent is really unique for its rock formations and worth your time, even if only for a couple of hours. We also loved chilling in Anse Severe but the waves were too strong for snorkelling. If you want to have lunch on the beach, grab a pizza to go from Le repair. The restaurant is about half way between the ferry terminal and the Anse Source d’Argent.

If you do decide to give La Digue a couple of days, the beaches on the East of La Digue are blissfully uncrowded. Also, there is some lovely coves to be reached if you are fit for some hiking. Finally Nid d’Aigle is the highest peak on the island with lovely views. For dinner, we can recommend the food in Combava, the restaurant of the domaine de l’Orangeraie.

After so many blissful beach days, Mahe will provide a chance to peak into the day-to- day life of the locals. There area beaches too but there is much more to explore compared to the other islands. Also, there is a great opportunity to sample local food.

Top 5 experiences in Mahe:

1. Visit the Wednesday bazar in Beau Vallon. That is a great opportunity to sample local food from many of the stalls lining the shore. There is a chilled vibe, creole music and cocktails sold out of car’s trunks. Try the red snapper on the grill and enjoy mingling with the locals.
2. Walking around Victoria, visiting the market and the botanical garden. It is a compact little city, there is a Hindu temple and a natural history museum. The city clock is a landmark of sorts with its intricate metal work. Also, the old courthouse deserves a look.
3. Visit the Takamaka Rum distillery and try the lunch menu at its restaurant la Plaine St Andre. You ca try different types of local Rum and even buy some in their gift shop. The restaurant has some delicious creole dishes, best enjoyed o the porch of an old colonial house and overlooking a beautiful garden. This was some of the best food we had In Seychelles.
4. Drive the West Coast and stop at Petite Anse for a swim. You have to enter the Four Seasons Resort to reach Petite Anse. After the guards let you in, it is about 15 min walk from the gate on a paved road. We also suggest checking out Anse Takamaka on this road trip.

1. Visiting the Morne Seychellois National Park. There are many nature walks but better use a guide to make the most of your time. As was getting pretty tired because of the heat we only drove around the lush hills and peaks. If you like hiking, it looked pretty awesome.

If touring the island’s East Coast with kids, you will also find a big play ground in Anse Royale, about 200m after the local hospital and facing the church. For a bite on the East Coast we recommend the Surfers Beach Restaurant where you can dine on fresh seafood with you feet in the sand.

Too tired after running after the kids and feasting on fresh fish? There are great reasonably priced massages at Peppermint Beauty and Spa in Beau Vallon. I followed the recommendations from our receptionist and enjoyed it just as much as the double priced one in Constance Lemuria.

Also in Beau Vallon are a few restaurants that deserts stop. For Indian food, the Makek is pretty tasty. We had a lovely dinner on the beach at La Plage. Finally, the Boat house had good fish burgers for lunch.

Seychelles’ strong points are definitely the beaches and clear blue waters so allow for plenty of time to relax and do not forget your snorkelling gear!

Happy travels!

CGK