10 days in Seychelles: what you can see and do.

10 days in Seychelles: what you can do

My trip to Seychelles was a dream come true. I spend there two weeks, but I did a lot of relaxing and coming back to the same places, so my trip probably could be done in 10 days rather than 14. If I had 10 days, I would stay 3 days in Mahe, 4 days in Praslin and 3 days in La Digue.

Here are the highlights of the trip

Mahe

Most people I talk to that Mahé as a one-day stop for a quick visit. I really enjoyed this island (possibly slightly more than Praslin). It has many amazing beaches, perfect for long walks.

We arrived in Mahe early in the morning, picked up a car (hired one at the airport, which was really quick, but as we were told, it’s not always the case). We travelled to Seychelles the first week the country opened again to tourists, you can read more here what was it like to go there during pandemic.

We planned to stay 3 days in Mahe, but I would have stayed a day more.

Favourite beaches in Mahé:

Anse Intendance– so amazing that we went there twice. It’s perfect for sunsets, walks and playing with big waves. It has a little hut bar with drinks and it’s a perfect beach to spend the whole day at.
Anse Soliel
Beau Vallon
Anse Forbans
Petit Anse- small but a really beautiful beach at Four Seasons hotel. You can access walking only and it is a steep walk from the parking.

Top things to do:

Morne Blanc Trail- there are many options for trekking trails in Mahe. I did one of the shorter ones that ended up with the view like in the photo below but what I really went there for was trying to spot one of the smallest frogs in the world…without success, but locals swear that there are many of them.
Snorkelling and diving
Visit one of the smallest capitals in the world and see the Clock Tower- a mini replica of the Elisabeth Tower in London.
Market in Victoria
Take a scenic helicopter flight
Anse Major trekking trail
Seychelles National Botanical Garden
Visit Eden island
Morne Seychellois

Praslin

I had very high expectations of Praslin since everyone I met mentioned how impressive the island is. I must admit that I got left slightly disappointed after 6 days there. I guess that the main reason for that was travelling to Praslin being biased already with expectations. Everyone talked about Anse Lazio and how beautiful it is and for me, it was one of the least impressive beaches in Seychelles. The highlight of the island was for me the walk in the Valle de Mai and endless road trips. The roads are quite charming with sea view on one side and vast vegetation on the other ( I especially liked the side of the island where Chateau de Feuilles is).

There two ways to get to Praslin: boat or plane. We opted for the latter since the ferry schedules were not what we wanted and we were warned that the ride can be choppy. While we don’t tend to get sea sick, after a very long and adventurous boat trip in Maldives, we decided to go for a plane.

The domestic flights are by tiny planes- 12 people only. Naturally, only small luggage can be taken. Not a problem for us since we always travel with hand luggage only, but even this was too big to take aboard and had checked in.

Favourite beaches in Praslin:

Anse Lazio- seems to be a favourite beach of most visitors. It is pretty, I have to give it that, but a few others can compete with it.
Anse Georgette- my absolute favourite beach. This beach can be accessed either from Anse Lazio (a bit of a trek, so avoid doing it in the middle of the day unless you are well protected from the sun since there’s not much shade) or through the golf course of Constance Lemuria hotel. I think during our stay we went there 3 or 4 times- that’s how pretty it is.
Anse Volbert
Cote d’Or beach
Anse Consolation

Top things to do:

Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve- my absolute favourite activity in Praslin. This rain forest is not very big, but I loved every part of it because of the palm trees with the biggest coconut in the world- Moco de Mer.
Fond Ferdinand Nature Reserve
Praslin National Park
Play golf- Constance Lemuria hotel has an incredible golf course that I walked through a few times to get to Georgette beach.
Take a trip to Curieuse Island- even though I spent a week in Praslin, somehow going to this island did not happen (I blame the stunning beaches that called me to just relax and maybe the fact that some locals mentioned that the reefs are bleached around Couriese).
Have dinner in Les Rochers restaurant- the food is good, but what makes this restaurant so great is the terrace and a dining space at the beach. It’s actually perfect for a sunset dinner or drinks. It was probably the nicest restaurant in Seychelles we went to.

Top tip:

Locals warn not to go swimming after sunset, especially in Anse Lazio and Georgette as there were very sporadic shark attacks in the area.

La Digue

The most idyllic island. La Digue is in my very biased and personal opinion the most beautiful island when it comes to the beaches. You’ve probably seen pictures of the infamous Anse Source d’Argent. While is it a beautiful beach, it is also the most popular one with not only tourists that stay on the island, but also visitors coming from Praslin on a one-day trip. It can get more crowded than on other beaches. While it is totally worth spending some time there, do not limit yourself to only this beach. Grande Anse beaches are much more beautiful and Anse Coco scored in my book 10 out of 10.

Top things to do:

Anse Source D’Argent & Grand Anse Beaches-long walks, sunbathing, playing with waves and just neverending relax
Vanilla Plantation
Biking
Snorkelling, diving and kayaking

Top tip:

When parking your bike, make sure that it is secured properly and nothing is left if the basket. What happened to us (a silly joke of school kids that apparently is very common) is that a small part (screw, I think) of the bicycles was removed from the handlebar, which I didn’t notice until a few minutes into riding and almost crashed because I couldn’t steer the bike.

Practical stuff

Moving around

Mahe and Praslin are big enough so a car is rather needed. There are also public buses available, however, during the pandemic tourists are not allowed to take public transportation in Seychelles. La Digue is very small and while you can walk to most places, a bicycle can be the best option. I’d recommend hiring a car for more flexibility, just bear in mind that most roads are quite arrow.

If you plan island hopping, there’s a ferry service between island as well as flights between Mahe and Praslin. We chose to fly from to Mahe to Praslin and back and take a short ferry to La Digue from Praslin.

There are a few ferry companies and you can buy tickets in advance or get a ticket at the dock in Praslin or Mahe, this gave us move options that we could not see online.

Water: Tap water is safe to drink in Seychelles, but it is quite chlorified, so you might prefer to choose bottled water. We drank water from the tap and didn’t buy any botted water unless it was given to us in restaurants or hotels.

When to go: Seychelles is a great destination year round, but for the best weather go there in April through May and October through November.

Card payments: Cards are widely accepted across the country, however in some places U dollars or Euros are preferred and can be used for payments. Keep some rupees handy as well and depending on your bank, it might be best to withdraw local currency from the cask amchine once there.

Currency: The currency in Seychelles is Seychellois rupee. $1 USD is approximately equavilent to 12.80 rupees.

Where to stay in Seychelles

We stayed in a few different hotels on the three islands. These are our favourites and a few recommendations that we would choose another time:

Dhevatara Beach Hotel (Praslin)– we stayed in this hotel 4 nights and it was an amazing experience. It’s specifically designed for couples and kids are not allowed, so tranquillity is for granted. Besides, it has access to the beach- it’s not the best one in Mahe, but a plus if you want to for a sunset swim near the hotel.

Chateau de Feuilles– (Praslin)-this hotel was our last in Seychelles. It’s located on the south end of Praslin on top of a hill with an incredible sea view. It doesn’t have direct access to the beach, but it was our favourite hotel. It’s a complex of small villas with a few pools, a hidden jacuzzi on the very top, and lots of space to explore and relax in peace. The staff working there is the loveliest and the most attentive but at the same time respect your privacy. I don’t remember when last time I felt so spoiled in a hotel. They grow most of their own food, they even have hens roaming around for fresh eggs for your breakfast.

Villas de Jardin– (Mahe)– a beautiful complex of small villas set on a hill overlooking the sea. We got a very comfortable apartment with an outdoor (and indoor) shower, amazing terrace and all the facilities that you might need even for cooking, which during pandemic this was a great choice.

Constance Ephelia –(Mahe)– This hotel is a more luxurious option in Mahe. It’s a beautiful place with a beach.

Le Domaine de L’Orangeraie– (La Digue)- this hotel is for you if you want to have rest and relax at its finest. It offers spa treatments and it is very well located (but La Digue is a very small island, most places are well located).

Enjoy your trip.

Love,

Ania

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