"Island and beach holiday but more than Maldives, ideally."
"Don’t have time to apply for a complicated Visa process."
"Can we go somewhere in Africa? Somewhere close-ish where we don’t waste time on travel?"
All these conversations led us to Seychelles, the archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa.
Experiences at the trip
Chill, Hike, Beach hopping, Snorkelling, Cycling, Ferry Rides
Duration
7 Days
Itinerary Highlights
Day 1: Arrival in Mahe, Check into an Airbnb Self Catering
Day 2: Beach Hopping in Mahe
Day 3: Beach Hopping/Hiking/Snorkelling
Day 4: Mahe - Praslin
Day 5: Day Trip to La Digue
Day 6: Praslin
Day 7: Praslin-Mahe-Return
Favorite Beaches
Mahe: Petite Anse, Anse Soleil
Praslin: Anse Lazio
La Digue: Anse Source D' Argent
Favorite Places to Eat
Mahe: Beach Shak, Kafe Kreole, Baobab Pizzeria, Wooden House Cafe
Praslin: Island Pizzeria, Cafe Des Arts, St Pierre Beach Restaurant
La Digue: Chez Jules Restaurant, Reggae Bar
Day 1:
Our flight from Mumbai had been delayed by a day by the airlines and landed in Mahe Via Air Seychelles on a crisp October morning. We had booked a small hatchback automatic car from Hertz and opted to pick it up from the airport and drove to our little self-catering B&B.
Self-catering is an Airbnb which comes with a kitchen, rooms, and a hall. It is a popular form of stay option in Seychelles, often cheaper than the swanky hotels and resorts.
We stayed at Red Coconut, and locating the place was a tad bit tough. We reached there, and our host, Lenny, showed us around the property. Our room came with a stunning balcony with a sea view, and the view of a small pool. We also had access to a kitchen, a hall, and dining area. We made ourselves some good old Maggie, took a small nap, and stepped out to the other side of the island. Beau Vallon is the happening side of Mahe, cafes, buzzing streets, a lot of tourists, and fun beachside shacks.
Spent the evening seeing one of the best sunsets at this happening beachside bar called Beach Shak, listening to a live African music band. Ended our day with one of the best pizzas we’ve ever had: Baobab’s Pizzeria, a local and small pizza joint in Beau Vallon.
Day 2:
It was a crisp day with the bluest sky, and it was a perfect day to do some beach hopping. We started with what is often described as the local's favorite beach in Mahe. 'Petite Anse', nestled inside the Four Seasons resort, is definitely one of the best beaches we've ever been to. All the beaches in Seychelles are accessible to everyone; there can be no private beach. You've got to pass through the hotel and trek a good 20 minutes down to see this stunning beach. Sometimes, a kind employee on a golf cart might offer you a ride back.
As you get close to the beach, you see all shades of emerald, turquoise, and it's outstanding. Snorkeling here is great too. We spent a lovely half-day inside the water, snorkeling, and chilling. The sand was soft, the marine life was great, and it was one of the cleanest beaches. Our second beach was Anse Intendance. Rocky and choppy, this beach used to have a lovely bar called Summer Bar, but it was shut when we went and did not look operational. We went to have a late lunch at one of the nicest restaurants called Kafe Kreole and got some lovely veg options as well. Post that, we spent a quiet time at the famous Anse Royal beach.
We saw a lovely sunset from a beach, Anse A La Mouche, near our Airbnb. It was really special because it was just us on the whole beach. This is something that happens a lot in Seychelles. You always tend to have places to yourself. We got back to Red Coconut and chilled with a few other people from different parts of the world as we all made our dinner.
Day 3
"Your favorite beach in Mahe"
One of the guests at Red Coconut suggested Anse Soleil, saying it was a lovely beach. Anse Soleil is very close to Petite Anse but without the trek through the Four Seasons Resort. So we packed a picnic lunch and snorkels and went to Anse Soleil, where we spent a whole afternoon in and out of the water. This was our last day in Mahe, and we wanted to spend the evening at Beau Vallon. We arrived just after sunset and found a lovely cafe where we enjoyed a great dinner. We had imagined that as vegetarians, we would hardly get good food in Seychelles, but we were so wrong. We found great options from Italian to local cuisine.
Day 4
We booked a ferry ride to Praslin from Mahe through Cat Cocos. We dropped our car at the port and boarded the ferry, taking economy seats and sitting inside the air conditioning. The journey was a quick one-hour trip. We were unsure about hiring a car in Praslin, but we found a vendor who let us hire one at the port, and we drove to the resort we had pre-booked. Praslin is smaller than Mahe, but this island has so much to offer. We stayed at Coco De Mer & Black Parrot Suites, which was a 15-minute drive from the ferry. The resort was stunning, and we didn't want to leave. They had a separate vegetarian menu, which made us really happy. We had a relaxed holiday, something we both so badly needed: eat, sleep, see the sunset, enjoy a candlelight dinner by the ocean, and spot the Milky Way. It was a good night.
Day 5:
We took a Cat Cocos ferry again, this time to the tiny island La Digue. This island is a short 20-minute ferry ride from Praslin. Here’s the interesting thing about La Digue: no motorised vehicles are allowed, except for the occasional golf cart from hotels. It’s so tiny that you can cycle around the whole island in less than an hour. It houses one of the world’s most photographed beaches, Anse Source D’Argent. You can rent a transparent kayak and see the corals beneath as you paddle away.
As soon as we landed, we hired two cycles. Always remember to test them before you leave the cycle shop. We rode to the famous Anse Source D’Argent Beach, which is a public beach nestled inside a national park. There is an entrance fee of €5 per person. On the way to the beach, you can also see some of the oldest living beings on the planet: the famous tortoises. Some of them are over 140 years old, and you can feed them some grass under the supervision of their caretakers.
We reached the beach, and unpopular opinion but we didn't like it as much. It was also a semi-cloudy day, and the water wasn’t as blue. We rented a transparent kayak and saw the corals beneath as we paddled away, which was very cool. The last boat out of La Digue was at 4 pm, and we had to get back for the same. We wish we could have seen a sunset from La Digue, and if we had an additional day, we would have stayed back at this little island.
Day 6
Often described as the world's best beach, Anse Lazio is a truly untouched beauty. 'Bring your flippers and snorkel gear, the bustling reef just off shore at Anse Lazio Beach will bring you up close and personal with hundreds of rainbow-coloured fish. Whether it is your first time or you're a snorkel pro, you'll find water and reefs at your comfort level.' – Ana M, Travel Writer.
We reached Anse Lazio on a crisp day at 9:30 am and had the beach almost to ourselves. The waves were just right, and we spent more than 4-5 hours in the water. We spotted a lemon shark, and it grazed past us. If you want to see it, wait for it near the waves. We ended the afternoon with a glass of fresh juice, which was one of the most refreshing things ever.
We had lunch at a local pizzeria and ended the day chilling on the hammock, watching a spectacular sunset with a cocktail. We love to slow down during the holidays
Day 8:
It was our last day in Seychelles, and we had a flight later that night from Mahe. We had booked the ferry to Mahe via Cat Cocos, leaving at 2:30 pm from Praslin two days before.
We checked out of the hotel, left our luggage at the reception, and went to visit Valle De Mai, the smallest UNESCO World Heritage site. Towering palm trees until the horizon, this forest in the middle of a small island is considered the real Garden of Eden. A lush wilderness home to a remarkable family of flora and fauna, Vallée de Mai in Praslin is one of the best nature reserves and is home to the famous Coco de Mer, found only on the island of Praslin. Coco De Mer, resembling a human butt, is the largest seed in the world. We hired a guide who took us on a tour and told us about the different endemic flora and fauna inside the forest. It's a perfect activity to do on a cloudy day when the beach colors aren't the best of blue.
After the tour, we had our last lunch in Seychelles at a pretty beachside cafe and headed to the port to leave our car. Seychelles was one of the nicest beach vacations we've been on. It has the right amount of beach, small city, cafes, pubs, sunset spots, hikes, forests, and makes for a great eight-day trip place. :)
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