Add in sailing, conservation, wellness and a growing collection of hotels, and Seychelles starts to work for far more than the honeymoon enquiry. So, where do you start?
Recognition & Awards
Seychelles has always been very good at being a honeymoon destination. Perhaps too good. Couples have plenty of reasons to go, but with 115 islands, understanding what makes each one different opens up Seychelles to families, active travellers, nature lovers and those who travel for the food.
Add in sailing, conservation, wellness and a growing collection of hotels, and Seychelles starts to work for far more than the honeymoon enquiry. So, where do you start?
As the arrival point for most international visitors, Mahé is where a Seychelles itinerary often begins. Giving it a few days before moving on brings the country’s capital, Creole food, mountain trails and more than 60 beaches into the plans too.
Victoria is a good place to start, with its market, Creole restaurants and everyday island life. Beyond the capital, the landscape rises into Morne Seychellois National Park, where travellers can follow the Copolia Nature Trail or walk to Anse Major. Around Port Glaud there are mangroves and Sauzier Waterfall, while Mission Lodge, the famous vantage point, has spectacular sea and mountain views looking southward across Mahé.
There is more choice over where to base those few days too. Cheval Blanc Seychelles is among the latest arrivals on Mahé, alongside Canopy by Hilton Seychelles and Mango House Seychelles, LXR Hotels & Resorts. From here, travellers can continue to Praslin, La Digue or further afield, having seen much more of Mahé than the airport arrivals hall.
“Mahé is much more than the gateway to the islands.”
Karen Confait, Marketing Director at Seychelles Tourism Board
A short ferry ride apart, Praslin and La Digue are close enough to include in the same itinerary, and different enough that neither feels like more of the same.
On Praslin, the UNESCO-listed Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve is home to the coco de mer, the extraordinary palm that grows naturally in only two places in the world, Praslin and Curieuse. Anse Lazio and Anse Georgette are two of the island's best-known beaches, while Fond Ferdinand Nature Reserve takes walking trails through more coco de mer forest and up to viewpoints across Praslin and its neighbouring islands.
In La Digue, bicycles remain a popular way to get around, taking travellers beyond Anse Source d'Argent to beaches including Grand Anse and Anse Cocos. Those prepared for the climb can head to Nid d'Aigle, while L'Union Estate provides an introduction to the island's cultural heritage.
Put Mahé, Praslin and La Digue together and the result is three quite different parts of Seychelles, leaving 112 islands left for next time.
For travellers ready to venture further, the Outer Islands take Seychelles into much more remote territory.
Compared to the granitic Inner Islands of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue, the coral islands and atolls including Alphonse and Cosmoledo are known for diving, fly-fishing and wildlife. Almost half of Seychelles’ land is protected, alongside extensive areas of protected ocean. Then there is UNESCO-listed Aldabra, one of the world’s largest raised coral atolls and home to an extraordinary population of giant tortoises.
Conservation can become part of the experience for travellers staying with Blue Safari Seychelles too. Guests are invited to join scientists and conservationists for activities including beach and ocean clean-ups, tortoise tracking, tree planting and surveys of the reef flats. While snorkelling, they can also photograph manta rays, with the images used to collect data on the species.
These are names to keep in mind for experienced divers, keen anglers and nature lovers, as well as repeat visitors ready to travel further into the archipelago. Private yachts and sailing can open up more of the islands too, making the time spent on the Indian Ocean part of the itinerary.
For travellers who have already visited Mahé, Praslin and La Digue, there is still a lot of Seychelles left on the map.
“The Outer Islands offer one of the last great frontiers of luxury adventure travel.”
Karen Confait, Marketing Director at Seychelles Tourism Board
The question we started with was where to begin. For every traveller, the answer will be slightly different.
With 115 islands, there are a fair few decisions to make. Which ones work together? How long should travellers spend on each? Which hotels suit the trip, and what should make it into the itinerary? Fortunately, our Indian Ocean specialists know a fair few of the answers.
So, when Seychelles comes up, give us a call. There are 115 islands to talk about, after all.
Image courtesy of Paul Turcotte - Tourism Seychelles
Image courtesy of Tourism Seychelles
Image courtesy of Michel Denousse - Tourism Seychelles
Image courtesy of Vision 360 - STB - Tourism Seychelles
Image courtesy of Franz Russ - Tourism Seychelles
Image courtesy of Mason Parker - Tourism Seychelles