Whenever we go someplace new we want to see and experience as much as possible, therefore some planning in advance is necessary. However, for our trip to Seychelles we didn’t really know how to divide our time between the three islands we were visiting: Mahe, Praslin, and, of course, La Digue. Mahe is the biggest so we supposed it makes sense to spend the most time there. But, after all, it really depend on your preferences, how you like to travel and spend your vacations. I would recommend spending at least 3 days on each island. They are all so diverse and unique, each is worth exploring, so if you split your days evenly in between the islands would be the best. While Mahe is the biggest island and an island where most is happening, Praslin offers some amazing jungle feels and beautiful beaches, La Digue is more relaxed and should be taken at a slower pace. After all, the only way to explore the island is by bicycle!
Mahe Island
Seychelles are comprised of 115 island that are scattered around Indian Ocean. The biggest and main island in Mahe and is a base for exploring other islands and home to the capital city Victoria. Since it is the biggest island it offers plenty of activities and attractions to be explored. See below our recommendations.
Day 1: Arrival to Mahe
After a long flight settle down in your hotel. Afterwards grab a coconut and relax at one of the many beautiful beaches you can find on this island.
Day 2: Roadtrip around the island
First day of explorations. We rented a car for a day and decided to explore the southern and western part of the island. The beaches here are more wild and some are not really good for swimming, but the scenery is spectacular! We started at Anse Royale and went all the way south to Police Bay, stopping at Anse Bazarca and Petite Police. All three mentioned bays are really picturesque with turquoise water and strong currents! Therefore, they are not the best for swimming, but you can sunbathe, take photos and enjoy the beaches which we had almost to ourselves! In the afternoon we continued our way up to the Petite Anse Beach at Four Seasons Resort. Even if you are not staying at Four Seasons you can go to the beach, you just have to register at the check-in point. Then, it is a short 10-minute walk to reach the beach. When you start descending the view is amazing – a small bay with crystal clear water, which is perfect for swimming or paddle boarding around the bay. Make sure to come here in the late afternoon, as the sunsets are simply breathtaking!
Day 3: Morne Seychellois National Park
On our next day we decided to do a little hiking in the Morne Seychellois National Park. If you start from Victoria you will continue your way up through the winding roads and admire the tropical rainforest which becomes thicker and thicker the more you ascent. Just driving through the park is amazing experience and will give you those Jurassic park feels. Once in the National Park there are plenty of trails you can choose from. We did the Copolia Trail, which is fairly easy and supposedly the most popular walk on the island (however, we met only 5 people all together during our hike!). If you don’t feel like hiking you can just visit the SeyTe Tea Factory or Mission Lodge which are easily accessible from the main road. While the Tea Factory was at the time of our visit unfortunately closed due to some renovation works, the Mission Lodge is a great place to visit where you can also learn some things about the history of slavery on the island and admire the spectacular views over to the west coast of Mahe. If you continue you will reach the west side of the island and come out in Port Glaud. There you can continue you way up north and after a kilometre or so ask somebody to direct you to the waterfall. After a short walk through jungle you will reach the 75 metre high waterfall. During the weekend is a popular place for locals to hang out and escape the tropical heat.
Day 4: Around Victoria
Allow at least half a day to visit Victoria. Even though it is one of the smallest capital cities it is still worth visiting! From the Victorian architecture, replica of Big Ben, the local market and Botanical gardens Victoria is definitely worth exploring. Head to the market early in the morning, where you can buy goodies such as fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, spices and also some souvenirs. After that visit the Botanical gardens. The park itself is fairly small, but still pretty impressive! A 20-minute ride from Victoria will take you to Takamaka Rum distillery where you can see how the local rum is made and you can also taste it. Make sure to catch one of the guided tours (either at 11:30 or 13:30) otherwise you won’t be able to see the distillery. There is also a bar/restaurant which is recognised as one of the best on the island, but unfortunately it was closed when we were there. If you would like there is also a Spice Garden nearby worth visiting.
Praslin Island
The second biggest island in the Seychelles is home to the one-of-a-kind Coco de mer palm tree and some of the most beautiful beaches you can find around the world.
Day 4: Valle de Mai
Explore the ancient palm forest of Valle de Mai. A Unesco World Heritage site is home to the unique palm tree, which grows only here! Coco de mer palm tree is really unique and one you have not seen before. Entrance fee is steep (350 SCR), but walking trough this amazing place is sure a unique experience. Allow half a day to explore thoroughly.
Day 5: Anse Lazio
Enjoy laying around at the best beach on the whole island! Anse Lazio is a gorgeous beach with perfect white sand that stretches for half a kilometre and is backed by beautiful takamaka trees that provide very much needed shade in the tropical sun. The turquoise water is crystal clear and at the both ends of the beach are huge granite boulders. The beach is excellent for swimming, as well as for snorkelling. Even though it is the most visited beach on the island and also a popular day trip destination it never feels crowded. If you don’t feel like lying on the beach you can take a short hike to Anse Georgette, which will take you around 1 hour or so to reach. Even though the beach is part of Lemuria Resort it is publicly accessible to everyone.
Day 6: Praslin beaches
Rent a car or hop on a bus and drive around the island to discover some less visited beaches.
La Digue Island
The third most visited island in Seychelles is a short 15-minute boat ride away from Praslin. La Digue is also a popular day trip destination, however it is definitely worth spending at least one night here. We recommend three!
Day 7: Explore the island
La Digue is completely different than Praslin or Mahe. It has that chilled out vibe, fruit and coconut stalls on every beach, amazing sunsets and so much more to offer. On your first day rent a bike and start exploring the island. There is also a possibility of doing a half-day of full-day snorkelling trips to nearby islands.
Day 8: Anse Source d’Argent
Take the whole day to explore this magnificent beach. It’s a 15 minute bike ride from the port and on the way to the beach you have to cross L’Union Estate farm (entrance fee 115 SCR). There you can also visit the vanilla and coconut plantations, as well as admire giant tortoises. The path to the beach is really nice and is lined with palm trees all along. At the end you will have to park your bike and walk approximately 5 minutes to the beach. There you will be immediately greeted by picture perfect palm trees, azure water and coral reef, surrounded by giant granite boulders. It is as dramatic as it can get! On top of that, in the shade of takamaka trees you will find lovely beach bars selling freshly squeezes juices. Anse Source d’Argent regularly ranks in different travel publications as one of the most beautiful beaches in the whole world and it’s not hard to see why. You can find more photos of this fantastic beach in the link here.
Day 9: Grand Anse, Petite Anse & Anse Cocos
Explore three of the best beaches in the southeastern part of La Digue. To access them you will leave your bike at Grand Anse. From there on you can take a small path just behind the beach and hike over granite boulders and you will find yourself at Petite Anse. From there on a short 15-minute hike will take you to the last beach – Anse Cocos. The scenery is amazing, however the waves are huge, so it’s best to avoid swimming. To refresh treat yourself to fresh coconut.
Day 10: Departure from La Digue
Time to go back. Take a boat back to main island Mahe.
For us 10 days were just enough to explore all three main islands. At times we even felt we had to much time and wished there were more things to explore and discover. However, if you like lying on the beach then this is the perfect destination. Nature and beaches are simply amazing. Stay tuned for more blog posts from Seychelles!
