Whether honeymooning or looking for the ultimate tropical get-away, we thought we would put together a little inspiration from a recent trip Jasmine embarked on, to the Seychelles.
About to begin the interesting and stressful journey of buying my first home and with the prospect of being strapped for cash for what will feel like an eternity, I decided last year would be the year of a holiday of a life-time. Somewhere I could squeeze out every drop of paradise yearning.. I remembered the tales my grandparents told of a magical holiday to the Seychelles, tales of whimsical giant tortoises appearing on doorsteps of beach huts, of talcum powder sand and colourful corals and after that, I set my sights, we were going.
About to begin the interesting and stressful journey of buying my first home and with the prospect of being strapped for cash for what will feel like an eternity, I decided last year would be the year of a holiday of a life-time. Somewhere I could squeeze out every drop of paradise yearning.. I remembered the tales my grandparents told of a magical holiday to the Seychelles, tales of whimsical giant tortoises appearing on doorsteps of beach huts, of talcum powder sand and colourful corals and after that, I set my sights, we were going.
Choosing a base.
Whether you're the travel-hungry, planning to island hop and see as much as possible (like us!) or a beach-loving babe hoping to soak the rays up and chillax to the max within the height of luxury, it's still good planning to research your 'base' or 'bases'. You might be surprised to hear that the Seychelles are made up of 115(!!) islands off of East Africa and although not all are habitable, you'll be spoilt for choice.
If you're the pre-mentioned person looking to do minimal travel and maximum ray-soaking, a private island might be your thang. Fregate Island boasts 16 private villas with swimmings pools and 7 beaches (some of which you can book to yourself!). Eden Island is another popular with the luxury-seekers; this man-made island includes penthouses inhabited by the richest, littered with yachts. Bird and Sillhouette Island are also fab bases for those looking to stay-put and enjoy the resort.
Looking for an island-hopping adventure? Praslin or La Digue are smart places to start. Great destinations for the ferry (which is actually quite easy once you get the hang of the fact there are two services!), these islands provide a great base for excursions to close-by islands such as Cousin Island Nature reserve.
If you're the pre-mentioned person looking to do minimal travel and maximum ray-soaking, a private island might be your thang. Fregate Island boasts 16 private villas with swimmings pools and 7 beaches (some of which you can book to yourself!). Eden Island is another popular with the luxury-seekers; this man-made island includes penthouses inhabited by the richest, littered with yachts. Bird and Sillhouette Island are also fab bases for those looking to stay-put and enjoy the resort.
Looking for an island-hopping adventure? Praslin or La Digue are smart places to start. Great destinations for the ferry (which is actually quite easy once you get the hang of the fact there are two services!), these islands provide a great base for excursions to close-by islands such as Cousin Island Nature reserve.
Hilton Allamanda Resort
Getting hung-up on the weather.
The internet is filled with images of the still-as-glass sea and cloudless sky you associate with the Seychelles but although the temperature stays steady, some seasons bring temperamental seas and impressive storms. This is due to 'trade winds' which affect certain coasts; the southeast monsoon between May & September might mean it's best to book accommodation on the western side of the island you're visiting and during the northwest monsoon from October to March you might want to stay on the eastern side. Do a little digging and you'll find lots of 'do's and don'ts' regarding the weather, rain and storms, but it's a tropical destination and if you expect some downpours alongside the impressive sunshine, you won't be disappointed. We visited in April, and it was splendid; mainly blue skies, with a few angry storms here and there to keep the rainforest lush and green.
Mahe Island Rainforest
Takamaka Sugar Cane Plantation
Takamaka Rum Tasting & Tour
Port Launay Bay
Mahé Island.
We chose Mahé as our base and stayed at the Hilton Allamanda. The diversity of lush rainforest and vibrant traditional towns stole our hearts. We would recommend hiring a car and travelling around the entire island to witness it's true charm.
You can hike in the rainforests surrounded by impressive flying foxes, sip traditional Seychellois rum and enjoy the finest dining at the Takamaka Distillery, or snorkel the many nature reserves dubbed some of the best in the world for seeing an array of wildlife, such as Port Launay. We found some of the most amazing fish on the reef just outside of our hotel.
You can hike in the rainforests surrounded by impressive flying foxes, sip traditional Seychellois rum and enjoy the finest dining at the Takamaka Distillery, or snorkel the many nature reserves dubbed some of the best in the world for seeing an array of wildlife, such as Port Launay. We found some of the most amazing fish on the reef just outside of our hotel.
GoPro screenshot of cycling on La Digue
La Digue.
In hindsight, visiting La Digue and Praslin in one day was a mistake. If we were to ever return to the tropical paradise, we would break up our trip and stay at one of these breath-taking islands. Not as built-up (although nowhere in the Seychelles is really built up!) as Mahé, both Praslin & La Digue show true island-living. Whizzing around on bicycles was the best way to explore La Digue; we started at the world-famous Anse Source D'Argent (the most amazing beach you will ever see in your life..) and ended at Grande Anse, where huge waves pummelled the intriguing granite rocks. Unfortunately due to our poor planning, we only caught a glimpse of Praslin, but my grandma insists this was her favourite island, home to Valee de Mai, a breathtaking UNESCO park famous for the coco de mer which is native only to the Seychelles.
Mahé's quieter end
Lessons learnt.
I could honestly waffle on about this island forever, rarely a day passes where I don't think about the Seychelles. I thought I would pop down some quick and random notes that you might find useful for your visit.
- This is an African Island, you will burn to a crisp if you don't put on high-factor suncream when snorkelling (my poor back!)
- Although charming, street-side bars along the beach have dodgy tap-water. Choose only bottled drinks and check the sell-by date.
- Creole fish curry is the bomb. Seriously it's delicious and you can't leave without trying it.
- Grilled fish of the day will make you sad - we expect to see nondescript silver fish we usually see on our supermarket shelves. Seeing an impressive colourful parrotfish on your plate that you'd seen earlier while snorkelling is kind of depressing.
- Pack a snorkel. I am pretty sure most hired snorkels are neglected in the 'washing' department...
- Pre-book your excursions. As well as having exciting things to look forward to, excursions book up fast!
- Any cocktail containing Takamaka rum is delicious
- BA do a direct flight to the Seychelles now, it's only 10 hours and avoids a layover in Ethiopia.
- Don't attempt to hike the rainforest when it's raining - you might fear you're going to slide down the side of a granite mountain (oops!)
- I wouldn't opt for a bus as transport, ever. It's cheap as chips but humid as hell and you'll probably be sat on someone's lap.
- Weather forecasts don't exist for the Seychelles. There is zero point in checking the weather, it's a tropical island and the weather can change in a nano-second! Embrace it all.
- If you're a wildlife enthusiast, Fregate or Cousin Island are 100% worth a visit.