So. My favourite island used to be Mauritius. One of the very few places that I do not mind returning to. But then…we went to the Seychelles 😁

ETA. Before traveling to Seychelles you need to obtain an electronic travel authorization. This is absolutely necessary as they also require the ETA upon airport check-in and boarding can be denied without a valid ETA. To complete your ETA you need to upload a copy of the passport, a selfie, flight and accommodation reservations. ETA can be obtained online from here: https://seychelles.govtas.com/en. Different pricing options depending on how fast you need the ETA: 10 EUR for an ETA processed in 24 hours, 30 EUR for 6 hours processing time and even 70 EUR for a fast processing time of 1 hour. The latter two come with premium assistance or the possibility to change the dates.

Money. 16 SCR=1 EUR or 3 SCR=1 RON. We used Revolut almost everywhere. Cash withdrawal without commission using Revolut from MCB ATMs. ATMs are located in the major towns on Mahe, but also on La Digue.

Restaurants. Not very expensive compared to European ones. Main dish roughly around 350-500 SCR (20-30 EUR), drinks ranging from 50-60 SCR (3.5-4 EUR) for a beer to approximately 200 SCR (12-13 EUR) for a cocktail. A bit more expensive on La Digue. For example, on the famous Anse Source d’Argent: fruit platter 200 SCR, fresh juice 100 SCR, one beer 100 SCR. Most try rum based cocktails. They locally produce the Takamaka rum, which comes in numerous delicious flavours.

Recommendations:

• Mahe: Mahek Restaurant (on Beau Vallon Beach, directly on the beach, great at sunset, very slow service), Kapatya on Grande Anse

• La Digue: Fish Trap (right next to the ferry pier), Natural Bar and Grill (excellent fresh fish, set dinner menu for 625 SCR including 3 grilled meats of your choice, garlic bread, rice and salad, and a dessert), Chez Jules on Anse Banane.

Take away. They offer very cheap, but tasty food based on rice, salads and different kinds of meat, including fish, pork, beef, chicken. Usual price is 60-70 SCR/ meal on Mahe. We did not try it on La Digue.

Internet. We used e-sim. Apparently the esim from Revolut is not supported in Seychelles (we found this the hard way after a loooong discussion with a live agent to figure out why the esim was not working). We switched to airalo and it worked fine.

Getting around.

• On Mahe: Rent a car to get around and do a little beach hoping. We booked through discovercars.com. Very smooth and fast service. Taxis are another option, but they do not use a meter. Better to discuss and settle upon the price upfront. We paid 40 EUR for a ride from Victoria to the airport (about 15km).

• On La Digue: rent a bike. They usually charge 150 SCR/day, but you could bargain for less (100 SCR/day). All accommodations offer the possibility of renting a bike. Alternatively, there are numerous bike rental offices right next to the port and people will wait for the tourist to disembark the ferry to offer bike renting.

Where to stay. Seychelles is a luxury destination. But there are still some pretty good and clean accommodation options, within walking distance to the beach (10minutes), that come at affordable prices. On Mahe, we recommend B Holiday Apartments, with large studios and super friendly host, near Beau Vallon beach, located close to supermarkets and ATMs. On La Digue, we recommend the Anse Severe Beach Villas, located on Anse Severe (obviously), especially if you like to be next to one of the best spots for snorkeling on the island. Don’t pay for breakfast (15 EUR/ adult). You can get coffee, banana bread, cookies or pizza slices from the Glorious Bakery & Snacks (https://maps.app.goo.gl/w3abqiDa2icG8TwPA ) for 6 EUR (for 2 adults!).

Island hoping. Best and cheapest way to travel between the islands (Mahe, Praslin and La Digue) is by using the Cat Cocos ferry service. The route from Mahe to La Digue normally includes a stopover on Praslin island. The ride takes about 1h45min. From La Digue to Mahe, there’s a direct option with the ride taking about 1h10min (only available on some days, Saturdays and Sundays). Check schedule on the Cat Cocos website. You need to be at the ferry terminal 30 minutes before the scheduled departure. Don’t forget to look out of the window during the ride to spot the flying fish (I saw 3!).

Book directly on https://www.catcocos.com. Prices vary depending on the selected route and travel class. They offer business class, as well, which doesn’t seem to be worth the price.

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Best beaches on Mahe

• Beau Vallon, especially the northernmost part, with the granite rocks. Great for swimming, with crystal clear waters.

• Anse Royale, great for snorkeling, especially near the Ile Souris island. Rocky bottom, definitely requires swimming shoes.

• Anse Petite. Home to the luxurious Four Seasons Resort, the beach is accessible to anyone. The best way to get here is by driving. We parked our car at the resort entrance, next to the 5 Spices Restaurant @ Club Liberte Casino. To get to the beach, we had to register at the resort entrance and pick up yellow wristbands. To get to the beach, we walked for about 15 minutes on a descending road. Although the beach is public, the resort facilities, including showers are available only to resort guests. The sunset here was spectacular and so was the walk back to the car . It’s a long way up to the parking, especially with the 30 degrees outside temperature. But definitely worth it.

Best beaches on La Digue.

• It would be madness, if Anse Source d’Argent did not make the head of this list, right? La Digue features one of the most photogenic beaches of the world. Nested between lush vegetation and granite boulders, the Anse Source d’Argent beach is anyone’s dream…he beach can be accessed through the L’Union Estate Farm, upon paying an entrance fee of 150 rupees (10 euro). We got our wristbands, which meant that we could exit and re enter as much as we liked during the day (until 6pm). The estate is not only home to the famous boulders beach, but also to a huge granite monolith where giant tortoises can be seen. On our way to the beach, we also stopped to see the vanilla plantation or the coconut mill. The beach is easily accessible via dirt roads of the estate. We biked up until the very end of the roads, parked the bikes and then continued on foot. The winding path went next or under giant granite rocks, with small white beaches on our right. We moved pass the first beaches and made our way to the more secluded ones, accessible via the sea. At low tide, it’s easy to move further away from the crowds. Tide times: https://www.surf-forecast.com/…/Anse…/tides/latest. There are a couple of beach bars selling drinks and fruits, mostly. Prices: 100 rupees/beer, 100 rupees for a fresh juice, 200 rupees for a fruit platter. Transparent water kayaks can be rented on the beach. More info here: https://www.crystalwaterkayak.com/. Anse Source d’Argent is also a good snorkeling destination. Sadly the reef was greatly affected by El Nino in 1998, but I was quite surprised by the diversity of marine life so easily accessible from the beach. Rocky bottom, definitely requires swimming shoes.

• Most beaches on La Digue are deserted. The tourists flock to Anse Source d’Argent, which means that all other beaches are mostly tourist free . We biked around the island from the port to Anse Severe and beyond, up to Anse Banane. Going further to Anse Fourmis and even beyond that you can find the remote beaches of La Digue, not that easily accessible since they mostly require some hiking like Anse Cocos or Anse Caiman. Good stopping point to recharge and refresh at the Chez Jules restaurant overlooking Anse Banane.

• Grande Anse on the more remote part of the island. To get here we had to bike through the jungle (no worries! The road is paved) on a slightly more uphill road. Most of the beaches on La Digue are narrow, but not these one. Grand Anse is a large beach, with giant granite rocks on both ends and huge waves. Get here early to have the beach all to yourself before the other tourist arrive (at about 10:30-11AM). Beach bar available, cash payment only.

• Anse Severe is one of the wider beach in the northern part of the island and great for snorkeling. To be honest, it’s amazing how diverse the marine life still is, even after the devastating El Nino that bleached 90% of the corals. The snorkeling spot here is great both at low and high tides. We were even lucky enough to snorkel with 3 giant sting rays. Rocky bottom, definitely requires swimming shoes.

Sunset spots. Petite Anse on Mahe, Anse Severe on La Digue