As a tropical island addict, it goes without saying that the Seychelles have been so high on my bucket list! Its been touted as one of the most beautiful islands in the world along the lines of the Maldives and Bora Bora. Having been to the latter two, the Seychelles were undoubtedly no 1 on my travel bucket list now. The Seychelles Islands completely exceeded our expectations and more! In this travel guide I will be sharing tons of details on planning a trip to this beautiful paradise.

 

Travel Requirements to Seychelles 

The Seychelles Islands recently reopened to allows entry to visitors from all countries without quarantine or mandatory vaccination requirement. (exceptions include – South Africa, Brazil, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh).

Here are the main entry requirements :
1 ) All visitors entering the Seychelles should have a negative PCR test taken maximum 72hrs before departure.
2 ) All visitors must have a valid travel health insurance to cover potential COVID-19 related costs (isolation, quarantine, and treatment).
3 ) No visa is required for entry into Seychelles, all visitors must however, apply for entry through the Health Travel Authorization platform at seychelles.govtas.com. This health authorization is essential for travel and will be required at check in.

The Seychelles is the no 1 most vaccinated country in the world which is so impressive. Masks and distancing were required at all public spaces.

Check out the Seychelles Travel Advisory on their tourism website for most up to date requirements.

 

Intro to Seychelles 

Many people asked me where the Seychelles were or had no idea about this island country! The Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 granite and coral islands in the Indian Ocean, just off of East Africa. It’s home to numerous pristine beaches, coral reefs and nature reserves, as well as rare animals such as giant Aldabra tortoises and rare plants such as the Coco de Mer. Here are a few quick things to know :

When to go ?

The Seychelles’ climate is one which is always warm and does not reach extremes of heat or cold. The temperature rarely drops below 24°C or rises above 32°C. All but the remotest southern islands lie outside the cyclone belt making Seychelles’ a year round destination for sun worshippers and beach lovers.
However May to October is the cooler, drier season and is perhaps the best time to visit. Dec- Feb are the rainiest months here, so I would avoid that timeframe here. Its pretty opposite to the Maldives in terms of high/low season , even though they are so close by!

Culture :

The cosmopolitan Seychellois are a colorful blend of peoples of different races, cultures and religions.  At different times in its history, people of African, European and Asian origin have come to Seychelles, bringing with them their distinct traditions and customs and contributing to the way of life and to the vibrant Seychellois culture. One can see these influences at work throughout the domains of local art, cuisine, music, dance and architecture.

Currency :

Seychellois rupees or SCR, its helpful to have cash handy for smaller purchases and taxis. However most places accept cards and USD.

 

 

How to get to Seychelles ?

If you are flying international, you will have to fly into the main island of Mahe. From the US – Qatar and Emirates had itineraries to Mahe via a stopover.  From Mahe, you can choose to stay back in Mahe or continue on to one of the other islands either via ferry or by a domestic flight via Air Seychelles.

 

Who is the Seychelles for?

It makes a great destination for couples and families alike as there are so many islands to choose from and so many activities depending on what kind of traveler you are. If you are looking for a honeymoon destination or a destination wedding or a special occasion you cannot go wrong with the dreamy Seychelles it is such a romantic destination!

 

Island hopping in the Seychelles 

 

What sets Seychelles apart is its wide variety of islands, each one with its own particular geography, character and history. Whether you choose a day excursion to one of the many Inner granitic islands, or a luxury vacay on one of the many private island hideaways, Seychelles has something exceptional to offer for everybody.

Experiencing more than one island during your stay is a must and will add a dimension to your holiday experience.

 

Part 1 : Felicite Island

Félicité island

Félicité island is an ecological jewel of the Seychelles. It is home to the incredible private island resort Six Senses Zil Pasyon where we stayed. Except for the resort, it is an uninhabited island that is also part of a nature reserve. So this is truly as raw, unspoilt and authentic as it gets, to spend a luxury vacation with an authentic Seychellois island vibe. Felicite Island was handsdown our absolute favorite Seychelles Island that we visited. If at all possible at all I recommend adding a private island resort to your itinerary so you can experience one of the more untouched Seychelles island. Even if you dont stay in one, you can always plan a day trip to some of the uninhabited islands from Mahe or Praslin.

Six Senses Zil Pasyon

How to get to Felicite ?

When you get to the Seychelles you will be flying into Mahe or Praslin. To get to Félicité island, you can either take a helicopter ride from Mahe or a short boat ride from Praslin island. The Six senses concierge will be sure to assist you with this once you book your stay with them. Read more about our stay at Six Senses and Felicite in my BLOG POST HERE. 

 

Part 2 : Praslin

Praslin is the second biggest island in the Seychelles and is an absolute gem! Personally I thought Praslin had a more laidback vibe, was less crowded than Mahe and definitely had the best beaches in the Seychelles!

How to get to Praslin ?

Via ferry ( Cat Cocos) or Via a short flight from Mahe (Air Seychelles)

Getting around Praslin ?

If you plan to go around the island I recommend renting a car. Since we only went around the island on one of the days we hired a car and driver for the day (booked via our hotel concierge).

Where to stay in Praslin ?

Constance Lemuria

We stayed at the beautiful Constance Lemuria which is located on the north western side of the idyllic island of Praslin, and built right into Praslin’s iconic granitic hillside terrain. It also sits right next to two of Praslin’s most beautiful beaches – Anse Georgette and Petite Anse Kerlan. Read more about our stay in my BLOG POST HERE.

Things to do in Praslin ?

1 ) Beaches :

Some of my favorite beaches on the island were

• Anse Georgette 

Anse Georgette

Anse Georgette is one of the most beautiful beaches in all of the Seychelles and definitely one of the hardest to get to! The beach is within the Lemuria property, so if you are a guest here you can visit the beach without any reservations and will have to walk through the golf course to get to it. Its a long picturesque ( fairly easy) walk – and so so worth it. If you are not a resort guest you can still visit the beach since its public, but you will need to make reservations in advance as the resort has a capacity to maintain.

 

• Anse Lazio

Anse Lazio

Even though Anse Lazio is right next to Anse Georgette, you need to drive 45 minutes around the island or access it via a hike. Either way – it is so worth it for this dreamy huge beach! White sands, crystal clear turquoise waters, and the dreamiest scenery all around. Every corner was a pretty postcard.

 

• Anse Volbert 

Anse Volbert

A picturesque stretch right near Volbert village, loved strolling along this beach. And just like most Praslin beaches there were very few people on the beach! Just the way we like it.

 

2 ) Visit Vallee De Mai

In awe of the beautiful Vallee De Mai

A UNESCO world heritage site and a must visit! The “Heart of Praslin” is home to the remnants of the original palm jungles of the Seychelles and has often been described as a Garden of Eden IRL thanks to its secluded and mystical nature. This is a pristine tropical jungle area, unchanged for millions of years and where you can find all six of the endemic palm species. If you love palm trees, tropical plants and nature in general, this place is absolutely heavenly! It totally felt like I stepped back in time to a prehistoric jungle. This kind of palm vegetation is very unique to this region of the world.

Coco De Mer

It is also the only place in the world to find the largest seed in the world – the Coco De Mer! The trees take 25 years to produce one seed that can weigh unto 20kgs! The trees also end up living for 250+ years.

 

3 ) Hiking

There are tons of beautiful hikes all around the island. A popular one is the hike from Anse Lazio to Anse Georgette.

 

4 ) Boat Day

You can also charter a boat or catamaran to visit some of the uninhabited islands around Praslin such as Curieuse Island, Cousin Island, Cousine Island and Aride Island.

 

Part 3 : La Digue

Anse Source D’Argent

La Digue is a must visit whether you choose to do it as a day trip like we did or stay overnight. It is home to the world famous Anse Source D’Argent which is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

How to get to La Digue ?

La Digue is a tiny island in the Seychelles and is most known for this beach. While you can stay here for 2-3 days, we decided to just do a day trip from Praslin. There is no airport in La Digue – so you can either :

• take a helicopter (Zil Air) from Mahe or Praslin or
• take a short 15 minute scenic ferry ride from Praslin or an hour ferry ride from Mahe.
• Of course you can also rent a private boat charter to explore La Digue on your own.

We took the Cat Rose ferry from Praslin to La Digue and booked it online at this website. They have a couple of options for timing for going and for the return.

Island ride around La Digue

Getting around La Digue ?

When you arrive on La Digue unless you are staying there the only way to get around on the island is bicycles! You can rent a bike right across from the ferry terminal. Riding bikes here made this so fun and gave us such an authentic island experience.

Where to stay in La Digue ?

If you plan to stay overnight, check out the lovely Le Domaine de L’Orangeraie Resort & Spa.

Beaches of La Digue 

1 ) Anse Source D’ Argent :

A bucketlist moment!

Have you had a beach that is so high on your bucketlist that you saved it as your screensaver for months and visualized yourself there! Anse Source D’Argent in La Digue is arguably a beach that I have been wanting to visit since forever. It was the primary reason the Seychelles was on my travel list! If you google Seychelles this is going to be one of the top images to show up.

Anse Source D’Argent in La Digue, Seychelles is what tropical dreams are made of and has been voted multiple times as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. This is also the NO 1 most photographed beach in the world and it’s not hard to see why ! I have an entire post on this beach and all details about it including how to get there, things to do and other important travel tips. Check out my BLOG POST HERE.

 

2 ) Other Beaches :

If you have time other must see beaches to explore on La Digue are –  Anse Cocos, Grand Anse and Petite Anse ( all on the east coast of the island).

 

Part 4 : Mahe

Mahe is the biggest and main island of the Seychelles. Home to a number of luxury and mid range resorts most people start or end their trip on this island.

How to get to Mahe ?

All international flights land in Mahe but if you are coming to Mahe from another Seychelles island you can come via ferry ( Cat Cocos) or via a short flight from Praslin (Air Seychelles)

Getting around Mahe?

If you plan to go around the island I recommend renting a car.

Where to stay in Mahe ?

Constance Ephelia

We stayed at the beautiful Constance Ephelia which is situated on two of the most beautiful beaches on the island of Mahé, overlooking the marine national park of Port Launay and is set within 120 hectares of land with luxuriant and rare vegetation. Read more about our stay in my BLOG POST HERE.

Four Seasons Seychelles

We also spent 1 day at the stunning Four Seasons Seychelles. Like every other Four Seasons property the location of this property is just beyond amazing. The entire resort has only villa and residence style accommodations perched along a hill with sweeping views overlooking the tropical jungle and the best beach in Mahe – Petite Anse.  Read more in my BLOG POST HERE. Four Seasons also has a private island resort on Desroches Island in the Seychelles!

 

Things to do in Mahe 

Petite Anse, Mahe

In all honesty we loved the other islands way more than Mahe which is why we spent most of our times in the resorts here. But here are a few things to do around the island :

• Beaches : Petite Anse, Anse Royale, Beau vallon, Anse Louis, Anse Major ( 30-60 min hike one way)
• Sauzier Waterfall in Port Glaud
• Seychelles National Botanical Gardens
• Victoria Market

 

PCR and Antigen testing in the Seychelles :

If you need a departure test to travel back to your destination, there are several reliable testing options in the Seychelles. Check out this website for more details (click on the PCR testing tab).

 

 

Rough Budget for Seychelles :

Since many of you asked this I wanted to provide a rough range of costs for various steps in planning a trip to the Seychelles. Actual cost will vary a ton from one itinerary to another (depending on kind of accomodation, time of year, etc) so here is a guideline to start with :

1 ) INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE TICKETS :

This depends on time of year, but a rough estimate is about $1500 RT per person from the US to Seychelles.

 

2 ) INTERNAL TRANSFERS :

• Domestic flights from Mahe to Praslin or vice versa are usually $150-$200 RT per person.
• Boat transfers from to private island resorts can be expensive. Even a 15-20 minute boat ride can be close to $150-$200 per person for one way!
• If you choose the helicopter route to visit islands it can be $900ish per person one way 
• Ferry transfers were very affordable – for instance $60 per person one way from Mahe to Praslin or $15 per person one way from Praslin to La Digue.
• Cycle rentals in La Digue were very cheap – $10-20 for the day for a cycle.

3 ) ACCOMODATIONS:

The good thing about the Seychelles is that there are tons of resorts and accommodations to choose from right from a basic airbnb to a mid range hotel to a luxury private island resort. From a basic search you can find a stay ranging from $100 to $2000 a night, so there is something for everyone! Just keep in mind to choose one that has been approved by the tourism board.

For luxury resorts we stayed at the cost can range from $600 – $1500 a night, based on time of year, type of room and meal plan.

 

4) FOOD :

Food at the resorts was definitely pricey! So our usual plan was to have a heavy late breakfast, skip lunch and have an early dinner. We were on a full board basis in most resorts which really helped us save a ton. If you plan to stay in the resort for the most part (or if its a private island resort) opt for full board. If you plan to also explore the island then do half board. In Mahe, La Digue and Praslin there are tons of places outside the resorts that you can eat for cheap ($20-$30 a person).

5 ) OTHER COSTS :

Other costs to consider could be additional activities, private dining, excursions, car rentals, taxis, entrance fees to national parks etc. Its hard to put a range on these since it is so varied.

 

What to wear in the Seychelles :

Most islands in the Seychelles are perfect for casual island wear. It gets very hot and humid so definitely pack accordingly. If you are staying in luxury resorts a couple of nicer options for the evening would be great to pack.

Here are few things I packed :

day time : loose airy dresses, tops + denim shorts, swimsuits & coverups, beach hat, a beach bag, a waterproof bag (helpful for excursions), water shoes, sandals, sunglasses.
evening : a few dressy options. I noticed people weren’t over the top dressed for dinner. Some evening resort style dresses for women and printed collared shirts with linen pants for men would be perfect.

Swipe through to see a few options I packed!

Swimwear

Outfits

Accessories

 

Get Inspired to visit the Seychelles :

 

Dreamy beaches all over the Seychelles Islands! Whether you want to simply relax…

Or stay active! There is so much to do!

Postcards from the world famous Anse Source D’Argent (above and below)

Did I mention how freakin magical the Seychelles sunsets were?!

Don’t forget to make friends with the giant Aldabra tortoises of the Seychelles!

Beach picnic anyone?

Or how about a floating breakfast in your private pool?

Or perhaps a champagne sundowner!

Quintessential granite boulders and palm trees of the Seychelles

Quintessential white sands and turquoise waters of the Seychelles

Whether you want to live out your best luxe life..

Or the local Seychellois island vibes, there is so much for every type of traveller!

Mersi Seychelles! Cant wait to see you once again!

You can catch all the rest of my Seychelles posts HERE.

Thanks for stopping by! xoxo

Jyo

 

PIN this post for later!