Review of an expedition cruise to the Seychelles with Ponant from January 25 to February 2, 2026 (page 10 of 11)

Thanks for sharing

Thanks Nathalie, I was also really happy to read your review—it’s everyone’s turn! 😉

A big thank you, Catherine, for this great review and those amazing photos.

Thanks, Catherine! 🙂 Regarding the photos, this was the first time I traveled without a DSLR—I bought a smartphone with photo quality as the main criterion, and I’m really happy with it.

You’re right, Ponant is a good choice for expedition-style cruises with Zodiac landings in the wild. For other types of cruises, as you know, I’m more mixed.😎

I totally respect your opinion on Ponant. We all have our own priorities and preferences—no company can please everyone. This was our fourth expedition cruise, and like every time, when we got back, we had no desire to do classic cruises anymore. 😕

All good things must come to an end, even if you had a few surprises and disappointments.

Thanks for sharing.

Thanks, Jérôme, for sticking with me till the end. Whatever your choice, I wish you the best for this future trip. Did you get a new flight offer for Australia? That’s a destination I love. My dream would be to do the Kimberley expedition cruise (Ponant), but my wallet isn’t enthusiastic at all. 🏴‍☠️

Indeed, for Mahé, La Digue, and Praslin, you could say it’s a "tourist factory." Still, it’s too bad you didn’t get to explore the south: there’s Anse Takamaka, the Takamaka distillery isn’t bad either, the beach is nice, and there was a great vibe at Batista’s. On weekends, you can have lunch there with music playing, which is pretty enjoyable. The southwest and south aren’t bad at all, but for the rest, I completely agree with you: it’s a tourist factory.

Thanks, Alfred, for following along. It’s because we were so put off that we didn’t go any further when we headed south. Would there even have been anywhere to park?

Hi Isa,

I still think they’re pretty stingy—even when we board earlier than scheduled for our experience (called in at 1 PM), they don’t provide anything to eat, and the afternoon snack is skipped too... 😕

You didn’t have much luck—we’ve always had a snack at boarding.

I get that they can’t put on high-quality shows, but they could at least make an effort...

There are quality shows on themed cruises, often musical ones, and sometimes with prestigious guests. During Covid, we took a cruise with Franck Ferrand—it was a really great show.

But with PONANT, there are a lot of regulars, so they probably don’t miss it since they don’t know anything else—that’s their strength.

It’s not uncommon to see passengers on Ponant who switch from one company to another without any issues—from Rivages du Monde, CFC, Hurtigruten, or even from Costa to Ponant. I’ve met them often.

PS: I don’t know if it’s just me, but I never get notifications anymore to alert me when there’s a reply, no matter the discussion... weird.

I think no one gets notifications anymore. I suspect it’s to save money 😉—it’s the trend these days. It’s been going on for months.

Thanks so much for sharing this. I traveled along with you and enjoyed your beautiful photos and always insightful comments. I discovered the "DAY PASS"—I had no idea it existed!

You’re welcome, Guylène! I’m really glad if I could share something useful with you.

True, for Mahé, La Digue, and Praslin, you could say it’s a "tourist factory." Still, it’s a shame you didn’t get to explore the south: Anse Takamaka is worth it, and the Takamaka distillery isn’t bad either. The beach is nice, and there was a great vibe at Batista’s. On weekends, you can have lunch there with music playing—it’s pretty enjoyable. The southwest and south aren’t bad at all, but for the rest, I completely agree with you: it’s a tourist factory.

Thanks, Alfred, for following along. We were so put off that we didn’t push further when we headed south. Would there even have been anywhere to park?

Hi Catherine!

Yes, there’s actually a large public parking lot at the entrance to Batista’s. On the right side of the same lot, there are plenty of giant tortoises, and you can easily access the beach from there. So, there *is* a big public parking lot.

Same goes for visiting the Takamaka distillery—there’s parking there too. I get it, though; you were both so fed up with the drive that you couldn’t do it. It was really nice—I loved Anse Takamaka and the distillery too.

Thanks for this awesome report! I got a notification for every new message added to this thread and the other threads I’m following.

Yes, yes, there really is a large public parking lot at the entrance to Batista’s place. On that same lot, to the right, there are plenty of giant tortoises, and you can easily access the beach afterward. So, there is indeed a large public parking lot.

It’s the same for visiting the Takamaka distillery: there’s a parking lot.

Thanks, Alfred—too late for us, but this info might be useful to others. 😎

Thanks for this awesome report. I got an alert for every new message added in this thread and in the other threads I follow.

Thanks for reading! You’re so lucky! Over the past year, I’ve written to VF asking them to restore my alerts. The first two times, they did, but at the start of this travel journal, they didn’t do anything and didn’t reply. 🙁

I also get alerts from VF for every new reply.

Thanks, Catherine, for this really enjoyable travel journal with beautiful photos 🙂. I’d be a bit less negative than you about Praslin, though 😉. Apart from the Vallée de Mai and Anse Lazio (which are very tourist-focused), we found the island really pleasant and peaceful.

Thanks for the details, Catherine! We’ll never agree on PONANT, but that’s okay! 😉 Have a great Sunday!

I also get alerts from VF for every new reply.

You're lucky, there must be a few privileged members on this forum. [;]

I’d be less negative than you about Praslin though 😉: aside from the Vallée de Mai and Anse Lazio (very tourist-focused), we found the island very pleasant and peaceful.

Glad you had a better experience than I did and have good memories of Praslin! It’s great to have different opinions, especially for the Seychelles—if everyone thought like me, there wouldn’t be many tourists left.

We’ll never agree on PONANT, but that’s not a big deal! 😉

Absolutely, it’s just that we haven’t had the same experience. Luckily, our friendship can rise above that. 😉 Have a great Sunday too.

Hi Catherine, I asked Qatar for a refund on my flights from Australia. I rebooked others via Shanghai at a great price 10 days before and just arrived in Sydney.

Hi Jérôme, I’m so happy for you! 😎 I hope you have a wonderful trip—make the most of it, it goes by so fast! 😎

Hi Catherine,

Got back to Sydney yesterday and I’m loving it—plus it’s 28/29°C here!

I totally get you—this city is amazing!