Review of an expedition cruise to the Seychelles with Ponant from January 25 to February 2, 2026
Dubai isn’t far from Abu Dhabi by car either, and it’s worth the trip.
Feedback on an expedition cruise to the Seychelles with Ponant from January 25 to February 2, 2026
Tuesday, January 20, Victoria, Mahé
The flight from Doha is smooth and only lasts 4 hours and 40 minutes. The plane isn’t full, which gives us more comfort. We land in Victoria at 8:30 AM, right on time.
And that’s when things start to go wrong. I booked a taxi through the hotel, which assured me they were offering a better price than the taxis waiting at the airport. In early January, I accepted the offer for 600 SCR, or 35 €. When it’s time to pay, the taxi driver balks at the 5 € in coins that make up the exact amount. He prefers a bill, no problem, I give him a ten-euro note. But he leaves without giving me change. I catch up to him and demand it. At that point, he argues that the exchange rate has changed and it’s now 40 €. He doesn’t know me—I get my change back, and he leaves unhappy.
The hotel receptionist almost lectures me, using the same exchange rate argument as the taxi driver. I don’t appreciate it at all, especially since it was completely false—the exchange rate only dropped in favor of the euro during our stay.
We get our room, which is dirty. A paper towel wiped across the table turns black, not gray—black. We have it cleaned again, but even with three people working on it, the result is still disappointing. At least it’s a little better. We had them replace the brown jersey sheets, which were stained and full of holes, with white cotton ones.
The hotel is on the outskirts of the city, up in the hills, in a quiet neighborhood—that’s why we chose it, so we could easily walk into town. This hotel is the Hilltop Boutique Hotel, and I really don’t recommend it at all. You can read the review I left on Booking, "Not great, this HillTop," for more details.
We set off to explore Victoria on foot. But… it’s ugly, dirty, noisy, and polluted. It stinks, the traffic is chaotic, and there isn’t a single peaceful or pleasant spot to relax. It’s such a contrast after Doha—so beautiful, so clean, so welcoming.
We have to stay here until Sunday. It’s going to be a long few days… We’re already regretting it.
In the evening, I contact the car rental company via WhatsApp—we’d reserved a vehicle through the hotel for the next day.
Well, it turns out they don’t have the car we reserved. They only have larger, more expensive ones. Full-coverage insurance doesn’t exist here, and they want a 2000 € bank imprint as a guarantee. Under these conditions, they can keep their car! What kind of way is that to do business?
The flight from Doha is smooth and only lasts 4 hours and 40 minutes. The plane isn’t full, which gives us more comfort. We land in Victoria at 8:30 AM, right on time.
And that’s when things start to go wrong. I booked a taxi through the hotel, which assured me they were offering a better price than the taxis waiting at the airport. In early January, I accepted the offer for 600 SCR, or 35 €. When it’s time to pay, the taxi driver balks at the 5 € in coins that make up the exact amount. He prefers a bill, no problem, I give him a ten-euro note. But he leaves without giving me change. I catch up to him and demand it. At that point, he argues that the exchange rate has changed and it’s now 40 €. He doesn’t know me—I get my change back, and he leaves unhappy.
The hotel receptionist almost lectures me, using the same exchange rate argument as the taxi driver. I don’t appreciate it at all, especially since it was completely false—the exchange rate only dropped in favor of the euro during our stay.
We get our room, which is dirty. A paper towel wiped across the table turns black, not gray—black. We have it cleaned again, but even with three people working on it, the result is still disappointing. At least it’s a little better. We had them replace the brown jersey sheets, which were stained and full of holes, with white cotton ones.
The hotel is on the outskirts of the city, up in the hills, in a quiet neighborhood—that’s why we chose it, so we could easily walk into town. This hotel is the Hilltop Boutique Hotel, and I really don’t recommend it at all. You can read the review I left on Booking, "Not great, this HillTop," for more details.
We set off to explore Victoria on foot. But… it’s ugly, dirty, noisy, and polluted. It stinks, the traffic is chaotic, and there isn’t a single peaceful or pleasant spot to relax. It’s such a contrast after Doha—so beautiful, so clean, so welcoming.
We have to stay here until Sunday. It’s going to be a long few days… We’re already regretting it.
In the evening, I contact the car rental company via WhatsApp—we’d reserved a vehicle through the hotel for the next day.
Well, it turns out they don’t have the car we reserved. They only have larger, more expensive ones. Full-coverage insurance doesn’t exist here, and they want a 2000 € bank imprint as a guarantee. Under these conditions, they can keep their car! What kind of way is that to do business?
