A super classic trio: Praslin, La Digue, Mahé (Seychelles) (page 4 of 7)

It’s time to head back; we’re covering the last few meters in the rain.

Honestly Muriel, you’re being picky... stormy skies with a ray of sunshine, a dreamy beach... perfect for some amazing photos 🤩

Thanks for the memories—exactly that! Do it again? Obviously as soon as possible...

Oh no, I'm not being picky! It was all gray, but then—bam! A ray of sunshine and it's magic. 😎

Happy to bring back some great memories for you 🙂

Sunday 04/30 Today, another sea outing with three snorkeling spots: Coco Island, Grande Soeur, and Félicité. We set off with the Ernesta brothers, who know the area really well and will swim with us (taking turns) to show us the best spots. The icing on the cake? They sent us the videos they took (they’re amazing, but since I didn’t film them, I’m not sure what I’m allowed to do with them).

First stop near Coco Island:



Despite several meters of depth, the water is astonishingly clear:



We saw the usual fish in large numbers (ugh, it’s getting repetitive! 😏), a blacktip reef shark (no time to take a photo—it’s too fast!) and our first sea turtles 🙂







After splashing around for nearly an hour, we headed to Grande Soeur Island, where snorkeling is done along the beach, mostly over dead coral. More turtles and another blacktip that darted under my nose just as I put my head back underwater 😮.

Finally, we made our way to Félicité Island. It’s a private island (with a helipad, yacht port, etc.—no, that’s not the hotel in the photo, it’s a "room" 😏).



Marbled rays arrived in the area two days ago (apparently, they only stay a few days before moving on). They’re "hidden" (especially if, like me, you stay at the surface 😇) under a swarm of mackerel and jacks—but they look stunning in the videos.







While the weather wasn’t always ideal for walks and hikes, it’s safe to say it was perfect for our sea excursions! The weather turned cloudy again, so we didn’t go back to Union Estate in the afternoon.

Thanks Muriel for this travel journal, I’ve been tempted by the Seychelles for years... but you’ve convinced me. Thanks!

Hi Patricia,

The Seychelles are indeed a fantastic destination for anyone who loves beautiful landscapes, the beach, or activities in (or under) the water.

Good evening Muriel,

A huge THANK YOU for your travel journal and for those beautiful images—so many memories come flooding back! You’ve taken me right back to September (or October) 1998. It was our honeymoon... and we did the same route as you (though in a different order).

That said, I’m really surprised you have to pay to hike on Praslin, and even more shocked there are cars for tourists on La Digue—what an abomination, probably an American import! Back in 1998, there were (unless I’m mistaken) only two motorized vehicles on Praslin, and those were for emergencies. But there were cows and carts instead.

Our stay nearly ended in tragedy on La Digue: while biking through a coconut grove, a coconut fell, grazing my wife’s shoulder. Just imagine if it had hit her head...!! I still get chills thinking about it.

I can’t wait to read the rest of your story! (By the way, to add a link, you can just copy and paste it—no need to do anything else. It works, trust me!)

Best regards,

...

Good evening Puma,

Welcome to this forum! As for La Digue, I don’t know if it’s because of the Americans or if it’s to satisfy as many tourists as possible (though it might have the opposite effect on others 🤪) and attract even more.

For the coconuts, we were careful when parking the car, but I admit I didn’t think about them for ourselves!

To be continued in a few days...🙂

If I followed correctly... From Anse en Île, on the Côte d’Or, Source d’Argent, Les Fourmis, not potatoes, they blissfully transport coconut praline. Curious, they cross the digue, harassed by stern-looking cousins. Meanwhile, emerging from the turquoise waters, Muriel dries herself off 😉

Wow, I gotta say, bravo! Great summary, Jean-Luc 😉

Jean-Luc has always been a master of gibberish poetry 😉

Always been a master of the travel mishmash 😉

And yet he’s no Casimir!

Thanks for the new travel journal, Muriel! I just caught up on my backlog and it’s so inspiring! Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience for sure 🙂 The snorkeling with the rays was amazing

Hi Pascale

I think it was you who asked Christelle for "off-the-beaten-path" ideas. I don’t think you’ll find any here ... I’m even wondering if it’s possible given the small size of the islands—everyone ends up more or less in the same places

Monday 31/03: We left La Digue in pouring rain!



...which only let up once we arrived in Mahé.

Welcome back to civilization! Traffic around Victoria is heavy, and there are regular jams. It took us about an hour to cover the 20 km to Anse Royale

Yesterday, we got a message from the owner of our accommodation offering us a sea-view apartment (at a reduced price) instead of the "no sea view" one we’d booked, since one was still available ... okay! Even if the sky isn’t blue, the rain has stopped, and we’re enjoying our sea view for this first evening in Mahé.



As always, the colors are magnified by the sun, and we don’t regret for a minute accepting the offer.







A quick trip for groceries in Anse Royale (where 3 small supermarkets are packed into a tiny space, but there are also a few restaurants and a takeaway—we’re saved!). Tomorrow, we’re going hiking.

Pure magic. Some photos are made stunning by the sun, others by the clouds.

Absolutely! I think there are few places where you can see so many variations in the colors of the sea (Polynesia probably, but I haven’t been there yet).

Tuesday 04/01: Today, we decided to go for a short (paid) hike. Short, because given the heat and humidity, it’s better not to be too ambitious 😏. We’re torn between Anse Major and the Coppolia trail... we’ll start with Anse Major, and if we’ve got the energy, we’ll tackle the second one after. Heading to Victoria (and its traffic jams) before turning west and ending up on the other side of the island. The hike is along the coast, on the mountainside. On one side, the forest or granite flows,



and on the other, the sea.





Okay, it doesn’t look like it because there’s blue sky over the water, but on land, it’s raining (more or less for now). After about an hour of walking, we catch sight of Anse Major:





The rain, which had let up a bit, comes back with a vengeance. We wait a little, but since it’s pouring harder and harder, we figure we’re already soaked, so we might as well head back. Anyway, we can’t tell what’s making us wetter—the rain or the sweat 🤪

Back in Bel Ombre where the sun has reappeared (maybe it never left here anyway). Still, the mountain tops are still in the clouds, so we’re calling it a day! (And honestly, I’m not sure we would’ve tackled the second hike even if the weather had been nice!).

Our afternoons are spent at Fairyland Beach, just below our accommodation. It's smaller than Anse Royale proper, but you can snorkel near Mouse Islet. As a result, it's quite busy (maybe also because there's a large parking lot between the two beaches, which isn't common).

Wednesday 04/02: Today, I'm supposed to do my scuba diving baptism, which got canceled (haha!) due to the weather. Since the meet-up is around noon, we have time to stop by the southern beaches. After Anse Royale, heading south, the traffic is much quieter. First stop: Anse Intendance: On the left,



On the right...

Then it's (pretty) Takamaka Beach:





It's time to head to Dive Resort Seychelles, at the end of Lazare Bay. But here's the thing! Maps.me doesn't know it! We enter a nearby spot—well, that's what we think—because we end up way, way too far 😮! Eventually, we use Google Maps like a road map, so we turn around, but time is ticking! The center is at the end of a tiny road. It's actually marked at the different intersections by a wooden sign (lost among a dozen others) with the inscription DRS (the initials for Dive Resort Seychelles: obvious once you know, but we hadn't caught on at all). We thought we were early, but we're actually late: the boat is about to leave! We'll come back tomorrow...

Thursday's day is spent between the scuba diving baptism (now we know the way!), Lazare Bay beach, and then Fairyland on the way back. For our last evening, we're still going to a restaurant 😏! It'll be piña colada and "catch of the day" (generous and very good)!

Hi Muriel!

The trip is coming to an end, and that’s a shame. Yes, it was me who asked Christelle for off-the-beaten-path suggestions. No big deal if there aren’t many—your photos are gorgeous, and I can tell this must be a wonderful escape for a short winter getaway 🙂

Everyone says the Seychelles are crazy expensive. I’d already looked into the destination before your travel journal and thought it was possible to make it work on a reasonable budget. Your journal confirms that: minimal transport costs, decent places to stay for around a hundred euros, takeaway food, and off we go!

Your last photo of Anse Major is amazing—and the little hike too!

Did you enjoy your first scuba dive?

Happy May Day to everyone 🙂

Hi Pascale,

Yes, the Seychelles have a reputation as a high-end destination—I’m not entirely sure why. It’s true that there are (even outside the private-island resorts) luxury accommodations starting at 1000 or 2000 € per night... but that’s not all there is! That said, it’s not exactly budget-friendly like some destinations in Asia, for example. I also don’t think there are any hostel-style accommodations.

Yes, I really enjoyed the diving (we saw white-tip reef sharks, a flying gurnard, and the fish were bigger than those near the mainland)... but it was partly ruined by ear equalization issues (I already struggle with that on planes! 😕), which caused pain that lasted for days afterward. So, I’m not sure I’d do it again (snorkeling is pretty great too ).

Friday 04/04: Last day in the Seychelles 🏴‍☠️ We savor our final breakfast with an ocean view...

We planned to visit Victoria, the (tiny) capital, before returning the car and catching our flight. We parked a bit outside the city (traffic jams mean lots of cars, and parking near the city center is nearly impossible). Meanwhile, the sky clouded over, and we discovered the (equally tiny) clock tower in the gloom:



Just follow the main street to reach the market, where birds peck at the fish

Or rather, the *leftovers* of the fish—some look more fit for sale 🙂



It starts raining, and we explore the Indian temple in the downpour.

...The rain gets heavier! Quick, find shelter!