Hi there, we’re heading to the Seychelles at the end of March for two weeks. I was thinking 5 days in Praslin, 3 days in La Digue, and 5 days in Mahé. Does that time split sound good to you?! For accommodation in Praslin, does the Grande Anse area seem nicer than St Anne for a quiet stay? And on Mahé, is the south coast or the west coast better? Do you know where the boats usually leave from for island-hopping excursions? Last question: I’m a fisherman and I’ll have some gear with me. Do you know where the fishing reserves are? Are there any small harbors where I can hop on a boat with locals? Thanks in advance for your tips!

Since no travel journal has been posted about this destination since 2020, I’m giving it a go—maybe it’ll jog some memories for a few of you or give others a few ideas... even if, in the end, there isn’t much to tell 😎! Even though the itinerary was as classic as can be, it still led to a few brain knots: in what order? How many nights on each island? Rent a car or not? In short, plenty of existential questions to land on 4 nights per island, finishing with Mahé to avoid any nasty surprises before the return flight.

Saturday 03/22: Flight to Mahé with Qatar Airways (no—or rather, no more—direct flights from Paris 😕) A nice surprise at CDG with the discovery of a new lounge in Terminal 1

Then, an in-depth exploration of Doha Airport thanks to (or because of) a loooong layover:



And finally, arrival at the tiny Mahé airport where we step onto the tarmac feeling like we’ve walked into a steam room

Baggage claim is quick, the shuttle to the port is on time, the ferry is punctual (we, on the other hand, are *very* early for it ), and there’s Praslin in sight:



... with a sneak peek of the sea’s colors 🙂 Quick note on the photos: most were taken with a smartphone, and the colors are a bit more saturated than in real life (I did bring my hybrid camera, but in the end, I barely used it since it wasn’t very practical to lug around on the water or for snorkeling).

We pick up the car (a Grand i10 instead of a Picanto) from a muddy parking lot (it just rained) and off we go—of course, with a windshield wiper instead of the turn signal 😎, left-hand driving obliges. In just a few minutes, we arrive at our accommodation for these 4 nights on Praslin (Oh, and now the "lien" tab isn’t working! ) We’re blown away by the view from the terrace:



Then by the view from the little shared terrace on a promontory:

Before heading to test the water temperature on the other side of the road, at Anse Boudin, and spotting our first fish.

Hi, we’re heading to the Seychelles at the end of April—2 adults and 2 kids (9 and 11 years old). We’ll be spending 3 nights in Mahé, 3 in Praslin, and 6 in La Digue. For Mahé, is staying in the southeast, around Anse Royale, a good idea? We’ll have a car and want to be close to beautiful beaches. Thanks

Hi everyone,

It was totally by chance that I found this cruise while chatting with Alfred in November 2024. It wasn’t planned, but the price was attractive—one of those "great deals" from Ponant that I love and that don’t exist anymore. Since everyone’s wondering, here’s the answer without waiting for the end of the story: after my various loyalty discounts, I paid **3,250 € per person** for 8 nights/9 days on the expedition cruise *The Essentials of the Seychelles*.

Expedition cruises are by far our favorites. The outings are done by Zodiac with the ship’s naturalist guides, everything’s included, and there’s no need to add any excursions or prepare anything.

We’re liking long flights less and less, so to break up the trip, we decided to stop over in Doha for four days on the way there and one day on the way back.

I’m happy to share the good and not-so-good moments, the great surprises, and the disappointments of this trip with you.

Hello everyone, Thanks for this amazing forum—I’ve spent hours browsing through it. I’m reaching out to ask for your help as we’re looking for a destination for our honeymoon. We never travel outside Europe, so we’re total newbies, but we want to treat ourselves for this special occasion.

Dates: June 23 → July 8 (possibly until July 12) Duration: 2 to 3 weeks Budget: Not really an issue for this trip

Our plan: - A seaside destination first and foremost, with beautiful beaches - We’d like to do some hiking or at least go on walks with scenic viewpoints - A relaxing trip with sunshine, lush greenery, and stunning landscapes - A safe destination

Our thoughts so far: - New Zealand: our dream, but it seems like the wrong time of year weather-wise ++ - Azores: ruled out due to unpredictable weather—what do you think? - Mauritius/Reunion combo: vetoed by my future wife ^^ - Seychelles: seems like it could work, but I’ve read about a few downsides (no shops to buy food, snorkeling not always amazing, occasional weather/tide issues making swimming tricky)

Other options: - French Polynesia: we’re really dreaming of it, but is 2 weeks too short for such a long trip? - Hawaii: same question—too far? - Sardinia?

Thanks so much for your help, and have a great weekend!

Blanche & Nicolas

Planning for retirement! Where? How? Why there? Current home: Réunion Island > it's great. Though a bit too crowded on this island... And the future looks way too expensive to live reasonably without spending too much. So, exploring the Indian Ocean. Your ideas are welcome! ;-) A bit of Bali, a touch of Rodrigues, a few weeks in Mauritius, summers in Nosy Be, and winters in Réunion. In a camper van... maybe.

Hi, we’re traveling as a group of 4 (2 adults and 2 kids aged 9 and 12) in April. I was thinking of renting a car in Mahé and Praslin, then renting a bike on La Digue. When I look at car rental companies, there’s a whole bunch of them! For those who’ve been there before, do you have any recommendations? Thanks!

Sandra.

We’re planning a trip to the Seychelles in summer 2027. We live in Lyon and I’m looking for all possible flight options. I’m interested in hearing from people who’ve flown from Barcelona with Emirates to Mahé (layover in Dubai). I’m wondering how easy parking is in Barcelona and how manageable it is to fly from there with two kids aged 10 and 13. Flights from Barcelona are cheaper than from Lyon or CDG. I’d love to hear from anyone who chose BCN with Emirates. If you’ve got other suggestions, I’m all ears. Thanks!

Hello, We’ll be on vacation in the Seychelles in July and will visit La Digue, Praslin, and then Mahé in that order. Our 21-year-old daughter will have to leave earlier than us while we’re still on Praslin. We’re hesitating between the following options for her return: Option 1: - July 9: ferry from Praslin at 2:00 PM – arrives in Mahé at 3:15 PM. - International flight departing at 7:30 PM. - The connection is very tight, leaving a 1- to 2-hour safety margin in case the ferry is delayed. Option 2: - July 9: ferry from Praslin at 8:00 AM – arrives in Mahé at 9:15 AM. - International flight departing at 7:30 PM. - This is safer than Option 1, but it means she’d lose the whole day, spending it alone. We’d pay for a day pass giving her access to a hotel pool to kill time. From experience, what do you think? Are significant ferry delays (2 hours or more) common, especially in July with the swell, making Option 1 too risky? Or is even Option 2 too risky, and should our daughter take a ferry the day before (though that would mean missing a lot of time with us)? Or should she take an Air Seychelles flight the same day instead of the ferry? Is that safer than the ferry? But it’s much more expensive… I know no one can give me certainty on this, but I’d just love to hear your gut feeling from those who have experience with inter-island transfers in the Seychelles. Thanks so much in advance! Christophe

Over ten years ago, we took a cruise on the Costa ROMANTICA. Since then, we’ve never had the pleasure of finding another company for a cruise in the Indian Ocean with stops in Réunion, Mauritius, the Seychelles, and Madagascar. I recently discovered on this site that the German company AIDA offers the exact same cruise in December! But we don’t speak German and don’t know this company at all. Thanks if you can give us any insights about the ship *Stella* and the quality of their services