Now that it’s sufficiently cold and gloomy outside, I’m feeling extra sentimental about the sunshine, salty air and tan lines that come standard with a visit to the Seychelles. After our time on safari in the Masai Mara, we made our way to this little known grouping of islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean—touted for magnificent white sand beaches lined with granite boulders and crystal clear turquoise waters. Located about 1000 miles due East of Kenya, the Seychelles consists of 115 islands, mostly uninhibited, with exception to the three main islands: Mahe (the capitol), Praslin and La Digue. These three islands provide the majority of tourism, but a handful of other private islands containing no permanent residents also offer very luxurious and secluded accommodations including North Island (the honeymoon destination of Prince William + Kate as well as George + Amal Clooney), Fretgate, Felicite and Silhouette to name a few. Once under the rule of France, the culture in the Seychelles is a mix of African, Indian and Creole. French and Creole are the main languages spoken in addition to English.
— ARRIVING —
Our first stop was to Praslin island. We spent three nights just off the Cote D’Or coast and after an exciting few days of chasing lions and elephants across the savannah, we wanted nothing more than to lounge and relax all day at the beautiful beaches this island has to offer. From Mahe International Airport we took a 15 min plane ride directly to Praslin via Air Seychelles, operating flights between the two islands about every half hour all day long.
— ANSE LAZIO —
Day one we made our way to the beautiful Anse Lazio beach. Set on the northwest side of the island, Anse Lazio is often listed as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world and most definitely lives up to its reputation. The beach is made up of one longer stretch of sand and two smaller cove areas surrounded by boulders. Getting to the beach is easy via rental car or bus, just note that if you do take the bus you will be dropped off about 1km from the beach and will need to walk to rest of the way. There is a nice little restaurant on the beach called Bon Bon Plume perfect for lunch serving traditional creole cuisine and drinks.
^^exploring one of the boulder filled coves
^^Are you kidding me with that water color? Incredible.
— LUNCH AT BON BON PLUME —
Bon Bon Plume is a great little beach restaurant serving delicious traditional creole food. No shoes or shirt required.
^^A delicious traditional Creole feast: Chicken curry, grilled fish, lentils, rice, papaya salad and a local SeyBrew.
^^Beach bars are the best bars. Coco frio is a daily island essential in my book.
Maroon Dress | Faithfull the brand
Espadrilles | Ball Pages
Gold Necklaces | Missoma London
Straw Hat | Lack of Color
Sunglasses | Ray-ban
Beach Bag | Abaca
Turkish Towel | Hammamas (similar here)
— ANSE GEORGETTE —
Spending a day at Anse Georgette requires a reservation through Constanse Lemuria since reaching the beach requires walking though the hotel’s property. There are technically no private beaches in the Seychelles so no matter if you can afford to stay at a high end hotel or not, the natural beauty of the island is there for everyone to experience. If you are heading to Anse Georgette from the Cote D’Or area like us, you will drive through the Vallee de Mai nature reserve, making for a nice chance to see both if you aren’t looking to spend an entire day at the beach. There is also a great take-away shop on the drive called Whole Foods Market (yes, they even copied the logo but no this is not the real Whole Foods from the States!). This cute little shop has some really nice food selections as well as a little in-shop restaurant servings burgers and sandwiches + smoothies and drinks.
White Blouse | Merlette
Denim Shorts | RE/DONE
Black Sandals | Posse
Red Swimsuit | J. Crew (similar here)
Gold Necklaces | Missoma London
Straw Hat | Lack of Color
Sunglasses | Ray-ban
Beach Bag | Abaca
– VALLEE DE MAI NATURE RESERVE –
We opted to spend all our time beaching, but another fun daytime activity on Praslin is visiting the Valle de Mai nature reserve, which is home to many unique species including the extremely rare Coco de Mer—the largest coconut on the planet found only in Praslin and neighboring island Curieuse. The Valle de Mer is legend to be the “Garden of Eden” and the Coco de Mer the “forbidden fruit” which is made a more interesting tale considering the non discrete shape of this rare coconut. Guided and self-guided tours are available.
SHOP THE POST
Travel Tips:
A rental car is very useful on Praslin if you plan to bounce around the island. The bus is a viable way to travel but you will be subject to the time schedule and in some cases, such as going to Anse Lazio, you will be dropped off a good distance from your destination. Pricing is reasonable and the process is very easy.
Some restaurants have strict dress codes for men wearing pants at dinner, which we found out the hard way.
Bring rain gear no matter what season you are visiting—rain is possible any time in the tropics but the good news is if it does rain, it’s usually for a short period of time.
Where to Stay:
SPLURGE: Constance Lemuira, Raffles
MID-RANGE: Le Duc de Praslin, Hotel L’Archipel
BUDGET SELF CATERING: L’Hirondelle, Cote d’Or Footprints
Where to Eat:
CASUAL: Bon Bon Plume, La Goulou
FANCY: Cafe de Arts, La Gigolette
Beach Getaway Packing Essentials:
Sun Bum Travel-Sized Sun Care Pack
Cucumber and Sage Cleansing Towelettes
Lightweight Turkish Beach Towel
Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker
Photography: Images shot using the Fujifilm X-T2 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 18-55mm F2.8-4.0 R LM OIS Lens
