With 115 islands in the Seychelles, how do you choose which ones to visit? Emily Bamber suggests the perfect itinerary
This island paradise in the middle of the Indian Ocean has exquisite beaches, year-round sunshine and some of the most beautiful hotels in the region. But with 115 islands to choose from, and island-hopping high on the agenda, how should you put together a Seychelles itinerary? You’d probably need more than seven days to see it all, but here are a few ideas.
Day one: a capital day
Mahé is the largest island in the Seychelles and the transport hub for all international and most domestic flights. The country’s charming capital city Victoria is the seat of the government and also has the country’s only set of traffic lights.
Spend an afternoon strolling through the streets, dropping into the craft shops and market stalls. Don’t miss the mini replica of Big Ben – the Victoria Clocktower was erected in 1903 to mark the country’s new status as a crown colony.
Best bits: Flying into Mahé International airport and seeing the small islands dotted below; cruising the outlying St Anne Marine National Park in a glass-bottom boat.
Staying longer? Book a tour inland and visit the tea factory on the slopes of Morne Blanc or hike through the Morne Seychellois Park, the country’s largest nature reserve.
Day two: in search of Eden
A short hop in a light aircraft from Mahé domestic terminal and you’re in Praslin, the second largest of the islands where you can glimpse peaceful Seychellois life with forests and waterfalls, fishing villages and some of the most beautiful beaches in
the world.
Praslin is the subject of many Garden of Eden theories as it’s the only place in the world you will find the mysterious coco de mer, heavy nuts shaped in an evocative female form that grow in the Vallée de Mai park.
Best bits: The string of stunning beaches along the northwest coast; walking through the cool forest at the Vallée de Mai and having your photograph taken with a coco de mer.
Staying longer? Suggest an operator tour to neighbouring Sister Island or Coco Island, where you can sunbathe and snorkel before having a barbecue lunch on the beach.
Day three: on your bike
Just when you thought life couldn’t slow down any more, after a half-hour boat ride from the Baie St Anne jetty, you arrive in La Digue, where there are no cars apart from a handful of taxis, and everyone gets about by bike or ox-drawn cart.
There is one main hotel – La Digue Island Lodge – otherwise visitors stay in pretty, reasonably priced guesthouses. Cast aside your high heels and switch off your mobile – one night here and you will totally unwind.
Best bits: Cycling along shady lanes past friendly villages and waving children.
Staying longer? Check out working vanilla plantation L’Union Estate; lounge on Anse Source D’Argent, the island’s most beautiful beach.
Day four: walk on the wild side
The third largest island in the Seychelles is almost completely uninhabited, as it has sheer mountainous slopes covered in thick jungle. This means wildlife has been free to develop unhindered by man, and species exist here that can’t be found anywhere else.
It’s a 25-minute journey on a high-speed boat back to Mahé, but if visitors want to stay, book them into Labriz Silhouette, a new five-star hotel with luxury villas and superb facilities including an Aquum spa.
Best bits: Day hikes through the jungle; meeting baby giant tortoises at the sanctuary near the jetty; deciding which of Labriz’s five restaurants to eat at.
Staying longer? Book a dive course at the PADI centre attached to the hotel. As well as state-of-the-art gear, it has one of the country’s only compression chambers.
Day five: what lies beneath
Back on Mahé, the clear warm waters will be beckoning by now, so take a day out to get wet. Big hotel names such as Le Méridien, Banyan Tree and Hilton have superb properties here, and all offer dive charters and snorkel expeditions.
The coast is dotted with deep bays and rocky islets ideal for sailing around, and once you’ve worked up an appetite, operators can organise sumptuous beach picnics.
Best bits: The warm, gin-clear water; the coral, which changes colour in different light; swimming with whale sharks between August and November.
Staying longer: Book a dive liveaboard to explore the waters further afield, or if you don’t dive yet, then there’s no better place to learn.
Day six: pack your ear plugs
For a completely different face of paradise, suggest a night or two at Bird Island in the far north of the Seychelles. The island is on the migratory route of thousands of birds and permanent home to 750,000 pairs of sooty terns.
Once they’ve overcome the deafening chirping, guests are in for a fascinating time. Expert guides point out extraordinary species of bird, flora and fauna, and the largest tortoise in the world roams the grounds.
Accommodation is simple but comfortable, with food made from island-grown ingredients.
Best bits: Scrambled bird-eggs for breakfast; swimming in the deep clear water that rings the island.
Staying longer? Relax and unwind on the bright-white coral beaches, go swimming, have a drink at the bar and then do it all again.
Day seven: a private paradise
Stepping out on to the hot white sand in the morning and knowing there’s no one else on your island apart from fellow escapees is total paradise.
About 16 small islands are privately owned and run as resorts – at the top end of the market are Fregate Island and North Island, super-luxury resorts on granite outcrops in the Inner Islands.
Dennis Island and Desroches are further afield in the coral Outer Islands – tiny dots of civility in the vast wilds of the Indian Ocean. A few nights at one of these resorts at the end of an itinerary is the ultimate chill-out.
Best bits: Walking along the beach until you’ve circled your private island; the view from the window as you fly in and out on light aircraft.
Staying longer? If you can drag yourself from your sunlounger, take a Hemingway-esque fishing excursion and haul in your own tuna for dinner.
>> Further reading: 10 new hotels in Seychelles
