Seychelles [2024]

Actual paradise.

Pre-trip Notes

Accommodation: Can be expensive if you stay in a hotel/resort. But, there are lots of "self-service" apartments for rent, which makes it much more affordable.
Food: FYI it is cheaper to do "take away" at restaurants rather than actually sit down. In general though, expect to pay much more than you usually do for food and drink as it is an island nation. Also, the fruit grown there will be some of the best of your life!
Ferries: Book. These. In. Advance. They absolutely fill up. There is at least one other website for booking, so check each of them to cross-check prices. Note: You have to get a physical print of your tickets (can't just show the voucher from your phone), so check into the counter early to get them. Also, the ferries are punctual, so don't be late!
Visa: Some sites state you don't need a visa. You do. Apply for the visa as soon as you've booked flights and know where you'll be staying, because you'll need to submit this information when you apply for the visa. The turnaround time was quick, but don't wait.

Getting around: We didn't want to deal with renting a car, so we walked. A LOT. We did take a couple of taxis and even took a bus or two (all very safe and straightforward). We pre-booked a couple of car transfers, so that's also an option. We somewhat figured the bus system out, but mostly asked locals about timing. You can either get your card at the airport or from various small shops around the islands (check here). We got ours at a grocery store on Praslin. One hilarious bus story was when the bus drove off when we started running towards it, stopped briefly, then was gone. We're pretty sure he was teasing us lol. We missed it because we weren't in the 100% correct spot for the bus stop (not great labelling there) and were off by ~100m. We ended up having a blast walking down the mountain anyway! Timetables
Money: We've gotten in the habit of just pulling money at the airport. Cash seemed necessary for a lot of places and is called rupees.
Scuba: We were originally going to scuba at Praslin, but everything was cancelled due to rough seas. We tried again in Mahe, but it was the same story there.

What We Did

La Digue

Rent bikes: Since the island is so small, the modes of transport are really only walking, biking, and golf carting. So, renting a bike is almost a must. There are so many little shops to choose from. We don't think you can go wrong.
Anse Cocos Trail: Recommended by friends, and it absolutely lived up to the hype. Fairly well-traveled trail with some gorgeous beaches and photo opportunities along the way. We biked to Grand Anse and hiked from there.
Anse Source d'Argent: You have to pay for a ticket to go here, but it's worth it. The beaches are some of the iconic views you see online. The Coco Bar at the end is a real treat for a drink and good food.

Praslin:

Vallée de Mai: Beautiful trails through the forest filled with all kinds of ferns and palms. We got a chance to hold a Coco de Mer nut - SO heavy! Highly recommend.
Rent bikes: We rented at the Paradise Sun Hotel, it worked well for us for a day.
Anse Lazio: We rode our bikes here. Note: There's a big hill before the beach, so we had to hop off our bikes and walk them up. But, it is a beautiful beach that Ash wished she could have enjoyed more lol. Windy but very pretty! TMI: Nick is a top-notch digger of vomit holes.
Curieuse Island: A must-do when you're at Praslin to see the tortoises! We booked a tour via Get Your Guide. The tour included two snorkel stops, photos of St. Pierre island, and a BBQ lunch. One of the snorkel stops was called "The Aquarium," and it was amazing! The main event, though, was our hike from Anse St. Jose to the Tortoise Sanctuary across the bay (Turtle Pond). We saw lots of crabs and mangroves along the way, and learned that mangrove trees isolate high salt content into leaves which turn yellow. The BBQ lunch was at the sanctuary, which was crawling with tortoises, and we could see small sharks near the shore as well. On the way back we snorkeled again to see schools of fish, corals, turtles, puffer fish, and eels!

Mahé:

Anse Major Trail: Really nice coastal walk! Have to pay to get in before 4 pm, so bring cash. It was windy at the beach, but really pretty! There's also a cold, freshwater pool on the backside of the beach, which was really refreshing.
Morne Blanc Trail: It started pouring rain on the way back, but the view of the island at the top was worth it! We took the bus in the direction of the trailhead and asked the driver to drop us off between stops. The hike took us about 1 hour total.
Copolia Trail: It POURED for most of this hike, but we stuck it out. It was a super fun adventure with a reward of so many pitcher plants at the top! This hike also took us about 1 hour in all. It was from here we tried to take the bus back down the mountain but got left in the "bus" dust. We walked down through breathtaking views, waterfalls, and a small hillside village that we otherwise wouldn't have seen <3

Food

La Digue

Sunset Bar: What a spot to start the trip for a drink. Fun and friendly place, and we saw our first tortoise here <3
Fish Trap Restaurant & Bar: Food was fine, but overpriced as expected. Ash got yelled at for putting her feet on the chair. So uncouth!
La Digue Reggae Bar: We wanted to stop for a drink on our way back to the hotel, and this spot was super chill and fun.
Avalunch: Just OK.

Praslin:

Leo's Food Bus: The sandwich was delicious, but we think Ash got food poisoning here. Her lunch ended up at Anse Lazio...

Mahé:

Pizzeria: Not rated well, but it was actually decent!
Ocean Deck Bar: Stopped in for a drink while we waited out a storm, which ended up being the perfect spot!
The Boat House Restaurant: We had the creole buffet - It was pricey but great.
The Tea Tavern: Really nice food and tea!
The Boat House Restaurant: Really good food and drinks. Do recommend.

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