Hello Traveller!
I am Dr. Prachi Shah Vinay. A practicing dentist in the city of Mumbai and a passionate photographer.
Me and my husband planned Seychelles for our honeymoon. This place is less heard but we decided to book in and out of the trip on our own. From air travel to hotels to water activities and sightseeing. Everything!!! And it wasn't rocket science.
So After reading several travel stories on Tripoto, We realised how helpful these traveller's experiences were during the trip.
And so I decided to pen down my first ever travel story.
For the people who love to plan their vacations on their own.
Seychelles is a country in the continent of Africa which is made up of 115 islands.
The main islands being
Mahe - the capital of Seychelles
Praslin - second largest island in Seychelles
La Digue - truely a paradise. U can witness some of the world's best beaches here.
Seychelles is know for its pristine beaches flaunting crystal clear blue water, white sand and huge granite boulders.
It has earned the tag of "The Royal Honeymoon" after the prince of England visited this place for his honeymoon.
So it may not fall in the category of budget destinations but it can do less damage to your pocket if planned and booked well.
Budget Hotels are available from 5k-15k range and Kenya Airways will offer u the lowest price tickets amongst all the other airlines.
Air Seychelles offers a direct flight though. (from Mumbai)
After a long journey from Mumbai to Seychelles, we were enthralled as soon as we saw the majestic aerial view of islands that forms Seychelles. its beautiful!!
(PS:no yellow fever certificate is required during emigration there if u haven't been to any other country in Africa.
When u get out of the airport, Most of the Taxis there are not metered so u can bargain with them for a good price:)
Languages spoken by the locals here are Creole, French and English.)
We stayed at berjaya beau vallon resort and casino.
Amazing place. Its situated at the beau vallon beach which makes the resort one of the most liked hotels in mahe.
The hospitality there was great. I would also appreciate the humble gestures made by the indian chef manjit. We kinda missed manjit's food in praslin and la digue.
So the day was well spent relaxing and rejuvenating in this beautiful luxurious resort.
They have a Beach front bar and also a pool side bar which is open only till 6pm.
The one at the beach front is really nice. Especially when its windy post sunset and the live music is all in the air. They mostly sing Afro jazz n Hollywood.
we decided to spend the second day at the beau vallon beach. Sun, sand and Seybrew! Three things found abundantly here :) fourth being the vast blue ocean!
We had a great time at the beach.
The hotel provides u with beach beds and towels without any deposit unlike the berjaya at pralin.
For the next morning We booked a scuba dive with blue sea divers which is located at the end of beau vallon beach.
They have beginners scuba course which allows even non swimmers to enjoy the diving experience.
The ones at our resort (PADI divers) didn't have such a course. They don't entertain non swimmers.
After a scrumptious breakfast at the hotel we had Blue Sea Divers picking us up from the resort at 8:30 in an open jeep. The drive to the centre was one hell of an experience.
Then we were dressed aptly at the centre and also introduced to our mentors for the dive. Manuela and Christopher. They were very warm and motivating. Diving locations for the day were the light house and the marine nature park (a UNESCO heritage site).we had taken a diving package of €150 each(includes two dives per person) with additional entry fee of €17 each for the marine park.
Our mentors were extremely helpful and they made us comfortable with our first ever diving experience.
SCUBA was one of our best experiences in Seychelles. I must say a MUST DO here! Snorkeling was given complimentary by them.
We could spot exotic fishes,sea turtle, baby shark, ray fishes and a wide range of corals and fauna.
We were awarded with diving certificates and a A LiveStrong kinda wrist band:)
Rest of the day was spent by the pool relishing pizzas and pastas. This is the safest thing to call for if you are a vegan.
Food options are very limited in Seychelles (especially in praslin and la digue) if u are a vegetarian.
I would suggest u to carry your own easy to cook food/eatables/snacks/munchies etc.
Even the Maggie here is not the one we get in India.
We also tried The indian restaurant at the resort for dinner. And it was so yumamazing! I think the best indian food that we had in our entire trip.
Our last day in Mahe.
We had booked a city tour from the travel desk at the resort.
We were give a chauffer driven Hyundai i 10 for the entire day.
So we started at 9 am and Berty, our driver like a nice host took us around the city.
There are cars available on rent but we preferred to be driven as the driving there is a bit rash,Also the topography of the island is such that only a very pro driver can handle.
There is not much of a difference between the amount u pay for self drive and chauffeur driven i.e if u get a good deal for the city tour. We booked for 800SCR.
Places visited :
All the beautiful beaches listed
Mission lodge
Victoria market
Clock tower
Tea factory
Eden plaza
The drive uphill reminded me of ooty.(a beautiful hill station in Karnataka)
It feels like a hill station. Cool and foggy with greenery all around.
And when we started descending and reached the plainer areas we had endless blue water running along with us.
Berty dropped us at the hotel by 6:30.
That night We tried our hands on a Chinese restaurant in the resort. The sizzles there are worth a try.
With all the excitement we packed our bags and headed to the jetty. Our first experience with island hoping.
So we bought cat cocos tickets for praslin.Cat cocos is the only means by which u can travel from mahe to praslin.
Ferry tickets 750SCR per person
Please check with the ferry timing at the hotel reception a day prior. We chose a ferry around the noon because the check in at berjaya in praslin was at 2 pm and thankfully it was a wise decision made by my husband as they did not give us a room until the clock struck 2. Quiet annoying.
Ferry ride was fun.
The ocean is generally a little rough so if u have sea sickness issues. do pop a pill before u get into the ferry.
On arrival we were greeted well and on check in we were given a paper which said no free Wi-Fi, and other set of No's.
Quite disappointing. The berjaya at beau vallon gives u free Wi-Fi.
We were given an ocean facing chalet. Which was OK but we kept comparing this berjaya to the previous one. This place will Make u feel more close to the nature but is quite aloof and quiet.. we liked the mahe berjaya more. I would say look for other options in praslin. I wouldn't recommend this place.
Our moods went a lil off as the dining options here are very limited. Please do not try the pizzeria at this berjaya. Its pathetic. Very unfriendly staff and food standards are very low.
We stayed back at the hotel and replenished ourselves for the next day.
Its Anse Lazio time!!!
Anse Lazio is said to be the world's most beautiful beach. And it truely is! Beach, babes and bikinis :)
We decided to travel by local bus. As we had read on one of the blogs and they were quite comfortable
Most of the bus stops there are simply a marking on road reading as bus stop. U might just miss one if u are looking for a sheltered place.
Bus tickets are pretty cheap. Just 5SCR irrespective of your destination. closest bus stop to anse lazio is a km or two away.
Taxi can be considered as a good but expensive option.
PS: beware of the taxi drivers who fool u saying that they will help u by giving u a lift and then they ask for money after a good amount of distance has been covered.
Time spent lazing at anse Lazio was memorable.
No beach beds/towels available there. Carry your own beach mats/towels/hats and do not forget sunscreen SPF 50.
There are huge tortoises dwellings near the beach. Must visit them. They are as huge as the ones at the turtle island ( which saves u from going to that island specially for them. )
Atleast half a day can be comfortably spent at the beach. Lunch options available near the beach.
Anse Lazio took a toll on us. We decided to rest at the resort and have fun.
The restaurants around berjaya Praslin serve good food. Special the one which is beach facing. And the one at the end of the beach, the restaurant at hotel praradise.
We decided to visit Vallee de mai
The place where the famous Coco de Mer seeds can be found.
Also the 6types of palm tress that Seychelles has.
A free guide is available if u start the route there at 2pm. Or the place is self explainable. Just follow the information boards inside and the map that is provided with the ticket.
Carry water/eatables/cameras. They are all allowed inside.
This place has some entry fee.
So we went though the forest. It gives u feeling of being in a dense jungle. So kinda enjoyed that too. Tried spotting the black parrots and other local exotic birds but couldn't really capture them on my Nikon.
After getting done with it a local told us about a waterfall near by. Please do not waste your time find it. Its barely seen. Can only be heard as it is hidden behind the lush dense trees.
After vallee de mai and the waterfall we decided to visit the local market. This place has clubs too. They say that they are quite safe but we could gather the courage to loiter outside our hotel post 10pm.
Hire a car or book a city tour or take a tour by bus coz the remaining places to see can be explored in this one day.
Island hopping is also one can opt for. Visit small near by island. But at the end all more or less feel the same.
We spent 5 days on this island but 3 days i believe are enough.
Keep a minimum of two days for the most beautiful tourist attraction. La Digue!
La digue you are beautiful!!! You are amazing!!!
We stayed at a place very close to jetty. Lakaz Safran. Lovely place. Warm rooms and good view. It is right opp fish trap. Again a good restaurant.
There are three ways to commute through the island
By foot
On a bicycle
Or on a bullock cart (for those who find it difficult to cycle)
And this is to preserve the environment and treasure the beauty of La digue.
Grab a map and go cycling!
Places not to be missed are:
Anse Source D'Argent beach
Anse Patates Beach
Grand Anse beach
Petite Anse beach.
We stayed for 2 days at the island and felt they weren't enough.
The landscapes here are picture perfect.
We had to travel back to mahe from la digue.
With a sinking heart we had to leave the Paradise
We enjoyed every bit of our honeymoon at Seychelles!
Thank you Seychelles for treating us with a good weather.
Orevwa!
(goodbye in Creole)
I have listed a few links below which might give u general info about seychelles and help u plan your travel.
www.hotels.com
www.trivago.in
www.tripadvisor.com - for things to do & restaurant /bars /pubs
www.seychelles.travel/
www.airseychelles.com/
www.infoplease.com/../seychelles.html
A very cosy and cost effective accommodation.
Do not miss this!
Best place to snorkle.