Friendly Guide Seychelles
When to go?
Clearly all year round. The funniest answer that I’ve heard was “whenever you have the chance to go”. Of course that in the rainy season (nov-feb) it will rain more, but it will still be warm and great for snorkeling and other activities.
Where to stay?
If you’re the type that gets bored quickly and likes to explore, Mahe. It’s the main and largest island and it’s connected to all the other islands that you want to discover. It has a lot of beautiful beaches (you can read more here and here) but also a lot of nature trails that we did not have the chance to explore. That was mainly because we prefer the beach but also because the hot and humid air could have made our hike pretty uncomfortable. You can read more about hiking on Mahe here. If you choose Mahe, I would advise you to look for an accommodation on the western coast. Don’t forget to visit Sainte Anne Marine National Park and Silhouette Island.
Praslin is also a good option for both hiking (Coco de Mer Trails read more here) and beaches. If you want to spend a fair amount of time on La Digue, it should be your main base as I would not recommend staying more than 4 nights on La Digue. If you want to spend a lot of time on the beach focusing on secluded bays, then you should choose La Digue, or any of the other smaller islands.
What to do?
Except exploring the most beautiful beaches in the world and hiking through the tropical forest you can also try game fishing, golf, horseback riding, snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing, kite boarding, kite surfing, windsurfing, jet-skiing, paragliding or even booking a helipad tour.
What to eat?
I could basically live on local fruits (mango, papaya, pineapple, jackfruit, passion fruit, starfruit) and seafood. You need to try everything with passion fruit (drinks, main courses and desserts: passion fruit mousse!!) and “coconut everything”! (tested at The Nest restaurant on Praslin).
Please also add the local fish: red snapper, job fish, jackfish and grouper. Oh, I almost forgot! If you want to try one of the best icecreams in the world, you should try the La Digue vanilla ice-cream.
I am obviously now a fan of the Seychellois cuisine, which includes a lot of spices (ginger, coriander, lemongrass, etc.) and usually combines meat/seafood and fresh fruits with rice or dhal (lentils). Local delicacies include bat curry, shark chutney, coconut palm salad or cassava pudding. The Seychellois cuisine is a combination of African, Indian, Chinese, French and British influences.
Where to eat on Mahe?
Del Place – try the Passion Fruit Mojito
Friendly Guide Seychelles
L’Indochine – for a romantic dinner
La Plage restaurant – lunch break in Beau Vallon
Chez Batista – lunch break on Takamaka Beach
Windsong Beach Restaurant – lunch/dinner by the sea
Kafe Kreol – lunch/dinner by the sea when visiting Anse Royale
Surfers Beach Restaurant – lunch on the beach
Friendly Guide Seychelles
Restaurant Chez Plume – lunch near Anse Boileau
La Grande Maison restaurant – fine dining in a restored colonial home (the Plantation House on the grounds of the Takamaka Rum Distillery).
What to pack?
Light materials, light colours. The temperatures are rather high even during the night so there’s no need to bring warm clothes. The humidity is high all the time (approx 80%) so clothes made from linen and cotton are ideal.
Enjoy the small things: sunsets, rainbows and the amazing local flora and fauna. Tip: it would be really useful if you could bring along an encyclopaedia of flora and fauna of Seychelles!
Friendly Guide Seychelles
