JOIN USSeychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, off East Africa. It's home to numerous beaches, coral reefs and nature reserves, as well as rare animals such as giant Aldabra tortoises.
We boarded the Sri Lankan Airlines from Bengaluru and reached Colombo in an hour. We had an early breakfast and we boarded to Mahe Island and reached Seychelles at 10.30 am local time.
Mahe international airport is a very small airport with a very limited crowd, the immigration took only 5 to 10 minutes. The weather was really hot, the temperature was around 30 C, wearing light dresses are only suitable. It is always better to take a rental car from the airport itself. Our lodge was a big self-service house with a kitchen, garden and balcony.
After we checked-in, we went out for lunch. We were a bit tired, so spend rest of the day in the lodge itself.
The next morning, we drove to Mahe which is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Victoria, the capital of Seychelles, is the tiniest capital in the world. We walked around for an hour and saw an Indian temple and bazaar.
Our next destination was Beau Vallon Beach. Here, you can enjoy watersports like jet skis and canoes. We had lunch at a French restaurant and enjoyed some delicious lobster. Our last stop for the day was to La Digue.
On our third day, we visited Praslin and La Digue Islands. We reached Cat Coco jetty in an hour and boarded the ferry. We reached Praslin island in an hour and took a connecting ferry to La Digue.
It is a very small island, so if you have less luggage you can hire bicycles and reached the beach by cycling or you can book a bully cart to go to the beach.
A little before the beach, you will spot a garden with different types of trees. You will also find giant tortoises there. Around evening, we reached Chez Bea Luxury Villa.
Chez Bea is newly built villa. We booked the two bedrooms home with a kitchen and lawn.
Our next stop was to Praslin also known as 'lle des Palmes'. It is the endemic home to the Coco de Mer tree. The must-see Vallee de Mai is the green heart of Praslin Island, a living remnant of the ancient palm forests.
We reached Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve after breakfast. It is a nature park and UNESCO World Heritage Site on the island of Praslin. It was a unique lifetime experience to trek inside the reserve amidst beautiful flora and fauna.
Anse Lazio beach, our next destination, was a 30-minute drive. We had lunch at Bonbon Plume restaurant and headed to the beach. Anse Lazio is known to be one of the most beautiful in the archipelago. It is situated in the northwest of the island.
The crystal-clear azure waters can only be described as like swimming in a big warm endless bath of turquoise blue water. Since it was raining we could not enjoy much.
The next morning, we headed for Anse Royale beach. It is another beautiful beach; the weather was bright and sunny. We decided to hang out there till lunch. We dined at the renowned restaurant Les Dauphins Heureux.
We enjoyed the rest of the day shopping and buying souvenirs. Since Seychelles is famous for black pearl, we shopped for that as well.
The day finally came for us to head back to Bengaluru. We had early breakfast at the lodge and left for Mahe international airport. We had a small car, so the lodge owner took his jeep to drop our luggage in the airport.
That was really nice of him! We flew back on Sri Lankan Airlines via Colombo.
Seychelles is truly a beauty of its kind and last but not the least the people are very friendly and helpful.
How to get there
We flew by Sri Lankan airlines via Colombo, return trip cost around Rs 1,38,019 for four of us.
Where we stayed
We stayed in Castaway Fishing lodge in Mahe (it cost around Rs 50,000 for 4 nights stay) and Chez Bea Luxury Villa in Praslin (cost Rs 13,000 for 1-night stay)
When you plan
Passport and Visa requirements: In Seychelles, you will get the visa on arrival and another good thing is passport validity is required only during your stay.
Flight: We could not find any direct flight from Bangalore to Mahe, there are multiple flights options, book based on your preference, we booked Sri Lankan airlines which goes via Colombo.
Make sure to book your car rental. You need to drive in Seychelles - without a car, it is difficult to visit places in Mahe and Praslin islands. The rentals cost around 35 to 40 Euro per day for small cars.
If you have more luggage, it is better to go for SUV or Sedan. However, getting a car is difficult, so it is advised to book one at least a week before your trip. As roads are mostly hilly there, it is always better to book an automatic car with good power.
It is better to carry more Euro cash as some places like Praslin and La Digue islands your debit or credit card may not work.
Most of the shops and restaurants do accept Seychelles rupees (SCR), so convert your Euro or Dollar on reaching Seychelles International Airport.