first visit

Seychelles is so much more than just a beautiful destination with divine, world-beating beaches, clear azure waters and an amazing ecology.  You will discover that there’s truly surprising diversity to be enjoyed with, literally, a new experience around every corner.

If you’re into relaxation and just kicking back and enjoying the down-time, Seychelles has all you’ll ever need, from a selection of over 65 beaches on the island of Mahé alone, where to enjoy uncrowded, silver sands framed by some of the oldest granite boulders on earth.  Just the place to acquire the special glow of a Seychelles’ tan, refreshed by dips into crystal waters or even a snorkel to introduce you to the amazing world just beneath the waves.  There is also a host of great excursions and activities to choose from which highlight the many enchanting sights, sounds and experiences of the islands.

Mahé, the principal island, is home to the international airport and Victoria, the world’s tiniest capital and is the cultural and economic hub of the nation.  Here can be found most of the islands’ tourism facilities in the form of the greatest selection of accommodation, cultural and eco-tourism hotspots, great restaurants, bars, café’s and casinos as well as dive centres, car, fishing & sailing boat rentals and walks & trails.

But Mahé is just one island among many for you to enjoy because Seychelles is a destination made up of 115 island jewels, each with its own character, secrets and story to tell.  Island-hopping between the 16 islands currently offering accommodation is easy too, with scheduled plane and ferry services to suit just about any itinerary.  And, wherever you decide to stay, either in a 5-star cocoon of luxury or in any one of a selection of charming small hotels, self-caterings or picturesque Creole guesthouses, you will be met with courteous service and the friendly smile of a people who live in harmony and reassuringly close to their roots.

Your first stop might be Praslin, Seychelles’ second largest island where the vegetation is so special it was once seriously believed to be the original site of the Garden of Eden.  A few steps into the extraordinary forest known as the Vallée de Mai will show you why.  Here, in this ancient forest of towering palms grows the incredible Coco-de-Mer palm which produces fruits that are Nature’s exact replica of the female pelvis while one of the world’s rarest birds, the Seychelles Black Parrot, flits back and forth in the twilight.  After a stroll through this legendary glade you will be ready for a swim at one of the most famous beaches on earth, the achingly beautiful Anse Lazio, just one of many places where you can also enjoy memorable Creole cuisine within sight of the ocean and with your feet in the sand.

La Digue Island is merely a 30 minute ferry ride from Praslin and, as you set foot on this magical island where the main forms of transport are still bicycle and ox-cart, you will feel yourself transported back to yesteryear.  Steeped in tradition, La Digue is one of the most popular spots for enjoying a unique, island-style way of life at a wonderfully unhurried pace.

Or, you might wish to follow your imagination to more distant horizons where low-lying coral isles and magnificent atolls have been cast like inviting stepping-stones across the waters of the Indian Ocean.  Several romantic island hideaways now boast excellent facilities either in sumptuous resorts offering elegant accommodation amid surrounds of breathtaking natural beauty or in rustic island lodges with homely beachside cottages.  All will offer you adventure, great cuisine and the opportunity to experience the very best that unspoiled Nature has to offer.

Seeking adventure on the ocean? Seychelles offers some of the finest sailing on earth with easy sailing distances, safe moorings and myriad islands, near and far, for you to discover.  A number of charter companies offer modern fleets of mono-hulls and catamarans, either bareboat or skippered.

If you’re a diver, expert or beginner, then you’ve come to the right place for unforgettable diving in waters teeming with marine life and spectacular underwater landscapes.  A selection of professional land-based and live-aboard dive operators will propose you expeditions to a number of exceptional sites where wondrously few have ventured.

You don’t have to stray far for your first bite in Seychelles’ fish-rich waters where deep-sea fishing offers a mixed bag like few others of tuna, barracuda, trevally, jack, rainbow-runner, sailfish and the mighty marlin.  Bone-fishing on the flats of some of the Outer Islands is considered to be among the best in the world while the local sport of bottom-fishing will bring some of the tastiest fish around to your table.

If you’re coming to the islands of love for your wedding, honeymoon, anniversary or just that impulsive romantic getaway, then there are a host of options for you to choose from as you soak up the romantic ambiance à La Creole at any one of our romantic hotels, guest houses or island hideaways.  Secret coves where the only footprints will be your own, out-of-the-way romantic restaurants where to enjoy that special tête à tête and sunset strolls along fabulous strands will supply memories for a lifetime.  You can also enjoy a wide range of spa experiences featuring the rejuvenating, home-grown pampering of mind body and soul or the signature treatments of dedicated spas.