Seychelles
The Seychelles is an Indian Ocean archipelago of 115 islands, and a first trip centres on three granite islands that sit close together but feel very different.
Mahé has the capital Victoria, the Morne Seychellois mountains, the lively sands of Beau Vallon and the wild surf of Anse Intendance. Praslin holds the Vallée de Mai UNESCO palm forest and the white crescent of Anse Lazio, and La Digue offers bicycles, ox carts and the boulder-strewn Anse Source d'Argent. Marine park boat trips and island-hopping day tours tie them together. This guide books the headline experiences properly, with Viator options where they exist and official links for the rest, and matches you to hotels across all three islands, from Four Seasons villas at Petite Anse to a practical lodge in Grand'Anse.
Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve
A UNESCO World Heritage palm forest on Praslin, home of the giant coco de mer and the rare black parrot. It is the single best reason to include Praslin in a Seychelles trip, and a short, shady, well-marked walk makes it easy for all ages.
Anse Lazio
Praslin's most celebrated beach: a curve of soft white sand framed by granite boulders and takamaka trees on the island's northwest tip, with clear water, snorkelling and a couple of beachside restaurants.
Copolia Trail, Morne Seychellois National Park
A guided hike in Mahé's mountain national park, climbing through cool, misty forest to a granite outcrop with views over Victoria and the east coast, with carnivorous pitcher plants beside the path.
Beau Vallon Beach
Mahé's most popular beach, a long crescent of white sand on the northwest coast with calm water in the trade-wind months, water sports, dive centres, beach bars and hotels within walking distance.
Hand-picked: every experience here has strong traveler reviews and a verified booking link.
A UNESCO World Heritage palm forest on Praslin, home of the giant coco de mer and the rare black parrot. It is the single best reason to include Praslin in a Seychelles trip, and a short, shady, well-marked walk makes it easy for all ages.
FreePraslin's most celebrated beach: a curve of soft white sand framed by granite boulders and takamaka trees on the island's northwest tip, with clear water, snorkelling and a couple of beachside restaurants.
La Digue's famous beach of pink-white sand, shallow lagoons and sculpted granite boulders, reached by cycling to L'Union Estate, a working plantation with giant tortoises, a copra mill and a vanilla plantation.
A guided hike in Mahé's mountain national park, climbing through cool, misty forest to a granite outcrop with views over Victoria and the east coast, with carnivorous pitcher plants beside the path.
A full-day boat trip from Mahé into the Sainte Anne Marine National Park, the Seychelles' first marine park, for snorkelling over coral and fish, island stops and a lunch on board or on the beach.
The classic Seychelles island-hopper: a long guided day from Mahé by catamaran to Praslin and La Digue, with lunch, fees and hotel transfers included. A taste of the Vallée de Mai region and the beaches of the two sister islands.
A private full-day driver-guided tour of Mahé with hotel pick-up, the easiest way to see the island's beaches, viewpoints, Victoria and local life in one comfortable day.
One of the world's smallest capitals, easy on foot: the Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke Market, the Clock Tower, colourful temples and churches, the National Museum of History and the Seychelles National Botanical Gardens with its coco de mer palms.
FreeMahé's most popular beach, a long crescent of white sand on the northwest coast with calm water in the trade-wind months, water sports, dive centres, beach bars and hotels within walking distance.
FreeA wild, wide southern Mahé beach of white sand, big Indian Ocean rollers and almost no development, best for walking, photography and watching the surf rather than swimming.
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
Petite Anse, Baie Lazare, Mahé
The island's top luxury address: hillside villas with private pools above the beach at Petite Anse on Mahé's southwest coast, with a hilltop spa, beach dining and a quiet, private-retreat feel.
Rates on Expedia →Beau Vallon, Mahé
A large, lively beachfront resort at Beau Vallon on Mahé's northwest coast, with a range of dining, a casino, standard to deluxe rooms and the island's busiest beach, dive centres and restaurants at the door.
Rates on Expedia →Anse Volbert, Praslin
A beach hotel at Anse Volbert on Praslin's north coast, within reach of the Vallée de Mai and Anse Lazio, handy for ferries to Curieuse and La Digue and set on one of the island's best-known swimming beaches.
Rates on Expedia →
$$$$La Digue
A resort and spa on La Digue, the bicycle-and-ox-cart island, with easy access to Anse Source d'Argent, L'Union Estate and the ferry from Praslin. A romantic, upscale-leaning island base.
Rates on Expedia →Grand’Anse, Praslin
A friendly, well-priced boutique-style lodge in Grand'Anse on Praslin, close to the airport, shops, restaurants and the island's bus route, and a practical budget base for exploring Praslin and La Digue.
Rates on Expedia →What to book ahead, how to get between the islands, how many days you need and where the headline sights fit on a first trip to the Seychelles.
How to choose between Mahé, Praslin and La Digue for your hotel, with picks from a villa splurge to a budget base.
