The Seychelles are 115 islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean, 1,600 kilometres from the coast of East Africa. The pink granite beaches of La Digue and Praslin, the forest of coco de mer palms, giant tortoises roaming free: here the sea is enjoyed slowly, moving between the islands by ferry.
When to go
You can visit the Seychelles all year round: the temperature stays between 26 and 30 °C. The best months are April, May, October and November, between one monsoon and the next, with a flat sea and the clearest water. From December to March it is hotter, with heavy showers; from June to September the south-east trade wind blows and some beaches are rougher, while others stay sheltered. Month by month: when to go to the Seychelles.
Documents and entry
No visa is needed: on arrival you receive a free visitor’s permit. Before departure, though, you must apply online for the electronic travel authorisation on the official Seychelles government portal: without it you cannot board. Your passport must be valid for the whole stay, and you need a return ticket and proof of accommodation. FCDO entry requirements for the Seychelles. Full details: visa and documents for the Seychelles.
Health
Travellers from Europe need no compulsory vaccinations and there is no malaria. A yellow fever certificate is only required if you arrive from a country at risk. Mosquitoes can carry dengue and chikungunya: use repellent and wear long sleeves in the evening. The best hospitals are in Victoria, on Mahé: insurance with medical repatriation is essential.
What to see
Mahé: the largest island, with the capital Victoria, the Morne Seychellois mountains and beaches such as Beau Vallon, Anse Intendance and Anse Royale. Praslin: Anse Lazio, Anse Georgette and the Vallée de Mai, the forest of coco de mer palms, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. La Digue: explored by bicycle, as far as Anse Source d’Argent and its granite boulders. Curieuse and Cousin: giant tortoises and a seabird reserve. St Anne Marine Park: snorkelling a few minutes by boat from Victoria.
Praslin and La Digue
Praslin is about an hour from Mahé by fast ferry. Here you find two of the most beautiful beaches in the Indian Ocean, Anse Lazio and Anse Georgette, and the Vallée de Mai, where the coco de mer palms grow, with the largest seed in the plant world, and where the black parrot lives, found nowhere else.
La Digue is a quarter of an hour by ferry from Praslin: few cars, sandy roads and bicycles. Anse Source d’Argent, with its pink granite boulders in shallow water, is the most photographed beach in the Seychelles.
Our trips: Seychelles: Praslin, La Digue and Mahé, 8 days, with two hotels on the sea, and Luxury Seychelles: Constance Lemuria and Kempinski, 8 days. Both include the international flight, private transfers and the ferries; a day on La Digue and the private tour of Mahé can be added.
