Seychelles – Island Paradise

Wednesday, 29 October 2025

▲ Like the Maldives, east across the Indian Ocean – the 115 islands of the Seychelles archipelago are holiday islands. Love the Seychelles? Lots of people do. I wasn’t in the Seychelles long – for me it was a stepping stone from Dubai to Mauritius – and I only visited Mahe and Praslin, the two main islands.

▲ Beaches are what the Seychelles are all about, no argument you will find some of the world’s most beautiful beaches here. This is the North Beach at the Constance Ephelia Resort on Mahe Island. Anse Lazio is the particularly popular beach on Praslin Island, but Anse Georgette is equally striking. It’s within the Constance Lemuria Resort, but is open to the public, as are all beaches in the Seychelles

▲ And if you tire of beaches there are offshore islands to explore, like Conception Island off Mahe.

▲ This Coco de Mer collection is at Kenwyn House in Victoria, Mahe. But head to the UNESCO World Heritage listed Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve on Praslin Island to learn all about the Seychelles’ unique – and massive – Coco de Mer or ‘sea coconut.’ It’s never a good idea to get hit by a falling coconut, but the double coconut Coco de Mer can weigh up to 20kg (45 pounds). Lethal!

▲ Victoria Clock Tower marking the centre of Victoria.

With a population of around 20,000 Victoria is one of the world’s smallest capital cities, but it is home to about one in five Seychellois since the whole nation’s population is not much over 100,000. Despite that small size Victoria has the interesting National Museum of History, a couple of art galleries, a couple of cathedrals, a mosque and a Hindu temple.

▲ A carved door of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral

▲ North coast of Mahe from the Copolia Nature Trail lookout – Mahe has some great walks, particularly the Copolia Nature Trail which leads to a lookout over the north coast of Mahe, the view from Victoria to the airport is all at your feet.

▲ Apart from bats there are no native mammals but the birds are certainly colourful. These are red fody, also known as Madagascar fody, at a bird feeder in the Constance Lemuria Resort on Praslin Island. I did spot a tenrec, like an over-sized furry rodent, at the Vallée de Mai, but they are not native to the Seychelles.

◄ The Seychelles giant Aldabra tortoises come from the remote Aldabra atoll, closer to Madagascar or Comoros than any of the main Seychelles islands. You can encounter them at the Constance Lemuria and Constance Ephelia Resorts, and no doubt at other Seychelles locations, but this one I’m having a discussion with was in Mauritius.

▲ Transport – beware of drop offs – on Mahe and Praslin the sides of all the roads all seem to end abruptly! This is my Suzuki rent-a-car with a typical roadside drop off on Praslin Island. Do not put a wheel off the edge of the road, you’d wreck your rent-a-car.

The inter-island distances are short, the Air Seychelles flight between Mahe and Praslin (the two main islands) takes just 15 to 20minutes and costs €100 to €140. The Cat Cocos ferry service takes just over an hour and costs from €60. I flew in one direction, took the ferry in the other. Around the island there are bus services, once you’ve sorted out the ticketing, but rent-a-cars are very convenient on Mahe and Praslin. On some of the other smaller islands bicycles are the way to go.