Seychelles 5-Day — Mahé, Praslin & La Digue at an Easy Pace

Activities

1. 10:00 Arrive at Seychelles International Airport (SEZ) + transfer 1h30

   After immigration (free Visitor's Permit; have your Travel Authorisation, return ticket, and accommodation booking ready) and baggage, take a hotel transfer or taxi. The airport is about 20 minutes from Victoria and Beau Vallon.

   Cost: Taxi/transfer ~€25-40 TIP: Confirm the taxi fare before getting in — there's no Uber and fares are high. A hotel transfer is often the easiest after a long-haul flight. Buy a local SIM (Airtel/Cable & Wireless) at the airport for cheap data.
2. 12:00 Check in + lunch in Victoria 1h30

   Drop bags at a Beau Vallon or Victoria-area base, then lunch in the capital — a cheap Creole takeaway plate near the Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke market (curry and rice, SCR 80-180).

   Cost: Lunch SCR 80-200 TIP: The market and surrounding takeaway counters are the budget-friendly way to eat. Pick up vanilla, cinnamon, and Creole spice mixes here. Mornings are freshest; it winds down in the afternoon.
3. 13:30 Victoria capital walk — Clock Tower & market 1h30

   Wander compact Victoria, one of the world's smallest capitals: the 1903 Clock Tower (a small replica of London's Vauxhall tower), the colourful covered market, and the small botanical gardens with giant tortoises nearby.

   Cost: Market free; gardens small fee TIP: Victoria is walkable in a couple of hours. Dress modestly in town. The botanical gardens are an easy place to see giant tortoises without a boat trip.
4. 15:30 Morne Seychellois viewpoint (Copolia or scenic drive) 2h

   Drive or hike into Morne Seychellois National Park, which covers over 20% of Mahé. The Copolia Trail (about 1.4 km, moderate) climbs to a granite plateau with views over Victoria, Eden Island, and the Sainte Anne marine park.

   Cost: Trail small fee TIP: Copolia is short but steep in parts — proper shoes and water needed, and it's slippery after rain. Tight on time? The cross-island Sans Souci road gives mountain views from the car. Start before late afternoon for light and to avoid the heat.
5. 18:00 Beau Vallon beach + sunset 1h30

   Head to Beau Vallon, Mahé's main beach — a long sweep of sand on the sheltered northwest coast, good for swimming in the calmer season, with watersports and a string of bars facing the sunset.

   Cost: Free; drinks extra TIP: Beau Vallon faces northwest, so it's the better swimming beach in the windy May-Sep season — but it can get surf and current; ask locally. A SeyBrew or Takamaka cocktail at a beach bar for sunset is the classic move.
6. 19:30 Dinner — Creole buffet at Beau Vallon 1h30

   Dinner at The Boat House or La Plage on Beau Vallon — a Creole buffet of curries, grilled fish, and breadfruit chips, or à la carte seafood by the beach.

   Cost: €30-60 per person TIP: The Boat House buffet is good for trying many dishes at once; book ahead in season. Octopus curry and grilled fish are the things to order. Beachfront prices are high — a local takeaway is the budget alternative.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 08:00 Cat Cocos ferry — Mahé to Praslin 2h

   Check out and take the morning catamaran from Victoria to Praslin (~75 minutes). Pre-book tickets; crossings quote in EUR (~€56-77 one-way) and accept cards.

   Cost: Ferry ~€56-77 one-way TIP: Upper deck for air and views; motion-sickness precautions if needed. Dry bag for valuables. Small per-trip port fee. Check in to a Côte d'Or (Anse Volbert) base for the next two nights.
2. 10:30 Vallée de Mai UNESCO palm forest 2h

   The UNESCO palm forest where the giant Coco de Mer grows wild and the endemic black parrot lives. Entry SCR 450 (~€30) per adult; open roughly 8:00-17:30.

   Cost: Entry SCR 450 (~€30) TIP: Allow an hour-plus on the trails; the shade is welcome. Fee funds conservation including Aldabra. Fond Ferdinand nearby is a cheaper, quieter alternative.
3. 13:00 Lunch + Anse Lazio 3h

   Beachfront lunch at Bonbon Plume on Anse Lazio, then swimming at one of the world's best-rated beaches — clear water and granite headlands.

   Cost: Lunch €40-90; beach free TIP: Anse Lazio swims well in calm conditions. Little shade — sunscreen and water. Bonbon Plume serves mainly lunch. A taxi is the practical way there.
4. 17:00 Côte d'Or (Anse Volbert) evening 3h

   Return to Côte d'Or for a relaxed swim and sunset on the long, sheltered beach, then dinner at Café des Arts or Les Lauriers.

   Cost: Dinner €25-100 TIP: Café des Arts is a special-occasion beachfront dinner; Les Lauriers' Creole buffet is better value. Côte d'Or can collect seaweed in the Oct-Apr season — ask locally. Book ahead in season.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 08:30 Boat trip to Curieuse Island 4h30

   A morning boat trip to Curieuse Island, a short hop off Praslin — home to free-roaming Aldabra giant tortoises, a mangrove boardwalk, and the turtle-nesting beach at Anse St José. Often combined with snorkelling at St Pierre islet.

   Cost: Tour ~€60-100 incl. park fee TIP: Book a small-group tour; many include a Creole BBQ lunch and snorkelling. Curieuse is where you'll realistically meet giant tortoises up close. There's a Curieuse Marine National Park fee. Reef-safe sunscreen and water shoes.
2. 14:00 Anse Georgette or Anse Volbert relaxing 3h

   Back on Praslin, an afternoon at Anse Georgette (a stunning, quieter beach behind the Constance Lemuria resort — access may need to be arranged) or simply Anse Volbert.

   Cost: Free; access varies TIP: Anse Georgette is gorgeous but access can be controlled via the resort — confirm in advance. Otherwise Anse Volbert is easy and pleasant. Match beach to wind season for the calmest water.
3. 18:30 Praslin dinner 2h

   A final Praslin dinner — Les Lauriers' Creole buffet, or a relaxed seafood meal on Côte d'Or.

   Cost: €25-60 per person TIP: Order octopus curry and grilled fish. Book ahead in season. A Takamaka rum nightcap to close the day.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 09:00 Inter-island boat — Praslin to La Digue 1h30

   Short Cat Rose / inter-island boat from Baie Sainte Anne to La Digue (~15 minutes). Check in near La Passe and rent a bicycle (~SCR 100/day).

   Cost: Boat ~€15-20; bike ~SCR 100/day TIP: Frequent and quick. Carry SCR cash — La Digue is cash-friendly. The island is small and flat: bicycle is the way to get around.
2. 11:00 L'Union Estate + Anse Source d'Argent 3h

   Cycle to L'Union Estate (entry ~SCR 150) and through to Anse Source d'Argent — the granite-boulder beach with shallow, calm water, one of the most photographed in the world. Giant tortoises and an old copra mill on the estate.

   Cost: L'Union entry ~SCR 150 TIP: Shallow and calm — superb for photos and wading, less so for swimming at low tide. Little shade; beach bars are cash-only. Earlier and later in the day are quieter and have softer light.
3. 15:00 Cycle La Digue — Grande Anse / Anse Cocos 3h

   Cycle south and walk the short trail to Grande Anse, Petite Anse, and Anse Cocos — wild, scenic beaches with stronger surf, more dramatic than Anse Source d'Argent.

   Cost: Free TIP: Grande Anse and the linked beaches can have strong currents — be cautious about swimming, especially in the windy season. The cross-island ride and short walk are part of the appeal. Take water; there are few facilities.
4. 18:30 La Digue sunset + dinner 2h30

   Sunset from the west side, then dinner — hilltop Belle Vue for the view (arrange transport up), or Chez Jules for curries and juices.

   Cost: €20-45 per person TIP: Belle Vue's panorama is the best on the island — book ahead and sort transport up the hill. Chez Jules is more casual and lower-key. Lights are sparse for the cycle back — bring a torch.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 08:00 Final La Digue morning 2h30

   An early swim at a quiet beach (Anse Réunion, or back to Anse Source d'Argent before the crowds), a relaxed breakfast, and last photos around La Passe.

   Cost: Beaches free TIP: Mornings are the calmest and least crowded. Return the bicycle in good time. Pack a dry bag for the ferry.
2. 11:30 Lunch + ferry toward Mahé 3h30

   A last La Digue lunch, then the inter-island boat to Praslin and the Cat Cocos catamaran back to Mahé (routing via Praslin; ~1h45 plus connection). Pre-book.

   Cost: Ferry ~€68-89 (La Digue–Mahé) TIP: Build in buffer time for the Praslin connection. Upper deck, dry bag. Leave generous margin if flying out the same evening.
3. 16:30 Mahé — last evening or airport transfer 2h30

   On Mahé, transfer to the airport for an evening flight, or — if staying — a final Beau Vallon sunset and seafood dinner.

   Cost: Transfer €25-40; dinner €30-60 TIP: International departures are often late evening — confirm transfer timing. A Beau Vallon dinner is a relaxed close. Keep some SCR for incidentals.

Meal Recommendations