Seychelles · Indian Ocean
The trip
We visited the Seychelles in September 2026, and it's what we'd truly call a natural paradise. It's an adventure spread across several islands, with some of the most beautiful beaches we have ever seen: crystal-clear blue water, soft white sand and huge, sculpted granite boulders wrapped around every cove. The sheer number of different beaches to explore is unbelievable. We flew into Mahé, took the ferry to Praslin, then hopped over to La Digue — and the country is very clean, the people are extremely friendly, and we felt very safe the whole way.
Our money tips: the Seychelles is expensive, so we booked Airbnbs and Booking.com stays and took public transport as much as possible — the city bus on Mahé is cheap and easy. One heads-up: the ferry between the islands gets you there, but it's a very tough ride if you get seasick, so come prepared.
Island one
The main island, where you'll land — mountains draped in jungle, the tiny capital of Victoria and some of the easiest beaches to reach by bus. We based ourselves on the north-west coast for several days before heading out to the smaller islands.
📍 Mahé's north-west coast
We spent most of our time on Mahé in Beau Vallon, and we loved it as a base. It's a long, soft sweep of sand with calm water, green mountains rising straight up behind it and — our favourite part — little coves of huge, smooth granite boulders at either end. Walk to the far ends of the beach and you'll often have a rocky cove all to yourselves.
Great base on MahéWalk to the ends
📍 Victoria & around the island
Here's our best tip for arriving: take the city bus from the airport. It's very convenient and super cost-effective, and you can buy tickets right at the airport. The easiest route takes you to the main station in Victoria — one of the world's smallest capitals, and a genuinely interesting, vibrant little city with its colourful market and clock tower. From there, buses fan out across the island to empty coves like the ones above. If you'd rather see all of Mahé in one go, an island tour is an easy way to do it.
Buy bus tickets at the airportExplore VictoriaIsland two
A ferry ride from Mahé, Praslin was another truly unbelievable experience — perhaps our best. It's greener and quieter, with world-famous beaches, the prehistoric palm forest of the Vallée de Mai, and boat trips out to the neighbouring islands.
📍 Praslin's north-east coast
Côte d'Or was probably our favourite beach on Praslin. It's a long, gently curving bay of powder-white sand where the water is calm, shallow and impossibly turquoise, and at low tide the wet sand turns into a mirror. There are little cafés and places to stay along it, boats bob in the bay, and it's also where many of the island-hopping trips leave from — including our tortoise tour to Curieuse.
Calm & swimmableMirror sand at low tide
📍 Praslin's north-west tip
Anse Lazio regularly lands on lists of the world's best beaches, and it earns it: deep turquoise water, big granite boulders at each end and palm trees right down to the sand. The water is calm and wonderfully clear, and the boulders at either end are great for a snorkel. It pairs perfectly with the Vallée de Mai on the same day.
World-famous beachSnorkel the ends
📍 The heart of Praslin
In the middle of Praslin is the Vallée de Mai, an ancient, prehistoric-feeling palm forest and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's home to the famous coco de mer palm, and seeing its giant seeds was awesome. They're the largest and heaviest seeds in the plant kingdom, found naturally only here on Praslin and neighbouring Curieuse, and holding one is a photo you have to take. The trails wind under enormous fan palms that make you feel tiny. It's a must-see.
UNESCO palm forestHold a coco de mer
📍 Grand Anse & around the island
Some of our favourite moments on Praslin were simply following the coast road between beaches. Every bend brings another view of red granite rocks and green islands floating on turquoise water. End the day on Grand Anse on the west coast, where the palms lean out over the water, local fishing boats come in, and the clouds light up pink and gold.
West coast for sunsetFollow the coast roadDay trip from Praslin
A short boat ride from Praslin, Curieuse is a protected island and giant-tortoise sanctuary — and home to the single best experience of our whole trip.
📍 Île Curieuse, off Praslin
This was by far the most incredible experience of our whole trip. On Curieuse Island, giant Aldabra tortoises roam free across the grass, along the beach, even wandering past the swing while Melody sat on it. They're truly unbelievable up close: huge, ancient-looking and completely unbothered by you. Getting up close with them and just watching them roam free on this beautiful island by the beach is something we'll never forget. We'd recommend this tour to absolutely everybody. It's a must.
A true must-doTortoises roam free
📍 Around the ranger station
The tortoises are everywhere here. Some stride across the lawns under the palms, some wander off into the shady forest, and others just nap on the sand. We even found two of them snoozing in the shade next to a very relaxed local dog. It's the most peaceful, slow-paced scene you can imagine. Take your time, give them space, and let them come to you.
Give them spaceBring your camera
📍 Curieuse & St Pierre
The same boat trip also took us snorkelling in water so clear you can see the fish from the deck, with a stop at tiny, photogenic St Pierre islet. Curieuse itself has some of the most dramatic granite on the islands, with tall, jagged spires rising straight out of white-sand coves. There are lovely viewpoints over its wide, shallow lagoon, and the water off its beaches is the brightest turquoise we saw all trip. Bring reef-safe sunscreen and your own mask if you have one.
Crystal-clear snorkellingBring reef-safe sunscreenIsland three
Small, slow and utterly precious. La Digue has some of the most beautiful beaches we've ever seen, and the best way to reach them is on a rented bike, rolling from one to the next.
📍 All around La Digue
La Digue is a small, precious island with almost no cars — everyone gets around by bike. We rented bikes and cycled around the entire island, going from one beach to another, stopping at colourful little cafés for fresh coconuts, and simply basking in its true natural beauty. We lived every day to the fullest and discovered as much as we possibly could. It's the best way to see the island, full stop.
Rent a bikeCars are rare here
📍 La Digue's south-west coast (via L'Union Estate)
Anse Source d'Argent is one of the most photographed beaches on Earth, and standing among its enormous, sculpted granite boulders you instantly see why. The rocks are soft pink and grey, smoothed into wild shapes, with shallow, crystal-clear water lapping around them. You reach it through the old L'Union Estate (there's a small entry fee). Keep walking and it opens into a series of tiny coves, each more beautiful than the last.
Small entry feeWalk to the far coves
📍 Anse Source d'Argent
The water here is the kind of clear that doesn't look real — a shallow, protected reef lagoon you can wade through for ages, with granite giants on one side and green mountain behind. If you want to see more of the reef and the smaller islands around La Digue, a catamaran day out to Coco, Félicité and the Sister islands is a great way to snorkel them.
Wade the lagoonLow tide is best
📍 La Digue's wild east coast
On La Digue's wilder east side, the beaches get emptier and more dramatic. Anse Coco is reached on foot along a jungle path, and it's worth every step — palms, pink granite and big, rolling turquoise water. Nearby, look for the natural rock pools tucked between the boulders near Anse Caiman: calm, glassy water perfect for a dip when the sea is rough. The currents on this coast can be strong, so swim in the pools rather than the open sea.
Reached on footSwim in the rock poolsSave these
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The full roll
