At the beginning of March, we are flying to the Seychelles for twelve days. We go on a sailing trip, followed by a beach stay at the Hotel Constance Ephelia.
This post contains unpaid advertising. The trip was paid for by myself and the report solely reflects my opinion.
All underwater images were provided to me by the diver and surgeon MIRIAM IGLESIAS VECCHIO. Thank you so much!! / Photo credit Instagram @chinachaco
Some facts about the Seychelles
The Seychelles consist of 115 islands located in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa. Of these, 42 islands are made of granite and 73 islands are made of corals.
In general, it is a year-round destination, as temperatures rarely drop below 24 degrees Celsius and are rarely higher than 35 degrees. There are two monsoon seasons, i.e. more rain falls. The drier season is usually from late March to mid-May and from mid-September to mid-December.
In the monsoon season, the sea is also more turbulent, and snorkeling and diving can be a little clouded by the churned-up sediment. We got a water temperature of 29 degrees during our stay.
The various islands are home to giant tortoises, many seabirds, and reptiles. While snorkeling, we saw various species of sharks, rays, turtles, and moray eels. In addition, countless other, mostly colorful fish.
Most of the islands are not inhabited or are protected. Many of the islands are overgrown with rainforest and therefore very green.
The language of the inhabitants is Creole, but French or English is understood by almost everyone, as these are official languages.
Mahé
Early in the morning we reach the international airport of Mahé. It is raining heavily, and we are happy to immediately find a free taxi to take us to our hotel in Victoria. For one night we stay at the Hotel Beau Séjour, which is located above the city of Victoria.
Actually, we want to visit the botanical garden, but the heavy rain doesn’t stop until late afternoon.
So, we take a taxi to downtown Victoria.
Of course, we take pictures of the famous clock tower and stroll a bit through the streets.
When the rain starts again, we look for a restaurant and drive back to the hotel after dinner in the pouring rain.
The next morning our
Sailing tour of the Seychelles
starts. About 20 people can travel onboard the MS Sea Bird, on this tour we are only seven passengers in total. Two of them will dive, a diving instructor is always present, the rest of us are going to snorkel.
We leave the “Inner Island” harbor around noon in the direction of Pralins.
Off Round Island
the anchor is dropped, and we are allowed to snorkel for the first time. These granite rocks above water are simply impressively beautiful, but no less so underwater! Corals are everywhere on the rocks, unfortunately as on almost all reefs in the world, also many bleached. But new corals have settled everywhere, in between swim large and small fish of all colors.
The water is around 30 degrees Celsius and is therefore so warm that you can swim and snorkel for a long time without freezing.
After a wonderful meal and a little “sniffing” who does what, etc., everyone is in bed relatively quickly, because the next and first diving and snorkeling session of the morning takes place before breakfast.
Orange Cyclone-Alarm
After the wonderful breakfast, the plan is to visit La Digue, one of the bigger islands of the Seychelles and to spend the whole day on the island.
Shortly before we could go onshore, the sky gets very dark, the wind picks up strongly, heavy rain starts and the boat rolls strongly from side to side.
Randy, the captain, informs us that there is an orange cyclone alarm. The tropical storm is forming north of Madagascar and is already bringing rain and strong winds to the Seychelles.
The shore leave is thus canceled, we quickly make our way to a sheltered bay between Praslin and the island of Curieuse.
90 minutes of cruising through very heavy waves and heavy rain lie between here and there.
As soon as we are there, the wind and rain subside.
It is still enough for an extended excursion into the underwater world.
Grande Soeur, Big Sister
Who likes to, can get up early and do an early snorkel or dive.
During breakfast, which we have outside at the large table, we sail to the island of Grande Sœur.
It is a private island that can only be visited by tourists for an entrance fee during the week. On weekends, the owner comes with his hotel guests by helicopter.
We take the dinghy over to the powdered sugar beach.
As soon as we are there, two or three nurse sharks appear, hunting for fish in the shallow water.
We are allowed to move freely on the island. It is a three-minute walk from one powdery beach to the other on the other side of the island. What a beach! Glistening white in the light of the sun. Plus, the many shades of blue of the sea! Paradisaic!
Under the palm trees and trees, we can get close to the giant tortoises that live there.
Then it’s time to return to the boat.
After lunch, Curieuse Island with the turtle breeding station is supposed to be visited, but unfortunately the sea is too choppy again. The skipper decides that we will seek shelter in the bay of Anse Possession, like other boats with us.
Before dinner, we can snorkel and dive.
At night we lie at two buoys, so it doesn’t rock quite as much.
Morning at Praslin
We get up early, because at 8:15 a.m. a bus is waiting for us on the beach of Anse Possession to take us to the
Vallée de Mai
It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, because only here grow the famous and largest nuts in the world, the Coco de Mer. These coconuts not only have an unusual shape but can also weigh up to 42 kg!
There are male palm trees that produce a very large spermatic cord. There are tiny flowers on it. These, in turn, are loved by little lizards. The flowers stick to them. But the little lizards also love the flowers on the female palm trees. This way, they bring the tiny seeds inside the flowers of the male palm to the flowers of the female palm. And if everything goes well, there will be a new Coco de Mer fruit. These palm trees can live for over 200 years.
They are strictly protected; export out of the Seychelles is not possible. Other plants and palm trees also grow in this natural park. If you go with a guide, everything is wonderfully explained. (Full walking tour at Komoot.)
After this excursion, Bettina, the local tour guide of the Masons agency, takes us to the Cote d’Or, where we can enjoy the beautiful white sandy beach and the many shades of blue of the sea.
Back on board, a BBQ awaits us and later another diving and snorkeling session.
We spend the morning onshore of the strictly protected Seychelles
Aride Island
which belongs to the Island Conservation Society. Only seven people currently live here, who are responsible for the protection and preservation of wildlife on the island.
The island can only be visited in the morning so that the seabirds that breed here get disturbed as little as possible. The island used to belong to the chocolate producer Cadbury.
After the tour of the island (see Komoot here), we are allowed to linger a little on the beach and swim in the bathtub-warm water.
Then we finally go on to the
Island Curieuse
with its turtle breeding station. Since we have delicious, ripe bananas in our hands, we are highly interesting for the giant tortoises that are running around freely! And they can run amazingly fast! The young turtles are kept in enclosures until natural enemies can no longer harm them.
We decide to walk part of the longest wooden plank path in the Seychelles, which winds through the protected mangroves and later leads as a normal path over one of the mountains to the other side of the island.
We are rewarded again and again with great views. Take care to take enough water with you while you walk the path. Here comes the walk at Komoot.
La Digue
Today we spend a whole day ashore on the island La Digue. This island of the Seychelles got a bigger population of Seychellois.
Bicycles have already been ordered for all of us at the harbor and since there is practically only one road that runs along the shore of the island, we start to drive up to the north. The road goes up and down a bit, a good part of it under trees. Otherwise, the heat would be almost unbearable. It’s a good thing we took a lot of water with us. We are rewarded with beautiful views of the unique rock formations on the many beaches along the road.
At Anse Banana we turn around since we still want to go south to the world-famous beach Anse Source d’Argent. We can only visit it by paying the entrance fee to the
I’ Union Estate Farm
It´s the equivalent of about Euro 10 per person.
We are thirsty and sit down in the shade of the Old Pier Café. It is wonderful to let your gaze wander over the beach and the tiny island of Île Turc. These unbelievable shades of blue!
Strengthened with a cool drink, we take a look at the old farmhouse and cuddle with the residential cats.
Opposite lays the huge granite monolith. Some of the giant tortoises also live here in an enclosure.
Other farm animals can be visited on the premises. This farm in the Seychelles is famous for its large vanilla and coconut plantation. A very old cemetery at the entrance invites you to linger.
But like everyone else here, we want to visit the famous beach.
Anse Source d ´Argent, the most beautiful beach in the Seychelles?
Until there, you are not allowed to ride your bike. So, we put it next to the many other bikes. Since they are all numbered, no locks are needed.
The last 200 meters or so we walk along picturesque rocks and beautiful views of the sea.
The beach itself didn’t impress me that much. Compared to other beaches in the Seychelles, it is very narrow and, above all, very crowded. I saw more beautiful beaches on the other Seychelles islands that I visited so far. However, since some of them are protected or privately owned, they cannot be visited by everyone.
Everywhere self-proclaimed influencers linger around the beach in the strangest poses and robes. It is almost difficult to take nice pictures of the beach and the granite rocks without them.
The rock formation is impressive, but it is similar to many other beaches in the Seychelles.
And as soon as we are there, the sky darkens rapidly, and we just make it to a kiosk where we can take shelter and bridge the downpour with a fresh coconut. The sky really opens all the floodgates, and a thunderstorm hits the island as well.
As quickly as it approaches, the storm is over and we ride our bikes through huge puddles back to the harbor, where we are soon picked up in the dinghy by our crew. (Find the whole biking tour on Komoot.)
For the night, our skipper again stays in a sheltered bay.
Saint-Anne Marine National Park, Seychelles
In the morning, on our last full day on board, we set course for Mahé.
Just off the main island of the Seychelles is the Saint-Anne Marine National Park. Here we could snorkel or dive extensively or we could take the dinghy to one of the small islands, but no one feels like it.
One by one, we retreat to our state rooms to pack our suitcases.
In the evening, we get really spoiled with a delicious meal and we guests exchange our contact details to send each other photos.
In the morning, breakfast is already waiting for us. The packed suitcases are brought ashore, and the farewell is made a little easier for us with singing, dancing and drumming.
What a fantastic week in between the islands of the Seychelles, even if the weather kept our skipper busy with adjusting the route. Nevertheless, we saw everything.
Some are flying home today; others are extending their stay in the Seychelles. We stay in the hotel for three more days.
Constance Ephelia, Seychelles
A limousine sent by the hotel picks us up and takes us on the winding road to the other side of the island of Mahé.
The Hotel
The whole hotel complex has got a good 120 hectares and is located on a headland between two large bays. If you like it very lonely, you can go to the third bay Lans Trusalo, which is easily accessible via the beach at low tide.
The largest part of the complex is under nature conservation, a not inconsiderable part consists of mangroves, which dry up with the ebb and flow of the tide or stand in the water. Two quite challenging hiking trails lead over the mountains to the other side. Good shoes are strongly recommended, as it literally goes over hill and dale, with a lot of altitude. You can find the longer of the two hikes on Komoot.
The beaches / coves
Lans Lilet Beach is home to the junior suites, the main building with the reception and some of the restaurants.
At low tide, the bay falls dry for the most part and I am happy that I can do a little mudflat hiking here! At the end of the bay, the photogenic and so typical stone formations of the Seychelles are exposed. We walk around it and then stand on the deserted beach of Lans Trusalo.
At North Beach, Port Launay Beach, the beach is a little wider, here it is also busier, as this is where the family villas are located.
The whole bay is under nature conservation. It is the Port Laundy National Marine Park. Nevertheless, you can sail and surf here.
The Junior Suites
can be found in various buildings built almost directly on the beach. There are always some buildings grouped around their own pool with a bar and/or restaurant. One of the pools is reserved for adults only.
Our junior suite is equipped with a large king-size bed, a sitting area, and a desk. A cupboard hides the minibar and kettle. The capsule coffee machine stands on the desk. A large flatscreen TV hangs opposite the bed.
The spacious built-in wardrobes with a safe can be found opposite of two sinks and a bathtub in the bathroom.
In addition, there is a very large shower and the toilet.
Our terrace is equipped with a table and two chairs, as well as a sofa and a comfortable armchair with footboard. We can go directly from here to the pool or the beach.
Two bottles of water are provided in glass bottles in the morning and evening. If you like, you can also get fresh towels in the evening. Otherwise, they are only changed at the request of the guests.
The family suites and suites are located on the other side of the complex, facing Port Launay beach.
Electric golf carts connect the main areas with each other, so if you don´t want to exercise while walking, you can catch a ride.
Activities
Many activities are offered by the hotel, most of which are free of charge.
Here are just a few to choose from:
- Hikes in the nature reserve with explanations
- Bike tours with a guide
- Canoe trips through the mangroves
- Hike to the waterfall
Sport
- Tennis
- Fitness
- Sportpool
- Squash
- Courses
- Bicycles can be rented
- Small fitness trail
Of course, there is also a large spa area with many treatments.
The kids are looked after in a mini-club, and you can shop in several boutiques and shops.
Hotel-App
There is a special hotel app that can be used to make reservations for the restaurants. The daily programs can also be seen here.
After checking into the hotel, a WhatsApp informs us when the room is ready for occupancy.
Contact with Guest Relations is wonderful via Whatsapp. The Wi-Fi is excellent everywhere, even on the beach.
Some restaurants and bars
Corossol
This is the buffet restaurant that is open in the morning and evening. We only had breakfast there, but that already blew us away! Special stations are set up for every taste. Everything is freshly prepared, at the various stations all imaginable egg dishes are prepared before our eyes, there is soup, sweets, fruits, countless types of bread and pastries and so much more! Plenty of seats are located in the various pavilions around the buffet. All are open to the sides, so that a fresh breeze can always blow through. There are also outdoor seats under umbrellas. The restaurant can be reached directly from the beach or via the main building.
Right next door to the Corossol the
Zee Bar
is located. In the morning, a small buffet with coffee, tea and pastries is available to the newcomers who land early on the night planes to the Seychelles. Check-in to the hotel is done here, so no one must wait at the reception desk. All formalities are quickly done on tablets, while the new guests fortify themselves a little or freshen up a bit with the wonderfully fragrant, damp washcloths that are on offer.
The bar is open all day, snacks can be eaten here, and the selection of drinks is simply gigantic! In the evening the live music takes place here.
Helios
This restaurant is located next to Junior Suites 400 – 467, right by the pool. At the end of Lans Lilet beach. Not far from the helipad and the giant tortoise enclosure. During the day it is a buffet restaurant with Mediterranean delicacies and in the evening with a choice of menu. Attached to this is the Helios Bar.
We enjoyed a wonderful dinner here; the three courses were almost too much! The service is as in every other restaurant, very attentive and incredibly friendly!
Adam & Eve
This restaurant is located at the other end of Lans Lilet beach, also surrounded by Junior Suites (200 – 257), also next to a pool.
When we eat there, it´s the evening of an Asian street food buffet. Cold and hot dishes are offered at various stations, the selection is so large that I can’t possibly try everything. Too bad because it’s simply delicious!
Seselwa Restaurant
This restaurant is located on the other side of the huge hotel property on North Beach. Here guests can also have breakfast, who stay in the suites on the other side of the hotel premises. It is a Creole à la carte restaurant, which is also located directly on the beach. Even tables on the soft sand of the beach are available here.
We start our dinner with a colorful cocktail and the food is uniquely delicious!
Cyann
We didn’t eat here, because we stay only for three days, so there is not enough time to try it out. It is a specialty restaurant that is not included in the half board. It is also located on North Beach.
Kabana
A very casual restaurant, right on Port Launay Beach. Guests can play garden chess here or watch the kids on the playground.
After three exciting yet relaxing days, during which we were pampered by every single employee we encountered, our holidays are coming to an end.
We are provided with a breakfast bag early in the morning, as we start in the dark towards the airport.
What a wonderful holiday, which unfortunately also has an end…
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Another of my sailboat trips you´ll find here!
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