Planning a Trip to Seychelles Islands.

Located in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of East Africa, Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands, and is home to world-renowned beaches and breath taking nature. It’s a beautiful destination for a relaxing getaway, to explore the outdoors, and to immerse yourself in the culture. Are you planning an upcoming holiday to Seychelles and wondering how to go about it? Read below for tips and recommendations on how to plan a trip to Seychelles.

Planning your trip to Seychelles

Important things to know:

Location: Indian Ocean, off the coast of East Africa.
Capital City: Victoria on Mahe island.
How to get there: Numerous international flights. International Airport is located on Mahe island (Airport Code: SEZ).
Getting around: For major islands, options include: 1. Renting a car: This provides more freedom and flexibility to explore. 2. Hiring a driver or taking a taxi: This can be a very costly option. 3. Public busses: These are more affordable and go all over. I’ve taken them and had a fine experience. For island hopping, options include: 1. Taking the ferry, which are good and 2. domestic flights, which are expensive.
Currency: Seychellois Rupee is the locally currency, however Euros and USD are widely used and accepted.
Payment Options: Credit cards are accepted in resorts, upscale restaurants, etc but it’s best to have cash to use at smaller businesses, in the market, or for beach side vendors.
Cost: Seychelles is an expensive destination. Be prepared lol

How to Plan your Dream Vacation to Seychelles Island

1. Do your Research

As you prepare and plan for any trip, my first recommendation is to always do your research. Learn everything and anything about the destination you plan on visiting. Start with a general search to gain an understanding of the country profile, for example, its location and capital city, weather and best time to visit, safety and political situation, visa requirements, cost of living or visiting, what it’s known for, best places to visit, languages spoken, and currency used.

From there go into a deeper dive on the country’s cultures, customs, laws, regulations (especially if they all differ from norms you’re used to), and treatment of your specific race, ethnicity, and gender. For example, I’m a black woman and I always research the treatment of black women in places I visit.

In addition to that research, look into other topics or factors about this destination that are relevant for you. For example, are you going to that particular country or city for a specific thing e.g. for nature, to visit a historical landmark, or for a custom activity (think sky diving, snorkeling etc)? If so, research how well reputable that destination is for that and if their offering matches what you’re looking for.

To get a more in-depth and detailed understanding of what the experience could be visiting the destination you’re interested in, leverage and learn from peoples past experiences that have visited or that live there. Reach out to family or friends that have been there, read blogs, and watch vlogs or videos to also get visual insights.

getting started:

To help you get started on your Seychelles research, below are examples of topics I searched for:

General

“Seychelles” - This search provides you with a general overview of the country and an idea of what resources are available to help you learn more and plan your trip.
“Seychelles Country” - This search is helpful to get insights into the culture, history, people, etc. What are important factors of this country that you should be aware of?

Specific

“Seychelles tourism and things to do”: What’s there to do in Seychelles? How do people spend their time? I read countless articles, travel blogs, and recommendations on review sites to gain insights into the destination and to know what to expect on ground. I used their recommendations to build an itinerary.
“Best time to visit Seychelles”: With Seychelles being an island, this search is particularly helpful to get insights into the best time to visit, so the weather or other factors do not disrupt your trip.
“Best Islands to Visit in Seychelles”: Remember that Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands. This search is helpful to learn about the different islands, differences across the various islands, and recommended islands and neighborhoods. It can also help provide insights into the various accommodation types available and how they differ.

Others

“Seychelles things to know”, “Is Seychelles expensive”, “Is Seychelles safe”, “What to know before visiting Seychelles”

2. Select an Island + Neighborhood

Once you’ve done your research and are committed to visiting Seychelles, the next step is to begin planning out your vacation (keeping your budget in mind). As we know Seychelles is made up of many islands, each with their own different offering. So, how do you go about planning this trip?

There are different ways you could do this. 1. If you know the SPECIFIC activities, excursions, or attractions you want to do and visit, you can plan your trip around that. Narrowing down the islands you want to visit and neighborhoods you want to stay in based on their proximity and offerings for those activities. For example, if you want to do a particular water activity or particular hiking trail, then you’ll choose the island and neighborhood based on where you can have access to the best hikes or that water activity.

2. Otherwise, if you only have a general idea of both what you are and not interested in, but don’t have specific activities in mind yet, you can use that to guide your decisions as well. For example, maybe you’re interested in staying on a smaller and less busy island, and want to disconnect. Then you can use that to identify the island (or islands) you want to visit and to narrow down the neighborhoods you want to stay in.

Ultimately, match your interests to what islands are best known for “that” thing and do what works best for you! Below’s a guide to help you with planning.

How to choose the best seychelles island to visit

**Are you planning a trip to Seychelles and thinking about what island to visit?** Read this article for tips and recommendations on how to the best Seychelles Island to visit.

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My Experience: Deciding on Island and Neighborhood

Deciding on an Island

After doing research, I understood that the top most visited islands were Mahe, Praslin, and La Digue. As the commercial and political hub, and the largest and most populated island, Mahe stood out to me.

OVERVIEW OF MAHE: Mahe offers a diverse terrain and scenery, made up of city, beach sides, and nature parks. There’s a variety of activities and things to do, ranging from hikes, beach and water activities, to visiting markets, rum distilleries, and galleries.

For this reason, Mahe is recommended as a good island for first time visitors to touch base and learn about Seychelles, before moving to other islands. Mahe provides a great balance for those travelers who want to disconnect from the world while maintaining a slight pulse on current affairs.

Praslin & La Digue: For travelers who prefer a more quiet, tranquil, and serene environment, check out other islands such as Praslin and La Digue, which tend to be much calmer and offer a slower pace of life. In fact, La Digue is even known for its lack of cars! Locals and tourists alike get around by walking or bicycling.

WHY WE CHOOSE TO VISIT MAHE: For a first time visitor, who enjoys a combination of city life and beach calmness, I knew Mahe was the best option for us. With bustling businesses, political and diplomatic headquarters, endless beaches, and an ever growing tourism industry, I was looking forward to relaxing and immersing myself in island city life. I was not concerned about “missing out” on visiting the more low key islands, because we could organize day trips to visit.

MAHE COSTS: Mahe offered a variety of accommodation types at different price points, which allowed for flexibility and enabled us to stay within our allocated budget. I built our budget by allocating a spend amount for accommodation, flights, activities, food, transportation, shopping, and unexpected costs.

Deciding on a Neighborhood

MY PRE-WORK: Before deciding on an area for us to stay, I did research into understanding the different neighborhoods in Mahe. I learnt about the nuances of staying in the east vs west and north vs south. I took into account accommodation types and accessibility in the different neighborhoods to food and activities, major historic and tourist sites, and transportation options.

After reading countless reviews and playing logistics master, I found a neighborhood and accommodation type that catered to our needs and was within budget! The excitement was real y'all! You know that moment when you find a solution to a problem that’s been insolvable...yeah it felt great.

WHY WE CHOOSE TO STAY IN VICTORIA AND BEAU VALLON: Since my family wanted the opportunity to explore the city as well as enjoy time by the beach, I planned for us to spend time in the capital city, Victoria, and in a beach neighborhood in north west Mahe known as Beau Vallon.

We spent the first two days becoming familiar with Victoria, visiting historical sites, markets, galleries, and observing daily life. From the city we moved to the coast and the rest of our days were spent relaxing at the beach. From Beau Vallon to Anse Intendance to Port Launay, it was a beautiful experience.

OUR ACCOMMODATION IN MAHE: We stayed at a beautiful hotel in Victoria and a lovely family owned and run guest house with AMAZING views in Beau Vallon. During our stay at the guest house, you could fine me on the patio absorbing the stunning views, while continuously asking myself “is this real?!”. I woke up with gratitude every morning and in awe that this view was a daily reality for locals. If you’re interested in this lovely villa check out Villa Roscia. It was truly a quaint, welcoming, and lovely space to spend our time.

3. Build your Itinerary + Choose your Activities

Now that you’ve narrowed down the island or islands you want to visit and the neighborhoods you want to be in, the next step is to build out an itinerary and identify activities you want to do. Seychelles is home to a variety of activities and things to do, therefore the choices are unlimited. From hiking and water activities to relaxing beach side, there’s something for everyone. Research activities based on your interests and go for it.

my recommendation

If you plan on doing excursions, trips, or tours, I recommend waiting to book through local vendors when you’re on site in Seychelles. I’ve noticed that booking online ahead of time through major websites can result in higher charges for activities. In comparison, being on site you can explore and compare different vendors, look into custom experiences, and more flexible terms.

Beau Vallon, Mahe, Seychelles — **curious about what there is to do in MAHE, SEYCHELLES?**

**From relaxing at the beach and taking island tours to exploring Victoria City Center, check out these 4 Top things to do in Mahe, Seychelles.**

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Now that you’ve seen how I planned my trip…you’re up next! As you plan your trip, feel free to reach out with any questions, thoughts, or to share any insights you’ve learned.