Home to gorgeous beaches, breath taking nature, and rich in culture, Seychelles islands is a great destination for a relaxing getaway, exploring the outdoors, and much more. Located in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of East Africa, Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands. Some of the most visited islands are Mahe, followed by Praslin, and lastly La Digue. Are you planning a holiday to Seychelles? Interested in what there is to do in Mahe? Read below for unmissable activities to do in Mahe, Seychelles.

1.) Relaxing on the Beaches of Mahe

Mahe is home to a variety of BREATHTAKING and unbelievably beautiful beaches, each offering something unique. It would be a major miss to visit Seychelles and not dedicate time to relaxing and exploring the different beaches (if that’s your thing), it’s definitely a top thing to do. Since each beach has a distinct offering (best for clear water, water activities, etc) opt to find the best beach for your needs and interests. Interested in learning more? Read below for tips on how to prepare for a beach day in Mahe.

TIPS

In planning a beach day, it’s important to first identify what you would like to do, in order to find a beach that meets your needs. Think about the following: Do you want to relax, read, or swim? Are you interested in water activities? Will you need access to food, restaurants, and shops? Are you bringing your own food, blankets, etc?

Do you want privacy and a calm scenery? Are you driving, hiring a driver and car, or taking public transportation? These are all major factors to keep in mind as you choose a beach to visit. Not all beaches are suitable for swimming, offer water activities, or are in close proximity to restaurants and shops.

My experience and Beaches I Enjoyed:

While in Mahe, it was such a privilege to explore a variety of beaches, each so beautiful and distinct. Read below for a summary of the beaches I explored and enjoyed, with highlights of their different offerings.

Beau Vallon: Best for food, activities, people, and shopping!
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE Beau Vallon. This beach is full of life! You’ll see people swimming, reading, playing, relaxing, exercising, and much more. They’ll be groups of friends or families gathered, laughing, playing music, and soaking up the day! What also makes this beach really stand out compared to the rest, is the amazing street food vendors that set up along the beach.
Imagine street food heaven! You’re walking down the streets, sand and ocean on one side, and endless vendors on the other. You buy fresh tuna from the first vendor, proceed to get stir fry noodles from the next, and finish with buying plantains fresh off the grill from another. It’s amazing! For this reason, we made Beau Vallon our base, from which we explored other areas and beaches.
Port Launay North Beach: Best for Calm Scenery and water activities.
If you’re looking for a beautiful calm beach to relax, swim, do water activities, or read, this is it. It’s not as hectic, busy, or crowded as Beau Ballon, but you’ll find locals, young people, and families enjoying their time. While there our time was spent walking, enjoying a drink by the beach, and taking in the views. What makes this beach stand out compared to the rest, is that it’s surrounded by a Marine Park! Imagine beautiful clear water surrounded by lush and vast greenery. It’s breathtaking and so were the views when driving to or from the beach. Highly recommend stopping by!

Anse Intendance: Best for beautiful clear-turquoise water, white sand, mountain backdrop, relaxation, and privacy
Anse Intendance is beautiful. It’s a hidden gem that you find after going down a seemingly normal street, that leads to a forest area, which then opens up to this beauty. Imagine the scenic beaches you see on postcards...turquoise water, white sand, and thick vegetation around it. Yes, that’s Anse Intendance. A REAL LIFE dream come true!
Despite its popularity, Anse Intendance is not best for swimming. Be aware that the lack of coral reef in the water, allows the ocean to get deep quickly here. Remember what I mentioned about each beach offering something different in Seychelles? This is a prime example. Rather than swimming visitors spend their time soaking up the sun, relaxing, and enjoying drinks and food from the beach bar, which I can testify is the way to go.
Keep in mind, there’s only one beach bar vendor, selling food and beverages. However, for more options you can visit the Banyan Tree Seychelles Hotel, which is right next door and has different restaurants and bars. If you’re looking to be blown away by beautiful scenery, to lay on white sand, and to enjoy still and calmness, I recommend spending a day full of bliss at Anse Intendance.

2.) Take an Island Tour to visit Praslin and La Digue

While holidaying in Mahe, take time to visit other Seychelles Islands, such as Praslin, the second largest and most populated island, and La Digue, the third most populous island. Visiting different islands is definitely a top activity to do in Seychelles. To get to either island, you can organize a trip on your own by ferry or take a tour offered through a variety of local companies. Our tour was booked through a local vendor 7South, who provided the following:

Transport to the port
Tickets for the boat rides (departing Mahe: to and from Praslin and between Praslin and La Digue)
Transportation on the islands
Tour Guide
Activities on the island:
- Praslin:
  - Valle de Mai Nature Reserve: A nature park and UNESCO Heritage site, which is home to the Coco De mer and Black Parrot.
  - Coastal road Drive: Provides beautiful scenery and views of the island.
  - Cote D'Or Beach: Beautiful small beach to take in the view, relax, and take pictures.
- La Digue:
  - Creole Lunch at a local restaurant: AMAZING buffet offering local Creole staples. This also included options for Pescatarians and Vegetarians.
  - l’Union Estate: Former Coconut and Vanilla plantation, as well as home to the giant tortoises (my FAVORITE), and Anse Source d’Argent Beach.

Tiffs and Coco De Mer

Vallée de Mai, Praslin, Seychelles

Turtle, Union Estate Park, La Digue, Seychelles

My Experience:

Visiting both islands was an AMAZING experience and a major highlight from the trip. What made it special was the following:

Learning: Opportunity to learn about Seychelles history, culture, and people
Visiting Historical Sites: We visited Valle De Mai and l’Union Estate
VIEWS: Seeing the beautiful scenery from the boat rides, while driving high points on Praslin, and pulling into the La Digue harbour was spectacular.
Making friends: We made friends from across the African continent; fellow travelers who were visiting from Namibia and Nigeria!

Most importantly, our tour guide and the coordination provided by 7South was amazing. Throughout the excursion, we felt welcomed, accommodated, and safe. If you’re visiting Seychelles and spending your time only in Mahe, I recommend taking a day trip to visit Praslin and La Digue.

3.) Explore Victoria: City Center, Markets, and stores/galleries

Tiffs and Nelson, Peace Park, Mahe, Seychelles

Although you’re probably visiting Seychelles to relax at the beaches and explore it’s nature, its city center Victoria, is also a great sight to see. Nestled in between vast and rich green hills on one side and the water on the other, the city is full of life, history, and culture. There are markets, shops, galleries, and historical sights. It also provides the chance to witness local life happening.

If you have a chance, I suggest spending 1 or 2 days in Victoria before leaving city life behind and heading to explore the glorious seaside, OR you could do a day trip from the area you’re staying in, to Mahe. A trip to Victoria is worth the visit, definitely a top activity to do in Seychelles.

MY Experience

As a city girl, I love exploring different capital cities, and have always been intrigued as to how it manifests and combines with island life. So to kick off our trip, we spent the first 2 days in Seychelles’s capital city, Victoria, before moving to the coast. While in Victoria, I loved walking around, visiting notable sites, and immersing myself into everyday life in this captivating city.

What was stood out to me was the following:

Diverse Culture and Colonial Influences (of course): Victoria is full of history and the city provides insight into how different cultures and colonial influences can manifest in a variety of ways. For example, walking Victoria you can come across the Immaculate Conception Cathedral and the Victoria clock tower, impacts of colonization from the British. Additionally, you can also come across the Arul Mihu Navasakthi Vinayagar Temple, the Peace Park (which features the Nelson Mandela Statue), and Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke Market (also known as Victoria Market), evident of the different Asian and African influences that make up Seychelles culture.
CITY and NATURE COMBO: They’re places on this earth where the desert meets the ocean and in Victoria, the city meets both island and nature. Imagine a bustling city surrounded by vast beautiful greenery, hills, and water. It’s really a beautiful sight to see. The only other location I’ve experienced such scenery was while visiting Port Louis, Mauritius.
Insight into Seychelles city life: Victoria is a bustling and busy city, with a distinct energy. You’ll get to see locals working and/or running errands and large public transportation buses moving rapidly to their next destination, while being surrounded by the warmth and greenery that reminds you that YES you’re on an island. They’re galleries to visit, local food spots to try, and VIEWS to be seen. For those of you coming from major cities, keep in mind, Victoria is nowhere close to being as populated and hectic as other major African cities, such as Lagos or Addis Ababa. In fact the “busyness” is confined to specific parts of central Victoria and I LOVED absorbing it all.

4.) Experience Local Cuisine: Food types, costs, etc.

What is Seychellois food?

Seychellois food is influenced by various cultures, making it a blend of different cuisines. The food is influenced by East African, Indian, European (I’ll touch on this later), and Chinese cuisines, which is why you’ll come across curries, plantains, noodles, and seafood cooked in a variety of ways, including grilling and baking. There’s also specific French and British influences, which manifest in other forms of the cuisine, such as in cooking methods, and in dessert and breakfast dishes. For example, hotels often serve a typical “English” breakfast of toast, jams, eggs, and teas.

Things to keep in mind: Food costs and accessibility

Now that you’re familiar with the types of food eaten in Seychelles, it’s also important to be aware of food accessibility and costs. Keep in mind that the area and neighborhood you stay in Mahe, will determine the type of food you have access to. For example, not all neighborhoods (some are in remote areas) are in close proximity to a center with restaurants, shops, and markets, which makes it easier to access foods. This is particularly relevant to keep in mind if you don’t have a car/ are not renting a car and will rely on taxis to get around (they’re also pricey as well). I’ll speak more on this in “my experience” section below.

Another aspect is feeding costs, which can vary in Seychelles. It can be pricey and comparable to costs in western cities ($20+ meals) if you’re dining at moderate to upscale restaurants (especially in tourist areas) or it can be more affordable if you’re buying from street vendors or takeout spots.

MY experience

In the first half of our trip, we stayed in Victoria (the city center). While there we had access to breakfast provided by our hotel and could buy fresh fruit and snacks at Victoria Market as well as local bakeries. For lunch and dinner, we were surrounded by amazing restaurants, both takeout spots and upscale dining options. Similarly when we moved to Beau Vallon, breakfast was provided by our hotel BUT the game changer was having access to street vendors as well as restaurants all along the beach. There’s a strip along Beau Vallon beach where a variety of street food vendors set up ( I call it Seafood paradise). Different vendors sell fresh grilled seafood, traditional dishes such as curry, and other staples such as plantains, noodles, spring rolls, and much more!

That’s why being aware of the location you’re in, can help you determine and plan for the food options you’ll have access to. While planning, also take into consideration costs. Buying food in moderate and upscale restaurants tends to be more pricier, whereas buying food from street food vendors, markets, and smaller scale restaurants can be more affordable. Depending on your budget, you’d want to plan accordingly. While in Seychelles make an effort to try the local food. Tasting Seychellois cuisine provides a great opportunity to immerse yourself in food that’s diverse, rich in flavour, and fresh.

Holiday in Seychelles: Is Mahe, Seychelles worth the visit?

Yes! Absolutely. My experience in Mahe was incredible. I woke up to views that I had only previously imagined in my wildest dreams. I explored different beaches, ate food that warmed my taste buds, and learned about Seychelles’s history, which made it into the country it is today. If you haven’t already…. get ready, start planning, and go soak up the warmth, amazing food, and breathtaking views Seychelles has to offer.