Spending a holiday in the middle of the Indian Ocean in the Seychelles, which is close to the equator, promises a lot of peace and quiet. The stay there is a special experience, because the time spent on the touristically developed Seychelles islands, for example, Mahé, Praslin and La Digue is due to wonderful weather with constant daytime temperatures (see also the article “Best time to visit Seychelles“) of about 30 degrees Celsius throughout the year, an absolutely dreamlike environment as well as the already mentioned tranquility.
The 115 smaller and larger islands are located about 1,500 kilometers east of the East African mainland, between the Maldives and Madagascar. Over 50% of the island state is protected and a visit to some islands is only possible as part of a guided tour. There are no overcrowded big cities in the Seychelles, no crowds of tourists and, above all, no bed castles with hundreds of rooms. The largest city and capital of the country, it is located on the main island of Mahé and bears the name Victoria. With its just 25,000 inhabitants, it seems pleasantly contemplative. In the Seychelles, you are not part of mass tourism, but can rightly call yourself an individual holidaymaker. You reside in guesthouses or in mostly very exclusive resorts.
The Seychelles: more than beach, turquoise-blue water and granite
When you hear the name Seychelles, you have the classic images in mind and think of endless beaches with bright white sand, picturesque granite rocks on which the waves break or shady palm trees. Sure, you can find all this as a holidaymaker on the islands. But if you want to go on holiday to the Seychelles, you can do much more than enjoy the sun on the beach.
How about a hike through a prehistoric forest in the Vallée de Mai National Park, a valley listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site? There you will also find the landmark of the Seychelles, the huge Coco de Mer. A visit to Esmeralda, supposedly the oldest giant tortoise in the world, is also exciting. Her date of birth is often given as 1771, which would make her an impressive 240 years old. A tour to the Morne Seychellois, the highest peak in the Seychelles at 1,000 metres, is quite challenging. For lovers of water, however, the Seychelles also offer a diverse and truly fascinating underwater world. On extended diving or snorkeling tours in shallow waters, you get a deep insight into the flora and fauna below the water surface. For surfers or sailors, a holiday is mainly worthwhile between May and October, because there are stronger winds during this period. A special experience on the water are multi-day catamaran tours, where the captain heads for all the most beautifully situated islands and guests fish for tuna, which is then served by the chef on the same evening.
Popular islands in the Seychelles
Main islands of the Seychelles
Inner Seychelles Islands
- Arid
- Bird
- Cerf
- Cousin
- Cousin
- Curieuse
- Denis
- Félicité
- Frégate
- Île Cocos
- Île St Pierre
- Les Soeurs
- Marianne
- North Island
- Sainte Anne
- Silhouette
Outer Seychelles Islands
- Aldabra Group
- Alphonse Group
- Amirantes
- Farquhar Group
How long do you fly to the Seychelles?
A direct flight from Germany to the Seychelles takes about 9-10 hours. However, most flights, especially with the providers Etihad and Emirates, have a stopover in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. Thus, the total flight time is about 13.5 hours including stopover.
Ferry or propeller plane: island hopping in the Seychelles
If you don’t just want to stay on the main island of Mahé, but also want to explore the other accessible islands, you can take part in an “island-hopping”. You can take a day for such a tour or you can simply book a guesthouse on the islands you want to visit. So you can take more time to explore the respective island.
Praslin – World Heritage Site in a confined space
To get to the second largest island, Praslin , you board a propeller plane, which takes visitors to the island within just 20 minutes. On the way, there is enough time to get an overview from the plane and take great pictures. The island is also home to the Vallée de Mai National Park, home to the largest coconuts in the world.
La Digue – Island with a special charm
The way to La Digue, the smallest of the inhabited Seychelles islands, is covered by a ferry that runs several times a day, with which you can only get to the island, which is described by many holidaymakers as the most beautiful of all. There are very few cars there and residents and holidaymakers mainly use bicycles. Since La Digue is much flatter than the main island, it can be explored wonderfully by bike.
Seychelles – culinary adventure
A holiday in the Seychelles is always a holiday from the usual cuisine. Creole cuisine is widespread on the islands. Fish and seafood are on almost every restaurant menu. There are curries or chutneys and in many restaurants you can also order goulash from flying foxes. If you are a vegetarian, you don’t have to do without delicious food, there are delicious fruits and vegetables are also on the menus.
Holidays in the Seychelles don’t have to be expensive
Whenever the media reports on holidays in the Seychelles, the focus is usually on luxury resorts that seem unaffordable for normal earners. However, the Seychelles are also an attractive destination for people with average earnings. On all important islands, locals offer very nice guesthouses for which you don’t have to pay much. They are available directly on the beach or in the hinterland and they offer the holidaymaker almost the same luxury as the large resorts.
So whether you just want to relax on the beach or conquer the islands of the Seychelles, everything is possible. Anyone who visits the Seychelles will take one thing above all with them when they return to everyday life, namely the longing for a return to this dreamlike paradise in the middle of the Indian Ocean as soon as possible!
Travel information Seychelles
| Capital | Victoria |
|---|---|
| Form of government | Presidential Republic |
| Currency | Seychelles Rupee (SCR) |
| Area | 455 km² |
| Population | 93,000 (2016) |
| Languages | Seychelles Creole (Seselwa), English, French |
| Electricity grid | 240 V, 50 Hz |
| Area code | +248 |
| Time zone | CET+3h |
