Travelogue Seychelles 2024

FRI 01.11.24

The day of departure.

We fly with Ethiopian Airlines from Zurich via Milan to Addis Abeba.

SAT 02.11.24

The security check in Addis Ababa, where we have to change planes, is a bit chaotic. Passengers who are late for their flights may take shortcuts. Queues don't move anymore. So other people waiting also try to overtake. The officers at the security lines are overwhelmed.

However 13 hours after departure from Zurich we land safely in Mahé, the main island of the Seychelles. We check out, change money and buy a bus ticket for 8 days. The bus station is outside the terminal. Bus number 6 brings us straight to Baie Lazare. The Green Blue Guest house is 10 minutes walk away from the bus station. It's a self catering appartment. Very spacious with kitchen and living room and most importantly a balcony with sea view. To get to the beach, we just need to cross the street. We are on the west-coast of Mahé, so we can enjoy the sunset. To end the day, we eat a Creole-style fish curry at the La Gaulette restaurant.

SUN 03.11.24

We visit Victoria the capital city of the Seychelles. Its landmark is a small clock tower. Sunday mornings are very quiet. After just one hour our sightseeing tour is over. Our mission is to buy ferry tickets at the pier. Back at the city center the streets are clogged with cars. They honk and its passengers wave party flags from the windows.

We take the bus back to Baie Lazare. Unfortunately we are on the route where the parade takes place. The return journey takes us more than three hours instead of one.

MON 04.11.24

We take bus number 5 in direction Victoria via Quatre Bornes and get off a few minutes later at Anse Takamaka, a white sandy beach with granite boulders on both ends and lots of palm trees. There's a hotel complex with giant turtles.

According to maps.me there's a path leading accross the peninsula to the next beach. First finding the path is easy but then it becomes more difficult. We reach a paved road and follow it to a hotel complex which we have to cross to get to Anse Intendance. The hike took somewhat less than an hour. The beach is rather deserted. Its southern end with the granite boulders and dense rain forest is very picturesque.

To get to the next bus station we have to walk along a paved road all the way up to Quatre Bornes. After waiting three quarters an hour the bus arrives. At Anse Royale we have lunch and then stay at the beach for the rest of the day. Compared to the beaches on the west coast, there are quite a lot of people here.

TUE 05.11.24

Our ferry will depart at around 10:30 a.m. Not sure, whether the bus driver is going to let us aboard with our suitcase and travel bag we go to the bus stop early enough.

Good to have enough time, not because of the bus driver who didn't care if we have baggage or not but because of the heavy traffic at the east-coast. The traffic jam starts at Anse Royale and lasts until the airport. Finally we arrive at the ferry port just on time. The speedboat takes somewhat more than an hour from Mahé to Praslin. It is nearly fully booked.

Waiting at the bus stop near the port a taxi driver wants to give us a lift. She says that buses will not let people with luggage get on board and the walk to the Mango Loge is very steep. 15 USD is a fair price, so we agree to go by car. Indeed to get to our lodge a couple of curves and some difference in altitude is involved. Lesley the landlady introduces us to our home for the next 3 days. What a wonderful view from our bungalow over the entire bay. Down at the beach we are attracted by a sting ray. They are very well camouflaged in shallow water. At a take-away shop we have a late lunch and buy some stuff for dinner at a grocery shop. Our lodge is surrounded by mango trees that are inhabited by fruit bats. This is where the shrill screaming comes from. We enjoy the dusk with a Takamaka rum.

WED 06.11.24

We take the bus towards Zimbabwe. There are almost only tourists on board, while in Mahé there are hardly any foreigners on the buses. We get off at Anse Boudin and walk for half an hour to Anse Lazio. Together with Anse Georgette they are the two top beaches on Praslin. It starts to rain and we seek shelter under the palm trees. Our plan is to hike to Anse Georgette. The rain stops and we set off. The path is narrow. It starts raining again. The ground is slippery. We seek shelter at a country house. Since it doesn't stop raining, we turn back.

Back at Anse Lazio we find the best snorkeling spot of our trip. It is hidden in the granite boulders at the western end. It has now stopped raining and we are doing one dive after the other. The colorful world full of fish captivates us. Later, on the way back, we are again hit by rain.

THU 07.11.24

Coco de Mer, the largest seed in the world, is a giant coconut that only grows on 3 islands in the Seychelles. Our landlady recommends visiting the Fond Ferdinand National Park, where it is found.

We take the bus to Anse Marie Louise. The guided tour is free, so we wait about an hour until the next one starts. In addition to the Coco de Mer palm, other endemic plants and animals are also interesting.

The highlight is the climb to the viewing point with a view over Baie Ste Anne to the island of La Dige, our next destination. We spend the late afternoon on the Côte d'Or beach and watch rays in the shallow water.

FRI 08.11.24

We actually wanted to walk around the north coast two days ago, but the rain put a stop to our plans. Now we're trying again today. A path leads from Anse Lazio along the north coast to Anse Georgette. Finding the way is easy. First you go through rainforest, then through dense bush. Just before Anse Georgette is the highest point with a great view of the bay.

After a steep descent we reach the white sandy beach of Anse Georgette, one of the top 3 that we have seen in the Seychelles.

The next bus stop (below Mont Plaisir) is half an hour away by crossing a golf course.

SAT 09.11.24

Our landlady give us a lift to the harbor where we take the ferry to the island of La Digue. The crossing takes less than half an hour. The island is much smaller than Praslin. La Passe, the main and only town is quite lively.

Everyone rides a bike, except us. We reach our apartment on foot in half an hour. It is called Relax Self Catering. In fact, life on La Digue feels very relaxed. Mahé is busy, Praslin is much more relaxed and La Digue even more so.

We spend the afternoon on the busy but extremely shallow beach of Anse Severe. You cannot swim here unless you walk 100m over dead corals.

SUN 10.11.24

Today we visit the most famous beach in the Seychelles, Anse Source d'Argent. It's half an hour walk from our apartment. To get to the beach we have to cross the Union State Farm. We pay the entrance fee, get a wristband and stop briefly at a turtle farm under a gigantic rock. We then continue to the famous beach.

Anse Source d'Argent actually consists of several beaches, embedded in a granite rock landscape. Numerous palm trees provide shade. Music bars provide entertainment. Hammocks are available for free. Despite their fame, the beaches are not overcrowded.

MON 11.11.24

Today we plan to walk around the island. Unfortunately, there is no footpath around the southern tip, so we take the shortcut via Roche Bois to Grande Anse. From there we want to walk to Anse Marron, but we can't find the way.

The path from Grande Anse via Petite Anse and Anse Cocos to Anse Caiman is in good condition. The first three beaches offer little shade, are fairly deserted and have strong surf. Anse Caiman on the east coast, the furthest beach of all, is good for snorkeling and quite busy.

To our surprise, there is a sign: 'No passage' to the north. Are our plans thwarted? There is a path, people come towards us and we set off on the forbidden path. What a pleasure. We walk over ladders and iron steps, wooden bridges and railings. We overcome the numerous granite rocks by climbing over and crossing under. After just under an hour we reach the paved road. After another hour and a half we reach Anse Severe. The walking time is about 4 hours. With swimming breaks, the walk around the island takes twice as long.

TUE 12.11.24

Today we travel back to Mahé. We've barely got on the ship when it starts to rain. The crossing is pretty rough. When we arrive in Victoria, we go for breakfast. We watch the hustle and bustle on the street from the News Cafe while enjoying an English breakfast.

The rain doesn't want to stop. We take the bus over the Misere Pass to Port Glaud. This time too, the driver lets us get on with our luggage. We move into our apartment at Gigi's. The view from the veranda over the bay is great. We go down to the beach for a bit. But the weather doesn't get any better. In the evening, it pours with rain.

WED 13.11.24

The weather is a little better today. We take the bus to Victoria and visit the market with the strange name Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke Market. We buy papayas, mangos and two coconuts. Well, what are we supposed to do with coconuts without a machete?

We lug the goods onto the next bus and drive towards Beau Vallon to Bel Ombre. Our destination today is Anse Major, which can be reached via a footpath. The clouds are hanging low. We dare the hour and a half walk and are not disappointed. We reach the small beach over huge granite rocks, where we swim and eat fruit, but no coconuts.

On the way back we visit Beau Vallon. Hotel after hotel, almost like on the Mediterranean. After lunch in a trendy takeaway, we go back by bus via Sans Souci road, the highest and most winding pass over the mountains. It now starts to rain. We were lucky and did not get wet on our trip.

THU 14.11.24

We want to visit a waterfall near our accommodation. On the way we meet a local who really wants to offer us a guided tour. The Seychellois are laid back and unobtrusive. This guy is out of place. He says we won't find the waterfall without him and stays on our heels. It's getting too much for us. We turn around and spend the day on Port Launay beach, which is great for swimming and is surrounded by a huge mountain backdrop.

In the evening we visit the Del Place restaurant in Port Glaud. Red snapper and tuna taste fantastic.

FRI 15.11.24

We say goodbye to the Seychelles. From Port Glaud we have a direct bus to the airport. Once again we save the cost of a taxi.

The departure goes smoothly. A three-hour flight to Addis Ababa where we have a few hours' layover. At midnight the plane takes off for Milan and then on to Zurich.

SAT 16.11.24

Arrival at Zurich