Hundreds of miles from their nearest neighbours, the Republic of Seychelles comprises 115 islands scattered in the middle of the Indian Ocean, with glorious tropical forests, woodlands and unspoilt beaches. This is an extraordinary archipelago of legendary beauty; a natural paradise of fabulous weather that is free of malarial mosquitoes. The Seychelles are rightly renowned as an outstanding honeymoon destination.
Our Top 5 Reasons to Book a Seychelles Holiday
1. The absolutely top reason to visit Seychelles is to walk the path less trodden. If you’ve ever wondered how Robinson Crusoe felt on his own desert island, this is where you can come close to finding out. But you need to choose your accommodation carefully!
2. A huge range of stylish accommodation across a plethora of gorgeous islands. Truly unique Seychellois French-colonial style is splashed across lavish 5* luxury and barefoot eco-conscious hotels alike. Most accommodation options are located on the main island of Mahé, but there are so many islands to choose from, you can be assured that you’ll find one to suit you perfectly.
Choose carefully though - we believe that the very top-end exclusive islands are worth the money, but that the middle bracket in the Seychelles is expensive for the quality on offer. .
3. It's perfect for a honeymoon! There is a reason why the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge chose the Seychelles for their honeymoon, and there’s a reason why their North Island accommodation is some of the most expensive in the world at around $7k per night. It’s all about opulence - but at the same time it’s all about conservation, too. Clever. For a summary of a Seychelles honeymoon, please follow this link.
4. The Seychelles’ six national marine parks boast an incredible array of outstanding marine life, including the largest population of Aldabra giant tortoises, whale sharks, hawksbill turtles, stingrays, puffer fish and much else besides.
5. Creole cuisine is genuinely extraordinary, and the fusions that you’ll find throughout the islands will thrill even the most sophisticated taste buds.
Map of Seychelles
When to Visit the Seychelles
The Seychelles is all about the beach and, happily, the climate is absolutely ideal for this purpose pretty much all year round. The temperature sits at around 28°C and there is a gentle sea breeze – absolute heaven, in our opinion!
It does rain in the Seychelles, so you might prefer to avoid the rainy season of December to March; however the rain is intermittent and short-lived (it doesn’t drizzle all day like it can in the UK) and we don’t find it a problem. December to March can also be windier than average, however strong winds (cyclones) tend not to affect most of the Seychelles.
A final consideration is the ocean currents. Many of the Seychelles’ beaches are affected by strong currents which can detract from the swimming and diving experience, and can also wash up seaweed. Luckily this is only a localised problem so we can help you to avoid both seaweed and strong currents whenever you travel.
Where to Stay in Seychelles
We tend to recommend that you spend some time on one of the main islands, either Praslin for the rainforest and coco de mer, or Mahe, with its sumptuous luxury suite style hotels, such as the Banyan Tree or Maia.
If you’re looking for serious where’s-my-chopper luxury, then you should consider the exclusive delights of a private island such as Denis, Desroches, Fregate, or if budget permits the Royal Honeymoon location - North Island.
Before deciding where to stay in Seychelles, consider the range of landscapes and experiences, from the elegance of the granitic islands, with their distinctive rock formations rising from a crystal sea, to the impressive drama of the volcanic islands, and the remote appeal of the outer islands. A combination of these can make for a diverse and memorably superb beach holiday.
Other great Indian Ocean beaches
Seychelles: Getting Around
As the Seychelles have adopted a low-impact, high quality tourism philosophy, the transport options on offer are limited; reaching the islands from Mahé tends to be by private charter.
The Seychelles are also pretty hard to get to from an international perspective as there are currently no direct flights, but Air Kenya flies from London via Nairobi, for those seeking to tie in an East African safari.
Other Beach Holidays
As mentioned above, the Seychelles isn't the easiest destination to always get to, therefore we can suggest a few other destinations to consider. If you're undertaking a safari first or after some beach rest and relaxation then Zanzibar is an ideal destination. Mozambique, Mauritius and the Maldives are also very popular choices, especially the latter for honeymoons. If you still aren't sure then check out our blog which is a little guide to the best beaches in the Indian Oceans.
