Praslin, Praslen, Pralin... people call this island all sorts of things) But the point is the same - it is the pearl of the Seychelles. If you want to visit only one island or you do not have much time for your trip, it should definitely be Praslin! It has the classic "Bounty" beaches and a real palm forest "from the time of the dinosaurs")
Praslin attractions
Vallée de Mai ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐- a nature reserve with giant Coco de Mer palms
The palms can be seen even from the road as you approach the reserve (video further down the text). Next to the reserve there is a fairly large free car park, but around 11-12 o'clock it is packed, while a couple of hours before the park closes it is empty. In the Vallée de Mai reserve several trails of different lengths are marked. But all these trails are a marketing trick) In fact the whole park consists of the very same Coco de Mer palms, and you can choose any route, even the shortest. But it is better to come to the park 2 hours before closing! They let people into the park up to one hour before closing. In the Vallée de Mai reserve you essentially walk along the paths and marvel at the size of the palms and their fruits - the coconuts) In total, the visit takes about 1-1.5 hours, and there is absolutely nothing more to do there. Take water with you, and it is better to wear closed shoes. Although the paths are very civilised, without any sharp ups and downs. A ticket can also be bought at the reserve's ticket office, but it will cost 3-5 euros more. So it is better to buy the ticket on the website sif.sc/vdm. The price is about 25 euros per person. Vallée de Mai is open from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. If you buy a combined ticket for visiting the Fond Ferdinand reserve as well, the price will be even lower.
Fond Ferdinand - nature reserve
The admission price is about 20 euros. According to reviews on the internet, the park is similar to Vallée de Mai, only with a more difficult trail. The reserve has many ascents and descents, but the ticket is cheaper) We did not visit it.
People go to the Seychelles for several reasons: "Bounty" beaches, the underwater world, giant Coco de Mer palms and land tortoises!
Curieuse ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐- a trip to the tortoise island
The map below shows schematically the snorkelling and diving spots. The underwater world of the Seychelles is less diverse than in the Maldives. You will meet few creatures from the shore; you need to visit special places. A trip to Curieuse island with snorkelling off the coast of the uninhabited island of St. Pierre is an excellent way to get to know all the sights of the Seychelles! Praslin is the closest island to set off from on this trip. You can book the trip through the website, the price is about 100 euros per person. The price includes a mask and fins and an excellent lunch with grilled meat and fish. The tour takes half a day; by about 5 pm you are already home and still have time to catch the sunset on one of Praslin's beaches. As part of the trip you sail off from Grand Anse beach, and pass as close as possible to Anse Georgette beach. After admiring Georgette beach from the water, you will already decide for yourself whether to go there on foot) Then you will be taken to two spots where you can snorkel for 30 minutes each: near St. Pierre island and also near the coast of Praslin, depending on the waves and wind. In 30 minutes of snorkelling you can easily explore the whole spot. The final stop is Curieuse island. Here you will have to pay separately for entrance, about 10-15 euros per person. Card payment only, so keep that in mind. On the shore of the island many land tortoises are waiting for you, from tiny to huge! Take bananas with you to feed them and take lots of great photos / videos. Tortoises like to be stroked on the side of the neck, and they stretch it out then, but you must not touch their nose. Also, if you suddenly reach a hand out to them, especially an empty one, they may hiss)) Right there you will be served a freshly cooked lunch - grilled fish and meat. The lunch is really tasty) After that they will suggest walking along a trail, over the hill, to the other side of the beach - supposedly for a swim... But you also have a choice to stay with the tortoises and walk around here. You will be picked up from this same place an hour later too. So stay with the tortoises!!! If you wish, you can swim here too; baby sharks swim in the water here, and along the shore there is beautiful Seychelles granite. But the trail... is a marketing trick! A supposedly ecological trail, more than half of it goes under the scorching sun and over stones underfoot. Since everybody was geared up for snorkelling, they came in flip-flops... In short, this ecological trail rather resembles torture after a heavy lunch. In the end, at the other end of the island there is a beach with only one tortoise, no views, and after 20-30 minutes they simply pick you up and take you back to Praslin...
Which beach to choose on Praslin?
The map below shows the best beaches of the island. The main driving route around the island is shown in red. The road is not a ring road! The red cross marks the part of the island that is almost wild. There are no good beaches there, no infrastructure, and there is not even a transfer from there during the boat trip. The blue cross marks the part of the island where swimming is impossible because of seaweed. All in all, the choice of beaches is not large, but they are truly gorgeous!
Anse Georgette ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - a Bounty beach
During the trip to the tortoise island we saw this beach from the water - see the video above. The waves here are not for kids... As the guide said, the beach is photogenic, but it is easy to lose your swimming trunks while swimming) There is no free access to the beach at all. To get to this beach you need to register a day in advance. You can ask the owner of your accommodation to register you. Also note that to reach this beach you have to walk through a hotel from the point 4°18'09.9"S 55°41'01.7"E. It is about 1.5 km on foot through the grounds of the Constance Lemuria Praslin Seychelles hotel. But you still have to get to the entrance to the hotel grounds. Parking within 200-300 m of the hotel gates is physically impossible, and further back there is no dedicated parking place. You have to look for a piece of land somewhere along the road to park the car...
Anse Lazio ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐- a gorgeous beach
You can get to this beach only by car; there is almost no accommodation nearby. From Cote D'Or Beach, where there is a lot of accommodation, it is a 15-20 minute drive. From Grand Anse beach, where there is also a lot of accommodation, it is already 40-50 minutes...
The map below shows two car parks, both paid - 100 rupees. The one crossed out with a red cross is just a car park. The one further left - Le Chevalier Restaurant Parking - belongs to the restaurant Le Chevalier Bar Restaurant Anse Lazio. Here you pay 100 rupees, which will be deducted from your bill if you eat in their restaurant! You can ignore the low rating... people seem to expect a Michelin star from a restaurant with a name like that. In reality the crab, squid and other food are completely delicious! What is more, this car park is almost on the beach, unlike the one on the right.
On the left, near the rocks, snorkelling is possible, although there is not much marine life. But on the beach itself, right at the water's edge, rays swim calmly)
You have to get to Anse Lazio to understand its atmosphere! It is a closed, cosy bay. There are waves, but they are not big. The water is azure and clear! If you walk a little to the left along the path, near the rocks, you can find yourself on a mini secret beach that not everybody reaches) Having a restaurant makes a day at the beach unforgettable! You relax on the beach with a drinking coconut, snorkel, swim, take photos, go for lunch at the restaurant, stroll along the shore... the day flies by unnoticed!!!
Cote D'Or Beach ⭐⭐⭐ - an ordinary beach without waves
Snorkelling at this beach is possible near the Berjaya Praslin Resort hotel. You will have to look for parking along the road, though. The beach is long, with a gentle entry into the water and absolutely no waves. But the water is not beautiful here, and because of its length the beach does not look cosy in the "Bounty" style. Still, it is a convenient area to stay in. As for Grand Anse beach, located on the opposite side of the island, it is absolutely unsuitable for swimming, and there is no point in staying here. You look at the water but cannot get in - there is seaweed along the entire shore!
Praslin is truly the best island of the Seychelles!
Add new comment