THE ULTIMATE 4 DAYS ITINERARY IN SEYCHELLES
First of all, it is a little late for Valentine’s day, but I still want to share what I did at that time as it is full of love! Here are our ultimate 4 days itinerary in Seychelles.
This 4 days itinerary in Seychelles worked for us during our short trip to Seychelles. We stayed 3 nights and 4 days for a short gateway from Abu Dhabi. We chose to stay on the Main Island (Mahe) as we wanted to avoid connecting flights, also a day excursion to other islands is possible. We booked at the Hotel Constance Ephelia, it’s a big resort but still nice without having the feeling of being too much in a commercial resort. The reason why we chose this hotel was to stay in a natural area away from the cities and many hotels, such as the crowded hotels are from Victoria and Beau Vallon, which are very touristic areas.
ULTIMATE 4 DAYS ITINERARY IN SEYCHELLES
- Day 1– Arrival at Seychelles International Airport (pick up and drop off were arranged by the Constance Ephelia Hotel)
- Day 2– Full day excursion (booked by the hotel) to Praslin and La Digue by boat.
- Day 3– Rented a car from the hotel itself and drove around Mahe Island.
- Day 4– Explored the hidden spots of the hotel and drove in the evening to Seychelles International Airport.
Day 1: Arrival at Seychelles International Airport and to Constance Ephelia Hotel- 4 Days Itinerary in Seychelles
We landed at 06:35am by Etihad Flight 4111, the overnight flight was very convenient, so you leave your place overnight, then you wake up in the paradise. We did not rent a car for the whole trip as the island is small, however, if given a chance to go back to Seychelles, we would definitely rent a small car to have more flexibility and freedom.
After a 45 minutes drive to cover the 25km, with very narrow roads to reach Constance Ephelia Hotel. The 1st day was more of recovering from the flight, booking the activities, and exploring the resort, especially the beach. The hotel is divided into 2 parts for the accommodation and restaurants, the south and the north beach. (both of them are accessible to the guests staying in the hotel. (see hotel map below).
We booked a Junior Suite on the north beach. The bedroom has a luxury bathroom, double basin, free-standing bathtub, and a fully furnished terrace. The north beach is more secluded with fewer people, fewer restaurants, and a small sports water center next to it for snorkeling. Most of the facilities, including sports centers, restaurants, spa, and pools are located on the south beach. Buggies are always in rotation between south and north beach, worse case it’s a 10-minute walk, but we always got a ride on our way.
Day 2: A full day excursion to Praslin and La Digue by boat- 4 Days Itinerary in Seychelles
We booked this tour through our hotel, the service picked us up from the hotel to the harbor for around 45 minutes drive. It took us an hour boat ride from Mahe to Pralin. Once we arrived, we stepped into our tour bus with a tour guide (we were approx. 25 people), so even though I usually do not like an organized excursion, it was still great because the group was relatively small and the tour guide was very much approachable.
First, we went to Vallee de Mai and the famous “Cocofesses” a nature park and UNESCO World Heritage Site on the island of Praslin, Seychelles. It consists of well-preserved palm forest, flagship species made up of the island endemic coco de mer, as well as five other endemic palms. Also, it’s a wildlife park, including birds such as the rare Seychelles black parrot, mammals, crustaceans, snails, and reptiles. The tour provided a dedicated guide to the Vallee de Mai.
After seeing the greenery, we went to the most famous beach on the island. Anse Lazio up north. We got some free time where people can enjoy the beach and of course take lots of pictures.
Then we took another ferry to La Digue. Praslin-La Digue: 15 minutes. They took us to the coconut plantation where they explained the process of how to produce coconut oil and there’s’ an area where you can see and feed the turtles.
After a quick walk on the island (there’s no car on this island only bicycle). We did a stop for lunch in a traditional restaurant, then free time in Anse d ‘Argent, the most beautiful beach in La Digue. This is a very popular island, so expect lots of people but nothing compared to the European beach during summertime. (Anse d’Argent is more crowded than in Anse Lazio)
After enjoying this paradise, it was called to go back to the port before we missed the last ferry trip. It was a full day trip and a bit tiring but I was glad we did this tour. Yes, it was quite hectic to do this excursion in just a day, but I will recommend doing this in one day rather than two days because what kills you the most is the transportation from your hotel to Pralin- La Digue, and vice versa. Or to spend the night in either of these two islands (Pralin or La Digue) is another great option.
Day 3: Drive around Mahe Island- 4 Days Itinerary in Seychelles
Since we wanted to have more flexibility and discover the island which is quite small, we rented a car through the hotel, the pick-up and drop off was directly at the hotel. You can easily do the tour in a day, the roads are narrow, but not many cars on the island (at least, to where we went).
Our first stop was in Petite Anse, there is a small local restaurant on the beach. Nothing special, you can even skip this stop. In terms of food, I did not see many good local restaurants there.
The second stop was Anse Intendance, the most beautiful beach in Mahe Island, from my point of view. It shared the same beach with the Banyan Tree Hotel, and it was simply stunning.
Third stop was Anse Baraica just before the Petite Police Bay, very nice spot as well.
After almost 4 hours of tour, we decided to drive back to the hotel. And, 5 minutes away from the hotel, we stopped and passed by the waterfalls, and the church.
To end our day, as it was valentine’s day, and because the presidential villa was free, we were offered to access their hidden spot, we took the buggy, heading on the north beach. From there, you will see the private place to watch the sunset from the top of the rock, which was an unforgettable experience for us. If you are planning or celebrating a very special occasion, I think they can arrange it there for you.
Day 4: Discover more the hotel and time to go home- 4 Days Itinerary in Seychelles
Constance Ephelia Resort is big. And having 2 beaches makes them the top and special. On windy days, the north beach gets wavy and unpleasant to stay, however, the south beach is more protected. The north beach is more for snorkeling activities. The hotel provides lots of facilities in terms of watersport and the –
Then we explored the surroundings of the island of the hotel and managed to get into the deserted beach.
As we pushed our adventures a bit further, we found another secluded beach in front of Therese Island.
At 1:00pm, we checked out but stayed longer to enjoy the resort a bit more and left at 5pm to the airport. However, it’s worth mentioning that the departure lounge of the hotel is fully furnished with a comfortable sofa, tv, toilet, bath, and computer, almost like you are having your own room.
I have been asked quite often about which one I personally prefer between Mauritius and Seychelles. It’s difficult to answer, but if given another chance, Seychelles is one of the countries that I want to go back to. However, Mauritius has its own character as well that people adore. You can check my post about our Mauritius Itinerary if you want to find out more information.
Has anyone of you been to this beautiful paradise? How did you spend your Valentine’s day? Comment down below your experience. Or feel free to email me at infomail@jesschatenay.com if you want more information, I will try my best to help you.
Bisous,
Jess
REVIEWS
Please note that the below reviews are based on my experienced and preferences. I was a guest and I am not paid for this post/review.