Pink granite in eleven hours
Best routes: via Dubai (Emirates) and Abu Dhabi (Etihad). Emirates is the only carrier with daily DXB—SEZ service without change of aircraft.
Not just islands. Another planet.
Best fares
Resorts Seychelles, and villas of Seychelles
Private islands for exclusive groups, resorts by granite cliffs and budget guesthouses on La Digue.
Islands, for different travellers
When to fly to Seychelles
Two seasons: northwest monsoon (December–March) and southeast (May–October). Both excellent — on different islands.
Ready-made tours to Seychelles
What you need to know before you go
Entry to Seychelles
Free visa-free entry with return ticket, hotel booking and $150/day on account. Passport valid for at least 6 months. Customs control is standard.
Money
USD accepted at all resorts. Seychellois rupee (SCR) for local transport and markets. Withdraw at Barclays ATMs — no problem. Cash for local markets.
Getting around
Between islands — Cat Cocos catamaran (Mahé—Praslin 1 h) or Air Seychelles (15 min). On La Digue — bicycle (300 SCR/day). On Mahé — taxi or rental car.
Connectivity
Sales.Travel eSIM — 5 GB for 1 090 ₽, runs on Cable & Wireless and Airtel Seychelles. 4G coverage on all inhabited islands. Remote areas — satellite at resort.
Must-try experiences
Anse Source d'Argent on La Digue Island — beach #1 in the world according to CNN and National Geographic. Pink granite boulders 5–10 m high, white quartz sand, turquoise lagoon waist-deep 200 m from shore. Access through L'Union Estate (entry 125 SCR ≈ 8 USD), 15 minutes by bicycle or on foot from La Passe pier. Ideal at sunset — the granite glows orange. No hotels, no bars — pure nature.
Aldabra giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea) — Seychelles endemic, lives 150+ years, weighs up to 250 kg. On Aldabra Island in the wild — 100,000 individuals (UNESCO). Most accessible — La Vanille Nature Park on Mahé (300+ tortoises, 350 SCR ≈ 23 USD) and the reserve on Curieuse (part of a cruise). On Praslin, villas often have tortoises right in the garden.
Seychelles reefs in pristine condition: 100+ coral species, 25 m visibility, water temperature +27°C year-round. Shark Bank 12 km from Mahé — encounters with grey reef sharks, eagle rays. Brisants Reef off northwest Mahé — underwater granite formations creating corridors. Sunset Marine — top PADI school, open water (3 days, 4,500 SCR ≈ 300 USD).
La Digue (10 km²) — the third-largest inhabited island with no paved roads. Bicycle is the main transport, rental 100 SCR/day (≈7 USD) at the pier. 4–5 hour route: Anse Source d'Argent (main beach with granite cliffs) → Grand Anse → Anse Cocos → Anse Marron (difficult access). At each — tavern with fish and Seybrew beer.
Mahé Sunset Coast — western shore from Glacis to Anse Soleil. Best sunset spots: Sunset Beach Hotel bar in Glacis (cocktail 200 SCR), Beau Vallon beach with kayak rentals, La Plage restaurant in Bel Ombre. Sun sets straight into the ocean, no islands on the horizon — pure sunset. May–October — drier, November–April — warmer with occasional rain.
Vallée de Mai on Praslin — UNESCO site, the only place in the world where coco de mer grows. The tree lives 400 years, nut weighs up to 25 kg, takes 7 years to develop. 6 species of endemic palms, blue Vasa parrots, giant geckos. Ticket 350 SCR (≈23 USD), 1 hour on the trail. Free entry only before 8:00 and after 16:30.
Local fishermen take guests on half-day fishing trips from the beach for 1,500–2,500 SCR (≈100–170 USD for 4 hours). Catch barracuda, yellowfin tuna, sailfish. All catches are yours. Many cook on the beach over charcoal with lemon. On La Digue, arrange through guesthouses (Anse Severe Beach Chalet, L'Océan Villa), on Mahé — through dive centres in Beau Vallon.
Sainte Anne Marine National Park — 6 islands 15 minutes by boat from Victoria capital. Snorkeling between Cerf Island and Round Island: hawksbill sea turtles, reef sharks, octopuses. Full-day tour — 2,200 SCR (≈150 USD) with lunch, mask/fins rental, stop at uninhabited Moyenne Island. Half-day — from 1,500 SCR.
Sir Selwyn-Selwyn Clarke Market on Market Street in central Victoria — the main market since 1840. Freshly caught fish (tuna, mahi-mahi from 60 SCR/kg), breadfruit, coconuts, spices. Octopus curry on the second floor at Aunty Patsy's — 200 SCR. Open Mon–Sat 6:00–17:30, Saturdays especially lively.