Lady’s One-Week Seychelles Itinerary

Today I want to share my one-week Seychelles itinerary with you. This island nation in the Indian Ocean is an archipelago of dreams. With white-sand beaches, crystal-clear water, and stunning coral reefs, it’s a great place to travel.

One-Week Seychelles Itinerary

The Seychelles are the stuff of legends. Centuries ago, French pirates stashed stolen treasures on these turquoise shores off the coast of East Africa, and today people are still searching for the buccaneers’ golden chests.

But I’m not one of them. My one-week Seychelles itinerary is going to focus on the islands’ other treasures. And there are many.

Mahe Island

My trip to the Seychelles starts on the island of Mahe. It’s the largest of the 115-strong archipelago, and home to the capital, Victoria.

As a guest of the Seychelles Tourism Board, I’m staying at the Hilltop Boutique Hotel just outside the city center.

The hotel is a great introduction to the country’s smaller properties that offer affordable luxury in a country seen by many travelers as prohibitively expensive.

Just as Hilltop—which has spacious rooms and a good sister restaurant called Marie Antoinette—is a great introduction to the non-five-star resorts in the country, Mahe is a great introduction to the Seychelles.

Victoria is pint-size as capitals go, but has a lively food market with fresh fish, bright mangoes, and redolent cinnamon bark, as well as a colorful Hindu temple and several churches.

Gift shops abound, and there’s even a miniature Big Ben in the city’s main roundabout.

There’s plenty of culture here, too. The annual Creole Festival is in full-swing during my time on Mahe, and the streets fill with dancing, music, and local food.

All the buildings along the main road are decked in colorful streamers, and there’s a celebratory feeling in the air.

After exploring Mahe, my one-week Seychelles itinerary brings me to a quieter corner of the island.

An artist named Michael Adams welcomes me into his studio and gallery. Set back among the trees and vines, it’s a wonderful world of colors and shapes, drawings and oil paintings.

I visit him thanks to the generosity of Arthur Lo Pinto from Creole Travel Services, who volunteers to take me around the island one Sunday.

Back outside, Mahe’s beaches are stunning, from the lively shores of Beau Vallon in the north to the white sand and turquoise waters of Intendance Beach in the south.

Between them are green mountains with sheer granite cliffs and some of the most beautiful rock formations I’ve ever seen.

Oh, and everyone on the island seems to keep giant tortoises as pets. As one does.

Praslin Island

After exploring Mahe, my one-week Seychelles itinerary takes me to Praslin, where life is slower and more laid-back.

I take the Cat Cocos ferry to Praslin, where my hotel for two nights is Les Villas d’Or. It’s right on a stunning tropical beach, and my bungalow has everything I need to live like a local on the waterfront.

While on Praslin, I tour the famous Vallee de Mai Nature Reserve, a densely-forested area home to the endemic Coco de Mer. The coconut not only contains the world’s largest seed, but also looks rather like…well…you know.

Make-you-blush coconut appreciated, my one-week Seychelles itinerary has me take in the other natural wonders on Praslin.

One day I go on a snorkeling tour with Creole Travel Services. The boat, christened Oplezir, takes me to three islands: Sister Island, Felicite Island, and Coco Island.

We snorkel at each, eating lunch in between. The water is clear, and I see great tropical fish and a few turtles despite the fact that most of the coral has died off due to rising sea temperatures.

Back on Praslin, I dine at restaurants like La Pirogue, which serves a great local octopus curry, and Bonbon Plume, a beachfront restaurant on the famous Anse Lazio.

The seafood in the Seychelles is fresh and plentiful, and most of my meals revolve around grilled fish, curry, and spicy mango salads. The only downside is that the service isn’t always what it should be.

La Digue

The third and final destination on my one-week Seychelles itinerary is the island of La Digue.

As soon as the Cat Rose ferry pulls in from Praslin, I know the tourism board has saved the best for last on my itinerary.

La Digue is a special place. It’s an island with no cars and it’s in no hurry to change that—or anything else. Bike and ox cart are the main modes of transport here, and everything moves at island speed.

A golf cart transfers me from the ferry to my hotel, the Casa de Leela.

It’s inland from the beach and across the street from a nature reserve. My guest house is large and the staff welcoming, and I even have my own bike for the duration of my stay.

I hop on, eager to explore La Digue. What I find is that the beaches here are even more picture-perfect than those on Mahe and Praslin. How that’s possible, I don’t know.

Over by Anse Source d’Argent the stunning curved boulders provide a dramatic backdrop against the powdery sand and aquamarine sea. And by the harbor, the sunsets are spectacular.

One Week in the Seychelles

It’s paradise, and I can’t believe I can’t stay forever. My one-week Seychelles itinerary has taken me to some of the best places in the country, and I’ve fallen in love with the islands.

When I go, I take with me the knowledge that while the Seychelles are the stuff of legend, those seeking buried treasure don’t realize that the real riches are sitting right in front of them.

Find this post helpful? Buy me a coffee!

New here? Join thousands of others and subscribe to the A Lady in London blog via email.

Some of the links in this blog post are affiliate links. At no cost to you, I earn a small commission when you click on them and make a purchase. It doesn’t affect the way you shop, and it’s a great way to support the A Lady in London blog.

Pin it!