Praslin is Seychelles’ second biggest island, and a typical stop in any Seychelles itinerary, together with Mahe and La Digue. Praslin is home to some of my favorite beaches and the incredible, Valley de Mai, a Unesco World Heritage. In this travel guide, I gather what to do, where to stay and eat, to help you plan an awesome holiday in Praslin. Before we get started, don’t hesitate to take a look at the rest of my Seychelles travel guides:
- Seychelles, the perfect 10 day itinerary: How to plan the perfect trip to the Seychelles
- La Digue Complete Travel guide: Everything you need to know about Seychelle’s most chilled-out island.
- Mahe Complete Travel guide: The beginner guide, for first-timers landing in Seychelles capital island.
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PRASLIN TRAVEL GUIDE
HOW TO GET THERE AND GO AROUND THE ISLAND
There are two ways to reach Praslin: via ferry or local flights.
- The ferry from Mahe takes 1h15 min and costs around 50 EUR (61 USD). The ferry operates between once and three times a day. You can check the schedules and purchase your ticket online here. Don’t forget to be at the ferry terminal 1h prior to departure to check-in.
- The local plane ride takes only 20 min and operates up to 30 times/day. Prices vary, but you can count around 130 EUR (160 USD). If you are not afraid of seating in a tiny propeller plane, flying is a great option because of the flexibility of the schedule and the bird-eye view you get! It is also very convenient if you are flying out of Mahe directly after your flight as the local and international terminals are side by side.
Once in Praslin, you can go around the island by bus, taxis or my preferred option, renting a car. Renting a car will give you more freedom to reach all your destinations, even early morning or late at night, and for around 30 EUR / day, it is a pretty good deal!
PRASLIN TRAVEL GUIDE
WHAT TO DO ON THE ISLAND
VISIT THE VALLEE DE MAI
The Vallee de Mai is a nature reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site, known for its palm forest, the famous endemic Coco De Mer trees, and many different endemic palms, birds, and other animals. The Vallee de Mai is so lush and impressive that some say it is the actual Garden of Eden!
The valley sits in the middle of Praslin and has several hiking trails running throughout it, including a short 1-hour tour and a longer circular route taking 2 to 3 hours to complete. The most interesting thing to see in the Vallee de May is the Coco de Mer. The 7 to 10 meter long palms are impressive but it is the seed of the tree that attracts most of the attention. The tree bears the largest double nut and the largest seed in the world, reaching up to 42 kg, but is the very suggestive shape of the nut that made it so famous! I let you see for yourself!
EXPLORE THE UNDERWATER
Seychelles is world-famous for its underwater fauna and flora both, on land and underwater, so don’t miss going out for a dive. We organized a 2 dives trip with WhiteTips Divers and it didn’t disappoint. My better half saw an amazing diversity of fishes including a huge shark! I only snorkeled but it was fantastic. So many fishes and so many colors, I could have gone on the whole day. The team at WhiteTips Divers was super nice, knowledgeable, and very professional, I definitely recommend them. 2 dives trip cost 115 EUR (140 USD), and the snorkeling was 20 EUR (25 USD). All equipment included.
Since I am not diving, I had some time to take a few drone shots, nothing underwater though, sorry!
ANSE LAZIO BEACH
Anse Lazio is the most famous beach in Praslin, and for good reasons! Anse Lazio is the perfect tropical paradise, with 600 m of soft white sand, shallow turquoise water, and boulders formations popping out of the water. Lined up by palm trees that provide much-needed shade, Anse Lazio is the perfect beach to sunbathe, swim, and relax. The beach feels unspoiled and serene. There are 2 restaurants nearby: Bon Bon Plume (closed at the time of our visit, April 2021) and Le Chevalier, great for a quick lunch and some refreshments.
ANSE GEORGETTE BEACH
Another gorgeous beach on Praslin, Anse Georgette was our favorite beach in Seychelles. Unlike the immense Anse Lazio and Anse Intendance, Anse Georgette is a little bay with white powder sand, seating between lush mangrove and bright blue sea. Anse Georgette is a public beach (like all beaches in Seychelles) but set within the grounds of the beautiful Constance Lemuria resort. You need to inform the resort before coming, as they are limited the number of people visiting the beach each day.
There are 2 ways to access the beach. Either get through the main resort entrance, and walk along the beautiful but hilly golf course, all the way to the beach (the walk is a bit steep but totally doable!), or through a proper hike either from Anse Lazio or from Mont Plaisir. The view from the hilltop down to Anse Georgette should be worth your effort! If you are lucky, once on the grounds of Constance Lemuria Resort, one of the golf buggies might pick you up and bring you to the beach or back.
TEE OFF AT SEYCHELLES’ ONLY GOLF COURSE
The Constance Lemuria resort is home to the only 18 holes golf course in Seychelles, so why not combining a visit to Anse Georgette, Praslin’s most beautiful beach, with a good golf game. The beginning of the course is rather flat, but the tees of holes 13th to 18th are perched high up, offering jaw-dropping views over the island and the turquoise water of Anse Georgette. The course overall is absolutely stunning, surrounded by a lush tropical forest!
EXPLORE CURIEUSE ISLAND AND SAY HI TO GIANT TURTLES
Curieuse Island is a tiny uninhabited island close to the Praslin northern coast. In the early 80s, a conservation project relocated giants turtles to Curieuse Island. Today more than 300 of them live freely on the island, and they are the main point of interest for most visitors.
The island is also know for its Coco de Mer palm, giant Takamaka trees, rare bird species, and several native and endemic plants.
A day trip to Curieuse Island was part of our initial itinerary but we canceled last minute, choosing to finally take a day to chill at the hotel and do absolutely nothing. But it is still a day trip that comes highly recommended.
TAKE A DAY TRIP TO LA DIGUE
While in Seychelles, if you don’t have enough time to spend a few days in La Digue, you should at least consider a day trip. La Digue is a small island, just 15 min boat from Praslin, and home to one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Anse Source d’Argent is what dreams are made of : shallow crystal clear water, white soft sands, picturesque pink granite boulders popping out of the sea and a dense tropical forest as a backdrop. If you do a day trip to La Digue, do like the local do and explore by bike (you can easily rent one near the ferry terminal). Bike up North and check out Anse Severe (and the 2 giant turtles roaming in the shade there) and continue further all the way to Anse Fourmis. On the way, stop for a Seychellois lunch at Chez Jules. In the middle of the afternoon, bike back to L’Union Estate. Explore the plantation and finally discover Anse Source D’Argent under the beautiful golden lights of the late afternoon and if you can, stay on until sunset.
PRASLIN TRAVEL GUIDE
WHERE TO STAY
From luxury options to cute boutique hotels, there are quite a few good options in Praslin. Here are a few places that look particularly beautiful:
Luxury hotels in Praslin
- Constance Lemuria*****: One of the most beautiful hotels in Praslin, with 2 spectacular beaches, delicious restaurants, and Seychelles only 18 holes golf course.
- Raffles Seychelles*****: Located close to Anse Lazio, the Raffles hotel offers luxury villas, some with private pools, all with spectacular views.
- Le Chateau de Feuilles*****: Super high-end but intimate resort with just 9 suites, and access to its own private island, Grande Soeur.
- Dhevatara Beach Hotel*****: A stunning property with only 10 rooms and a beautiful water garden, in a traditional Seychellois style.
Medium range hotels in Praslin
- Le Domaine de La Reserve****: Incredibly charming hotel, with 39 rooms, each decorated in a warm and authentic Creole style.
- Coco de Mer Hotel and Black Parrot Suites****: A bit more modern, this hotel has a stunning infinity pool and an over-water restaurant.
- Bliss Hotel Praslin: We stayed 3 nights in this hotel and really enjoyed the comfortable rooms, immense garden, beautiful pool, and casual dining setting. The spa was also great! They have an equally nice sister hotel in Mahe.
- Les Lauriers Eco Hotel: Close to Anse Volbert, Les Lauriers offers a variety of accommodations, including 8 spacious suites with outdoor showers. Les Lauriers strive to be eco-conscious, using solar energy, recycling wastewater, and providing eco-friendly amenities. Their evening Creole buffet is one of the best in Praslin.
PRASLIN TRAVEL GUIDE
WHERE TO EAT
Although the food was not the highlight of our time in Seychelles, we really had some of our best meals while in Praslin. Here a few restaurants we tried and enjoyed :
- Cafe des Arts: Located in Anse Volbert, Cafe des Arts has a modern beach club vibe and serves a variety of dishes, from traditional creoles curries to pasta, sushi, etc. It is not easy to master such a variety of cuisines, but we came twice and were never disappointed. The sea view is stunning, and there is a super Instagrammable sea swing hanging to a palm tree.
- Les Rochers: A little bit of a kitschy, but the Seychellois food is delicious and the servings are huge. We came here for dinner so we didn’t see anything, but I think the daytime view over the giant boulders by the property must be quite nice.
- The Nest: One of the Constance Lemuria hotels, The Nest is overlooking the stunning Anse Kerlan beach, and serves refined Seychellois seafood dishes. Fancy and pricey, great for a romantic dinner or a chic lunch.
- Parasidier: A small family-run, open-air pizzeria. The pizzas were super cheesy and super delicious!
Other restaurants we didn’t try but that come highly recommended:
- Les Lauriers (open only for dinner)
- Pirogue
- PK’s@Pasquiere restaurant and gastropub
PRASLIN TRAVEL GUIDE
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT
Praslin Island enjoys warm and sunny weather most of the year. The best time to visit the island is from March to November, the other months being quite rainy. March, April, October, and November are the best months for snorkeling. The rest of the year the wind picks up, the temperature cools down and the sea can get a bit rough. Perfect through if you enjoy water & wind sports like surfing, kitesurfing, etc.
Here you go, this is my travel guide and recommendations for Praslin island. Overall Praslin was my favorite island. It is the perfect size to offer plenty of activities without very long drives. The beaches are spectacular, the vibe is relaxed and the Valley de Mai Nature Reserve is an incredible park. If you can only stay on one island in Seychelles, I would recommend choosing Praslin, with a day trip to La Digue.
I hope you found all the info and inspiration you needed in this Praslin travel guide, but please do not hesitate to drop me a comment below or to reach out on Instagram, if you need more details.
Love, Emma
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