Granite boulders, forested peaks and islands you can hop between by ferry: the Indian Ocean for people who like to explore.
The inner Seychelles are granite, not coral: steep green peaks, rounded boulders the colour of elephants and beaches tucked between them. There is walking, forest and village life as well as the sea.
We plan most trips across three islands. Praslin has the Vallée de Mai and Anse Lazio. La Digue, reached by a short ferry, is an island of bicycles and ox carts. Mahé has the capital, Victoria, the mountain trails and the widest choice of hotels.
The caveats: there are no direct flights from London at the moment, so it is a one-stop journey. It is expensive, and the trade winds can bring seaweed and choppy water to some beaches, so the right side of the island depends on the month.
The experiences we plan most often, with the months they are at their best.
The Vallée de Mai on Praslin is a UNESCO-listed palm forest and the home of the coco de mer, whose seed is the largest in the plant kingdom. Paths wind under huge fan-shaped leaves, and it is one of the few places to see the rare Seychelles black parrot. Go at opening time, when the birds are most active.
La Digue has few cars; most people get around by bicycle. Ride through the L'Union estate, past the old plantation house and vanilla, to Anse Source d'Argent, with its sculpted granite boulders and shallow water. Time it for low tide in the early morning. On the east side, Grand Anse is wilder but not for swimming when the surf is up.
Curieuse is a protected island a short boat ride from Praslin. A boardwalk runs through the mangroves to Baie Laraie, where Aldabra giant tortoises roam freely around the ranger station. Most trips add snorkelling off neighbouring St Pierre, a tiny granite islet.
Mahé's mountainous spine is protected as Morne Seychellois National Park. The Copolia trail is a short but steep climb through forest to a granite dome with views over Victoria and the islands. It takes about two hours return with a guide. Start early, before the cloud builds, and bring plenty of water.
Cousin Island Special Reserve, off Praslin, was bought for conservation in the 1960s and is now thick with nesting seabirds, including fairy terns, noddies and tropicbirds, along with native magpie-robins and skinks. Visits are by guided tour on set mornings, landing through the surf.
Beyond the granite islands lie flat coral atolls such as Alphonse and Desroches, reached by small plane from Mahé. The draw is wide lagoons, sand flats and walls of reef, and anglers come for fly-fishing on the flats. Further still, Aldabra, a UNESCO site with the world's largest population of giant tortoises, is visited mainly by expedition ship.
Mix islands and styles. Stay on Praslin for the forest and Anse Lazio, on La Digue in a small hotel for cycling, and on Mahé for the widest choice and the mountains. A private island adds seclusion at a cost. Pick the side of each island for the month, as the trade winds shift through the year.
A 120-hectare resort between two beaches on Port Launay Marine National Park, 40 minutes from the airport, with a spa village and kids club.
The only 18-hole championship golf course in the Seychelles, wrapped around beaches on the north-west tip of Praslin, 15 minutes from the airport.
A flat island on the edge of the Seychelles plateau: 23 beach cottages, a farm, an airstrip, and no mobile signal or in-room internet.
A former coconut plantation on La Digue with hillside villas, a spa on the granite above Anse Sévère and the island's beaches a bike ride away.
Eleven handbuilt villas on a granite island that has been rewilded, with helicopter access from Mahé and the whole island available to book.
An all-pool-villa resort on the hillside above Anse Takamaka on Praslin, with butlers, a large spa and a free kids club.
Sample routes to start from. Every one can be changed.
Three islands, three speeds: a hillside pool villa on Praslin near the Vallée de Mai, bicycles and granite boulders on La Digue, and four nights on North Island, reached by helicopter from Mahé.
The Seychelles are warm all year, and the seasons are set by the wind. The northwest monsoon, peaking in January, brings heat, humidity and most of the rain. From May to October the southeast trades blow, bringing cooler, drier air but choppier seas and seaweed on some exposed beaches, with July the coolest and driest month.
Between the two, in April and May and again in October and November, the winds drop and the sea is at its clearest. Those are our favourite months for snorkelling, diving and island hopping.
Four nights on Praslin for the Vallée de Mai and Curieuse, three on La Digue by bicycle, and three on Mahé for the mountains and a quieter beach. 10 nights.
Connect in the Gulf for Mahé, then take the short flight or fast ferry to Praslin. Walk the Vallée de Mai, swim at Anse Lazio and take a boat to Curieuse.
A 15-minute ferry to La Digue. Cycle to Anse Source d'Argent at low tide, explore the east coast and slow right down.
Ferry back to Mahé. Hike the Copolia trail, browse the market in Victoria and finish on a quiet west coast beach.
Drive to Seychelles International Airport for the flight to the Gulf and your connection back to London.
Practical notes checked against their sources. For entry and safety, the FCDO advice for Seychelles (opens in a new tab) is always the authority.
There are no direct flights from London at present. Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad connect through their hubs, with about seven hours to the Gulf and four and a half on to Mahé. Air Seychelles flies between Mahé and Praslin, and fast ferries link Mahé, Praslin and La Digue.
UK passport holders do not currently need a visa, but must apply online for a travel authorisation before arrival. Read the FCDO entry requirements (opens in a new tab) before you book and again before you fly.
Read the FCDO entry requirements for Seychelles (opens in a new tab)
The main hospital is in Victoria on Mahé, and tourists must pay for treatment, so insurance matters, especially on remote islands. See TravelHealthPro (opens in a new tab) and the FCDO health page (opens in a new tab). Use insect repellent and strong sun protection.
The currency is the Seychelles rupee. Cards are widely accepted in hotels and larger restaurants; carry rupees for ferries, taxis, bike hire and small cafés.
Cable & Wireless sells a traveller plan through the online travel authorisation system, and Airtel has a kiosk at the airport. Coverage is good on the main islands.
Some restaurants include a service charge. If not, a cash tip of 5 to 10 per cent is customary. Boat crews and guides appreciate a tip at the end of a trip.
April, May, October and November, when the winds drop between the two seasons and the sea is calm and clear. From May to October the southeast trades bring drier, cooler weather but rougher water on exposed coasts. December to March is hotter and wetter, though rain usually comes in short bursts.
Fast ferries link Mahé with Praslin in about an hour, and Praslin with La Digue in around 15 minutes. Air Seychelles flies between Mahé and Praslin in minutes, which saves time if seas are rough. Helicopter and small-plane transfers reach private and outer islands.
Choose the [Maldives](/destinations/indian-ocean/maldives) for overwater villas and snorkelling from your door. Choose the Seychelles for scenery, forest walks, island hopping and a real country around your hotel. The Seychelles beaches are more dramatic, while Maldivian reefs are generally closer to shore.
Yes, for families who enjoy the outdoors. Tortoises, cycling on La Digue and shallow bays go down well with children. Choose sheltered beaches for the month, as some are exposed to surf and currents, and look for hotels with family villas. Island hopping works best with children over about six.
Tell us a little and a specialist will reply with ideas, dates that work and a price. Best months: April, May, October and November.
Twenty-six coral atolls, one resort to an island: here the reef and the transfer decide the holiday, so we start there.
One island with lagoon beaches, forest gorges and Creole cooking, where the coast you choose matters as much as the hotel.
The Masai Mara's private conservancies, rhino country in Laikipia and a Swahili coast, a single overnight flight from London.
Swahili Stone Town, spice farms and white-sand beaches on the Indian Ocean: the natural finish to an East African safari.
Three sets of Indian Ocean islands, often booked as if they were interchangeable. They are not. Here is how they differ by season, by flight, by style and by the kind of traveller each one suits.
