Praslin, La Digue and North Island in ten nights
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.
Denis Private Island
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.
Why we love it
Denis is low, flat and green, a world away from the granite peaks of Mahé, and the flight out from Mahé feels like leaving the rest of the Seychelles behind. There are 23 cottages and villas spread along the beach behind the vegetation, and most of what you eat comes from the island farm a short walk away.
Nobody here is looking at a phone. There is no mobile signal, no in-room internet and no television, which is the whole point for some people and a deal-breaker for others. Days go on turtle tracks at dawn, snorkelling a lagoon where fishing is banned, and diving or catch-and-release fishing off the drop-off at the edge of the plateau.
It is simple in style: colonial-feel cottages with open-air bathrooms rather than pool villas. If you want a big spa, several restaurants or daily flights, choose elsewhere. If you want a proper island with room to breathe, this is one of our favourites.
Rooms and villas
Beach Cottage
Three 90 square metre cottages directly on the beachfront, with a furnished verandah, a bath and a private courtyard with an open-air shower.
Deluxe Beach Cottage
Ten 110 square metre sea-facing cottages that add a sala and daybed in the front garden, a few steps from snorkelling off your own stretch of beach.
Beachfront Spa Cottage
Nine 150 square metre cottages with everything in the deluxe cottages plus a private massage pavilion in the bathroom courtyard.
Beach Villa
The one villa with a private plunge pool, a wrap-around verandah and a dining pavilion by the beach, well suited to young families.
Dining
Meals follow a farm-to-table approach, with much of the produce from the island farm and fish from local waters beyond the protected lagoon. When a catch from a fishing trip meets the island's conservation rules, the chefs can cook it for you.
Wellness
There is no spa building. Treatments use local ingredients and are given in your cottage, outdoors under the casuarina trees, or in the private pavilion of a Beachfront Spa Cottage.
Children and families
Families are welcome and the island describes itself as ideal for children. Bookings that include children under 12 are handled directly by the reservations team, so we confirm those arrangements for you.
The facts
| Cottages and villas | 23 |
|---|---|
| Transfer | Scheduled flights from Mahé on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, or charter by plane or helicopter |
| Baggage | Weight limits apply on the island flights |
| Connectivity | No mobile signal, no in-room internet or television |
| Diving | PADI dive centre on the island |
| Island size | 375 acres |
Where it is
Denis Island, northern edge of the Seychelles Bank, Seychelles
Nearby
A few of the things we plan for guests in Seychelles.
Coco de mer in the Vallée de Mai
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.
Cycling La Digue to Anse Source d'Argent
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.
Giant tortoises and mangroves on Curieuse
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.
Journeys in Seychelles
Ask about Denis Private Island
Tell us your dates and who is travelling. We will check availability, suggest the right room and send a price.