Seychelles on The Budget

We drove to our stay - Oceanic View Apartments - located in Beau Vallon. It is a 40 minute drive from the airport. Its a homestay type accommodation with a common kitchen with all basic amenities provided. The common balcony has a lovely sea side view. The host was very welcoming. She said we were lucky to have booked in Beau Vallon as the northern part of Mahe had potable tap water, which is not the case in the rest of Seychelles.

The farm was also the gateway through which we could access the world's most photographed beach in Anse Source D'argent. The sunset and clouds had a chemistry that we could never see elsewhere. And the unique beauty of the granitic rocks at La Digue is one of a kind.

We got back and refreshed ourselves. We had dinner at another lovely takeaway (Mi Mum's) which was walkable from the property.

Later that evening, we visited L'Union Estate farm. It had an entrance fee of 115 SCR or an equivalent of €8 per head. The farm was abundant in greenery and well maintained, while the far end was full of vegetable and fruit cultivations, this was to provide for habitants and tourists without relying on the costly imports to the island. There was also poultry and dairy farms at the far end.

It was known as the most happening beach in Mahe Island and was quite evident it was indeed, with plenty of visitors. It has a long coastline of 2 kms and all kinds of water activities are carried out here. We, however were on arrival day and were a bit exhausted and preferred to soak in the Seychelles aura and after strolling for a while, headed to Sunset Beach.

We checked into Villa Authentique, a property which, similar to Le Port at Praslin, is a 5 min walk from the La Digue port. La Digue is automotive free and uses eco friendly electric buggies for commutation. They come at a huge cost though. But why use them if you live close to the port. And this property gives us that advantage at fairly acceptable prices.

It was only fitting that it was named as such. The beach is small but clean and the sun beaming rays out from behind the clouds was a great sight and we were so glad we took the decision to end the first day at this beach.

For dinner, we managed to find this nice little Indian restaurant. It was closer to our place of stay as well. For anyone having trouble finding the place, it's situated at the corner of a narrow street that runs opposite the Beau Vallon petrol station. That should do. The place is owned by Tamils from India. And they give amazing home cooked Indian food. Without getting too conservative, we were able to have a great dinner at just less than 200 SCR for 4 people which is virtually impossible anywhere else in Seychelles.

In case there is some need to buy some grocery stuff, there is Kannus Supermarket, which is fairly less expensive. The supermart is located a few metres ahead of the petrol station.

The second day we were off early morning at 6:30 am driving into the tight and twisty Sans Soucis road making our way to the Morne Blanc National Park from where we would hike our way to the Morne Blanc View Point to get amazing views of the Northwest coast. If you're driving to the trail starting point, I suggest parking the car about 350m further ahead where is a parking area for a nearby tea factory. We were the first ones there. The hike wasn't short of challenges and tricky spots. It is advisable to carry 4 to 5 litres of water and some protein bars to keep you energized throughout the trail. The view point at the top makes the hike all the more worth it. It took close to 3 hours for us to complete the trail and make it back downhill.

Victoria was only 5 km from Beau Vallon but we decided to make it 20 km to get there by taking a drive onto the northern part of Mahe leading all the way along the shorelines of the east coast upto Victoria. This northern section is known as Machabee. Take stops wherever possible to see the rush of the waves. Strictly advised not to venture inside the waters. The beaches are mostly unmanned and has the element of raw beauty. The narrow roads that borderline the coast give some fantastic views and make for a terrific driving experience. So, if you are taking a self drive car, don't miss out on doing this.

We finally reached Victoria and crossed the clock tower, the bicentennial moment and took a stop at the Botanical Gardens. As beautiful as it looks, its not worth the entry fee of 100 SCR. Its all well maintained, but Seychelles is too good a place for paying to see some greenery. There was tortoise feeding as well which required an additional fee. And that was the final bell for me. I was done there. If you like seeking knowledge in depth of all the plants and trees there, then visit or else don't hesitate to skip this.

To be more precise, we were headed to the view point from where you could see Eden Island. This is a beautiful looking island branched out from Mahe. It is a living paradise for the rich and a visual paradise for somebody like us. To get the perfect shot, there is a view point uphill on La Misere Road, from where you get an amazing sight of Eden Island. It's completely worth it to stop there and click a few panoramic shots of the island and the surrounding areas as well.

As we approached evening hours, we figured we'll see some of the prime beaches on the west coast. We further continued on La Misere Road and came to Grand Anse, one of the popular beaches in Mahe. The waves were pretty fierce. It wasn't swim friendly and less crowded and had a scenic appeal to it.

This was one of the more underrated spots in Mahe. Very shallow and clear waters. You could immerse yourself and sit on the water floor and clear your head. The place looks graceful and even more so surrounded by a line of trees on all sides.

This beach was more popular and had more visitors than the previous ones. The waters were fairly shallow and good enough for us to take a swim. We witnessed the sunset there and later had an unlimited fish barbecue dinner provided by the local fishermen who offered to prepare based on our choice of fish from their catch. The dinner also included grilled vegetables and coconut water, at a cost of 150 SCR per head, which is roughly 800 Indian Rupees.

After going a little further into the seas, we got to snorkel for a while, do some fish feeding, did coral watching from a deck underneath the water at St. Anne Marine National Park

We then visited this private island, Moyenne, where we hiked for a brief while, fed some tortoises, had some native brewed beer which was pretty cool. The beaches on the hind side of the island are small but a really cool place to hang about. We returned to the port and from there back to our rooms. Mason’s travel service in my experience was fantastic, absolutely no complaints so whatsoever. The entire staff were friendly, spoke the language fluently and time compliant as well.

After a couple of hours rest, we decided to have dinner that night at one of the best restaurants in Mahe - The Boardwalk Bar and Grill. It had Indian, Creole and Continental cuisine. The location of the restaurant right alongside the docks at Eden Island gave a great ambience feel to the place.

The next day we were off early morning again for our second trail hike in Mahe. As none of us were pro hikers, it was important to plan the hikes in alternate days, so that there was enough time for recuperation. This time we were headed to Copolia Trail, which is slightly closer than Morne Blanc trail. The hike was in my opinion, a lot trickier than Morne Blanc, lesser room for mistakes, more steeper sections but ends up with a fabulous view of the Eden Island. There are pitcher plants just before the top spot. Watch for chalk driven signs to take the guided path uphill. As advised before, take lots of water and protein bars.

After we returned back to our apartment, we had brunch and started in the afternoon to cover the rest of the plan. Since we didn't have a separate schedule for shopping, we went to Craft Village where you could buy souvenirs and handicraft goods. Unless you have a schedule for shopping, you can get your stuff here.

A few minutes drive from the Craft village is the popular Takamaka Rum distillery where you get a tour of the place and free wine tasting. We weren't too excited to look around, but we tasted the different samples of Rum. I would highly recommend the Coco Rum as its the best above the rest of the rum varieties.

A couple of miles past Takamaka is a nice little restaurant - Surfers Beach restaurant - where we got a table on the shoreline, underneath the mangroves. We had some delicious pizzas.

It was evening hours and it was time to switch to beach mode. We visited and spent some quality time at Anse Intendance, the best looking beach in Mahe. The big rocks at the left far end and the lush green trees on both sides make this beach, a compelling visit.

This beach has very shallow water. The waves are milder, quieter and the beach is less crowded. Really quite and serene place. Not a bad place for a sunset at all. With that, our Mahe itinerary came to an end, and we finished the day with one last dinner at Copper Pot.

We landed in Praslin at 1130 and checked in at Le Port Guest House, which is just a 5 min walk from the jetty. It's a property in high demand and sells out well in advance. In my case, it was full before 5 months. I had booked 7 months in advance. This saved our transport charges we would have incurred if we were to book elsewhere on the island.

Buses were the cheapest mode of transport in Seychelles but were highly unreliable due to their low frequencies. Ticket costs only 7 SCR per head, whether you get down in the next stop or go from terminal to terminal.

We had the timetable chart and started accordingly to Grand Anse, Praslin around 3 o clock, hung out by the beach, did some grocery shopping and came back to the property in the day's final bus. Its vital to catch the last bus or else you would end up spending atleast 20 times more in a taxi. My friend made some delicious pasta for dinner, which we had bought earlier. With that we wrapped up our fifth day.

Sagittarius take prior reservations by correspondence through Facebook messenger. They are one of the few boat agencies who remain open to visiting Cousin during the rough weather unless the island itself declares closure due to rough weather. Fortunately, the day was good enough to get there. On the way to Cousin we get to see from the seaside, Anse Georgette and Anse Lazio, the best beaches of Praslin.

Cousin is the bird island that is privately owned and visiting hours are only from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. The visit to Cousin is completely worth it and at no point should it be excluded from your Seychelles plan unless it's not in your hands. You get to see exotic birds, age old tortoises, hermit crabs, all out in the open. The island is so pure and serene and its surely a lifetime experience to see this place.

After Cousin, we were taken to Curieuse, where we had an amazing barbecue lunch. Not sounding too cocky, Creole cuisine is hands down one of the best cuisines in the world. After lunch, we were told by our guides to hike through the mangrove vegetation and meet them at the other end of the island.

The post lunch hike is roughly 1.7 km and its easy and enjoyable. After the hike, we fed some tortoises at the far end before heading our way to St. Pierre for snorkeling.

St. Pierre is not inhabited, it's a little too small for that, however should make for an excellent snorkeling spot. Since we had gone during the high tide season, the waters were too turbulent and also we didn't see too much of aquatic life. Nonetheless, it was still pretty fun. Then we got back to Cote D'Or and then got a taxi back to our stay.

Expenses Incurred:

Taxi (to and fro Cote D'Or) - Rs. 770 (€10 x 2 way / 2 couples)

Cousin, Curieuse & St. Pierre (with Sagittarius) - Rs. 20,106 (€130 x 2 people)

We hired a Grand i10 for our last day in Praslin. The rental agency is Capricorn car rentals and to my knowledge they have never fallen short of a five star rating and I experienced the same level of service. Their car delivery was spot on. The cars in Praslin are 1. 5 times costlier in rent than the ones at Mahe. And, to drive around Praslin, 1 full day would easily suffice.

First we drove to one of the most talked about in Praslin - Vallée De Mai. Seychelles is the exclusive native to hundreds of Coco de Mer trees. This UNESCO heritage reserve has many of it and is well maintained and preserved for tourists to visit. While the place is beautiful and all, unless you're fascinated to learn more information about the trees in depth, I think it's safe to say that the entrance fee of 350 SCR per head is just too much. We walked around for a couple of hours until we had no clue which direction we were facing and finally made our way out.

It was afternoon by then and we drove along the west coast until the very end which took half hour at best. On the way back, we decided to have lunch and ate some classic pizzas at Island Pizzeria, located close to Grand Anse, the area we had visited by bus a couple of days earlier.

If not Anse Georgette, we had Anse Lazio, which is rated among the top 10 beaches in the world and the #1 in Praslin. The drive enroute to this beach was breathtaking and the sunset was awe inspiring. This beach is fairly crowded and is reported to be safe for swimming although caution is advised.

Later that night, we had a great dinner at Les Lauriers, rated as the best restaurant in Praslin. The vegetarian buffet was 400 SCR and barbecue buffet was 500 SCR per head. It was something we were able to fit within our overall budget, so we figured why not go for it. It was a splendid dinner and that was our piece of luxury check at Praslin.

Bicycles for hire were available in plenty for the visitors. Our property also provided bicycles for hire which helped our time and effort in searching for one. The rental rate was 100 SCR per day per cycle. We kept our luggage, took cycles for each one of us and set off exploring La Digue.

So we had lunch at Rey and Josh takeaway and cycled our way to the South East Coast. The beaches there were incredible, not safe for swimming though, but it's beauty was unparalleled, maybe the world's best beach rankings needed a reassessment.

First we came across Grand Anse beach and later made our way to Petite Anse Coco beach. We had to take a short hike through the rocks to crossover between beaches. And the hike though short gave some eye catching views of the sea through the mangrove trees.

Later that evening, we visited L'Union Estate farm. It had an entrance fee of 115 SCR or an equivalent of €8 per head. The farm was abundant in greenery and well maintained, while the far end was full of vegetable and fruit cultivations, this was to provide for habitants and tourists without relying on the costly imports to the island. There was also poultry and dairy farms at the far end.

The farm was also the gateway through which we could access the world's most photographed beach in Anse Source D'argent. The sunset and clouds had a chemistry that we could never see elsewhere. And the unique beauty of the granitic rocks at La Digue is one of a kind.

Also not to be ignored is a place called The Glorious bakery where you get one litre water bottles and soft drinks for 10 SCR. La Digue as a whole, was also a place where water is very critical and a place like the Glorious bakery is a guardian angel station.