27 Activities In Seychelles For The Life-Time Experience

Last Updated on January 16, 2024 by Roslin Dwivedi

Did you know Seychelles is a country consisting of 115 islands? 

And all the Islands scattered around the east coast of South Africa on the Indian Ocean?

Because the ocean surrounds the Seychelles Islands, you can easily access some of the most impeccable and pristine beaches.

Palm trees heavily cover these beaches. And large granite boulders enclosed areas bring you great beach photoshoot venues. 

Tourists love Seychelles’ bright sunny days and vast beaches. 

And, fun fact! Beaches in Seychelles are public. That makes them widely accessible.

Another bingo point is tourists love to see the giant tortoises in Seychelles. 

Many agencies offer such services, but as a resident, I am revealing the secrets of giant tortoises watching.

And the secret is, you don’t have to travel much to see the giant tortoises. 

Many restaurants, resorts and other attraction spots have these tortoises to cheer up your mood. 

We lived 5 years of ex-pat life in Seychelles, where we spent some best moments exploring the country.

Even though it gets expensive on a few things, you can still have a great trip without ripping off your pocket.

I am sharing 27 Things to do in Seychelles, and I hope these points will give you some ideas for a great holiday in Seychelles.

But before that, let’s talk about,

Best Time To Visit Seychelles

From May to October, the season in Seychelles is soothing. There’s a more cold breeze than heat waves, especially if you get a self-catering or resort that are on the hills in south Mahe.

The Ideal Number Of Days To Visit Seychelles 

To Breathe-in the absolute beauty of the Islands of Seychelles, the minimum number of 5 days and a maximum of 2 weeks are the ideal number of days to visit Seychelles. 

These many days are enough to acquaint you with the Island’s culture, history and daily life.

The maximum number of days is considering you must visit and stay at least a night on the neighbouring islands like Praslin and La-Digue. 

Mahe is the largest island in Seychelles and has its capital called Victoria. 

Praslin is the second largest island in Seychelles, and La-Digue is the third largest in population.

All of these Islands hold some unique attractions and beaches for everyone.

You can plan an itinerary of three days in Mahe, two days in Praslin and two days on La-Digue island.

Honestly, my husband and I like La-Digue island more and suggest you spend a few more days over there to explore the Island and enjoy the beaches there. 

How To Get Around The Islands Of Seychelles

• Buses in Seychelles:

To save a tremendous amount of money, travel by bus.

Though buses are one of the cheapest ways to travel around the island, I wouldn’t suggest taking buses.

Buses in Seychelles are not frequent, especially from stops other than Victoria bus terminal (the main bus terminal in Mahe island)

Hence, it will be time-consuming. 

But if you still want to experience the local ride, take my advice, and get on the bus from the Victoria terminal after your Victoria tour. And get down at your Hotel stop. 

Also, early mornings, afternoons and late evenings are OK to travel in the buses because it will be less crowded.

• Renting a car in Seychelles is absolute freedom:

Renting a car in Seychelles is absolute freedom. Especially in Mahe and Praslin islands.

I mentioned this in my blog; things you need to know before moving to Seychelles are that shopping and other commercial places are far from each other in the islands.

Renting a car will ease your movements. Also if it rains you don’t have to wait for a taxi. 

• Rent a bike: 

In La Digue, it’s better to rent a bike and tour the island. Read all about the La Digue trip here.

27 Activities In Seychelles For The Life-Time Experience

Places To Visit On Mahe Island

1. Victoria Capital Of Seychelles 

The capital city Victoria is named after Queen Victoria. It is the trade centre and principal port of the archipelago.

A maximum number of people work at Victoria in Mahe island.

You will find several essential stores, books, stationery shops, banks, offices, supermarkets, and takeaways. 

Some superb restaurants and cafes serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Besides Victoria, you hardly find any place serving breakfast other than resorts. 

The Clock Tower is an iconic feature of Seychelles. The government established the tower in memory of Queen Victoria, who died in 1901 during the colonial era. 

You must see the famous Victoria fish market (Selwa Fishmarket), the biggest market in Seychelles. This market also sells fresh vegetables and fruits on the ground floor. The first floor has some local clothing shops.

Check out the Hindu Temple Arul Mihu Navasakthi Vinayagar. That was established in Seychelles by a few early-arrived Srilankan. And now it’s run by more Indian priests joining them to keep the temple. Watch the interiors of the temple in this video.

Next, you can walk and go to the other side and check out the main bus terminal. You may learn how the bus system works. Or if you like, you can also get on one bus and take a small tour of the island.

Note: I suggest you buy souvenirs from Selwa Market. It is comparatively cheap from other places in Mahe. 

PS: Girls! I found some sustainable local earrings that don’t look cheap.

2. Go To The Famous Beau Vallon Beach

You can book snorkelling or sailing from the beach excursion kiosk. You can do motorised water sports at the beach, which you won’t find on any other beaches on the island.

The Beau Vallon beach area is another best place to find exceptional restaurants.

The Beau Vallon beach is wide enough to accommodate plenty of beach lovers. You can use one of the Sun loungers at the beach if you come early. 

Note: Refrain from buying souvenirs or favourite fruits from the beach as you may purchase them at more expensive than regular prices anywhere on the island. Watch this video of how I foolishly bought a small Sour Sope. 

3. Experience The Submarine At Eden Island

You can do this excursion with your kids and learn about marine life. Book it here.

4. Eden island

Eden island has some exceptional seafood, sushi and pizza restaurants.

It also has some great coffee shops and branded/luxury clothing shops.

While on the island, you can also get some currency exchange at a reasonable rate.

At Eden Island, you can eat with incredible marina views at some restaurants and get some Instagramable pictures clicked.

More about Eden island, an artificial island, in this video.

5. Drive Around The Island

Depending on the location of your hotel, you may take a round tour of the whole Mahe island covering south to north or north to south of the Island. 

Mahe island is approximately 157.3 square kilometres. So you can circle the entire Island in two hours. Depending on your winding road driving skills. I am joking! 

But I get very sick on winding roads. 

On your tour of the Mahe island, you may find some impeccable and unique secret beaches driving. 

The best thing about Seychelles beaches is that they are not crowded, except Beau Vallon beach in Mahe and Anse Lazio on Praslin Island. 

So you can spend some quiet family or romantic couple time on those secluded beaches. Baie Lazare Beach – My alone time

6. Botanical garden

The botanical garden at Mahe island is a nearby tourist spot in Victoria. The garden showcases some of the rarest flora and fauna. The garden is also home to giant seeds of Coco de Mer( a coconut species found only in Seychelles). Coco de Mer is a unique souvenir from Seychelles. You will find it on a pendant, key chains, earrings, natural polished seeds or raw or wooden replicas. Coco de Mer is also one of the symbols for Seychelles. 

7. Craft Village

Take a free tour of an old plantation house in Seychelles, built during the British era and now serving as a crafts village by giving spaces to the local artists. You can also see them working on some of their art. And you can buy some handmade souvenirs from here. 

8. Cascade Waterfall in Mahe 

Not far from the beautiful beach of Port Glaud. The waterfall is in a bit inner parts of Mahe island. You will walk a bit to reach this secluded waterfall. Beware that the government or any authority does not maintain the waterfall. So it might be in its natural form.

9. St. Paul’s Cathedral 

St. Paul’s Cathedral is the very first Seychelles church. It’s an example of colonial architecture. You can’t miss this massive white church at Victoria Road’s end. 

10. Go On A Beach Adventure Tour

Take a round of the entire island to choose your favourite beaches, grab your snorkelling and beach gear and go on that beach adventure tour the other day. Spend 1-2 hours at each beach you choose and keep the best beach for the last. Enjoy sunset and dinner at the beach restaurant. Exciting, isn’t it?

11. Go Hiking

Hiking is one of the fantastic free-of-cost adventures you will go on Mahe island. There are some exciting hikes on the Island. Some popular hiking among tourists is Morne Blanc Trail, one of the highest peaks on Mahe Island. Copolia Trail and Anse Major Trail. There are more trails on the Island. You can find them on Google Maps. 

12. Tea Factory And The Viewpoint

Before reaching the Morne Blanc trail, you will find the Tea Factory. The way to the factory is scenic. Since the factory is on the hill, you may find it cloudy as you drive. It’s better to visit this place on a clear day or in the afternoon to get a clear view of the Island from up top.

13. Mission Lodge 

During the British era, the Mission Lodge viewpoint was built for the visit of Queen Elisabeth II. With a tranquil and peaceful outlook, you may enjoy this view for 10-15 mins or get some drinks to sit and enjoy this view. To reach here, you don’t have to hike. But finding this lodge can be tricky, as it’s on a secretive kind of a turn. So pay attention while you go here. You don’t need any guide to visit this place. 

14. Spice Garden

Located in the south of the Mahe island, the spice garden is famous for its display of giant tortoises, local fruit and vegetable trees, rare plants and spice plants. Those spices are used in Creole cuisine. Buy an entry ticket and enter this garden.

Take a walking tour of the garden to learn how the spices and other trees are grown and their significance. Spend some time gazing at the beautiful view of the beach on the chairs kept under a canopy overlooking. I had never seen a black pepper tree before and saw it for the first time. You will find a souvenir shop here which has some unique souvenirs. After taking a tour, you can enjoy creole lunch and drinks. 

15. Island Hopping

Go on an island hopping tour in Seychelles. You can book the tour with an agent or self-organise it by buying the cat coco ferry ticket for the entire day. Get down at La Digue island, take a Tour of the island in 2-3 hours, get on the ferry, reach Praslin and spend the rest of the day until your return time arrives in the evening. 

16. Try The Local Drinks And Food

Whenever we are out vacationing, we try local food and beverages. Seybrew is a local beer that is mild and tastes good. Takamaka rum is another local produce you must try. To taste it authentically, you can tour Takamaka rum Distillery.

The local cuisine is called Creole cuisine. You will find French, Indian and Chinese influences in the cuisine. Some of the best local dishes we loved were chicken curry and rice, prawns in coconut milk with rice, pineapple pizza, blackened fish, fish fry, seafood, bat curry, shark chutney and octopus curry.

Mango and papaya chutney were also my favourites, served with some of the fish or chicken dishes.

Places To Visit On Praslin Island

Praslin island is an impressive, second largest and most populated in Seychelles. Praslin island has its unique charm. It has some of the most beautiful beaches surrounded by massive granite boulders and other natural attractions to keep you active.  

Places you should visit in Praslin are :

17. Vallee De Mai

When you drive through Praslin, you will find the inner parts covered with dense jungle. A small amount of this jungle has turned into a National park with ancient and rare trees and plants like Coco De Mer. The national park is also home to rare birds like the endemic Seychelles Bulbul and Seychelles national bird Black Parrot. 

18. Anse Volbert

Cote D’Or: Anse volbert Côte d’Or is the main beach in Praslin. That faces the offshore island Chauve Souris, which has some incredible views from the beach. 

19. Anse Lazio Beach

Situated in the northwest of Praslin island, the beach is most famous in Praslin amongst tourists and locals. Locals also love Anse Georgette and Cote D’Or more than Anse Lazio, but that’s a different story. Anse Lazio is considered the most beautiful, surrounded by large granite boulders and is not protected by a coral reef. 

20. Anse Georgette

It is another most beautiful beache on Praslin. You can reach this beach 20 mins walk from Anse Lazio or book an entrance through Lemuria resort as the way to the beach is through the golf course of Lemuria resort. 

21. Fond Ferdinand

Fond Ferdinand is a small hike and nature reserve. To enjoy this tour, you need a guide, which you can book through Get your guide or Trip advisor. There are scheduled free group tours. Make sure to check them before booking. Take a guided walk to enjoy a spectacular island view amongst the famous coconut palms of the Coco De Mer and other rare plants in Seychelles. Also, you may get some lucky sightings of the Black Parrot and Blue Pigeon. 

22. St. Pierre Island

A small Granite island with some coconut palms is not so far from the Cote d’Or shore. It is prevalent among snorkeling lovers and swimmers. You may recognise this island on most of Seychelles’ tourism campaigns and posters. 

How You Get Around Praslin

The taxi or a rented car is the most preferred way to explore Praslin. But you may also find local buses like Mahe that can take you around. 

How Do You Get To Praslin

Book a ferry directly from the Mahe Cat Cocos office in Victoria dockyard if you come early. Or book online from the Seyvillas.com website. Some faster but not so cheap ways to reach Praslin are via domestic flight. Book these flights through Air Seychelles online booking site. Another way to go to Praslin is by helicopter, organised by ZilAir Seychelles. You can book the helicopter ride online on the ZilAir booking site. 

Praslin is so exquisite, but Praslin resembles a busy island life like Mahe, so we prefer La Digue island over Praslin since Ladigue has more island vibes. 

Places To Visit In La-Digue

La-Digue island is the smallest among the three most populated islands. It has some magnificent beaches and has more island vibes, like island quietness and slow-paced life. Anyone can make a day trip or a short vacation (if close by) here. La Digue island is excellent for all types of tourists. 

So you take things slow and cover one beach one day:

23. Anse Source D’argent Beach

To access this incredible beach of La Digue island, Seychelles, you must take an entry ticket from L’Union farm. The way to this beach is through L’Union farm. The beach is famous for its lovely white sand beach, massive granite boulders and palm trees. The beach is a bit of a walk ahead of where you will park your cycles. But the views and waves will steal your heart. The beach has a few juice and cocktail bars. Watch this video of Anse Source D’Argent Beach, where you will find lovely seating arrangements. 

24. L’Union Estate Farm

L’Union estate farm is a colonial-era plantation house and a farm. The farm was a significant vanilla and coconut oil exporter back in the day. On the farm, you can see the traditional ox mill used for coconut oil extraction: a massive vanilla plantation and more plantation fields of various vegetables and fruits. 

25. Grand Anse Beach

Grand Anse beach is one of the most exciting beaches on La Digue island. The beach is enormous, with not many shades of palm trees. You can reach this beach by your bike or by hiking. Both are incredible ways to get to this beach. One must check the high tide timings before visiting or before swimming here, as the beach is known for some high and dangerous waves. 

26. Other Beaches

La Digue has more than 15 beaches. And while taking a tour, you can choose any beach and enjoy your time there. Apart from Anse Source D’Argent beach and Grand Anse beach, some other famous beaches in La Digue are Anse coco, Anse Marron, Anse Severe and Anse Patates, Anse Reunion, Anse Pierrot, Anse Grosse Roche and Petite Anse beach. 

27. Cycle Around The Island

There is no other best way to admire the beauty of LaDigue island. On riding that bike, you can feel the island’s quietness and understand the slow-paced life, Seychelles culture and secluded beaches. 

How You Get Around La Digue

The bicycle is the most preferred way to explore Ladigue. You can also walk on this Island as it’s not very big, but you may tire of walking uphills there. Another convenient way to get around the Island is by long truck-style buses or a resort buggy, depending on the resort’s policy.

How You Get To La Digue

As mentioned before, you can book a ferry directly from the Mahe Cat Cocos office in Victoria dockyard if you come early or book online from the Seyvillas.com website.

Some faster but not cheap ways to reach La Digue are via domestic flight until Praslin, and from Praslin, book a ferry to La Digue provided by Cat Rose. It takes 15 minutes from Praslin to reach La Digue. You can book these flights through Air Seychelles online booking site.

Another way to go to La Digue is by helicopter, organised by ZilAir Seychelles. You can book the helicopter ride online on the ZilAir booking site.

Watch the video to see our Helicopter experience in Seychelles. 

Travel Insurance

Some of the essential travel documents you need to travel to Seychelles are: 

1. Travel authorisation form: This is a compulsory document you must present at immigration. Collect your travel authorisation from here: https://www.ivisa.com/seychelles-travel-authorization
2. Covid-19 Vaccination card: keep this card handy if authorities ask for this information. 

Don’t forget to keep these items handy in Seychelles

1. Sun block cream

2. Mosquito repellent 

3. Sunglasses and a hat

4. Sports shoes if you plan on hiking and getting walking tours. 

5. Flipflop because you are going to the beach more than you know. 

6. Cotton summer dresses

Where to Stay In Seychelles

I am sharing some good resorts and self-catering that would make your vacation happier.

Recommendation for Family resorts

Recommendation for honeymooners