Best La Digue Island Trip, 5 Worthy -Things to do and Mistakes to avoid

Last Updated on June 2, 2023 by Roslin Dwivedi

If you’ve been reading my blog, you know that we lived in Seychelles for quite a few years… in this blog you will know how we planned La Digue island trip and what all things you can do on your vacation.

Behind the scene

Now, do you agree that, cleaning the dirty dishes after dinner is not fun at all but exciting news while doing it, is surely a great moment of surprise. Something like that happened to me a few weeks back. While planning a weekend trip within the Seychelles Islands, I got discouraged by seeing the high room rates in almost all the hotels and resorts following a big boom in travel when the Seychelles borders opened up post Covid’s last wave. 

In a surge of disappointment I called my husband and said “Let’s just cancel all the plans. I don’t think it’s a good idea”. Spending a huge amount to only visit around the other islands is something I didn’t want to do. If it’s reasonable then alright. 

The same evening my husband came home from work and after dinner we were discussing the trip, the costs and how I think it’s a bad idea to go out there. 

Aaruni simply said let’s go to only Ladigue and not Praslin Island. I was processing the hotel prices in my mind and he said we can check the option to go to Ladigue. It’s via ferry or domestic flight or helicopter. 

Knowing my husband for 16 years I instantly knew it’s not a discussion, it’s a surprise!!

“No you didn’t!”, I said with the biggest grin ever. “That’s the face I wanted to see ever since I booked it,” he said. 

Well if you are regular to such transports then no worries but man! I have never taken a tour in a helicopter or commuted until we did on this trip. 

So yes we never saved a lot on this trip but you know what, sometimes it’s right to spend on an adventure rather than spending a huge amount on a hotel stay. The value we got out of the trip was incredible. 

After getting in touch with a few hotels we made the reservation in a small but beautiful beach hotel named La Relax Beach House. 

The price was under our budget and the service was amazing. After meeting the staff in this hotel I got the positive vibes that yes Covid didn’t take away the human warmth at least.

The next day we took our helicopter late afternoon.  I don’t want to leave the part where we were greeted by the great hostesses at the ZilAir helicopter hangar. And we’re escorted to the lounge which had a small maintenance area for other helicopters and small 15 seater planes. 

I could feel the cold powerful air conditioning as we entered the lounge. The lounge is spacious and equipped with snacks and cold drinks along with Seychelles maps and guides. A huge 52 inch TV running the ZilAir ads over and over again. 

The lounge is extended to an open lounge area where you can relax and have a clearer view of the movements of helicopters one after the other. 

Watch our trip to Ladigue here

Since it was going to be a first helicopter ride for all of us, Aaruni and Aanick (my son) never missed any previous landings and take-offs at the hangar. 

After waiting for a while or rather, after enjoying the movements of Helicopters and Planes, our turn to board the helicopter arrived. 

I sat in the front seat next to the pilot. Aaruni took charge of Aanick in the back seat. Before taking off the captain made us comfortable by helping us put on the safety belts, we were given life jackets at the hangar before boarding and finally we wore the headphones to cancel the excessive noise. 

How to reach LaDigue 

There are 4 ways to reach other Islands in Seychelles –

1. By Ferry – Cat Cocos run multiple ferries each day from Mahe to Praslin. Cat Coco also has a continuous ferry to LaDigue Island on some days. Another ferry service – Cat Rose transfers from Praslin to LaDigue. So you can check over here for the ferry timings. 
2. Another way to commute is by Domestic flight. Domestic flight will take you from Mahe to Praslin and from Praslin you will have to take either a private boat or public ferry that is Cat Rose.
3. Third, the way to go to any of the islands in Seychelles is by Helicopter. ZilAir is the only company in Seychelles that provides sightseeing and transfers among the islands.
4. And lastly, the fourth way to reach any of the Islands in Seychelles is by hiring a private boat.

We reached La Digue via helicopter since we had taken the ferry before.

Where we stayed 

We walked about 6 mins from the helipad with our luggage to our hotel Le Relax Beach House. The hotel offers a buggy service as well from the helipad and jetty where it is located at Anse Reunion Beach. 

On the way we found Notre dame de L’assomption church, La Digue Primary school, parked boats and cycling people on the island.

Le Relax Beach House is a 4 room hotel. 1 with a beach view and the rest with the island view. Our room had a La Digue school view. The rooms are spacious for a family of 3 considering one spends most of their time outside exploring or on the beach. 

We initially planned to stay for only 1 night but then saw our 3 years old son sleeping comfortably on the huge sofa bed in the room, so we extended another night. 

The breakfast was very good. As soon as we arrived and settled on our table. The staff brought us 3 platters of freshly cut fruits. 

The hotel has all the basic amenities and services given the price point. The peaceful time we had staying there was completely worth it.

Talking about the services, the staff were very intuitive. They would proactively ask us about our experiences and make suggestions. The food quality at their restaurant was good and they accommodated special requests for my son.

There is one more advantage of staying in Ladigue is that everything is in walkable distance so you can stay in one hotel and enjoy meals at different restaurants around the island.

The first night we had dinner in the italian restaurant at Le Repaire Boutique hotel with a mesmerizing sunset at their beach. They are very popular and get full quickly. Do make reservations a few hours before hand if you plan to go.

The restaurant offers Italian and Creole (local) cuisine. We loved our pasta with the paired Chardonnay. The ambience of the restaurant is excellent in the evenings.

Check for other options to stay in LaDigue here

How to get around the Island 

Bikes are the best way to get around the island and you’ll see a lot of information on this online. Although, you also can walk around, or have a buggy hired to reach your destination. But bikes are most convenient, cheap and fun. We took 150scr ($10) per bike for a day. I took a regular bike and Aaruni took a bike with a child seat.  

During our stay we lost our one whole day due to the rain but still made it out of the hotel as soon we saw the sun in the afternoon, because later that day after 2 hours or so it was again cloudy and raining on and off.

What to do in LaDigue Island –

L’Union estate farm

Most famous tourist attraction in Ladigue is L’Union Estate farm. If you’re spending a couple days in La Digue you could spend a good half day here walking all the way to the beach.

The place offers things to do like : 

• Vanilla plantation, papaya, banana, passion fruit and many more farmings.
• Museums, giant tortoises, giant rock and artist shops too, in case you want to see the paintings and buy from there.

Anse Source D’argent Beach

One of the most visited and famous beaches in La Digue is Anse source d’argent. The beach is very long and has plenty of space to get shade and space to lay down.  

Interesting fact about Anse source d’argent is that it is unique in a certain way. To enjoy a beach you go to the beach and voila you have a huge open beach to the ocean. But Anse source d’argent beach has small patches open to the impeccable views and sandy shores offering multiple spots to choose from. Some look really secretive and only for you types.

You can find these small beach spots of Anse source d’argent by walking through massive boulders and hills. Don’t worry, it’s not by hiking but between the boulders bringing exploration vibes

You will find a few juice corners at the beach with some cool picnic and bar table chair set ups. We enjoyed mango and banana shakes served with a huge smile and open hearted seychellois from the juice center at the beach.

For the influencers looking for cool shots in Seychelles, this beach also has  swings and hammocks providing a more beachy vibes. 

Writing about this beach I recalled, I almost lost my new sunglasses to a high wave, but my husband rescued the shades from running into water. Thanks hubby, you saved your money hahaha

I suggest giving this place half a day to get the most out of it.

Restaurant Hopping

If you see a few restaurants and think you should try this one but don’t have enough days, do restaurant hopping for an evening or afternoon. Due to the size of the island you can choose to have a drink in one and the other for a meal. Enjoy the creole cuisine, especially seafood and refreshing drinks. Some local drinks you should try are Seybrew beer and Takamaka rum.

Grand l’Anse Beach

Located on the south east coast, opposite the jetty and helipad of LaDigue island. Grand Anse beach is a beautiful long open beach to ocean swells that has powdery white sand and turquoise waters. The beach is wonderful but also has high waves and strong currents depending on seasons and weather. Surrounded by huge boulders this beach has very little shade and a small shack for drinks and snacks. You can find this beach after a massive workout of cycling on the hilly roads in the sunny weather. But once you reach here it’s no less than another gorgeous piece of paradise.

Beaches

When you read about Seychelles, you will find beach hopping suggested by many. Which is a great idea to spend a day in the Seychelles Islands. Since every beach in Seychelles is public, you can enjoy any beach one after the other. Though I don’t like to rate beaches, some of the amazing beaches in La Digue are Anse cocos, Grand l’Anse Beach, Anse source d’argent Beach. But do check out the other beaches in La Digue too since all of them are incredible.  

We faced a problem on departure from La Digue 

For those who may find themselves in a similar situation. 

We booked a ferry at 12:30 but later we got to know that on Saturdays there was no ferry at 12:30. And we had our domestic flight from Praslin to Mahe the same afternoon.

The solutions we had were

1. Book a private boat to praslin and catch our flight or

2. Take the later ferry and book a new flight in Praslin.

But the final solution we got was –  We took the later ferry at 2 oclock and thanks to the Air Seychelles team at Praslin island who rescheduled our flight at a low cost of 100scr per ticket. And got the flight booked from Praslin to Mahe for later that evening. 

The scene from the flight was incredible and the experience reminded me of our flight in Maldives. 

Overall, we had a short and great trip. Even after being almost ruined by storms and rain. But still I am glad we could have a getaway and have a change for us for a few days.

Ideal number of days to stay in LaDigue –

I suggest staying in La Digue more than Praslin. We felt this after 2-3 visits over there. That’s because Praslin still has a bit of a commercial vibe like Mahe whereas La Digue is purely an Island with wonderful beaches that are all close by offering a very unique experience.

If you want to visit Praslin and LaDigue both then you can land in Praslin via early flight or ferry. Take a day tour in a taxi in Praslin or spend a night there. And go to La Digue the next day, stay there for 2 or 3 days. 

We have done Praslin and LaDigue trips before also but one time we did 3 nights in Praslin. We visited La Digue on a day trip and got around by a rented  bike right at the jetty. Mode of commute we chose for this trip was ferry, going and coming both.

Well, I hope you have the idea of a trip to La Digue now and I hope this will help you plan yours.

Happy Island Hopping!

Note : To travel to the Seychelles, apart from vaccination card and travel insurance, you need a travel health authorisation from Seychelles tourism board.