# Seychelles Travel Guide

> Plan the Seychelles with a travel advisor: which islands to visit, best months, getting there from Canada, the resorts worth booking, budgets and a 5-day itinerary.

- Country: Seychelles
- Canonical page: https://savvyjetsetter.ca/destinations/seychelles
- Last updated: 2026-10-13
- Author: Bobby Atwal, TICO-registered travel advisor (Fora Travel), Toronto — https://savvyjetsetter.ca/inquiry

## Overview

The Seychelles are the beaches you've seen on screensavers — smooth pink-granite boulders, powder sand, palms and water in six shades of blue — spread across 115 islands off East Africa. Mahé has the airport and the mountains, Praslin has the Vallée de Mai and Anse Lazio, La Digue has ox-carts, bicycles and Anse Source d'Argent, and the private-island resorts (North Island, Frégate, Six Senses Zil Pasyon, Four Seasons Desroches) are the ultimate honeymoon. It's far, it's expensive, and it's worth both.

## At a glance

- **Best time to visit:** April–May and October–November are the calmest, clearest months — between the trade winds, 28–30°C, glassy seas, best visibility for snorkelling.
- **How long to stay:** Ten nights minimum given the 20-hour journey. Fourteen lets you add a private island or a slower La Digue stay.
- **Budget:** $180–260 USD/day (a self-catering guesthouse on Mahé or La Digue, takeaway Creole curries, bicycles and buses).
- **Getting there from Canada:** No nonstops from Canada. Fly YYZ → Dubai (DXB) on Emirates, or YYZ → Doha (DOH) on Qatar Airways, then on to Mahé (SEZ) — about 4.5 hours from the Gulf and 20–22 hours total.

## Best time to visit

**April–May and October–November** are the calmest, clearest months — between the trade winds, 28–30°C, glassy seas, best visibility for snorkelling. **December to March** is the northwest monsoon: hotter, more humid, short heavy showers but still mostly sunny; Christmas is peak price. **June to September** is the southeast trade-wind season: cooler, breezier, drier, with seaweed on some east-facing beaches and rougher seas for island hopping. The Seychelles sit outside the cyclone belt.

## Budget

**Budget:** $180–260 USD/day (a self-catering guesthouse on Mahé or La Digue, takeaway Creole curries, bicycles and buses). **Mid-range:** $450–750/day (a 4-star beach hotel on Mahé or Praslin, inter-island ferries, a snorkel trip). **Luxury:** $1,500–5,000+/day (Four Seasons Mahé, Six Senses Zil Pasyon, Frégate, North Island — private-island territory where advisor rates and perks matter most). Food and drink are imported and pricey outside guesthouses.

## Getting there

**No nonstops from Canada.** Fly **YYZ → Dubai (DXB)** on Emirates, or **YYZ → Doha (DOH)** on Qatar Airways, then on to **Mahé (SEZ)** — about 4.5 hours from the Gulf and 20–22 hours total. Via Paris with Air France is the alternative. A Gulf stopover night makes the journey humane. From SEZ: 20–40 min to Mahé resorts; a 15-min flight or 1h ferry to Praslin; La Digue is a further 15-min ferry from Praslin.

## Getting around

**Mahé:** rent a car (drive on the left, steep winding roads) or use hotel taxis. **Praslin:** a car for a day or two, or taxis. **La Digue:** bicycles and ox-carts — no cars for visitors, which is the charm. **Between islands:** Cat Cocos and Cat Rose ferries (book ahead in peak), Air Seychelles 15-min hops, or your resort’s boat and helicopter transfers for the private islands.

## Quick facts

- **Airport:** Seychelles International, Mahé (SEZ)
- **Currency:** SCR (Seychellois Rupee); EUR and USD accepted at hotels
- **Language:** Creole, English & French
- **Time zone:** GMT+4 (+9h from Toronto)
- **Plugs:** Type G, 240V (UK-style; adapter needed)
- **Visa (Canadians):** Visa-free for all; Travel Authorization required online before arrival
- **Tipping:** 5–10%; often included

## Where to stay

- **Mahé — Beau Vallon & the northwest** — The main island’s long, calm beach near Victoria, with restaurants, dive shops and the Saturday night market. Mountains behind. — best for: first nights, families, convenience
- **Mahé — the south & west coast** — Wilder beaches (Anse Intendance, Anse Takamaka, Petite Anse) and the Four Seasons and Banyan Tree resorts tucked into the hills. — best for: luxury stays on the main island, surfers, dramatic coast
- **Praslin** — The second island: Anse Lazio (one of the world’s best beaches), the Vallée de Mai’s coco de mer palms, Raffles and Constance Lémuria resorts. — best for: the iconic beach, UNESCO forest, golf
- **La Digue** — Tiny, car-free, bicycle-paced, with Anse Source d’Argent’s granite boulders and a handful of guesthouses and small hotels. — best for: couples, photographers, slow days
- **Private islands** — North Island, Frégate, Silhouette (Hilton Labriz), Félicité (Six Senses), Desroches (Four Seasons), Alphonse (fly-fishing). One resort, one island, your beach. — best for: honeymoons, once-in-a-lifetime, total privacy

## Food and drink

- **Marie Antoinette** (Victoria, Mahé) — Creole set menu in a 150-year-old colonial house — grilled fish, fruit-bat curry if you dare, aubergine fritters. ~$30–40/person. The classic.
- **La Plaine St André** (Au Cap, Mahé) — A restored plantation house beside the Takamaka rum distillery — Creole lunch, rum tasting, a garden to wander. ~$35–50/person.
- **Beau Vallon night market** (Beau Vallon (Wednesdays)) — Grilled fish, octopus curry, bat-wing takeaways and fresh juice from stalls on the beach. ~$10–15. The Wednesday ritual.
- **Les Rochers** (Praslin (Anse Boudin)) — Seafood on a granite-boulder terrace right on the water, sunset facing. ~$50–70/person. Book a sunset table.
- **Fish Trap** (La Digue) — Barefoot beach restaurant near the jetty — grilled catch, Creole curries, SeyBrew beer, feet in the sand. ~$25–40/person.

## Day trips

- **Anse Source d’Argent (La Digue)** (From Praslin: 15-min ferry + 10-min cycle) — Cycle through L’Union Estate to the most photographed beach on Earth — pink granite, shallow lagoon, palms. Go at opening or late afternoon for the light and the emptiness.
- **Vallée de Mai & Anse Lazio** (Praslin (full day by car)) — Morning in the primeval palm forest (coco de mer, black parrots), then an afternoon at Anse Lazio — granite headlands, powder sand, snorkelling at the rocks.
- **Curieuse & St. Pierre islet** (Half or full day by boat from Praslin) — Boat from Praslin to a giant-tortoise reserve and mangrove walk, then snorkel around the tiny St. Pierre islet with a barbecue lunch on the beach.
- **Morne Seychellois hike (Mahé)** (30 min from Beau Vallon) — Trails through the mountain rainforest above Victoria — the Copolia trail is 90 minutes to a granite summit with a view over the whole island.

## Common mistakes

- **Staying only on Mahé:** Mahé is the airport island — lovely, but Praslin and La Digue are the beaches you came for. Split the trip: 2–3 nights Mahé, 3 Praslin, 2 La Digue, or a private island.
- **Island-hopping daily:** Ferries and flights eat half a day each. Three bases in ten nights is plenty; don’t try to see six islands.
- **Forgetting the Travel Authorization:** Every visitor needs the online Seychelles Travel Authorization before boarding. It takes minutes; airlines check it.
- **Expecting resort-level dining everywhere:** Outside the big resorts, dinner is Creole home cooking and takeaways — delicious, simple, not Michelin. Adjust expectations or stay somewhere with great kitchens.

## Sample itinerary

### Day 1: Arrive Mahé

- SEZ arrival via the Gulf, transfer to Beau Vallon
- First swim and a long nap
- Sunset on the beach
- Creole dinner at Marie Antoinette

### Day 2: Mahé south coast

- Drive to Anse Intendance and Anse Takamaka
- Rum and lunch at La Plaine St André
- Copolia trail at golden hour
- Beau Vallon night market if Wednesday

### Day 3: Ferry → Praslin

- Cat Cocos to Praslin
- Vallée de Mai walk
- Anse Lazio afternoon
- Sunset dinner at Les Rochers

### Day 4: La Digue day

- Ferry across, rent bicycles
- Anse Source d’Argent early
- Giant tortoises at L’Union Estate
- Grilled fish at Fish Trap, ferry back

### Day 5: Curieuse → departure

- Boat to Curieuse and St. Pierre snorkel
- Barbecue lunch on the sand
- Flight to Mahé
- Overnight connection home via the Gulf

## Frequently asked questions

### Which islands should I visit?

Mahé for arrival and the mountains, Praslin for Anse Lazio and the palm forest, La Digue for Anse Source d’Argent and the car-free pace. Add a private island if the budget allows — that’s the honeymoon.

### When is the best time to go?

April–May and October–November for calm, clear seas between the trade winds. June–September is drier but breezier; December–March is warmer and wetter. It’s outside the cyclone belt.

### Seychelles or Maldives?

Seychelles for beaches with granite drama, islands with towns and hiking, and the ability to move between them. Maldives for overwater villas, flat-calm lagoons and total resort isolation.

### How long should I go for?

Ten nights minimum given the 20-hour journey. Fourteen lets you add a private island or a slower La Digue stay.

## Plan this trip

- Have a TICO-registered advisor plan Seychelles (complimentary; the hotel pays the commission): https://savvyjetsetter.ca/inquiry?destination=Seychelles
- Free AI itinerary for Seychelles: https://savvyjetsetter.ca/plan?destination=Seychelles
- All destinations: https://savvyjetsetter.ca/destinations · Site index for AI agents: https://savvyjetsetter.ca/llms.txt