10 reasons to visit Seychelles at least once in your life

Every time someone mentions Seychelles, one word pops into my head: a dream. What’s the fuss about this small African country in the middle of the ocean? Apart from the obvious (read: breathtaking beaches), Seychelles is a genuinely interesting place to see. Here are 10 reasons to visit Seychelles at least once, based on what actually stayed with me long after I left.

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1. Breathtaking views, wherever you look

Wherever you turn, the views are incredible. From white-sand beaches to forested hiking trails overlooking the islands, this country is as picturesque as it gets, and I mean that literally. Photos genuinely cannot do justice to the beauty of Seychelles. I’ve tried, and I’ve always come home slightly disappointed that the camera couldn’t capture what I saw.

2. Some of the most incredible beaches in the world

I’ve been to many beautiful beaches around the world, and I’ve been amazed more than a few times. But the beaches of Seychelles left a mark on my memory that hasn’t faded. Whenever I try to picture paradise, Seychelles is the first place that comes to mind.

3. The national parks, especially Vallée de Mai

I’ve met plenty of people who travelled to Seychelles and never made it to a single national park, which feels like a genuine missed opportunity. I visited one on Mahé that’s a bit more demanding in terms of hiking than some of the others, but the views alone make it worth the effort. Still, the one that truly stole my heart was Vallée de Mai on Praslin, home to the coco de mer palms themselves.

4. The coco de mer: the world’s biggest, strangest seed

You can visit breathtaking beaches elsewhere, hike through rainforests, watch pink sunsets fade into the ocean, but there’s nowhere else in the world where you’ll find a seed quite like the coco de mer, the largest in the plant kingdom, and one that looks, frankly, a little naughty. I rarely buy souvenirs when I travel. This time, I couldn’t help myself, and came home with one taking up half my luggage.

5. The chance to see genuinely rare species

I didn’t come home with many wildlife photos, but a giant tortoise made quite an impression on one beach. What I was really hoping to spot, though, were some of the smallest frogs in the world. Apparently they appear in numbers after rainfall, but I wasn’t lucky, or perhaps just not perceptive enough, to spot a single one.

6. A level of relaxation that’s hard to find elsewhere

What could be more relaxing than a long walk on a white-sand beach with no one else around (I was lucky enough to have stretches of beach to myself more than once), watching a cotton-candy sunset fade into the sea? There’s a stillness here that’s genuinely rare.

7. Beautiful hotels to match the scenery

It’s no surprise that Seychelles has stunning hotels to match its views, weather and beaches. It’s also one of the world’s most sought-after honeymoon destinations, which tells you everything about the standard of accommodation on offer. I stayed at several wonderful properties during my trip, and you can find my full hotel breakdown in my 10 days in Seychelles guide.

8. Genuinely good weather, all year round

No matter which month you choose, you’ll likely have lovely weather. That said, the consensus, and my own experience, points to the transitional months of April, May, October and November as the sweet spot. I visited in April, and the weather couldn’t have been better. I had a couple of cloudy days with some rain, and even that was beautiful.

9. Hiking trails for every level

Seychelles has a fair number of hiking trails, none of them especially demanding, but more than enough to keep you busy if lying on a beach all day isn’t quite your idea of a holiday. My favourites were on La Digue, where the trails lead to some genuinely stunning, hidden stretches of white-sand beach.

10. Plenty of ways to stay active beyond the beach

If sunbathing every day isn’t your thing, there’s water sports and diving to fill the time. I’ll be honest, snorkelling was the one disappointment of the whole trip. Marine life wasn’t as abundant as I’d expected, and it took a fair amount of searching to spot much beyond a handful of fish. If diving and snorkelling are a major draw for you specifically, it’s worth managing your expectations or researching the best sites in advance.

A couple of practical tips before you go

Buy a local SIM card as soon as you land. We picked up an Airtel SIM for around 1,000 rupees (roughly 40 euros), which gave us 12GB of data and some call minutes. Seychelles is fairly easy to navigate, but having maps and internet access on the go made a genuine difference.

Don’t hesitate to ask your hotel staff, tour guides or locals for recommendations. We got some of our best tips this way, and people were genuinely happy to help.