Aride Island
One of the finest jewels in the Indian Ocean, is also one of the world’s most important Nature Reserves. Blessed with a wealth of natural treasures Aride has remained a wild and beautiful paradise.
The island was bought as a Nature Reserve in 1973 by Christopher Cadbury, and today is managed by the Island Conservation Society.
Aride is home to one million breeding seabirds of ten species, endemic birds such as Magpie Robins, Fodies, Brush Warblers and Blue Pigeon, Endemic Plants like wrights Gardenia and Turtle beaches and rich marine life.
No vessels other than those of the reserve are allowed to land on Aride Island. As such visitors will have to disembark from their vessel and board the islands’ boat for transfer onto the island.
La Digue
This is the third largest inhabited island of the Seychelles in terms of population, lying east of Praslin and west of Felicite Island. In terms of size it is the fourth largest granitic island of Seychelles after Mahé, Praslin and Silhouette Island.
It has a population of 2,800 people, who mostly live in the west coast villages of La Passe and La Reunion.
There is no airport on La Digue, so to get there from a foreign country, one has to fly to Victoria and continue by ferry, usually via Praslin. It has an area of 10.08 km², which makes it relatively easy to travel around by bike or on foot.
North Island, Seychelles
Set foot on your own private island in the Seychelles. Infinite, exclusive space where the embrace of lush tropical palms and giant granite peaks dwarf your presence with their drama. With just 11 villas, your footprints will be the only evidence on the Island’s vast, untouched beaches.
North Island epitomises the freedom that complete privacy allows, extraordinary experiences, perfectly personally appropriate, and service that is generously big-hearted. The Island’s abundance naturally extends to the luxury of choice that a peerless all-inclusive offering provides. Experience a true barefoot-luxury escape.
Curieuse Island
This is a small granitic island 1.13 sq mi in the Seychelles close to the north coast of the island of Praslin.
Curieuse is notable for its bare red earth intermingled with the unique coco de mer palms, one of the cultural icons of the Seychelles, only growing on the two neighbouring islands.
Most visitors disembark at Baie Laraie to the sight of multitudes of giant hump head parrotfish and giant tortoises lazing near the rangers’ headquarters.
The trail from Baie Laraie to Anse José passes through thick mangrove forest and is one of the most breath-taking sites on the island. On the way can be found the ruins of the leper colony, now well blended into the landscape.
In 1979 Curieuse and surrounding waters were declared the Curieuse Marine National Park in order to protect the native wildlife. Today it is the home of roughly 500 Aldabra Giant Tortoise, 300 of which live at the Ranger’s Station and approximately 200 in the wild.
In the late 1970s a conservation project was started to move tortoises from Aldabra to Curieuse. On the southern part of the island is a mangrove swamp which is traversed by a walkway for park visitors.
The island is also known for coco de mer palms, giant takamaka trees, a large hawksbill turtle rookery and several bird species including the rare Seychelles Black Parrot Coracopis nigra barklyi, which is found only here and on Praslin.
Vallee de Mai Nature Reserve
This is a nature park and UNESCO World Heritage Site on the island of Praslin, Seychelles. It consists of a well-preserved palm forest, flagship species made up of the island endemic coco de mer, as well as five other endemic palms.
The coco de mer, a monocot tree in the Arecaceae, has the largest seeds of any plant in the world. Also unique to the park is its wildlife, including birds such as the rare Seychelles black parrot, mammals, crustaceans, snails, and reptiles.
There has been a determined effort to eliminate all the introduced exotic species of plants from the area but this has not been successful in eliminating coffee, pineapple, and ornamental palms thus far.
This forest, with its primitive plant and animal species, is a relict from the time when the super continent of Gondwana was divided into smaller parts, leaving the Seychelles islands between the present day Madagascar and India.
Anse Lazio
This is a beach situated in the northwest of Praslin Island, Seychelles, considered by Lonely Planet to be the best beach on Praslin, and one of the best in the archipelago.
Located to the north east of Madagascar, east of Zanzibar and south of Socotra, in the middle of the Indian Ocean, it has clear water and pleasing scenery, luring a large portion of Praslin’s tourists.
Cousin Island
This is a small granitic island of the Seychelles, lying 2 km west of Praslin. It is a nature reserve protected under Seychelles law as a Special Reserve.
It is managed by Nature Seychelles, a national non-profit organization and Partner of Bird Life International, by which it has been identified as an Important Bird Area.
Sainte Anne Marine National Park
There is some kind of a magic that will keep you spellbound. Let’s explore this wonderful marine park!
Lying about 5 km from Victoria, the capital city of the Seychelles, Sainte Anne Marine National Park is set amid dazzling turquoise waters. This picturesque Marine Park is the oldest marine reserve in the Seychelles, it comprises of 6 islands just off the coast of Mahé.
The Marine Park was named after its largest island- Sainte Anne. Along with Sainte Anne, the Marne Park is also home to Ile Moyenne, Ile Ronde, Ile Longue, Ile Cachee, Ile aux Cerfs, coral reefs, sand flats and one of the largest seagrass beds in the Seychelles.
First of its kind in the Indian Ocean, the Marine Park was created for the preservation of wildlife in March 1973. Consisting mostly of coral reefs, the Marine Park covers an area of 14.43 km² (5.6 sq. miles).
The six islands of the park are made up of the traditional mix of volcanic rock and granite. They count among the so called ‘Inner Island’ of the Seychelles, and has seen a great popularity since recent years. They cover an area of 3.8 km² or 1.5 sq. miles.
The Sainte Anne Marine National Park is a well-known tourists attractions, it attracts nearly 40,000 tourists every year, which equates to almost one third of all Seychelles visitors.
This high inflow of tourists has greatly helped in the protection and preservation of the park, as the money generated by tourism does not only contribute to the Seychelles GDP, but also in the financing protection efforts in the park.
Apart from being outstandingly beautiful, Sainte Anne Marine National Park is also popular for its extensive flora and fauna, perfect diving and snorkelling conditions or for a visit by glass bottomed boat- allowed only in some designated areas.
Sainte Anne Marine National Park is a unique location where you will be able, with a little luck, to spot eagle rays, green and hawsbill turtle, pipefish, bottlenose dolphins, clown fish, reefs sharks, octopus, sea urchins, starfish and nudibranch. The biodiversity of the underwater world here is practically one of the best in the Seychelles.
La Digue Island
La Digue boasts some of the world’s most stunning, photogenic beaches. They come complete with sculptural granite boulders and tropical palms at the water’s edge.
(If you’ve seen those impossibly beautiful photos of the Seychelles, they were probably taken on La Digue!) Inland the woods are full of rare and exotic plants. Indeed La Digue is the only nesting place of the rare Black Paradise Flycatcher.
Traditional Seychellois life continues here with bicycles and ox carts frequenting the dusty roads and picturesque plantation houses are glimpsed through lush foliage.
We suggest you join them and hire a bicycle for an easy cycle round the island. Visit the beaches, perhaps stopping for a fruit smoothie at a roadside stall.
La Digue is accessible by boat (30 minutes from Praslin) or by helicopter. You can stay here at either La Digue Lodge or Le Domaine de L‘Orangerie. Or it can be visited for the day from one of the luxurious resorts on Praslin.