The Praslin & La
Digue Collection

Arrive in the Seychelles and connect to Praslin by domestic flight — roughly fifteen minutes from Mahé. Your private representative meets you for the short transfer to Constance Lemuria on the northwest coast.

The afternoon is deliberately unstructured: three beaches, a three-level pool complex built into the granite and falling towards the sea, and time to acclimatise. Sunset cocktails over the Indian Ocean, then dinner at one of the resort’s three restaurants — The Nest, on stilts between two beaches, is the one to ask for.

Vallée de Mai in the morning, before nine, which is the single most useful piece of advice anyone can give about this forest. Nineteen and a half hectares of ancient palm, the Coco de Mer and its record-breaking seed, and the endangered Seychelles black parrot. Entry is around SCR 450, guiding extra and worth it — the orchids and endemics are difficult to find without help.

North to Anse Lazio for the afternoon: turquoise water, granite boulders, powder sand, and swimming that needs no further description. Sunset cocktails and dinner back at the resort.

A full-day private boat excursion to Curieuse, a protected marine park twenty minutes from Praslin and home to the second-largest population of Aldabra giant tortoises in the Seychelles — roughly 250 of them, ranging freely. A guided hike works through mangrove ecosystems, empty beaches and Coco de Mer forest to viewpoints across the island, with exotic birds and improbably coloured crabs the whole way.

A beach barbecue lunch is available on the island. The marine park fee is SCR 300 per person. This is observation only — no touching, feeding or handling, in a protected area run with conservation as the first priority. Bring swimwear, sunscreen, insect repellent and walking shoes.

The late afternoon returns to Praslin for Côte d’Or at Anse Volbert, and optional snorkelling.

Begin at Anse Georgette, next door to the resort and reached through it — on foot across the golf course or by buggy. It is regularly named among the most beautiful beaches in the world, and the access arrangement keeps it genuinely quiet.

By private boat in the afternoon to Cousin Island, a Special Nature Reserve managed for conservation rather than recreation. The density of wildlife in a small space is the point: seabirds nesting in the canopy in significant numbers, endemic land birds moving through the undergrowth with little fear of people, healthy reef flats visible from the shore, and hawksbill turtles nesting on the beaches between October and March.

Walks are warden-led and mandatory, groups are kept small, and the wardens explain the island’s restoration history and point out species you would otherwise walk straight past. Sturdy shoes, water and SCR 600 in cash. If turtles are nesting: watch quietly, stay at least ten metres back and behind the animal, never use flash, and never stand between a turtle and the sea. Hatchlings must find their own way down — that is how they imprint the beach.

A private boat to La Digue after breakfast, and then the whole morning on a bicycle. La Digue is practically motor-free and cycling is not a novelty here — it is simply how the island works. The loop runs about 11 kilometres and is almost entirely flat.

Anse Source d’Argent, inside L’Union Estate, is the reason most people come: pink-tinged sand and granite boulders that have been photographed more than almost any beach on Earth. The estate itself holds a colonial-era plantation house, an old coconut mill and a vanilla plantation. Continue past Anse Pierrot to Grand Anse, dramatic and far less crowded. Ride on the left, carry water, and bring cash — card facilities on the island are limited.

In the afternoon, continue by private boat to Félicité and check in to Six Senses Zil Pasyon, which occupies less than a third of the island and leaves the rest as protected landscape.

Back to La Digue by private boat for a second day, because one is not enough. The morning route runs Anse Patates → Anse Severe → Anse Source d’Argent → L’Union Estate.

The afternoon walks from Grand Anse to Anse Cocos — roughly four kilometres round trip with 126 metres of climb, three hours or so at a comfortable pace, and rated moderate. The trail crosses sandy beaches, shaded forest and rocky coastal sections, well marked with white markers and arrows, with the stretch between Anse Caiman and Anse Cocos winding through dense vegetation. Take at least a litre of water each and wear proper shoes. It is not suitable for anyone in poor health, uneasy with heights, or intolerant of heat.

Private boat back to Félicité in the evening.

A morning of crystal kayaking around Félicité’s granite coastline and sheltered water — the transparent hulls turn an ordinary paddle into something closer to snorkelling from a chair.

The afternoon is at leisure, with an optional guided nature walk across Félicité’s protected landscape. The resort also runs hiking, diving and water activities, and can arrange excursions back to Vallée de Mai or Curieuse for anyone who wants a second look.

A full private yacht day through the inner islands, routed by sea conditions: Félicité → Grande Soeur → Petite Soeur → Coco Island → La Digue.

Grande Soeur is the snorkelling and swimming stop. Coco Island National Park is the highlight — a marine protected area built around a cluster of small granite islets, where the lagoon rather than the land is the attraction. Coral spreads across the seabed, reef fish shoal through it, and small reef sharks, rays and turtles are all possible. April to October brings the calmest seas and the best visibility. Facilities on the islets are minimal, so reef-safe sunscreen, a mask and water come with you.

Lunch is served on board, between islands.

Entirely unscripted. Breakfast over the ocean whenever you want it, a treatment at the Six Senses spa, private beach time on the resort’s secluded shores, or diving in the protected water offshore.

A private dinner over the Indian Ocean closes the journey.

Breakfast at leisure, then a private boat transfer to Praslin, or on to Mahé, depending on your onward flight arrangements.