A low cost trip to the Seychelles! Eleven days in heaven..

Eleven days at the Seychelles, really an heven on Earth!

 

Praslin, Part 1

With several months of delay I am here to tell my last travel experience: your dream Seychelles!

In January, wandering through the travel websites and dreaming of a departure for exotic countries, I sometimes see a flight of Emirates to Mahe on offer at 499 euros per person, taxes included. From there the book is a short step: I speak with my husband and convinces him that even if the idea was that we had to go to the Maldives, a flight to the Seychelles at that price there would have never happened, then agrees and book the flight. As for the night, gather information everywhere (internet, of course, is my favorite source), read travel diaries of those who went before me in the feud and I decided to book accommodation on the island of Praslin and that of La Digue: 4 nights at Hotel La Cuvette, on the first island, and 4 nights at the guest house Bernique, on the second island.

We started March 12 at 21.15 with Emirates flight from Malpensa flight very comfortable and food on board is decidedly superior to other scheduled airlines. Stopover in Dubai, where the return we stop for a few hours, taking a coincidence that we leave a few hours to leave the airport with a rental car and tour the city.

Praslin, Part 2

Arrived in Mahe at 13.15 on March 13, we have the ferry to Praslin to 1600 already booked from Italy Catcocos that we will discover, it takes the same time the Inter Island Ferry but costs 84 € per person (return Mahe / Praslin / Mahé) instead of 60 € of Inter Island Ferry (Tel 248 232329 / 232394). The latter do not have e-mail and Italy are only reachable by telephone, but we, we contacted by mail only Catcocos to book (because it was the only one who knew!), We had to call them anyway because they never responded to the mail (apparently, the email is not a much used in the Seychelles)! Obviously, experience and, once the port of Mahé, we saw that there was also this other company (which no one spoke in travel diaries) making the same route at a price much lower, so we took the sheet with the hours and phone numbers so you can contact for return. The Inter Island Ferry operates between Mahé and Praslin, but also between Praslin and La Digue (priced at € 14 rtn against € 20 of Catcocos). Note that the times of the two companies are very similar and that the crossing time is the same (we are talking about the same type of transportation, a catamaran). The only difference is that there is Catcocos to take the shuttle to the airport, but if you choose Inter Island Ferry pay you a taxi, but if you are at least two, a taxi you pay certainly well less than € 24 each way !

Once in Praslin we took a taxi to the Hotel La Cuvette, located in Grand Anse: the price originally demanded was € 15 but if you want to haggle you can get to 10. Hotel La Cuvette is a short walk from the sea in an alley. It 's a very simple hotel, family and the ladies who run it are very friendly.
The rooms were a little 'tiny but clean enough and have the ventilator. There was also a small swimming pool and patio with table and chairs. Without infamy and without praise, we can say. But, moreover, with € 70 per night (breakfast included) thought he could not ask for more in Seychelles ... A note for breakfast every morning we were asked what they wanted to eat and prepare everything on time ( also because more than us, there were only a couple of pairs of Seychelles, Mahé which went on holiday there).

Praslin, Part 3

In the 4 days in Praslin we visited:

- Vallée de Mai (entrance cost € 20 per person, a bit 'too expensive in our opinion), a park with a wide native vegetation that basically you can enjoy a bit' all over the island;
- Curieuse Island snorkeling in St. Pierre (at a cost of € 25 per person excluding lunch with Robert, perhaps not a very good-looking guy "reassuring" but you can trust - No of his cell. Is 571444 ). Curieuse is beautiful and maybe that's where we saw the most beautiful beach in the Seychelles, and well worth a visit, plus a stop for snorkeling in St. Pierre is worth, given that the Seychelles are not many beaches from which may leave for snorkelling. As for lunch that day we we went from Briz (take-away nearby La Cuvette) and we bought two hamburgers and two sandwich x 95 rupees (about € 5); other people who had booked the excursion in Curieuse (not Robert) was told that lunch was included and instead had to then pay separately;
- Cote d'Or beach, nothing special and with a sea rather insignificant in view of the fact that water is very low (and therefore very hot, almost "stagnant" I would say), Grand Anse (also subject to low tide but certainly more beautiful than the Côte d'Or), Anse Georgette (very, very beautiful, with a sea of bright blue hard to describe), Anse Lazio (beautiful but, unfortunately, in our case we enjoyed not do enough Case sun coming and going ...). To achieve these two beaches, remember that there is a better way to go in the sun from where the bus leaves you, then I recommend shoes / slippers comfortable!

Praslin we almost always rode the bus (cost Rs 7 each way, per person), but one evening we went to dinner at Le Laurier (in Côte d'Or) and we went back by taxi with € 15.

About the famous restaurant Le Laurier, we can tell you that you are charged € 30 per head for an excellent dinner, with plenty of dishes of every kind (appetizer, meat, fish, pasta, etc..), All buffet, and is good book with a minimum of advance.

As for other meals, for example and to get an idea of costs, we went a few times at lunch to ice cream from Luca in Côte d'Or (2 cups of ice cream with fruit for € 13, 2 pizzas, 2 coke and water for € 19); once all'André's Café, where we were lured by deception, making us believe that the new management of the Sunset Cafe where we ate tuna and butter of garlic, grilled chicken, 1 coke and water for € 31; once by Briz where, for 315 rupees (about € 16), we ate grilled shrimp, french fries, 2 pieces of chicken with rice and vegetables, 2 beers and a 'water and once at the Sunset Café (where we dined with about € 4!). In conclusion, the places we liked most are Briz and the Sunset Café, the two take-away, where do they eat Seychelles Grand Anse area, as are the more reputable and where you can sample some local dish without spending much . Shame that we have discovered half holiday, otherwise we would surely spared dinner all'André's Cafe, if only for the behavior "inappropriate" that were against us! Incidentally, if you decide to stop for lunch at Anse Lazio, arrange and bring something to eat with you, otherwise you'll end up eating a sandwich that you will go through as they will pay you! (We got a can of coke and a large bottle of water at Bon Bon Plume for € 7).

An incident occurred on Praslin: on buses, to make the ticket, do not accept large bills (I think 100 rupees), but we - after waiting a long time - we got on the bus with our equally beautiful note and the driver wanted us to get off because he could not give us the rest. Tug, the bus would not start and a really nice lady instead has offered to pay our ticket. We were speechless and we thanked countless times ... We wish that woman all the best for the generosity and, within us, we think that in Italy such a thing could never happen.

La Digue, part 1

After four days we left for La Digue, this time with the Inter Island Ferry (€ 7 per person). Arrived in La Digue, we had the impression of stepping back in time: a few cars (I think it was only taxis), many bicycles and a few "carrocoibuoi taxi. From the port we took a taxi (car!) To the guest house The Bernique, paying € 5 (this time without a contract since the price seemed fair). Once in the Bernique, we were greeted by the owner (who speaks good Italian, having lived for a time in Calabria) which gave us an excellent fruit juice and showed us the "room": very spacious, equipped with mosquito net ceiling above the bed (so it seemed that a four-poster bed) and a ceiling fan, small fridge (useful!) and a nice spacious bathroom as well. Everything is bathed in a beautiful garden, which overlooks our patio with two chairs and a small table. I must say that this arrangement we liked a lot and we were very good. The cost of the stay was € 65 per night, per room, excluding breakfast.

La Digue, part 2

As for breakfast and lunch, following the advice of those who had already been to La Digue before us, we went almost every day to buy pizza and briosh by Grégoire, the shop's largest island, and we found well on a budget (for example, 6 croissants 6 pizzas for 120 rupees, or about € 6).

La Digue is very characteristic for its distinction of being very small (about 4 km long) and then visited by bicycle (rented through the Bernique at a cost of € 20 each for the whole week). We visited the beaches of Anse Source d'Argent (access to the beach costs € 4 per person and day, after two inputs, the third is free), Severe Anse, Grand Anse, Petite Anse and Anse Cocos. Regarding Source d'Argent, we were a little 'disappointed, because virtually no bathing, as water is low, also, to discover the beauty of this beach, I advise you to photograph / look at the sea rather than the beach: in fact, if the beach you will not see anything different than other beaches of the Seychelles, the sea is an entirely different effect, because of the contrast between sea, sky, vegetation and granite boulders. Anse Severe is nice for snorkeling (activities not easily practicable in the Seychelles, unless you go out in boats), the other three beaches are in the south and in the period when we went we had a lot of current and huge waves! If you can not swim just fine, avoid bathing, swimming and even though you know very well, take care! Moreover, achieving Petite Anse and Anse Cocos requires a good hike up the rocks, and the last stretch in the middle of a desert species (as I call it!), Then definitely do not go with the thong slippers, because you would have to stop in Grand Anse. It 'also true that having the Grand Anse, the other two are simply copying the first one but smaller and with less shade, then the choice is yours ...

Like all before us have written, bring torches to turn the evening (it's really dark and this is a wonderful thing for us who are accustomed to living in cities with high light pollution!) And stay away from dogs, to times are not so nice.

La Digue, part 3

As for dinner, we briefly summarize our experience:

- Zerof dinner: nothing special, in fact, that night we went there we (along with an Italian couple who had already been) has not eaten very well and the portions were too low (the couple who was with We agreed and said that in the days before they had eaten so much better). Perhaps we were unlucky us!
- Dinner at the Chateau St. Cloud (in accordance with Bernique, serves dinner only a few evenings of the week: Find out first!) With 200 rupees apiece drinks aside, we ate everything from a very rich buffet and we certainly preferred to the much-vaunted Zerof. In total, including drinks, we spent € 32 in two.
- Tarosa dinner: without infamy and without praise as food quality, but nice for that is on the sea (port area) and why on Sunday, I think, there is live music. Costs: a plate of pasta a portion of grilled chicken with vegetables and drinks 361 Rupees.
- Dinner at the takeaway close to the port (the only one, I think!): So-so food quality (compared to Praslin takeaways) but if you want to eat cheap, there you go.

Also, if you buy drinks, biscuits, lollies "local", snacks, etc.. you can go to Rita's Shop (can not remember where it is, but it is certainly turning a bicycle!) where shopping costs very little.

La Digue, part 4

On March 21 we left the stopping time of Mahe to Praslin by Inter Island Ferry. Once in Mahe, given that our flight would leave at 1 .45, we decided to take a taxi which left us downtown, we had dinner in one of our much loved and takeaways, to cheat a little 'time before back to the airport, we sat down for a drink in one of the locations of Mahé.

That said, this trip to the Seychelles we liked, but not as much as we thought. Perhaps because our souls wandering has not been sufficiently stimulated, perhaps because one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world expected more variety or perhaps because after seeing Mauritius our hearts stayed there. However, if I'm honest, for me not worth it to do so many hours traveling to see only the sea which, among other things, is not always even whales ... I can definitely say, however, that between La Digue Praslin, La Digue, because I preferred the closest to my idea of vacation "exploratory" (and why the bike go everywhere and at any time!). Until next time!