Seychelles Three Islands: Praslin, La Digue and Mahé, 5 Nights

After landing on Mahé you are taken to the Victoria jetty for the fast ferry to Praslin and then to your hotel. This depends on your flight arriving in time for an afternoon sailing; otherwise we plan a first night on Mahé or a short hop by air and confirm it before you travel. The evening is free.

A half-day tour to two of Praslin’s great sights. In the Vallée de Mai, paths wind through a primeval palm forest where the coco de mer grows the heaviest seed in the plant kingdom and the rare black parrot calls overhead. Then on to Anse Lazio in the north-west, with time to swim before returning to the hotel.

A short ferry to La Digue, where you collect your bicycle at the jetty. With a guide you paddle a clear-bottomed kayak along Anse Source d’Argent, walk to a quieter cove and swim in a natural rock pool among the granite. The evening on La Digue is peaceful once the day boats have left.

After breakfast you take the ferry to Mahé, usually via Praslin, and are met at the Victoria jetty for the drive to your hotel. The afternoon is free for the beach. Beau Vallon has a long, gentle beach and a relaxed row of restaurants for an evening meal.

A guided day with lunch and entry fees included. It starts in Victoria at the clock tower and the Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke market, visits the shops and marina on Eden Island, then climbs into the hills to the Mission Lodge viewpoint and a Creole cultural village before winding down to a south-coast beach.

Breakfast, then time to pack and enjoy the hotel until you are collected for the airport. If your flight leaves late, a late check-out can usually be requested, and a last walk along the sand is a fine way to end three islands in five days.