I Love Seychelles

Posts Tagged ‘Beaches’

Anse Lazio: Beautiful Praslin beach

Anse Lazio is considered by many, including Lonely Planet, to be the best beach on Praslin. It’s included in countless top ten lists and probably is one of the most photographed beaches in the world. Enough reason for us to leave Anse Georgette, be it with some regret, and head for Anse Lazio.

Anse Lazio is situated next to Anse Georgette. That should be a short drive. Well, think again. The island road doesn’t encircle all of Praslin. It’s actually a giant “U” with one end at the Lemuria resort and the other end at … yes, Anse Lazio.

It was already late in the afternoon when we drove out of the resort. We decided to take the road along the southern coast line instead of taking the short cut along Vallée de Mai.

Not long after the junction the road changed from good to narrow and steep (slopes up to 30%). But our little orange Kia held it together. At sunset we reached Anse Lazio and yes, it looked beautiful.

Anse Lazio: looking north

Couple at Anse Lazio

Anse Lazio: looking south

Anse Lazio: blue waves

Sunset at Anse Lazio

Anse Lazio: walking into the water

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Lovely afternoon at Anse Georgette

After our visit to the coco de mer forest in Vallée de Mai we continued in western direction to the coast again. Here we turned right to Grand’Anse and along the air strip. Yes, Praslin can be reached by airplane as well. A few miles further we reached the Lemuria resort where the road ends.

I remembered reading something about day passes for Anse Georgette beach, a limited number of those passes and disappointed people, so we told the guard at the entrance gate we were there for lunch at the Lemuria. Which was actually true, because we were getting pretty hungry.

The Lemuria is a huge  and luxurious resort at the most western tip of Praslin island. Our lunch consisted of one pizza, a sandwich and 2 drinks and was the most expensive lunch so far. But truth be told, it tasted very good.

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Map of Praslin island, Seychelles

Exploring Praslin island, Seychelles

Just like we did on Mahé, we decided to do a round trip on Praslin island. Saturday September 27th we rented a car from a guy called Manuel of Prestige Car Hire, who was always hanging out near the Acajou hotel. He was also recommended by our Mason’s Travel contact. The rental price per day was €50 or €70 including insurance, which was a lot pricier than our rental car on Mahé.

Again the fuel tank was almost empty, so I had to fill it up first. About a 3rd of the tank this time, because Praslin island is even smaller than Mahé island. The car we got was a small, bright orange Kia with airco. All Seychelles rental cars come with airco. I think it’s standard on the cars, and everything else, even the most basic things like electric windows in the front doors, is optional.
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Côte d’Or, Praslin

Côte d’Or (or actually Anse Volbert) is one of the most famous beaches on the north coast of Praslin. Many resorts like L’Archipel, the Berjaya Beach Resort and Paradise Sun are all located close to or on this beach.

Our own hotel, the Acajou hotel, was also located on the Côte d’Or beach. After our little incident with the hotel manager, we decided to relax on the beach. The hotel provides its guests with beach chairs and parasols, which is nice, because the sun is burning hot. On the other hand we never really missed these chairs and parasols on the Mahe beaches. A big Takamaka or coconut tree (watch out for the coconuts!) gives a much nicer shade than any parasol can ever provide…

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Beautiful sunset over Beau Vallon Bay, Mahé

Every night we enjoyed the fantastic sunset over the bay. The photo above is taken from our living room at Clef des Iles.

Port Launay, Mahé

The road from Port Glaud to Port Launay became narrower until it was only one car wide. I was only hoping we wouldn’t encounter any traffic going the other way.

After such a long day we couldn’t really decide where we were exactly. I knew I wanted to see Port Launay, but I wasn’t sure the beautiful bay on our left was in fact Port Launay. It looked amazing enough though.

At the end of the narrow road there was a closed gate with a guard. So we had to drive back. Half way, I parked our little rental car into some bushes and we climbed down to the rocky beach.

The water was incredibly turquoise blue and crystal clear. Obviously a great snorkeling area. Since Port Launay is also a marine national park I can only imagine how many colourful fishes there must be here.

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Port Glaud, Mahé

When we arrived at Port Glaud and stepped out of the car we heard children’s voices singing. The voices seemed to come out of the church where a choir was practising. After climbing the stairs to the church we took a peek inside. People in the Seychelles are still really religious, no empty churches here.

On the other side of the road the setting sun was casting  a warm yellow glow over the bay. The ocean was calm, and some fishing boats were floating peacefully on the water. A few people were enjoying the sun. It felt extremely laid back here. Truly a very nice place to be.

Unfortunately we didn’t have time to snorkel here, since we had to finish our round trip. I heard Port Glaud is an excellent area for snorkeling, so we have to come back here and spend more time.

Anse Soleil, tropical beach

This beach and the café were recommended by Stephane, so during our island round trip we decided to visit Anse Soleil. You can reach the beach by taking a side road from the main road. The road became narrower every few metres we drove and eventually it wasn’t even paved anymore. Here we were driving in our 2-wheel drive Hyundai Atos, perfect for off road conditions

On our way we met a truck coming from the other direction. The road was so narrow it barely fitted our own tiny rental car, so you can imagine how we felt while crossing each other.

Eventually we arrived at a construction site where we could park our car. They seemed to be building some sort of resort just above Anse Soleil. Fortunately at the beach no signs or sounds of the construction were to be seen or heard.
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Anse Takamaka

Anse Takamaka: dream beach

The name alone gives you that tropical feeling: Anse Takamaka. The best name for a beach I’ve ever heard. With a name like that expectations are high, very high.

After we had parked our car somewhere half into the bushes, we walked towards the beach under some tall trees. When we entered the beach we were amazed. It was like walking into a Robinson Crusoe movie set. A beach like beaches are supposed to be. Golden sand, blue waves crashing on the fairly steep beach, warm white water around your feet. A romantic beach which is ideal for honeymooners.

We did see some signs warning about strong currents during a specific period of the year. I don’t remember that exact period, but September was in it. So, this might not be the best swimming and snorkeling beach of the Seychelles. But it’s perfect for tanning, relaxing and getting your feet wet.

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Driving along Mahé’s East coast

Part of the east coast from he capital city Victoria to the airport probably is the least attractive part of Mahé. Apart from the glimpses of the blue ocean and green mountains there isn’t much to see here.

Clear blue water

Around the corner at Ile du Suete, just after passing the airport, the landscape became much more attractive again. At Anse Royale we just had to stop and jump out of the car and run to the beach. It was incredibly beautiful. The water clear and turquoise blue. A bay with unspoiled yellow sandy beaches, granite rocks and green, lush vegetation with palm trees. Heaven!

Regrettably we had to leave this beautiful sight and continue our Mahé island trip. While driving we constantly got glimpses of small, secret and secluded beaches. Beaches with unknown names and just for the 2 of us if we had decided to stop.

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