What to Do in Praslin Island: A Traveler's Guide

The coast road north from the airport at Amitié leads past Anse Kerlan to the gates of Constance Lemuria Resort. Anse Kerlan can sometimes be rough, and currents are strong during the northwest monsoon, but on calmer days it’s excellent for swimming and snorkelling. Lemuria Resort has the only 18-hole golf course in the Seychelles and some very attractive grounds. Anse Georgette, also within the grounds, is one of the most beautiful beaches in the Seychelles.

At Amitié, opposite the airstrip by the sea, is the Black Pearl Praslin Ocean Farm. The main business of the farm is the culture of black pearls in oyster beds between Praslin and Curieuse, and the sale of jewellery incorporating the pearls in beautiful gold and silver settings. These are extremely attractive, but also pretty expensive. There’s also an aquarium touch pool, with concrete tanks displaying corals, reef fish and invertebrates.

Grand Anse is the largest settlement on Praslin, but it’s a quiet place compared to the larger villages of Mahé. There are several hotels, restaurants and takeaways here, though heavy seaweed on the beach makes it a little less picturesque than elsewhere. Black parrots can sometimes be seen in the tall mango and breadfruit trees behind the Britannia Hotel, 200m inland from the parish Church of St Matthew.

Whether you’re an actual twitcher or not, the chance to see a completely unique form of wildlife on holiday is something you shouldn’t miss. The black parrot is endemic to the island of Praslin and is the only place it breeds, nesting in the hollows of rotten coco de mer palms. You’re unlikely to see many birds inside the valley; they tend to stay above the treetops. Only the piercing whistle of the black parrot reminds you that they are out there, somewhere.

From Grand Anse, the coast road continues southward towards a series of eight beautiful bays. This is a wonderfully peaceful stretch of coast, though not the best for swimming due to the shallow waters, except close to high tide.

The first bay is Anse Citron, followed by Anse Bateau, with the thatched building of Les Rochers Restaurant. A further 750m after the restaurant is Villa Flamboyant at Anse St Sauveur. This small, charismatic guesthouse is a great place to see black parrots, especially in the early morning or late afternoon. There’s also a gallery selling prints of paintings by former owner Verney Cresswell.

Beyond Villa Flamboyant is Anse Takamaka, followed by Anse Cimetière and Anse Bois de Rose, where Coco de Mer Hotel and Black Parrot Suites is the only substantial establishment on this entire stretch of coast.

Rounding Pointe Cocos, the southern tip of Praslin, the road reaches Anse Consolation followed by Anse Marie Louise, which is good for swimming, except at low tide. An unmarked track inland leads to Fond Ferdinand, similar in character to Vallée de Mai but much wilder without the well-marked pathways.

The road then turns steeply uphill, passing the upmarket Château de Feuilles Hotel and Restaurant before the view of Baie St Anne opens up and the road descends to the village. The jetty here is the terminal for inter-island ferries to Mahé as well as La Digue schooners. Many charter boats and local fishing boats moor within the wide arms of the bay.

Praslin attracts art lovers and artists. A little further on, at the edge of the village, a sign points to Cap Samy Art Gallery, 300m up a steep hill.

At the north end of the bay the main road leads to Anse La Blague. After 1.2km, you pass the Iles des Palmes eco-resort beach bungalows and the Art Gallery and Giant Tortoise Park. The gallery exhibits the interesting Seychelles panoramas and nature originals of local artist Raymond Dubuisson, but the tortoise park is a mildly misleadingly grand name for a slightly larger than average tortoise pen!

After a further 1km, the road dips to the beach, where there’s a snack bar on the beach. Diving, windsurfing and jet surfing can be arranged by Bleu Marine. Uphill is the home and art gallery of ‘Robinson’ Sey Marx, offering reasonably priced original paintings.

Returning to the junction at Baie St Anne, the straight inland road passes through endemic woodland to the romantic Tante Mimi Restaurant on the right. Next to the restaurant, within the same grounds is George Camille Art Gallery.

Anse Lazio vies with Anse Source d’Argent (on La Digue) in many polls to be ‘the best beach in the world’. The sand here is as fine and soft as caster sugar and is scattered with granite boulders. You can’t come here and not post some jealousy-inducing pictures on the ‘gram; it’s not every day you get to pose on such a renowned stretch of sand.

To enjoy the beach at its finest, it’s best to come early in the morning before the crowds. Its reputation has gone before it and it has become relatively crowded, with quite a few charter boats usually anchored here, except in strong northwest winds. Nevertheless, it’s still an undeniably beautiful spot and the swimming and snorkelling are excellent; the latter is best around the rocks at the corners of the bay. There are two restaurants: Bonbon Plume, with thatched umbrellas dotted across a lawn by the sea, and, at the opposite end of the beach, Le Chevalier Restaurant, in a hotel set back from the shoreline. Both offer mainly seafood and Seychellois cuisine.