Range or Postcard Scenery
Mahé's strength is choice. Within a 30 or 40 minute drive you have quiet bays and busier beaches, steep jungle trails and shoreline walks, small Creole restaurants and polished resort dining. Beau Vallon in the northwest is wide and good for sunset swims. Anse Intendance in the south has soft sand and crashing surf. Port Launay and Baie Ternay are calm marine parks for snorkeling. Granite boulders frame coves on every side.
Praslin is more concentrated. Its beaches are the ones that define the Seychelles in photos: sculpted pink-gray granite, sand as fine as flour and water that shifts from glass-clear to turquoise. Anse Lazio and Anse Georgette are the headliners. Inland, the Vallée de Mai feels almost prehistoric, its giant palm fronds rattling in the breeze. And La Digue, next door, adds Anse Source d'Argent, perhaps the most photographed beach in the Indian Ocean.
If you want to wander and sample, Mahé suits you. If you want the classic Seychelles view on your doorstep, Praslin does.
Choosing a Resort
Mahé has the widest range of places to stay in the country. Our pick is Four Seasons Resort Seychelles, a hillside of 67 villas and residences above Petite Anse on the southwest coast. Villas are raised among the trees, each with a plunge pool and sundeck. A beach restaurant sits on the white sand below. MAIA Luxury Resort and Spa at Anse Louis is an all-villa retreat with butlers. Constance Ephelia sits beside the Port Launay marine park. Hilton Seychelles Northolme near Glacis is a couples' favorite with villas on the rocks. Creole guesthouses and self-catering apartments are good value.
On Praslin, our pick is Raffles Seychelles, a hillside all-villa resort on Anse Takamaka on the north coast. Every villa has a private plunge pool and wide views toward Curieuse, with butlers on call and a spa among granite boulders. Anse Lazio is a short drive. Constance Lemuria has a championship golf course. Boutique hotels and family-run guesthouses line Côte d'Or and Grand Anse.
Both islands deliver villa privacy. Mahé simply offers more of everything.
Arriving, Transfers and Getting Around
There are no nonstop flights from the US to the Seychelles. Most couples connect through Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Istanbul or Addis Ababa, with total travel times often over 20 hours from the East Coast. Everyone lands at Seychelles International Airport (SEZ) on Mahé's east coast.
Staying on Mahé means no extra transfer. Most hotels are 15 to 45 minutes away by road; Four Seasons is roughly 30 to 45 minutes. Arrange that first transfer in advance, since steep hill roads in the dark are no place to start driving on the left.
Praslin adds a leg. A domestic flight takes about 15 minutes, or the Cat Cocos ferry from Victoria takes about an hour. Helicopter transfers can be arranged for a splurge. After a long journey, that extra step matters, though the short flight is easy.
On both islands, renting a car gives the most freedom. Roads are narrow and winding, especially on Mahé. Taxis add up quickly and buses are cheap but crowded. From Praslin, ferries reach La Digue several times a day in about 15 minutes. Bicycles are the way to get around there.
Days Out on Each Island
Mahé is the island for active couples. Hike the Anse Major trail from the end of the Bel Ombre road to a beach reachable only on foot or by boat. Climb the short, steep Copolia trail to a granite summit over Victoria and the inner islands. Snorkel or take a glass-bottom boat in Sainte Anne Marine National Park. Visit the Mission Ruins viewpoint and the nearby tea plantation. Tour the Takamaka rum distillery and stay for a long Creole lunch. Spend a morning at the Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke Market in Victoria.
Praslin is the island for nature and beaches. Walk the Vallée de Mai early and listen for the rare Seychelles black parrot. Give a lazy day to Anse Lazio and another to Anse Georgette. Hop to Curieuse Island to meet giant Aldabra tortoises, walk the mangroves and snorkel the marine park. On La Digue, cycle through L'Union Estate to Anse Source d'Argent, look for the black paradise flycatcher in the Veuve Reserve and finish with a sunset catamaran.
Mahé fills an itinerary faster. Praslin fills a camera roll faster.
Costs and Eating Out
The Seychelles is among the pricier Indian Ocean destinations. All figures here are approximate. Four Seasons Resort Seychelles often starts around $1,500 a night. Raffles Seychelles often starts around $1,000 for an entry pool villa. Both islands also have mid-range hotels, guesthouses and self-catering options for far less.
Mahé makes it easier to keep costs in check. Creole takeaway stands serve boxed lunches for a few dollars and are some of the best food on the island. Local restaurants are plentiful. A rental car saves on tours.
Praslin has fewer restaurants, so many couples eat at their resort more often. Casual beachside spots around Côte d'Or and Anse Lazio serve grilled fish with a view. La Digue's small Creole restaurants offer generous plates at a fraction of resort prices.
On either island, try fish curry with coconut, octopus curry, grilled red snapper and green papaya or mango chutneys. Drink SeyBrew, Takamaka rum or fresh coconut water. Many hotels quote prices in euros or dollars, though the local currency is the Seychelles rupee.
Trade Winds and the Best Months
Both islands sit close to the Equator and are warm all year, in the 80s Fahrenheit by day. What changes is wind and rain.
April, May, October and November are the transition months between the trade winds. Seas are calmest, snorkeling visibility is best and the weather is usually settled. These are the favorite honeymoon months, so book early.
From roughly May to September, the southeast trades bring drier, breezier weather. Beaches facing southeast can be rough. Seaweed builds up on some shores. On Mahé, the northwest coast is usually calmer then. December to March brings the northwest monsoon, hotter and more humid with short, heavy showers. Christmas and New Year are the most expensive weeks.
Because both islands have beaches facing different directions, there's nearly always a sheltered spot. Watch for strong currents at Mahé's Anse Intendance and Takamaka. La Digue's Grand Anse is gorgeous but often too rough for swimming. Swim where locals swim and heed warning flags. Pack reef shoes, reef-safe sunscreen and a rash guard.
The Two-Island Plan
For most couples, the best answer is both. Spend three or four nights on Mahé first, recovering from the long journey without another transfer, then take the short flight or Cat Cocos ferry to Praslin for four or five nights.
On Mahé, use those first days for hikes, Sainte Anne marine park and a Creole lunch at Takamaka. On Praslin, settle into your villa, visit the Vallée de Mai at dawn, spend a day on Anse Lazio and take the ferry to La Digue. If you'd like quiet evenings on La Digue after the day-trippers leave, give it a night or two of its own.
With ten or more nights, consider adding a private island at the end. Several are a short flight or helicopter ride from Mahé.
Book inter-island ferries a few days ahead in busy months and leave buffer time before your international flight. Shops close early and many shut on Sunday afternoons, so plan grocery runs if you're self-catering.
