When we boarded the Mahe to Praslin ferry, we were to see not only the best beaches in Seychelles but also the UNESCO World Heritage Site Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve and the Curieuse Marine National Park. Anse Lazio Beach took our breath away with its fairy-shaped rock formations, footing in the white, warm sand. Curieuse Island Seychelles or ile des tortues invites to unforgettable excursions to the legendary Aldabra tortoises with a detour for snorkeling at l’Ile Saint Pierre, Seychelles. Praslin is a unique place for nature enthusiasts to explore endemic animals and plants above and underwater.
In short what you’ll find in this Praslin Blog article:
Mahe to Praslin Flight – Ferry Mahe Praslin – Ferry Praslin – La Digue or Ferry Praslin-Mahe. Destination: Mahe or Praslin. What to do on Praslin, Day Tour Praslin to La Digue and other neighboring islands. Hotel and Restaurant Tips.
Where Is Praslin, Seychelles?
Praslin is a small island in the Indian Ocean belonging to Seychelles, situated about 1’800 kilometers east of the African coast. The biggest island of Seychelles Mahe to Praslin distance is only about 44 kilometers north-east.
Praslin Seychelles Map
How Big Is Praslin?
With barely 40 km2 the island of Praslin is the second largest island of Seychelles. 7’500 people live on Praslin, most of them along the coast. Praslin belongs to the group of the Inner islands of Seychelles and is one of the granitic islands with photogenic weird shaped boulders along the coast like Mahé and La Digue.
Praslin Island Map – Praslin Bus Route Map
Print the Praslin Seychelles map
How to Get from Mahe to Praslin?
Here you will learn how to travel from Mahe to Praslin by boat or airplane:
Seychelles Ferry Mahe – Praslin
It’s easy to find out how to get from Mahe to Praslin. You can choose from three options. We chose the cheapest option by speed ferry Mahe-Praslin of Cat Cocos. The boat can be busy, so book upfront online. You find information about the transfer from the airport to the ferry port on the same website.
Mahe to Praslin ferry duration: ca. 1h
Seychelles Ferry Schedule
Cat Cocos Ferry Schedule Mahe – Praslin – La Digue: PDF Download
Boat from Mahe to Praslin: Ferry Cost
The Mahe Praslin ferry price is from 48€/Person. Find Cat Cocos ferry prices here!
Mahe – Praslin Ferry Duration:
Mahe-Praslin Ferry Duration is about 1 hour
Transport Mahe – Praslin
After we’d found out how to go from Mahe to Praslin, we tried to phone Cat Cocos as we were too late to book online (min. 48 hours in advance), but the office wasn’t reachable over the weekend. Luckily the ferry wasn’t busy and we were able to book an hour before departure on Monday morning.
The Mahe to Praslin Ferry Price is a lot more expensive for tourists than locals.
Mahe to La Digue ferry
The ferry Mahe-La Digue price is about 64€ / Person, the ferry Praslin-La Digue about 15€.
Mahe to Praslin Flight
Praslin to Mahe flight
The distance from Mahe to Praslin is short. But, the sea can be rough and many tourists became seasick on the way back from Praslin to Mahe the other day. So, if you don’t have sea legs and easily feel sick on a boat, you should maybe rather choose the Mahe to Praslin flight. Air Seychelles flies daily to Praslin and you can enjoy sensational bird-views over the islands, if only it is a short pleasure as the Praslin to Mahe flight arrives only after 15 minutes. The Mahe to Praslin ferry price is cheaper than flying but for some, it’s definitely worth the additional costs. Find your flights here.
Jetty
How to travel from Mahe to Praslin
Helicopter Flights from Praslin to Mahe
If you can afford to give yourself a treat, book flights from Praslin to Mahe or the other way around by Helicopter, you’ll certainly have the best transport during your holidays ever. It has to be the best way to hop islands!
Mahe or Praslin?
We’ve stayed on both islands and it’s difficult to choose if we’d prefer to visit Mahe or Praslin next time. If you want to mix with locals, see and do a lot of things which are not only tourist attractions, you may be happier on Mahe. Praslin is smaller and therefore can’t offer that variety of activities as Mahe. This said I love Praslin just for it being small without the buzz of a bigger town like Mahe. You find luxury and budget accommodation on both of the islands, great beaches, Seychelles National Parks with hiking trails and more. Difficult choice!
Bus Praslin Island: Getting Around
It’s easy to get around on Praslin, after all, there are not too many roads other than along the coast. We managed to get lost anyway by taking the wrong Praslin bus in the opposite direction! No real problem as it was a great way to see also the west side of the island along Grand Anse and the lush forest pocket around Vallé de Mai as the bus drove over the mountain pass before arriving at our final destination on the east side of the island at Anse Boudin, north of Côte d’Or.
Waiting for the bus, Praslin
Getting Around By Bus, Praslin
Easy, cheap but not very reliable is to travel by bus. It’s only 5 Seychellois Rupees per person no matter how far and buses drive to almost anywhere on the island. You can’t rely always on the Praslin bus schedule. It can happen that a bus drives off before scheduled or doesn’t drive at all and you will be lucky having chosen to leave early for your ferry departure. Our bus had a puncture! We were very grateful for a friendly islander, who gave us and others a lift to the jetty, although it wasn’t on his way.
Anse Boudin, Praslin, Seychelles
Praslin: Getting Around By Car
You’ll be able to rent a car at the jetty of Praslin easily. The island is small and you don’t really need a car as buses drive you almost anywhere. But of course, the luxury of being independent with your ‘own’ car is great and you are not restricted to taxis in the evening when the buses don’t drive. Be cautious, the streets are very narrow and can be dangerous, which doesn’t stop the buses to speed around corners.
Bike Rental Praslin
For myself, Praslin is ways to mountainous and the roads to narrow, the car drivers to crazy to drive around by bicycle, but then, I’m not a big bicycle fan other than in the flat Netherlands with own bicycle paths. It’s easy enough to hire bicycles on Praslin. Why not, if you want to do some exercise in the heat of the tropics!
Praslin: Getting Around By Boat
You can charter a boat to get to the best-secluded beaches and the islands around Praslin. No better way to enjoy a day in Seychelles in my opinion. Zibo Boat Charter is based at Côte d’Or on Praslin and offers quite some beautiful tours for small groups up to eight people. Contact details you find on their website and on their Facebook page.
Praslin: Getting Around By Foot
The island is too big to explore only by foot. You can walk along the main road which is often the only connection between the villages, but it’s not very pleasant. Of course, this is different if the beach stretches all the way without interruption from one place to the other.
Where To Stay In Praslin, Seychelles
Praslin has a wide range of high-end, luxury five-star beachfront accommodations to small hand-picked guesthouses and self-catering apartments. It depends on your preferences and you’ll certainly find your own little gem if you book early enough. We found our little paradise with …
Anse Boudin, Praslin, Seychelles
Jardin Marron
Luckily one of the two luxury self-catering apartments of Jardin Marron at Anse Boudin had become available short-term because of a cancellation. As we entered the garden of Eden, full of flowers between granite boulders and went to enjoy the views from the deck with sun chairs overlooking the Indian Ocean to the island Curieuse on the opposite side, the place blew our minds! Book it now!
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Marie, the Seychellois owner of the properties in this magical spot, showed us around and was very helpful with useful information for our stay. As she led us into our apartment we were gobsmacked by the comfort we were to enjoy during our stay on Praslin.
Jardin Marron, Praslin, Seychelles
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From a well-equipped kitchen, a spacious living-room with patio overlooking the ocean, a bathroom with the widest luxury shower I’ve ever seen to a bedroom with sea-view even if lying in the bed – this place didn’t come short in anything!
Jardin Marron, Praslin, Seychelles
As soon as we’d settled in, we went to the shop only five minutes away to buy a picnic for the beach at Anse Boudin, which stretches just in front of Jardin Marron. We spread our towels and sat down between the scenic granite boulders on the white sand there-while we took in our surroundings with a splendid feeling of life is incredibly good to us!
Sunrise at Jardin Marron, Praslin, Seychelles
Here you can compare, read reviews and book accommodation in Praslin.
What To Do In Praslin
Enjoy The Best Beaches, Praslin: Anse Lazio Beach and more!
You can’t go wrong if you look for white sandy beaches with crystal-clear turquoise, bathtub-warm water to spend lazy days. Anse Lazio Beach is my favorite and tops all other best beaches, Praslin if not one of the best beaches in Seychelles!
Best Beaches in Seychelles!
But others don’t stand far behind. Anse Georgette, Côte d’Or, Anse Cimitiere, Anse Bois de Rose and of course, our almost private, small but beautiful Anse Boudin belong also to the best beaches in Praslin, Seychelles.
Praslin Beaches
Pictures of Praslin Best Beaches
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Best Beaches in Praslin, Seychelles
One of Praslin Best Beaches: Côte d’Or
Snorkeling and Diving
It’s what came up in my mind first when I figured what to do in Praslin: Snorkeling! It’s good from the beach at Anse Lazio. At Côte d’Or and other beaches in Praslin, the water level is shallow which makes snorkeling rather difficult.
Anse St. José, Curieuse, Seychelles
Ile des Tortues, Curieuse Marine National Park, and Ile Saint Pierre Seychelles
At Côte d’Or, we took a boat trip for a day. An excellent way to combine a visit to Curieuse Marine National Park with the Aldabra tortoises breeding project at Curieuse, “ile des tortues”, and snorkeling in the fish-rich waters around Ile Saint Pierre, Seychelles. Find out more about this trip under ‘Boat Trips To Neighbouring Islands‘.
A few diving operators are situated on Praslin and know where the best diving spots are to be found.
Praslin: Things to Do in Nature Reserves
One of the most famous places to visit in Praslin: Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve
Most famous of all places to visit in Praslin is the protected valley in the heart of the island, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve which harbors six of the Seychelles endemic palm species with the iconic Coco de Mer palm. If you are lucky you’ll see endemic animal species like the Seychelles Black Parrot or chameleon. It’s also a sensitive habitat for freshwater fish, prawns, crabs, and shrimps. Book a free guided tour with SIF (Seychelles Islands Foundation) in advance to see also the small beauties of nature, which you might otherwise miss.
The entrance fee isn’t a bargain with 20 €, but for a good cause as it supports not only this Nature Reserve but also the second World Heritage Site of the Seychelles which is not accessible for the public, the atoll Aldabra.
Fond Ferdinand Nature Reserve
The lesser-known Fond Ferdinand Nature Reserve next to Anse Marie-Louise only opened in 2013 and is with 122 hectares six times larger than Vallée de Mai and is even richer in endemic animal and plant species. You can reach a viewpoint with a spectacular view of Praslin and the other inner islands of Seychelles within about a two to three hours hike.
More Hikes In Praslin
Trails lead to the best beaches in Praslin, sometimes quite steep over mountain slopes or through coastal vegetation. Ask the Tourist Information Office or your local host for a Praslin island map and instructions.
Culture And Tradition Of Praslin
Praslin, like the rest of Seychelles, is a melting pot of different cultures which originate in Africa, Europe, and Asia, as do the ancestors of the inhabitants and their favored language Creole. The colorful bouquet of these roots revives in music, art, and architecture. Best is to check the calendar or local hangouts and to mix with the friendly islanders at one of their events, to visit some local art studios and the museum at Côte d’Or. Here you find the best restaurants in Praslin.
Boat Trips To Neighbouring Islands
No shortage of day trips from Praslin to the neighboring islands and the best snorkeling spots.
Day Trip Praslin to La Digue: Cat Rose Ferry Praslin – La Digue
You should go for a day trip from Praslin to La Digue. It’s just a 15 minutes hop with the Inter-Island Ferry Praslin – La Digue with Cat Rose Seychelles from the Jetty in Praslin. No need to book in advance normally. Rent a bicycle in La Digue at the jetty for 100 Seychellois Rupees/day and there you go. Check my previous post about La Digue for more information.
Curieuse Island Seychelles (Ile Curieuse Seychelles) and St. Pierre
Curieuse Marine National Park exists since 1979 and protects Ile Curieuse Seychelles with its surrounding waters. We took a Curieuse island tour with Ziblo Boat Charter from Côte d’Or to this unique turtle island, Seychelles, of only three square-kilometers, where more than 300 Aldabra giant tortoises linger around the Ranger’s Station and the rest of the island. (Entrance fee for Curieuse Marine National Park 200 Seychellois Rupees).
Turtle Island, Seychelles with 300 Aldabra Giant Tortoises!
Curieuse Island Tour with Ziblo Boat Charter
Our guide, Stephen, took us through the breeding station of the tortoises, explaining about these magnificent giants and their tiny off-springs.
Curieuse Island Tour
Our guide, Stephen, from Ziblo Boat Charter with leaves for the tortoises
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We fed leaves to the tortoises which Stephen had collected as we had been waiting for our departure from Praslin. They seemed to enjoy the treat immensely.
Aldabra Giant Tortoise, Curieuse
From the Ranger’s Station, we walked a well-signposted path from Baie Laraie to Anse St. José on the other side of the island through coastal vegetation and over walkways crossing mangrove forest with myriads of crabs hiding in the muddy ground.
Aldabra Giant Tortoise, Curieuse, Seychelles
Walk in the mangrove forest at Curieuse, Seychelles
Grey Heron at Curieuse, Seychelles
After a slow walk of about an hour with many stops for giant crabs, tortoises and birds we arrived at the ruins of the leper colony and the doctor’s house which is now a museum with information about Curieuse Island Seychelles history.
Doctor’s house, Curieuse, Seychelles
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We spend a few hours sunbathing and swimming at the beautiful beach of Anse St. José, while Stephen and Rocco prepared the best barbecue we had during our whole time in Seychelles.
Barbecue on Curieuse
As we sat on the beautifully decorated table with Mango – and various other salads, coconut, and fruits, we were offered the best-seasoned Job and Calcal fish we’d ever tasted. Also, a chicken was added to the menu so that no wishes could possibly be unsatisfied.
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Luckily we had enough time to relax after our rich lunch to be able to move again before we headed to St. Pierre for snorkeling.
Praslin: Things to Do
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Just a short drive of maybe 15 minutes by boat and we jumped into the clear water to snorkel between a variety of fish species, we’d never seen before.
Swarms of fish encircled us curiously and some of them swam alongside me. An unforgettable, wonderful experience which I can warmly recommend to anyone, who visits Praslin.
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Other boat trips to islands of Seychelles
We didn’t have the time to visit more islands during our visit to Praslin. A combination of a tour including the island of Cousin, a fishing trip or a trip of more days to Mahé and probably other islands is certainly an option if you stay in Seychelles for longer.
Find more Praslin things to do with reviews on TripAdvisor.
Best Time To Visit Praslin
Praslin is a destination with a tropical climate and pleasant temperatures all year round, well off any path of cyclones. From April to September the south-easterly wind causes sometimes choppier sea and cooler temperatures than during the period of the north-westerly wind from October to March with higher humidity and more rainfall.
If you can, I recommend as for most of the destinations, to visit during shoulder seasons. Peak seasons are December, July, and August. Anyway, we visited Praslin mid-July and only after our departure it got a little bit busier. Not comparable with European destinations during summer holidays though.
Tips For Your Trip To Praslin
- Choose a shoulder season to visit Praslin and to have the beaches almost to yourself.
- Book the ferry online more than 48 hours in advance (inclusive the transfer from the airport of Mahé to the ferry port).
- If you get easily seasick, rather book a flight from Mahé to Praslin.
- Include one or more snorkeling trips and visit the islands around Praslin by boat. It’s a must, for snorkeling from the beaches of Praslin isn’t too good.
- Travel light – No need for much clothes in the tropics, but …
- … add some good running shoes to your slip slops for some hiking activities.
Good reads before your travels to Seychelles:
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