Seychelles, trekking and swimming among forests and hidden beaches
Details
Destination : Seychelles
Number of days : 9 nights - 11 days
Month of departure : November 2024
Departure date : 20/11/2024
Date of arrival : 30/11/2024
Trekking in the Seychelles Islands, an archipelago of 115 islands with divine beaches among the most beautiful in the world, clear waters and extraordinary nature. You will discover a truly amazing diversity with something new around every corner.
Our journey will take in four granite islands, one more different than the other. Mahé with Victoria, one of the smallest capitals in the world, precious and unique, and the Morne Seychelloise with its 900m from where you can admire the whole island; Praslin, with the Vallée de Mai, a Unesco heritage site, and La Digue, a small island with breathtaking beaches protected by a coral reef, where you can only move around by bike or on foot (there are only a few cars!).
Don't forget the excursion to the island of Curieuse, a marine reserve where we will walk among giant turtles! An innovative itinerary unique in its kind, as through short treks we will discover the best of Seychelles. Hidden beaches completely off the beaten track of mass tourism, where we will not infrequently be alone and surrounded by the sea, hills, jungle, coral reefs and white sand!
Day 1/Departure from Italy (-/-/-)
Departure from Italy with scheduled flights according to availability. Meals and overnight on board.
Day 2/Arrival at Mahé (-/-/D)
Arrival at Mahé and, after customs formalities and baggage claim, transfer to the hotel. Arrival and, if available, allocation of reserved rooms. After some rest, we will move on to Beau Vallon beach for relaxation and the sea, enjoying our first swim in the Seychelles on one of the island's most famous beaches. Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.
NB: rooms are available from early afternoon. It is the hotel's right to assign them earlier if they are already available and prepared.
Day 3/MAHE' - Morne National Park and the south of the island (B/-/D)
The first part of the day is dedicated to a trek in the scenic Morne National Park, the Copolia Trail, surrounded by palm trees, through the tropical forest on a shady and not difficult route.
Height difference: 200 m - Length: 3 km - Time: 2 hours - Difficulty: Easy
After lunch, we will head to the west coast of the island to admire the beauty of its beaches, relaxing in the sheltered bay of Port Launay, a beautiful beach famous for its calm, crystal-clear waters, swimming, resting and snorkelling after the morning trek through blue skies, white sand and red granite rocks plunging into turquoise waters.
Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 4/MAHE' - Trekking to the beach at Anse Major (B/-/D)
Trekking towards Anse Major. The route is truly spectacular, in a succession of suggestive views overhanging the sea or towards the granite boulders shrouded in clouds, skirting incredible granite chutes plunging towards the sea and a great chromatic contrast between the black and reddish of the rocks, the blue of the sea, the emerald of the vegetation and the reflections of the sky.
The beach where we arrive, which opens up before our eyes like a mirage is a paradise where no roads come, reserved only for those who, like us, have walked through the jungle to reach this well-deserved prize!
Height difference: 150 m - Length: 6 km - Duration: 3 hours - Difficulty: Easy
Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 5/MAHE' - PRASLIN - Vallèe de Mai and Anse Volbert (B/-/D)
In the morning, transfer by hydrofoil to Praslin, the archipelago's second largest island. Transfer to the hotel and accommodation in the rooms. Transfer to Anse Volbert for a swim in crystal-clear water at one of the most famous beaches in Seychelles.
In the mid-afternoon we then set off on an excursion to the Vallée de Mai.
Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is the only place in the world where the rare coco de mer palm grows in the wild. In the stream that runs through the park, one can observe the crab and the giant freshwater crayfish; in the foliage one can spot the extremely rare black parrot, the hummingbird and the island blackbird.
Walking through the forest, one encounters cedars, ferns, pineapple plants, vanilla orchids, acacias, bamboos, guavas, mangoes and banana trees.
Height difference: 100 m - Length: 3 km - Duration: 1:30 hours - Difficulty: Easy
Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 6/PRASLIN - Excursion to Curieuse Island (B/-/D)
Curieuse is reached after a short boat transfer. This is a marine nature reserve formerly known as Ile Rouge because of its red, uneven-looking and rugged land. It was home to a leper colony located at Anse St. Joseph and remained isolated from everything for decades, which gives it a unique charm. Before arriving in Curieuse, we will take a swim in the small uninhabited atoll of St. Pierre, which boasts a truly exceptional marine life!
In Curieuse, the giant tortoises roam free and undisturbed, looking for a few tourists willing to give them the neck scratches they love so much!
The island is also an important nesting place for sea turtles. A barbecue on the beach with grilled fish will round off this wonderful excursion!
Return to the hotel in Praslin for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 7/PRASLIN - Crossing the northern part, Anse Lazio and Anse Georgette (B/-/D)
The day is dedicated to a spectacular trek that will take us from Anse Lazio to Anse Georgette passing inland and along the coast, a real plunge into prehistory in an inextricable jungle! Departing after lunch from the legendary Anse Lazio, after a wonderful morning of swimming and snorkelling, a long, wide line of white sand surrounded by casuarina and takamaka trees, we arrive at one of the most beautiful beaches in the Seychelles, that Anse Georgette closed to access by land but accessible by our trek across the coast, whose view normally leaves any traveller speechless!
Height difference: 190 m - Length: 3 km - Time: 3:00 hours - Difficulty: Easy
Restful afternoon after the morning walk, staying on the beach to relax, swim and snorkel.
Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 8/PRASLIN - LA DIGUE - West Coast, Anse Source d'Argent (B/-/D)
Short boat transfer to La Digue (15' by hydrofoil). Known as the island with the most beautiful beaches in the country, here bicycles have replaced cars (there are less than 50 on the entire island!), giving way to the most relaxing atmosphere in the Seychelles.
We will cycle along the entire coastline to admire the wonders of this island and savour every single stretch of beach, starting at Anse Severe and arriving at the more isolated beaches in the north, before indulging in a nice, energetic tropical fruit juice and setting off again towards the south.
Finally, we will dedicate ourselves to one of the most beautiful beaches in the Indian Ocean, Anse Source d'Argent, used as a set for countless photo shoots and often the ideal cover for the so-called paradise beach, where we will wait for the sunset.
Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 9/LA DIGUE - Trekking and sea between Grand Anse, Petit Anse and Anse Cocos (B/-/D)
We will cycle to the beaches in the south, including Grand Anse and, with a short trek, first to Petit Anse and then to the extraordinary and unspoilt Anse Cocos, where we will devote ourselves to bathing and relaxing, walking on its white beach and bathing in its natural pool, a true jewel of the Indian Ocean!
Height difference: 100 m - Length: 4 km - Duration: 2 hours - Difficulty: Easy
Lunch directly on the beach, and more sea and sun in the afternoon, choosing the beach that best suits your taste from the three nearby ones!
Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 10/LA DIGUE - Nid d'Aigle and sea bathing (B/-/D)
In the morning, with a moderately demanding but unhurried ascent, we can reach the Nid d'Aigle (Eagle's Nest), the highest point on the island, from where we can admire a breathtaking panorama while sipping a fresh tropical fruit juice.
Height difference: 270 m - Length: 1.5 km - Time: 2 hours - Difficulty: Easy
Then, those who wish can stop for a walk in the Veuve Reserve, where it is possible to see the famous Black Paradise Flycatcher (with a bit of luck!) via a simple and pleasant flat walk, or continue on to the beaches in the south of the island, for relaxation and bathing, being able to choose from all the beaches visited the one that best suits our taste (the bicycles also allow us a fair amount of autonomy).
NB: for those who wish, this day can also be dedicated to the optional full-day excursion with lunch on the beach at Anse Marron, of medium/high difficulty (very beautiful but challenging), or the half-day boat excursion to Sister Islands and Ile Cocos, of easy difficulty (highly recommended!). These excursions can be booked the day before and will be done with a local guide we trust. Our guide will remain with the rest of the group.
Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 11/LA DIGUE - MAHE' - ITALY (B/-/-)
Hydrofoil from La Digue to Mahé via Praslin. Visit of Victoria, the smallest capital in the world. Named after the famous queen of the same name, it is also the only real city in the entire archipelago, with 30,000 inhabitants. We visit the market, called the bazaar, built in 1840 and renovated in 1999, the nerve centre of the city.
In the afternoon, transfer to the airport and return flight to Italy.
NB: by international regulation, rooms must be vacated in the morning. It is the hotel's right to allow use until the afternoon subject to availability and with a possible 'day use' surcharge.
The fee includes:
Overnight stays in guest houses and hotels, in double rooms with private facilities
Half-board, with breakfast and dinner at the hotel
Hire of minibus with driver for all transfers during the trip to the islands of Mahé and Praslin
Bicycle hire on the island of La Digue
Local guide for the excursion to the Vallée de Mai
Environmental Hiking Guide from Italy for the duration of the trip
GoWorld travel kit (backpack, photo volumes, clothes/trolley bag - depending on practical amount)
Medical assistance insurance (up to € 10,000), medical repatriation, damage to luggage (up to € 1,000) and cancellation up to € 2,000 per person
NB: on some departures the guide may depart from a different airport than the other participants, or already be on site on arrival.
The fee does not include:
International and domestic flights
Airport taxes
Lunches on the trip are self-catered, normally eaten on the beach and purchased in take-aways or supermarkets. Please allow approximately € 150.00 per person for lunches on the entire trip.
Drinks with meals
Inland ferries: € 160.00 per person - payable at time of booking
Transport Fund: € 90.00 per person, to be paid together with the travel fare at the time of booking, to cover transport costs for daily transfers with private driver to the islands, private transfers for excursions and luggage transfers.
Entrances to museums and monuments
Entrances to parks and excursions:
◦ Curieuse Island excursion with lunch € 75.00 (payable in Euro, cash only) + 300 rupees entrance fee National Park (reserve entrance fee payable cash on site)
◦ Vallee de Mai € 32.00 approx. - also payable by credit card
◦ Entry to Anse Source d'Argent rupie 150 (about €10)
◦ Entrance fee for the Copolia Trail rupees 100 (approx. € 6) payable by credit card only
Opening fee, which includes medical and luggage insurance, of €40 per person
What is not covered under 'The fee includes'.
Maximum Cancellation Fee adjustment, compulsory for trips exceeding € 2,000
Supplementary Insurance (Recommended)
Entry fee € 95
NOTES
Trails with no particular difficulty, requiring no experience, but a minimum of commitment, a fair amount of walking and hiking training between 2 and 3 hours in length, with moderate lengths of 4 to 5 km on average. Daily height differences between 150 and 300 metres, with moderate gradients. Generally good trails, but with possible short sections on rougher terrain, although with easy access and no exposed spots.