Seychelles Tours: Island Hopping and Post-Safari Paradise
The Seychelles is 115 granite and coral islands scattered across the Indian Ocean, and the standard, most rewarding way to see them is by island hopping — Mahé for arrival and its forested peaks, Praslin for the otherworldly Vallée de Mai and its famous coco de mer palms, and La Digue for the granite boulder beaches that appear on more travel posters than almost anywhere else on earth. It's most often booked as the finishing chapter of an Africa safari, since Nairobi and Johannesburg both connect directly.
Mahé
Mahé is the Seychelles' main island and the arrival point for almost every visitor, home to the capital Victoria, the international airport and Beau Vallon — the island's most developed beach, with calm water and a reliable choice of restaurants and dive operators. Most itineraries spend two to three nights here before moving on, using the time for a Victoria market visit and a scenic drive through the forested interior.
Praslin
Praslin is a 15-minute flight or ferry from Mahé and holds the Vallée de Mai, a UNESCO World Heritage palm forest and the only place on earth where the coco de mer — the plant world's largest seed — grows wild. Anse Lazio and Anse Georgette, on Praslin's northern coast, are consistently ranked among the world's best beaches, with powder sand framed by granite boulders and clear, calm water.
La Digue
La Digue moves at bicycle pace — cars are almost entirely absent, and the island is best explored by bike or ox cart. Anse Source d'Argent, its signature beach, is the most photographed stretch of sand in the Seychelles: a shallow lagoon threaded between giant granite boulders that has appeared in countless magazine covers and adverts, and remains genuinely as striking in person.
Sample Itinerary
Our 12-day Seychelles island hopping adventure covers all three main islands at an unhurried pace, with enough time on each for diving, hiking and simply doing nothing on a genuinely excellent beach. See our complete Seychelles travel guide for a fuller island-by-island breakdown, and our Botswana and Seychelles combination guide if you're pairing the islands with an Okavango Delta safari.
Best Time to Visit
The Seychelles sits close to the equator and stays warm year-round, with April-May and October-November offering the calmest seas and least wind — ideal for diving and island transfers by boat. June to September brings stronger southeast trade winds, good for kitesurfing on Praslin but choppier for boat crossings between islands.
Ready to plan a Seychelles holiday? Contact our team for a tailor-made island-hopping itinerary, whether standalone or as the finishing stretch of an Africa safari.