The trip
Overview
Three islands, three characters: Mahé has the mountains, the Creole capital and the winding coastal roads; Praslin holds the primeval Vallée de Mai palm forest and one of the most photographed beaches on earth; La Digue barely has cars at all, so you explore its granite-boulder coves by bicycle. Linking them by inter-island ferry turns a beach holiday into a small, easy adventure — no repacking anxiety, just a bag on a boat and a new island by lunch.
The Seychelles sits about four hours from Dubai with direct flights, which makes this the shortest true island-hopping trip we sell. It suits couples above all — the light alone justifies a honeymoon — but active families with children who can ride a bike do very well here too.
Nine nights split three ways gives each island room to breathe, ending back on Mahé or Praslin so the final morning is a beach, not a ferry queue.
Highlights
- ✦Anse Source d'Argent's granite boulders at golden hour
- ✦Vallée de Mai — the coco de mer palm forest, a UNESCO site
- ✦Cycling La Digue's lanes from cove to cove
- ✦Snorkelling off St Pierre islet or Coco Island
- ✦Giant tortoises met at close, unhurried range
- ✦Creole dinner of grilled catch and coconut curry
Who it suits
- ●Couples and honeymooners who want scenery that outworks any camera
- ●Travellers bored of single-resort beach weeks
- ●Active families with confident young cyclists
Why this journey works
- ✓Direct four-hour flights from Dubai — the closest true island-hopping we offer
- ✓Ferries, not flights, between islands: cheap in time and effortless in practice
- ✓Three islands with genuinely different characters inside one trip
Day by day
Days 1–3
Mahé — mountains meeting the sea
Land from Dubai and transfer to a west-coast base near Beau Vallon or the quieter southern bays. Three days for the big island: a morning in Victoria's market and tiny botanical gardens, a drive over the Sans Souci mountain road through the Morne Seychellois tea slopes, and beach time at Anse Intendance or Petite Anse, where the surf draws its line in the sand. Hotels here range from hillside boutiques to full resorts — we match to taste.
Days 4–6
Praslin — the ancient palm forest
An hour's ferry to Praslin. Walk the Vallée de Mai early, when the coco de mer forest is cool and the black parrots are calling; give the rest of the day to Anse Lazio, a serious contender for the Indian Ocean's finest beach. A boat trip to Curieuse island adds giant tortoises roaming free and a beach barbecue; snorkelling off St Pierre islet fills another half-day.
Days 7–9
La Digue — bicycles and boulders
Fifteen minutes by ferry and the pace halves. Check into a small hotel or guesthouse-style lodge, hire bikes, and spend three days riding between coves: Anse Source d'Argent with its sculpted granite, Grand Anse and Petite Anse across the island's spine, and the old copra estate at L'Union with its tortoise pen. Evenings are grilled fish, Seybrew and an early night — the island offers little else and needs nothing more. Return ferry positions you for the flight home.
Day 10
Ferry, flight, home
Ferry back to Mahé and the direct flight to Dubai — around four hours, landing the same evening.
When to go
The Seychelles sits outside the cyclone belt and works all year. April–May and October–November are the calm inter-monsoon windows with glassy water for snorkelling; June to September brings the brisker south-east trades — cooler, breezier, better for sailing; December to March is warmer and showerier.
Planning around seasons, regions and style? Read the full Seychelles destination guide →
What’s included
- ✓Return flights from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Mahé
- ✓Inter-island ferries and all port and airport transfers
- ✓Nine nights across two or three islands
- ✓Daily breakfast
- ✓Vallée de Mai entrance and a guided snorkelling trip
- ✓PCT travel consultant support before and during travel
Not included
- —Travel insurance
- —Bicycle hire on La Digue
- —Meals not stated
- —Personal spending
Ways to extend it
- +Add two nights on a private-island resort to finish
- +Include a full-day sailing charter around Praslin's satellites
- +Combine with a Dubai stopover-free Kenya safari opener
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