Praslin is the second largest island in the Seychelles and is a beach lovers dream. Imagine the whitest and softest sands with the bluest waters all being caressed by the Seychelles famous granite rocks and palm trees. It’s a beach lovers paradise and it’s definitely one of the spots you need to visit if you’re visiting the Seychelles.
I came here as part of a two week trip to the Seychelles where I visited Mahe, Praslin, and La Digue. I spent five days on Praslin exploring the island and these are all my travel advice from my trip!
How to get around Praslin?
Praslin is much smaller than Mahe but it is still far too large to make it a walking island. There is an almost ring road around the island that disconnects in the far north and it takes about 45 minutes to drive from one end to the other.
For me, renting a car in Praslin is a must unless you’re staying at one of the super fancy resorts and have no plans to really leave the place. Otherwise, the public bus system is not so frequent and is just not a pleasant way to get around the island.
Car rentals in Praslin start at 40 Euros for a basic car with larger vehicles going for 50-60 Euros.
The main roads are in decent condition to drive. However, there are no road guards at the side and instead you have very steep drop offs at the edge of the road in some parts of the island that you’ll need to really watch out for. If you swerve too far to the left, your car will fall off the road and you won’t be able to get back up without assistance.
Scooter rentals in Praslin Seychelles
Prior to coming to the Seychelles, I read that scooter rentals were strictly forbidden throughout the whole country. As soon as I arrived in Praslin, I saw plenty of people riding scooters. I couldn’t find anyone renting out scooters but I definitely saw foreigners driving scooters around the island.
Praslin is the perfect size and vibe for a scooter so if you figure out how to rent a scooter, please leavev a comment below!
Best Beaches in Praslin
Without a doubt, the main reason you’ll come to Praslin is to visit its famous and incredible beaches. The Seychelles is home to some of the best beaches in the world and you’ll quickly see why. There are many beaches in Praslin but the two main ones are probably all you’ll need.
Anse Lazio
Anse Lazio is Praslin’s claim to fame. It is one of the most picturesque beaches in the Seychelles and you’ll see videos and pictures of it everywhere. It’s not a surprise it was ranked in the top 10 beaches of the world. Located in the northern tip of the island, it is only accessible by driving (Car, taxi, or bus).
At the entrance to the beach is a well paved parking lot that charges 100 SCR per day for parking. They even accept credit cards!
The beach itself is as stunning as the pictures. Anse Lazio has hundreds of meters of the softest white sand, turquoise waters, and plenty of palm trees to boost the idyllic setting that it is. Of course, what beach in the Syehclles is complete without its famous granite rocks that seem so perfectly placed all throughout the beach.
Walk to the far right side of the beach for a rocky hill that is perfect for shooting those Instagram worthy shots.
As beautiful as Anse Lazio is, I found the beach to be far too busy for my likings. From 10am onward, it started getting packed with people. By noon, it was too much for me (yes I am picky with my beaches but I have just seen too many good ones!)
For those that want undisrupted beach paradise, walk the 10 minutes through the hills to Petite Anse beach. This beach is a small little crescent bay surrounded on both sides by rocks. It is perhaps the most beautiful beach you will find on Praslin and it really oozes that deserted island in the sun vibes.
Sadly, I only stayed here for a quick minute as it’s not suitable to bring a baby here and I had to run back to my family waiting for me with the hordes of other people!
Best restaurants in Praslin
Praslin has a plethora of restaurants on offer. However, I was not overly impressed with the food options. Most of the restaurants on the island are connected to hotels of various tiers. Most of them will allow you to dine in even without staying at the hotel but some of the fancier ones might not like the Raffles hotel.
There are a few local takeaway restaurants with outdoor dining areas that you can enjoy a nice meal as well. Here are my favorite restaurants on the island.
- La Mer Pizzeria Takeaway: A great little takeaway restaurant with plenty of options. Lots of locals and tourists flokc here at night
- Sea View Bar and Grill: A great restaurant attached to a hotel overlooking the ocean. Great curry and fish options
- The Nest: Fancy restaurant overlooking the beach as part of the Constance hotel.
- Cool Licks Takeaway: One of my favorite takeaway shops right next to the port.
- Hall Takeaway: Amazing grilled chicken and beef curries right next to the port. Was my Go-to takeaway spot.
- Roots Juicery: Only place I could find a decent coffee on the whole island. Decent cakes and great juices
Having lunch at the Nest restaurant
As we were already visiting Anse Georgette, I wanted to have a nice lunch at the Constance. The Nest is one of their restaurants overlooking their property’s two other beaches. The view is absolutely stunning and makes for a great backdrop over lunch. The food was also delicious as their fish and prawn curry was one of the best I’ve had. Expect to pay up though as two curries cost about 1,000 SCR.
Visit the Coco de Mer at Fond Ferdinand
The Coco de Mer is a tropical plant that is native only to Praslin. It is not even found in Mahe! It’s probably the most insane plant that I’ve ever come across and I thought it was a joke when I first learned about it.
The Coco De Mer, or the coconut of the sea, has nothign to do with coconuts. It is a giant palm plant that produces the largest seeds in the entire plant kingdom (up to 30kg). The tree itself has distinctive male and female trees.
The female trees produce the iconic double lobed seed that resembles a woman’s pelvis and the male plant produces a distinctively phallic-like branch. To put it lightly, these are the most sexual plants I’ve ever seen and could never imagine before seeing them! Literally how can something int he plant kingdom be so connected to human and animal anatomy!
Historical Significance
Before the Seychelles were discovered by European explorers, coco de mer seeds would occasionally be found floating in the Indian Ocean, often washing ashore in regions like the Maldives. Since the plant’s true origin was unknown at the time, many believed the seeds came from a mythical underwater tree. This led to the name “coco de mer,” meaning “coconut of the sea.”
In medieval times, these mysterious seeds were considered rare treasures, often believed to possess magical or medicinal properties. Royal courts across Asia and Europe prized them as symbols of fertility, power, and exotic luxury. Some were even decorated with gold and jewels, making them valuable collector’s items.
Fond Ferdinand National Park
A visit to the Fond Ferdinand national park is a must for those wanting to see the Coco de Mer in its natural habitat. This park is a great place to walk around and see the many spices and vegetation of the Seychelles including the famous coco de mer.
Fond Ferdinand along with Valle De Mai are the two national parks on Praslin that are home to the Coco de Mer trees. Fond Ferdinand costs 300 SCR whereas Valle De Mai is 450 SCR. In addition, Fond Ferdinand has a free tour every day at 9:30 and 11am whereas you’ll need to pay for a private guide in Valle De Mai if you want to learn anything.
I found the guided tour at Fond Ferdinand to be very insightful as they explained in great length the history of the tree. In addition, there are so many other things that grow in this national park like countless spices, fruits, and vegetables. It reminded me of the spice tour in Zanzibar.
Anse Georgette
Along with Anse Lazio, the other famous beach of Praslin is Anse Georgette just next to Anse Lazio. The only problem with Anse Georgette is there is no road connecting the two. While Praslin looks like it might have a ring road, it actually stops at the northern tip on both sides. Youll need to drive all the way around the island to visit Anse Georgette.
Anse Georgette is a part of the Constance Lemurien property. As with all beaches in the Seychelles, it is public so you can freely visit the beach via the Constance’s property. You will need to walk about 20-25 minutes from their golf course to reach the beach. It’s not that difficult of a hike but the ups and downs might tire some people out on a hot sunny day.
The beach, however, is worth a visit, especially in the early mornings before the crowds descend. Otherwise, I was not super impressed by this beach because there is very little shaded areas. The few patches of shade are packed with people so close that I could almost cuddle my neighbors. If you’re not fussed about shade and what to get your tan on, this is definitely the beach as there are less people than Anse Lazio.
Day trip to Curieuse Island
One of the highlights of any trip to Praslin must be the visit to the Curieuse Island to the northeast of Praslin. This island is home to the famous Aldabra Giant Tortoise which is endemic to the Seychelles, specifically in the Aldabra Atoll.
These turtles are similar to the giant tortoises in the Galapagos in its rarity and size. These tortoises are also the 2nd oldest animals on earth after the Greenland shark living up to 250 years! Curieuse Island is a sanctuary for these tortoises so they can grow unabated by the rampant poaching threatening their numebrs.
Book a day trip to Curieuse Island
To visit th eisland, you’ll need to book a day trip. There are countless operators on Praslin that will make this day trip with all of them offering the same itineraries. This includes a visit to the island, a BQBQ lunch, and a snorkeling stop before returning to Praslin.
I opted for a cheaper trip that did not include the BBQ lunch and paid about 50 Euros per person with Loyalty Tours.
Visiting the Giant Tortoises
Visiting the Giant tortoises on the island was much cooler than I expected especially as I’ve never seen the giant tortoises before. . The turtles are even bigger in real life than I thought! They grow up to 250kg and sleep 18 hours a day. What a good life.
You are also free to pet the turtles as much as you’d like. I’ve always felt a bit weird touching animals but every guide in the park assured that this was okay.
There is also a section of the park where you can see baby giant tortoises and the different stages of their growth. They are kept in cages to reduce the risk of poaching.
After the turtles, we walked across the island through the mangrove forest to the BBQ lunch spot. Like most other mass produced tours, there’s a huge tent set up for all the day trippers which I was happy to avoid. Snorkeling was a brief 30 minutes which was nothing to write home about before returning to Praslin. I definitely recommend this trip just to visit the turtles although I wish there was some sort of cheaper ferry service that I could book without having to enlist a tour.
Also make sure to remember that you’ll need to pay an additional 300 SCR per person as an entry fee to Curieuse island which is not included in the price of tours.
Where to Stay in Praslin
Praslin is chalk full of amazing accommodation options for your stay. As with the rest of the Seychelles, Praslin is not a cheap place and in fact has always historically catered to luxury spenders. Nevertheless, there are options for the budget conscious but it still won’t be cheap!
Make sure to book your accommodations well in advance as there really isn’t much inventory especially for the budget category.
I stayed at Anse Boudain Chalets and Villas which was only a 5 minute drive to Anse Lazio. Absolutely loved the location because I could drive to the beach in no time. My only gripe about it was that there are not many restaurants nearby so I would have to drive at least 10 minutes into town to get a bite to eat.
Super Luxury – $1000+
Medium – $200 – $500
Budge – < $200
How to get to Praslin?
Mahe to Praslin Ferry
There is only one company that does this ferry ride and that is Cat Cocos. The boat leaves from the main port in the town of Victoria and has multiple sailings a day between Mahe and Praslin. The cost of this boat ride is roughly 900-1000 SCR depending on the class you choose. Make sure to book the tickets in advance especially during the high season months as it will get booked out!
The boat is quite small and was completely packed when I traveled. It’s not the most comfortable boat ride and they definitely need a bigger boat to accommodate all of their tourists!
Mahe to Praslin Flight
Alternatively, you can choose to fly between Mahe and Praslin on Air Seychelles. This flight is only 30 minutes and will cost about 2x that of the ferry. Praslin airport only has flights from Mahe.
Amazing guide.Praslin looks like a paradise.