PREPIS/TRANSCRIPT

So, today, I’m taking you on a trip — well, a virtual one — to the stunning Seychelles, where my boyfriend Peter and I spent over two weeks of pure island vibes in March this year. Trust me, this place is a tropical dream, but with some real-life moments you gotta know about.

On the 6th of March, we touched down on Mahe, the main island, after a long-haul flight with a layover in Addis Ababa on Ethiopian Airlines. During the layover, one African woman was following us, which was a little weird, actually, the whole domestic flights area was kinda rough, like real African rough, but don’t worry, once you leave the area, in the Seychelles it is more chill.

Coming back to our landing, the vibe was definitely tropical — palm trees everywhere, one main road with a cool African feel. We had to swap money at the airport because, well, Seychelles uses the Seychellois Rupee. But many times you can pay by card, so there is nothing to worry about. We like to keep some cash in our pockets just in case, though.

Our first accommodation looked fab from the outside, with a killer view, but surprise — it was a bit dirty inside. We had to do a mini clean-up ourselves ‘cause the cleaning lady/the maid wasn’t coming till the next day. As compensation, I agreed on a late check-out with the owner, which really helped us on the day we were travelling from Mahe to Praslin.

Heads up: rent a car. We’d have been lost without one because public transport is basically a mystery to me — no idea how often it runs or where exactly it goes. Plus, it gets hot there, like really hot, so you wanna be carrying a big bottle of water, some cool, fizzy drinks, snacks, maybe a blanket or something for the beach. The car was a lifesaver. I can definitely recommend Papa car rental, great conditions, no trouble.

Our first beach trip was to Anse Soleil — honestly, one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen. You either hike down the hill or drive, but be careful with the steep path. There’s a gate on the way, but don’t stress about it — just go through. Two little beach restaurants made it perfect for a chill day. We got sunburned even with SPF 50 — lesson learned, reapply constantly! In the evening, we spotted tons of bats flying around. Spoiler alert: more on those bats later.

Next, we hit Takamaka Beach — busier but still stunning. Crystal-clear water all over Seychelles is a given. Peter even spotted a turtle swimming nearby. Snorkeling’s great, but you gotta find the right spot — it’s not as effortless as I believe it is in the Maldives.

Heads up, though: some local parties happen, and there’s a tiny crime risk. We read on TripAdvisor about a guy who got his bag stolen by someone hiding in the bushes near the beach, so watch your stuff. We had zero issues, but stay aware.

The next day, we headed to a viewpoint up in the hills. The day before, we couldn’t get there because it was pouring rain — like, seriously heavy. The road was a mess. But this time, we made it, and the view was stunning. There was even a telescope to see far into the distance, all the way to the first beach I mentioned. And guess what? It was free! A super friendly security guy even took photos of us together. So it was a lovely evening trip, though the place closes around 6 or 7 pm, so plan accordingly.

Food-wise, don’t just stick to fries and fried fish (though they’re good). Try their local dishes! We hit some food trucks with surprisingly amazing Bolognese spaghetti — who knew? And one local joint served us rice, lentils, veggies, and meat that was straight fire. Also, fresh coconuts were a must-have. We devoured some shrimp noodles, fresh fish, tuna — but the shrimp noodles won my heart. And street food is definitely the way to go, or cooking yourself — restaurants can get pricey, often more than back home, and I’d say the quality is not as high, or what you would expect for that price.

In stores, you’ll even find Czech products, which was a fun surprise. We found Tang — remember that orange powdered drink from years ago? It’s no longer sold in Slovakia, so that was a nostalgic find. You can find almost everything — pasta, sauces, yogurt, canned goods, sweets, salty snacks. Fresh fruit and veggies are best bought at markets because shops don’t stock much.

Sunsets? Unreal. Total postcard moments every evening.

We cruised into Victoria, the capital of Mahe. Fun fact — some restaurants close on weekends, so time your visit right. We explored a botanical garden filled with giant turtles — they’re literally everywhere, even chilling by restaurants. But honestly, you can skip the botanical garden, it wasn’t worth the money.

Victoria is walkable and cute — an hour stroll including the “I Love Seychelles” sign, the famous clock tower, and a cool Buddhist or Hindu temple. They had a drive-in cinema where you could watch football from your car — so cool! We grabbed some ice cream, did a bit of shopping, and dined at Aloha Restaurant, which I gotta recommend.

We snorkelled at Anse Royale that evening, which is pretty busy ‘cause it’s right by the road, but from our place it was downhill and super convenient. We were always cautious with our phones and keys, using waterproof cases and plastic bags — can’t be too careful. And all of our stuff survived the water.

Also, we had this wild bat encounter with a local guy who basically shows off his trained bat doing tricks. It was kinda creepy and not my thing, but Peter loved it. The bat took papaya from his hand — a real showstopper. This was on our way to one of the beaches. It is a hike and I’d totally recommend it — it’s called the Anse Major Trail on Mahé. It’s around 45 to 60 minutes in the heat and humidity, so it feels tougher than it sounds. But the payoff is epic: a beautiful, almost private beach at the end. The hike through the jungle was an experience in itself. To beat the hike back, we caught a boat taxi — there’s this service called 'Happiness' that runs about every hour. It cost around 150–200 Seychellois Rupees each, which is around 10 euros, and whisked us back to the port. Super convenient and a great way to kick back after the trek.

One day, we visited this waterfall — and honestly, it was pretty cool. The locals were jumping in, a few tourists around, and it was a bit jungle-y, but I really liked it.

There are tons of beaches you can visit — just check Google Maps, look at the ratings. Near our accommodation, we actually saw stingrays in the water! We didn’t even realise it at first because the sign about the rays was a bit further away, so it was quite a surprise. Nothing happened, of course, but they were really close to the shore.

On our way to the ferry, we stopped by the Takamaka Factory. They had turtles, rum tastings, and cocktails. It was like a little garden party. If we had known earlier, we would have visited sooner — but hey, better late than never!

Then we arrived at the ferry, returned our car, checked our luggage, and sailed off to Praslin. Heads up, the speedboat ride was rough! The waves had us tossing and turning, and one guy got seasick, but I managed kinda okay. The crew was constantly keeping an eye on us.

At the accommodation, the locals kept giving us tiny bananas — they’re so sweet! But pro tip: don’t pack bananas in your bag because they’ll get squished and make a mess.

After a few days at that place, ants started to appear — even in our things! I had my Converse shoes by the wall, so I had to wash them. Luckily, there was a washing machine there, just like at our first place.

We had a pool, but only used it twice. The weather was hot, but you’d often get a quick, intense rain shower — never the whole day.

Beaches like Anse Lazio are jaw-droppingly beautiful, though the waves can get wild, so watch your gear — we lost my sunglasses and Peter’s bracelet playing in the surf. But that was our bad!

Oh, and pro tip: bring loads of sunscreen — the stuff there is crazy expensive and some have weird whitening effects. We ended up peeling the colour off for days!

We tried a fruit called “dunka,” or “cotton fruit” in English. It’s basically a pit covered in juicy pulp. You spit out the pit once you eat the pulp. We even smuggled one home, so our family got to taste it.

We also took a day trip to Curieuse Island — home of the giant land turtles roaming freely, not like the zoo. They were very active and willing to interact with us, the best experience ever. We even went through a mangrove forest to get to the other side of the island, where they organised a fish barbecue. After Peter went snorkeling at Saint Pierre, a popular spot nearby, but I hopped on another boat back to the shore and I chilled with a book since deep water isn’t my jam. I even walked around alone as a woman. It’s not the most comfortable place — guys do say hi — but it wasn’t scary at all. Staying on the main street, there were plenty of people, so it felt safe.

Another day trip was on La Digue, and renting bikes there is a must. We met some Slovak girls who showed us the way to Grand Anse and Petite Anse, the iconic beaches with those huge granite boulders — absolutely breath-taking. This must have been the most mesmerising beach I have ever seen, honestly. We spent about half a day on the island, and the Slovak women we met said they had stayed for around 10 days, which is quite long because it’s a small island. Honestly, 2-3 nights would be perfect to explore all the beaches.

On Praslin, there’s a Virgin Coconut Oil Factory where they sell amazing coconut jam. We brought some back home, along with papaya jam and other treats. When you enter, they offer tastings of all their jams, including a coconut nougat. You can also buy local coconut soap there.

Before heading home, we spent a night on Mahe near the airport, just in case the ferries didn’t run — but no worries, they run rain or shine. You can go from Praslin or La Digue directly home. Last night had a funny moment: I bought some food that was terrible and got followed by a homeless guy asking for booze — I gave him the food and he was very adamant. Just avoid the airport area.

One highlight was the view of planes landing. There aren’t many flights per day, so it was a cool little surprise. Behind us was a majestic mountain — the place was on a hill, so we had to climb with our suitcases. We took a taxi because we didn’t have a car anymore, and it was about 50 euros from Mahe ferry terminal to the accommodation — roughly 15-20 minutes. So taxis aren’t super cheap, but sometimes you don’t have a choice.

At this place, the host had a domesticated bat — they treated it like a baby or a dog! My partner played with it, but with some respect — definitely a unique experience.

Everyone speaks English, from market vendors to hotel staff — which made getting around super easy. The locals were warm and friendly, totally different vibe from Zanzibar, where it feels more touristy-money-driven.

Random Fun Facts

• Watch out for huge spiders outside, usually in the bushes and trees, but inside, mostly tiny ones like back home. There are also little lizards, but they don’t bother you. We saw one big cockroach — not cool. Some places online warned about cockroaches, but the car rental guy said it’s not normal to see them in hotels. The one we saw was probably an outdoor kind, and it quickly disappeared.

• Street dogs are there, but mostly in okay shape, and locals feed them. Still sad.

• You’ll see tons of tuned cars — car culture is big there.

• The rum from Takamaka is cheaper to buy back home than on the islands — wild, right?

• Don’t miss Glorious Bakery near the port on La Digue for amazing pastries and buy the bitter lemonade drink from the brand Sey Pearl – delish!

• Eggs are stored unrefrigerated but safe — weird but true!

Seychelles felt different compared to Zanzibar. Zanzibar was definitely cheaper for food and accommodation. Roads are paved and easy to get around by car, unlike Zanzibar where many roads are gravel and get flooded when it rains. Zanzibar feels wilder.

The beaches here in Seychelles are definitely a highlight compared to Zanzibar. Zanzibar has huge tidal shifts — sometimes the sea retreats for kilometres, making swimming difficult.

Overall, I’d say Seychelles feels like a less-developed European country — not some wild, unsafe place. You do feel the African vibe in some spots, but often you forget how far away you actually are.

That’s my Seychelles story — beautiful beaches, epic sunsets, wild wildlife, and some real moments that make travel what it is. If you ever get the chance, seriously consider it.

Thanks for hanging out and listening! Catch you next time.

FOTOREPORT