Seychelles Travel Guide

Seychelles runs on quiet luxury. A resort that lets the setting do most of the talking. A boatman who knows which cove is empty today. That same calm shows up in a private-island villa as much as in a family-run guesthouse. None of it is written into an itinerary, and it's usually what people remember most.

It's also easy to plan badly. The islands are small, but they are separate, and that's the trap: transfers by ferry, plane and boat take more time than the map suggests, and travellers try to hop across too many islands and spend half the trip on the move. A good trip and a great one rarely differ by how many islands were on the list. They differ by how much time you actually had on each one.

We've been designing holidays since 2013. Not templates, routes built around how you like to travel. We pick the island and the stay before the itinerary, the pace before the sights, and we'll tell you when something isn't worth your time. This is our Seychelles Travel Guide. You can find our opinions on what places to include, what time to visit, how long your visit should be and more.

Food is usually what people talk about most when they get back. Seychellois Creole cooking blends African, French, Indian and Chinese influences. Expect fresh grilled fish, octopus and fish curries in coconut milk, breadfruit and cassava, and ladob, a dessert of plantain or sweet potato in coconut milk. Mahé's Victoria market and beachfront takeaways serve some of the best food on the islands, and Takamaka rum and Seybrew beer are the local drinks.

One thing worth being honest about, Seychelles is expensive for dining, since much of the food is imported, and vegetarian options are more limited than in the big Asian destinations. Resorts and villas can prepare vegetarian meals with notice, and we brief them in advance. We don't pick restaurants by reputation, we pick them based on what you actually want, whether that's a Creole lunch by the sea, a villa chef, or a sunset dinner on the sand.

Quick tip: Ask your driver or villa staff where they eat. Small Creole cafés often serve better local food than the resort restaurants.

Shopping here rewards a slower pace. Local art and paintings, Creole crafts, batik and sarongs, spices such as vanilla and cinnamon, and Takamaka rum are the typical buys. The Domaine de Val des Prés craft village on Mahé is a good place to browse, and the Victoria market is worth a morning.

Hotels commonly quote in euros, and Seychelles rupees are the local currency. ATMs are available on Mahé and Praslin, and cards are accepted at resorts.

Travenza tip: Carry some Seychelles rupees for markets, taxis and small cafés. Cash is handy for the smaller places.