Picking the best beach in the Seychelles is a herculean task. This sun-kissed archipelago, which lies a thousand miles off the coast of East Africa, is made up of 115 tropical islands, each wrapped in great swaths of idyllic sand.
For sheer eye-candy appeal, we would be sorely tempted to name tiny, untouched Anse Georgette, on the island of Praslin, or surf-lashed Anse Intendance, in the lush south-west corner of Mahé. But both have effectively been annexed in recent years by the arrival of five-star hotels, putting them out of bounds to the public, and for this reason they’re disqualified.
In our opinion, there is one clear winner. Anse Volbert is a sandy crescent, two miles long, that hugs a shallow bay of dazzling blue water on Praslin, the second-largest and arguably the prettiest of all the islands. As well as being gob- smackingly beautiful, the beach has a few small hotels and a couple of friendly creole restaurants where you can tuck into a spicy fish curry and a bottle of Seybrew beer.
In spite of this low-key development, the beach remains remarkably unspoilt. If you were to walk from one end of it to the other, you might come across no more than a dozen people. By our reckoning, it’s quite possibly the most perfect beach in the world.
Lie of the land: Anse Volbert is on Praslin’s north coast, known locally as the Côte d’Or. Long and narrow, it is lined with casuarina and taka- maka trees, which bring exotic birds close to the water’s edge. Just inland is the spectacular Vallée de Mai National Park, a Unesco World Heritage Site.
The sun: the Seychelles are hot year-round, with temperatures hovering between 26C and 32C. A spattering of rain is possible at any time: December and January are wettest, but even then, downpours tend to be short, sharp and refreshing.
The sea: turquoise, warm and crystal clear. The beach shelves gently and there are no rip tides or strong currents, making it ideal for a gentle dip. Dark granite outcrops polished smooth by millenniums of wind and waves dot the horizon. A short boat ride takes you to Curieuse Marine National Park, which teems with hundreds of species of fish and several types of turtle.
The sand: white and powdery. What else did you expect?
Things to do: you really should tear yourself away from that gorgeous sand to visit the Vallée de Mai. Dark and steamy, it is home to the rare black parrot and the coco de mer tree, which has become the emblem of the Seychelles. The female of the tree produces huge nuts that resemble a shapely woman’s bottom and weigh up to 48lb.
The male tree is identified by its long gourds, loaded with seed. According to local legend, under cover of darkness, the male leans over and impregnates the female. Actually, the wind does it.
To see the park, either take a taxi and wander alone around the marked trails, or join a half-day trip, which will cost £28 (children £17), including entrance fees, and can be booked at all the hotels. Tours are also available to Cousine Bird Sanctuary, Curieuse Marine National Park and Coco and Sister Islands. Details from Masons Travel (00 248- 322642, www.masonstravel.com).
At most hotels, you can rent a bicycle for £5-£8 a day and potter around the pretty coast road. Or just mess about in the water — Anse Volbert is ideal for windsurfing, snorkelling and swimming.
Where to stay: the best hotel is L’Archipel (284700, www.larchipel.com), at the eastern tip of the beach, which is known as Anse Gouvernement. Renovated in October 2000, the hotel has plantation-style buildings, an attractive pool and large rooms with private balconies dotted among the mango trees. Doubles start at £267, B&B. Slap in the middle of Anse Volbert is Acajou (232400, www.seychelles.net/acajou), which has lush grounds, a small pool and 28 mahogany-built, cabin-style rooms, each with a sea view; £235 for two, half-board. Nearby, and tucked well away from the road, is the Café des Arts (232170, www.cafe.sc), a stylish little guesthouse created by two local artists. It has four wood-built rooms set in gardens and a suite on the beach; from £115 for two.
If you would rather be out on your own, Les Villas d’Or (232777, www.seychelles.net/villador) has well-equipped one-bedroom villas for £159 per night and two-bedroom villas for £313, both B&B.
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Island-hopping: you don’t have to stick to one beach, or even one island — hopping around is great fun. For sheer indulgence, start or end your trip at the five-star Banyan Tree (01494 876677, www.banyantree.com). It’s the best hotel on Mahé by a country mile — a superb spa, stylish villas with private plunge pools and sole use of Anse Intendance. Mind you, at this price, it ought to be: a two-night package for two, including breakfast and private transfers, starts at £1,215.
A more rustic, and less expensive, option is to take the ferry from Praslin to neighbouring La Digue, where there is no airstrip, and ox-drawn carts still rumble up and down the unsealed roads. The best place to stay is La Digue Island Lodge (00 248-234232, www.seychelles.net/lilodge), which has a great beach and charming thatched rooms set in mature gardens. Doubles start at £169, half-board.
Where to eat: one snag with the Seychelles is that there are few places to eat outside the hotels. Anse Volbert is an exception. Overlooking the beach, with tables laid out under the trees, is La Goulue (232223), a family-run cafe serving simple creole dishes such as grilled fish and rice (£7). Nearby, Laurier Guesthouse (232241) has a nightly buffet (except Wednesday) and creole music with dancing on Sunday evenings. It also serves a mean octopus and coconut curry.
Getting there: Air Seychelles (01293 596656, www.airseychelles.co.uk) flies direct from Heathrow to Mahé; from £499. Or try British Airways (0870 850 9850, www.ba.com), also from Heathrow; from £661. Travelselect (0871 222 3213, www.travelselect.co.uk) has flights from Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bristol and 11 other UK airports with KLM, via Amsterdam; from £400. Or try Opodo (0870 241 7051, www.opodo.co.uk) or STA Travel (0870 160 6070, www.statravel.co.uk).
Air Seychelles flies more than 20 times a day between Mahé and Praslin; the flight takes 15 minutes, with return fares costing about £70.
Tour operators: a week’s B&B at L’Archipel starts at £1,538pp between January 5 and July 15 with Sunset Faraway (020 7498 9922, www.sunset.co.uk), including Heathrow flights with Air Seychelles. Connecting flights from Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow or Newcastle start at an extra £75pp. A week’s half-board at Acajou starts at £1,396pp with Trailfinders (020 7937 3939, www.trailfinders.co.uk), including Heathrow flights with Air Seychelles. Connecting flights from Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds/Bradford, Manchester, Newcastle or Teesside start at an extra £86pp.
Other operators include Carrier (01625 547030, www.carrier.co.uk); Elite Vacations (01707 371000, www.seychelleselite.co.uk); ITC Classics (01244 355527, www.itcclassics.co.uk); Kuoni (01306 743000, www.kuoni.co.uk); Thomas Cook Worldwide (0870 443 4441, www.tcsignature.com); and Worldwide Journeys & Expeditions (020 7386 4646, www.worldwidejourneys.co.uk). In Ireland, Twohigs Worldwide Holidays (01 648 0800, www.twohigs.com) has a week’s B&B at the Lemuria Resort from €3,329pp, including flights from Dublin.
More information: Seychelles tourist board (020 7202 6363, www.aspureasitgets.com).
