Praslin & La Digue: Coco de Mer, Anse Lazio & Granite Beaches

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.36 (11 reviews)

Free cancellation

1/18

Duration8h

GroupUp to 2

LanguagesEN · FR

PickupAt your hotel

Two Islands, One Day: Seychelles' Rarest Nut & Its Most Photographed Beaches

You visit Praslin's Vallee de Mai rainforest and Anse Lazio beach, then boat to La Digue for an ox-cart tour of L'Union Estate and the granite cliffs of Anse Source d'Argent. Lunch and all entry fees are included, with hotel pickup and return. The full day runs 11 hours, starting before dawn.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Praslin and La Digue Islands

Transfer from Mahe to Praslin by boat
Walk in Vallee-de-Mai forest
See Coco-de-Mer nuts and Black Parrot
Visit Anse Lazio beach
Boat crossing to La Digue
Spot dolphins during crossing
Ox-cart transfer to L'Union Estate
Tour copra sheds and tortoises
Visit colonial plantation house
Camion tour to Anse Source d’Argent
Photograph granite rock formations
Return transfer to Mahe by boat

The Experience

The boat leaves Mahe early — pickup starts at 5:45am depending on which side of the island your hotel sits on — and you're on the water before most of Seychelles wakes up. The crossing to Praslin takes about an hour, and honestly, the first thing that catches you off guard is how fast the dolphins show up. You're not even thinking about them yet, and then someone points and there they are, moving alongside the boat like they're part of the route. Once you land on Praslin, the day splits into two halves: the forest and the beaches.

Vallee de Mai is the thing you came for, even if you didn't know it. It's a World Heritage Site, which sounds formal, but what it means is you're walking through a primeval forest where the giant coco de mer nut grows nowhere else on earth — the only place. The paths are tended, so you're not hacking through jungle, but the air feels old, and the Black Parrots call from somewhere you can't quite see. It's the kind of place that makes the "Garden of Eden" legend feel less like marketing and more like something someone actually believed when they stood there. After that, Anse Lazio beach hits different — it's one of the most photographed beaches in the world, and you'll understand why the moment you see the granite formations rising out of the sand. Lunch happens somewhere in here, included in the day, so you're not hunting for food or watching the clock.

Then comes the 30-minute boat crossing to La Digue, and this is where the day gets genuinely strange in the best way. Life moves differently there. Your transfer from the jetty is by ox-cart — actual oxen, not a metaphor — heading to L'Union Estate. You'll see the copra sheds, walk past giant land tortoises that have been there longer than most countries, and tour the colonial plantation house that was used as a filming location for "Goodbye Emmanuelle" back when that mattered. After that, an open-sided truck called a camion takes you to Anse Source d'Argent, which is possibly the most spectacular beach in the world if you believe the photographs. The granite boulders are enormous and sculptural, and you get real time to shoot them, swim, or just sit with the fact that you've seen three of Seychelles' best things in a single 11-hour push.

The whole day is structured so you don't have to think about boats, timing, or how to get between islands — that's all arranged. You're picked up from your hotel and dropped back, and the only real constraint is the early start. If you're not a morning person, this one will test you. But if you can make peace with 5:45am, you'll see two islands and understand why people come back to Seychelles.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and return transfer to Mahe, two-way boat transfers between Mahe and Praslin, entry to Vallee de Mai World Heritage Site, visit to Anse Lazio beach on Praslin, boat crossing to La Digue with dolphin-spotting opportunity, ox-cart transfer to L'Union Estate, tour of the colonial plantation house and copra sheds, time at Anse Source d'Argent beach, and a full lunch. All entrance fees and taxes are covered.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditions

Operated by VISION VOYAGES DMC PTY LTD

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see Seychelles' two most visited islands and their signature attractions without arranging separate boats, timing, or entry tickets — the 11-hour structure and early pickup are what make both islands possible in one day.