Beyond the beaches: Exploring the abundant wildlife of the Seychelles
Most holidaymakers and honeymooners visit the Seychelles to relax on pristine white beaches, but it’s the awe-inspiring wildlife that can elevate a trip to the east African archipelago.
The second largest island, Praslin – where I’m staying – is one of only two that naturally grows the world’s largest and heaviest seed, known as the Coco De Mer, which functions as an unofficial cultural mascot for the country, featuring on souvenirs, currency and the Seychelles’ coat of arms.
Geckos, which are thought to be pollinators of the Coco De Mer, dominate the Vallée de Mai nature reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and palm forest I visited that sits in the heart of Praslin and remains largely unchanged since prehistoric times.
During my short stay, I enjoy buffet-style meals in the hotel’s dining area, a light and bright floor space that overlooks a beach almost untouched by humankind, albeit for a few long-tail boats dotted along the shore.
A trip to the Seychelles would not be complete without a visit to the main island of Mahe, home to the country’s capital, Victoria – a seaside city with market stalls and restaurants offering a taste of Creole culture amid a backdrop of towering mountains with granite peaks.
The resort feels expansive; rooms are contained in buildings dotted across the resort and guests hop onto golf buggies to make the route down to the main building via a winding path lined with palm trees and vibrant hibiscus flowers.
Thought of as an ideal location for honeymooners, I also find the hotel to be perfect for an easy-going solo trip, offering a trifecta of relaxation, indulgence and great food.
The hotel also offers a range of activities, including a cocktail-making class, which I happily participated in, concocting a bold-tasting drink using Takamaka rum, a spirit that has been crafted in the Seychelles since 2002.
Co-founder Gvantsa Khizanishvili conducts a tour of the grounds, showing their bananas, pomegranates, pineapples, soursop and more – all of which are grown atop a hillside offering expansive views of the island, and all of which I ate at the end of the tour.
The resort, which was recently awarded two Michelin Keys (the hotel version of a Michelin star), is predominately powered through solar panels and offers farm-to-table dining, sourced almost exclusively from its internal farm.
The lack of Wi-Fi – which is only available in the main building – provides a welcome reprieve from social media and awards me an appreciation for a slower style of living where you can wake up to the call of sea birds and lapping waves, rather than a piercing alarm and half an hour of phone scrolling.
Robyn Shield, PR and branding manager of the group that runs Denis, says: “The fact that there is no internet, that there’s no TV, it means people are connecting with each other and talking to each other, going outside, doing activities.
After landing on the island I immediately go for a swim, but it was only when I went snorkelling the next day I realised I had been floating above myriads of tropical fish, turtles and multicoloured coral.
Another surprise came walking past a large enclosure filled with the Aldabra giant tortoise, a species native to the Seychelles.
Curious about the reptiles, I get speaking to the staff who let me feed the tortoises at breakfast time and tell me that, while most of the tortoises would not have hatched on the island, they could not be certain for the older ones as they would have been born before any of the island’s current inhabitants.
From hearing the calls of endangered birds during a massage on the beach to feeding a 128-year-old tortoise named Toby, my experience on the island – and of the Seychelles as whole – proved to be a tranquil journey rich in culture and wildlife.
How to book
Turquoise Holidays (turquoiseholidays.co.uk) prices start from £3,995 per person combining one night (half board, standard room) at Indian Ocean Lodge, Praslin; two nights’ B&B in a king deluxe room at Mango House, Mahe; and two nights full board in a beach villa at Denis Islands.
Prices includes all private transfers, internal flights in the Seychelles and return international flights on Etihad from London Heathrow (based on two people travelling in June 2026).