The Seychelles
Granite boulders, palm forests and quiet beaches of white sand.
The Seychelles are a scatter of granite islands in the Indian Ocean north of Madagascar, older than most islands and shaped differently: pink boulders on white sand, forested peaks, and a palm that grows nowhere else. Mahé, Praslin and La Digue are the three most visitors move between.
Why go
For beaches that are a landscape rather than a strip — Anse Source d'Argent's boulders, Anse Lazio's curve, Anse Intendance's surf — and for a slow, creole island life to go with them: fish curry, bicycles on La Digue, a ferry between islands as the day's event.
And for the nature: the coco de mer palms of the Vallée de Mai, giant tortoises, seabird colonies, and reefs and outer atolls for divers.
Highlights
What people go for, in no particular order.
01Anse Source d'Argent
The beach on La Digue with granite boulders in the shallows and palms behind, reached by bicycle through an old coconut plantation. Late afternoon has the light and the fewest people.
02Anse Lazio and Praslin
The curve of sand and boulders at the north of Praslin, with the Vallée de Mai's palm forest and Anse Georgette down the island.
03The Vallée de Mai
The primeval palm forest on Praslin where the coco de mer grows, with black parrots in the canopy and paths under fronds the size of sails.
04Mahé's beaches and Victoria
Beau Vallon's long bay, Anse Intendance and Anse Takamaka in the south, the tea plantation on the mountain road and the market and clock tower of the small capital.
05La Digue by bicycle
The island with almost no cars, where the day is the beach, the boulders at Grand Anse and Petite Anse on the wild side and the tortoises in the plantation.
06Island hopping and the reefs
Curieuse's tortoises and mangroves, Cousin's seabirds, St Pierre's snorkelling rock, and the boat trips and dives that string them together.
Areas
Where to base yourself, and what each area is like.
Mahé
The main island with the airport, the capital and the widest choice of hotels, from the north's Beau Vallon to the quiet south.
Praslin
A short flight or ferry away, with the Vallée de Mai, Anse Lazio and resorts along the Côte d'Or.
La Digue
Guesthouses and small hotels on the island of bicycles, for the beaches and the pace.
The private islands
Single-resort islands such as Silhouette, Denis and North, each with its own reef and beaches.
When to go: The Seychelles
- Shoulder monthsApril, May, October and November
- The calm months between the trade winds: warm, still seas, clear water for snorkelling and diving. The pick of the year.
- Dry seasonJune – September
- The south-east trades bring cooler, breezier weather and some seaweed on exposed beaches; the sheltered coasts are fine and the sailing is good.
- Wet seasonDecember – March
- The north-west monsoon brings warmth, humidity and showers, with lush islands and calm on the southern shores.
Getting there
Airports
One airport in our search serves the Seychelles. Distances are measured in a straight line.
- SEZSeychelles International · Mahé
Distance from
- BOMMumbai3,260 km
- DXBDubai3,330 km
- JNBJohannesburg3,750 km
- SINSingapore5,430 km
- CDGParis7,850 km
- LHRLondon8,170 km
- SYDSydney10,240 km
- JFKNew York13,580 km
Getting around: The Seychelles
Mahé has a hire-car road around it and buses along the coast; Praslin is a short flight or an hour's fast ferry, and La Digue a further boat ride. Inter-island transfers are arranged with the stay.
On La Digue everything is by bicycle or on foot. Boat trips to the smaller islands and the reefs leave from Praslin and La Digue; the outer islands are by small plane.
Practical facts
The country, its currency and languages, the time zone and the time there now.
- Country
- Seychelles
- Currency
- SCR · Seychellois Rupee
- Languages
- French, English and Seselwa Creole French
- Time zone
- Seychelles Time
- Local time now
- Calling code
- +248
The atlas
The Seychelles in figures
The figures under this guide: the climate on modelled 2001–2020 averages, how far it is from the UAE, and the places around it.
Climate
The weather in the Seychelles, month by month
- Jan28°
- Feb28°
- Mar29°
- Apr29°
- May29°
- Jun27°
- Jul26°
- Aug26°
- Sept27°
- Oct28°
- Nov28°
- Dec28°
- Mild to warm and dry
- Mild to warm, humid or showery
- Hot
- Cool
- Wet
- Cold
Good for going, on these averages: February to November.
Mean highs run from 26°C in July to 29°C in April, with about 1,339 mm of rain in a year.
These are modelled averages for 2001–2020; the seasons described above are our own reading of a typical year.
Month-by-month climate for the SeychellesThe model's grid cell here is mostly sea, so the daily high and low sit closer together than they do on land: afternoons ashore are usually warmer, and nights cooler.
Modelled averages for an area about 50 km across, not a weather station's record: NASA POWER climatology, 2001–2020.
The figures are modelled at Victoria, the atlas city this page's place is measured from.
Airports
How far it is from the UAE
From DXBThe Seychelles
3,330 km
4 hrs 40 mins · Estimate
From AUHThe Seychelles
3,240 km
4 hrs 35 mins · Estimate
The great-circle distance, and a rough flying time: the distance at an average 850 km/h plus 45 minutes for take-off and landing. Real flights follow airways, meet headwinds and wait for traffic, so schedules differ.
On the map
Places near the Seychelles
Plan this trip: The Seychelles
Open the trip builder with the Seychelles already filled in. Flights, stays and everything else are priced together in one quote, prepared by a person on our team.
