Travel Counsellors’ Dennis Jackson visited the Seychelles for the first time and found it would suit families as well as couples and honeymooners. Here he reveals some highlights of the islands and of his trip

The Seychelles – the mere mention of the name conjures up images of an island paradise and an idyllic existence. Over the years I’ve booked holidays for and sent couples on honeymoon to these islands without fully understanding the ethos of this special area in the Indian Ocean.

Like many agents who had not visited the area previously, it was hard to visualise what the area would be like when looking at mere specks on a map.  I was looking forward to visiting Denis Island in particular, as I had spoken to people who had been there previously and had heard about it in presentations.

From the first sight of Mahe when coming in to land, I was not to be disappointed. We had a seamless transfer through the airport upon arrival and joined our 20-seat plane for the 30-minute flight to Denis Island. The island, which is privately owned, is an ideal destination as part of a twin-centre holiday and/or for honeymoons as it has only 26 villas. Guests are allowed to roam all over the 375-hectare island and encouraged to look at all facilities. The hotel promotes an eco-friendly approach as most of the food served is farmed and grown on site. I would recommend a three to four-night stay on Denis Island for couples looking for solitude and total relaxation as they do not have much in the way of organised activities. The island is surrounded by a coral reef and a breeding area for turtles so motorised watersports are not permitted. 

The Constance Lemuria is a much larger hotel on Praslin, with more of a resort atmosphere. The complex includes the only 18-hole golf course in the Seychelles and features the Anse Gorgette Beach, ranked one of the top five in the world, which can be used for weddings. I would recommend this for couples or families who prefer a larger hotel with a range of facilities.

Transferring from Praslin back to the Hilton Northolme on Mahe – a mere 15- minute flight – was quite a change as the Hilton is a much smaller, more intimate hotel. They have an excellent spa overlooking the bay area and a sheltered beach for swimming and snorkelling. Ian Fleming wrote a number of his novels at the original hotel on this site and I would recommend the Ian Fleming Suite, where I stayed, for those wanting something unique as it boasts a circular bed and a number of James Bond-themed items in the room.

The Four Seasons Hotel on Mahe is relatively new and contains a mix of privately-owned villas and hotel villas. It has really taken the lead in the wow-factor stakes with its Hilltop Villas which, at 250 square metres in size, are magnificent as they overlook the resort and beach in the valley below and one cannot beat swimming in the infinity pool outside one’s villa. The villas also have good facilities for families with children, and they would be good for honeymoon couples too. However, I would not recommend them for anyone with walking difficulties as although guests are ferried around on golf buggies, you are still required to negotiate stairs and steep inclines in various parts of the resort.

The Saint Anne Resort on Saint Anne Island is a 10-minute boat ride from Mahe but a world apart from the main island as it is the only hotel on Saint Anne. One unique feature that stood out is that each guest is provided with a bicycle. The facilities are spread out and this is an ideal way in which to get around the hotel and the island. Saint Anne offers an excellent range of watersports and has a good spa offering a wide range of treatments. 

Hotels for all

In addition to staying at these hotels I visited a number of other properties. These included the ultra-exclusive Maia resort, which caters for health and wellbeing and offers a personal butler service to the four-star Paradise Sun and Coco de Mer hotels on Praslin, which would suit those with more moderate budgets. I had always thought of the Seychelles as a honeymoon-only destination and never really considered it as an option for other types of holidays.

Since returning, though, I’ve realised it is an excellent destination for families and couples as well as honeymooners. I flew with Air Seychelles and could not fault its service. My only criticism would be that our flight touched down in Zurich for an hour in each direction. As passengers are not permitted to leave the aircraft, some may find this tedious and may prefer to choose a day when the service is direct.

The old adage of having been there, done that certainly rings true when it comes to the Seychelles. I’ve found it so much easier to sell as a destination now that I understand the differences between the various islands, and know that one five-star hotel is not the same as another five-star hotel. The hotels and islands are diverse and one certainly needs to know and understand their differences before sending clients there. Since returning home I’ve secured two bookings on the strength of having that first-hand knowledge.