5 days in Seychelles in December. Our Seychelles itinerary (on a budget)

Hey guys, in this post, I wanted to tell you about our experience during our 5 days in Seychelles in December (& on a budget). We were looking for a warm destination for Christmas, and the tickets to all the tropical places were super expensive except for this one to Seychelles, which I bought in a heartbeat (check the prices of the flights to Seychelles now). However, I thought that we will struggle in Seychelles, as Seychelles is always perceived as a costly destination. Well, it’s not exactly correct: you can perfectly stay on a budget in Seychelles and enjoy your holidays a lot. Check my post about the best affordable hotels and apartments in Seychelles!

If you’re interested in the most photogenic locations in Seychelles, head to this post! Also, if you’re choosing between Seychelles and the Maldives, head to this post!

Seychelles in December

We went to Seychelles in December, which is (together with January) the busiest time in Seychelles, but it’s actually the rain season. Hence, the weather could be quite unpredictable. However, we were fortunate, as we only had rain once in 5 days and for a short period, so the weather in Seychelles in December was actually great. This is not the case all the time though, so be prepared that it could be rainy as well.

When it rains in Seychelles, there’s not much you can do, however, some people don’t mind swimming under rain or exploring the parks. Seychelles in December is really unpredictable, and you can never know, which weather would you get (but it’s the same case with any tropical destination). We also got decent weather during the rain season in the Maldives (read more about it in this post).

Flying to Seychelles:

Probably the most expensive thing about travelling to Seychelles is the flight. Seychelles doesn’t have great connections with the outside world, and the airport is tiny. There are only about 7-10 incoming flights a day, and only 1 or 2 from Europe (usually with AirFrance and British Airways). We found the cheapest ticket on Skyscanner, and that was with JOON by AirFrance. The return ticket from London was £550 per person, which is not a bad price as well, especially for flying for Christmas (and technically over Christmas). Check the prices and availability for the flights to Seychelles now!

Affordable accommodation in Seychelles

Seychelles is not all about beautiful resorts and private islands. There are actually way more affordable hotels, resorts and self-catering apartments than the expensive ones. By affordable accommodation I mean that costs less than $150 per night (which is not a high price for a tropical paradise. However, I will mention some properties that cost even less than $100 for the room).

I will tell you about the affordable properties in Seychelles mentioning 3 main islands, but it’s up to you, on which island to stay. If you’re wondering, where to stay in Seychelles and which island on Seychelles is the best, head to my post about the differences between different islands, where I compare Mahe, Praslin and La Digue in detail. Read this post HERE.

Affordable accommodation in Praslin

There is a number of amazing properties located in Praslin. If you’re looking for affordable accommodation, we totally recommend Ocean Jewels Resort, where we stayed for 3 nights. Other options to look at: The Marine Park Cottage, Seashell Self-Catering, Villa Milou.

Affordable properties in Mahe:

Best affordable apartments to stay in Mahe: Les Elles Guesthouse, Sailfish Beach Villas, Kanasuk Self-catering apartments.  We stayed at the far end of the island, in the hotel called Takamaka Green village, a few minutes away from the beautiful Takamaka Beach, however, even though our lodging was gorgeous, we didn’t have good sleep there, so I wouldn’t recommend it. 

Cheap accommodation in La Digue:

Some beautiful, affordable guesthouses and apartments in La Digue to look at: Chalets Anse Reunion, Veronic Self-Catering.

Our Seychelles itinerary for 1 week in Seychelles:

Out of 7 days in Seychelles, we were actually flying 2 days, so in reality, we only had 5 full days in Seychelles, which we split the following way:

Our Seychelles itinerary: 2 days in Praslin (3 nights), 1 day in La Digue (0 nights) and 2 days (2 nights) in Mahe.

Seychelles Days 1-2: Praslin on a budget

On day 1, we landed in Seychelles very early in the morning – around 6:45 am. We decided to start exploring Seychelles from Praslin and booked a ferry about 2 weeks before the trip.

Ferries were actually quite pricey, so if you have a very tight budget, you might want to stay on just one island, and that’s probably going to be Mahe if you’re looking for the most affordable option. However, don’t worry, as I already mentioned in THIS post, Mahe is a great place for swimming and snorkelling.

We, however, decided, to visit all the major islands in Seychelles to be able to choose, which ones we liked the most and to be able to write content about Seychelles having seen a lot.

The cheapest way to get from Mahe to Praslin

The cheapest way to get from Mahe to Praslin is actually by ferry. There are two ways to get to Praslin from Mahe: by plane and by ferry. The flight is slightly more expensive at $80 per person, and the ferry costs $57 per person. There are currently no other ways to get from Mahe to Praslin and vice versa, so you need to pick between these two. If you have a big family or you’re on a very tight budget, travelling between islands might not be the best idea for you. In this case, you can scroll down to the tips for travelling in Mahe on a budget.

How to travel around Praslin

As I mentioned, out budget wasn’t extremely tight, and besides we wanted to see as much as possible in Seychelles, so we decided to hire cars in Praslin and Mahe and a bike in La Digue. We hired a car for 3 days from Capricorn Car Rental and paid around 150 Eur ($171). We were delighted with Capricorn Car Rental and the vehicle, so we would definitely recommend the service.

However, you can also travel around Praslin by bus – there’s a public bus, that connects the airport, ferry terminal and even Anse Lazio, so if you manage to find the bus schedule, you’ll be fine. Travelling by taxi in Praslin is quite pricey so we wouldn’t recommend it.

[vc_message style=”round” message_box_color=”success” icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-check”]If you’re interested, what gear do I use to take photos, I have Sony A7 III with Samyang 35 mm prime lens. I edit all my photos with Adobe Lightroom – it’s super easy to use and it allows to apply one preset (filter) to multiple photos.
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What we did in Praslin in 2 days:

As we arrived pretty tired at our hotel Ocean Jewels resort and it was already 12:30 pm. We decided to eat the snacks we brought from London with us: various protein bars, cup soups and nuts, but also bought some local fruits on the way. The fruits aren’t very cheap in Seychelles, so prepare to pay about $10 for papaya, mango, some apples and bananas in Praslin (however, it also depends on the shop). I don’t recommend the store called “Whole Foods Store” – it has nothing to do with the actual Whole Foods and the quality of the products is deficient and the prices are exaggeratedly high in Whole Foods store on Praslin.

After having a quick lunch, we drove to explore the beaches of our side of Praslin (our self-catering resort was close to the Airport). Unfortunately, everything was covered by seaweed except for a lovely secluded beach near the Fond Ferdinand, where we stayed until the sunset.

For dinner, we just bought groceries again and decided to cook the seafood pasta. A bag of groceries including the food for breakfast and the next day and 0.6 kg of frozen crab was around $20, which isn’t too bad.

Eating out in Praslin: cheap places to eat in Seychelles

We didn’t want to spend the entire 2 days in Praslin just cooking food or eating protein bars, that’s why next day, we did proper research and found a couple of spots, frequented by the locals. The average price of a meal for 2 a “normal” restaurant for lunch is around $60-70, which, in my opinion, is quite high, so we decided to look for the places, where locals go. We found out, that Praslin has a lot of so-called takeaways, where you get a box of rice or fries with some veggies and a piece of fish or chicken (or something else). The first takeaway we went to was located in front of the Farish Family Mart, and the price of a box with fish (Mackerel) & rice & lentils was about 45 SCR which is just $3.3! The box was delicious, honestly, so we got a similar box for dinner as well (a bit more expensive – as it was for dinner and in another place – but still, it was no more than $4.5). As we learnt, the takeaways are great and cheap places to eat in Seychelles.

On the second day in Seychelles, besides visiting 2 takeaways, we went to the Valle de Mai to see the famous Coco de Mer. I didn’t know the price beforehand, and it was actually around $28 per person, which is a lot considering the fact, that there isn’t much to see in Vallee de Mai. I wouldn’t recommend going there if you’re on a tight budget in Seychelles.

Afterwards, we walked 15 min on the highway to see the waterfall and later went to the famous Anse Lazio that is considered to be one of the most beautiful and best beaches in the world.

Day 3: Praslin to La Digue: Exploring La Digue in a day

We decided to go to La Digue only for a day to avoid the hassle of moving with our suitcases from island to island. Going from Mahe to Praslin was tiring enough, so we didn’t want to repeat the journey, even though the ride from Praslin to La Digue only takes 15-20 minutes.

Praslin to La Digue: how to get there

You can either buy a one-day tour that will bring you to La Digue and the neighbouring islands or buy a ticket to the ferry and decide for yourself, how much time to spend on the island. The cheapest option for travelling to La Digue from Praslin is the second one. The price of the ferry to La Digue is 15 Eur (17 USD) per person one way.

Things to do in La Digue during a day trip

Apart from swimming and snorkelling and riding everywhere by bike, you can also go on a tour hopping the islands nearby. However, these tours aren’t very budget-friendly, so we decided to skip them.

Renting a bike in La Digue costs 150 SCR for a day (per bike) ($11), which is quite pricey for the condition of the bikes they give you. Take your time and check your bike in advance, as mine, for example, as it turned out, had broken speeds and I couldn’t ride uphill in this bike as the chain was skipping rounds. My bike always sounded like it’s going to collapse any second. It survived until 5pm, but surely it wouldn’t survive a couple of days.

La Digue has a fair amount of hills, so having a decent bike is crucial to enjoying the island and riding around it. You might think that La Digue is tiny, but it’s not as small, and sometimes you need to ride somewhere for 40-50 minutes (but that’s pretty much from one end of the island to the other one).

Don’t forget to bring a UK-type plug and a really strong mosquito repellent to Seychelles!

What we did in La Digue in 1 day:

The first thing we did upon arrival at La Digue was hiring two bikes: as I mentioned above, that was 150 SCR per person. Immediately we started driving to the famous beach Anse Source D’Argent: the beach that appears on all the photo in Google when you type “Seychelles”. It wasn’t that full yet, as we arrived on the first ferry. The weather was sunny and nice, and the beach looked particularly pretty.

Beaches in La Digue: La Digue in 1 day

However, you need to keep in mind, that the entrance to Anse Source D’Argent is not free: to get in, you need to pay something like 120 SCR ($8.5) per person for a day. You need to keep the ticket to re-enter later, in case you want to re-enter.

We only spent an hour in Anse Source D’Argent before heading to Grand Anse on the other side of the island. Grand Anse is a fabulous beach. However, it doesn’t have any vegetation to cover you from the sun, unlike almost all the other beaches, where you can hide from the sun under a palm tree or a giant stone. Also, the current was pretty strong in Grand Anse, so swimming was dangerous. However, Grand Anse was really photogenic, and we managed to get a couple of beautiful shots there. If you’re interested in other locations for good photos in Seychelles, head to this post. 

Before heading to some other beaches, we went for a juice to Simon’s juice bar (it’s not very budget-friendly, as it appeared) and grabbed a bit of food in the takeaway nearby. The price for a lunch box was about 60 SCR, and we happily shared this giant box of noodles between us both.

Another beach we explored in La Digue was Anse Severe, however, in December it has almost no water, a lot of seaweed and overall, wasn’t suitable for swimming. We also drove to the Anse Patates (a beautiful photogenic beach), but the waves were pretty strong again, and the tiny beach was completely packed.

Snorkelling in La Digue

When going to La Digue, we expected it to be a wonderful place for snorkelling. However, I must say, that snorkelling in the Maldives, was way more impressive. In fact, snorkelling in Mahe was also a bit better than in La Digue. The only beach we found suitable for snorkelling in December in La Digue was Anse Source D’Argent and that only in one spot. However, this one spot was pretty amazing, so it was a pleasure to observe fishes there.

We took the ferry at 5:45 pm to get back to Praslin, where we started packing to go to Mahe next day.

Days 4 & 5 of the Seychelles itinerary: Mahe island

Our 2 days in Mahe: the best beaches of Mahe

As I mentioned in my previous post, Mahe really has terrific beaches, and in my opinion, Mahe has the best beaches in Seychelles. Mahe is bigger than other island and has the biggest local population as well, that’s why it’s also the most affordable island of all.

We bought the tickets for the first ferry and were in the ferry terminal in Mahe already at 9:30 am to pick up our car. Unlike Praslin, many international car rental companies are operating in Mahe, you can check the availability and prices on Rentalcars.com, but I’d say a reasonable price for a car would be 40-50 euros per day.

Best beaches in Mahe, Seychelles

The first beach we went to visit was Beau Vallon. Beau Vallon was a long, gorgeous sandy beach with plenty of food and drink options nearby. We had a mocktail in one of the beach bars (50 SCR per person) and then bought a takeaway box of 450g of fresh grilled tuna with rice and vegetables just for 150 SCR, which tasted amazing and was enough to feed us both.

It was time to check in in our hotel Takamaka Green Village, so it took us almost an hour to get there from Beau Vallon (our accommodation was located on the opposite side of the island). Takamaka Green Village is located just 8 min walking from a beautiful Takamaka Beach, that I would mention as one of the high-ranked beaches in Mahe as well.

One of the most beautiful beaches in Mahe is Anse Intendance located just a short hike away from Anse Takamaka, however, Anse Intendance has very strong currents and it quite dangerous for swimming.

My favourite beach in Mahe was Port Launay, which we visited during our second day in Mahe. In my opinion, Port Launay is the best beach in Mahe in December & January, because it’s a lagoon, so there’s no wind, the beach has the softest and the whitest sand and many coral reefs perfect for snorkelling.

We also visited Grand Anse in Mahe, however, with strong winds and currents it wasn’t suitable for swimming.

Eating out in Mahe: where to have dinner in Mahe.

It gets dark around 6:45 pm in Seychelles in December, so we left the beach and drove further looking for a place for dinner. On that part of the island, there is not a big selection of spots to eat: we tried La Gaulette, but you need to book it in advance, as it gets busy, went to the Maria’s Rock Cafeteria, but it’s a very basic cafe for families on top of the amusement park, so we ended up driving for 10 minutes and went to Oscar’s Bar. You can have dishes for 250-350 SCR each, so it’s not very affordable if you’re on a tight budget, but since we spent nearly nothing in the previous days, we decided to splurge on dinner.

The next day, we had lunch in a great takeaway near Port Launay beach – it was the tastiest of them all and had dinner in a nice restaurant Del Place. It was the day of our second wedding anniversary, and dinner with starters, mains, 1 dessert and 2 cocktails was around 110 euros. It’s quite expensive but was fine for the anniversary dinner, so keep this place in mind, in case you have any celebrations during your stay in Seychelles.

Summary of our 5 days in Seychelles in December:

On the last day, we woke up very early, before the sunrise and drove all the way to the airport, stopping at the surfers’ bar for the most beautiful sunrise photo. We returned our car at 6:30 am at the airport before proceeding to the check-in. Make sure to arrive at the airport at least 2 hours before the departure, as the queues for check-in are generally enormous and there are very few people working at the counters. We spent about 1 hour queuing for the check-in.

I hope you liked reading this post about 5 days in Seychelles in December & on a budget visiting 3 islands in Seychelles. If you’re looking for the information on which island to stay in Seychelles, head to this post, where I explained that in detail. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask and I wish you a lovely trip!