Why Seychelles
A hundred and fifteen islands in two groups that have nothing in common. The inner islands — Mahé, Praslin, La Digue — are granite, mountainous, inhabited, and take almost all the visitors. The outer islands, coral and flat, lie hundreds of kilometres away and are reached by cruise or private flight.
There is no clear dry season: the archipelago is equatorial and it rains all year in short bursts. What changes is the wind. The south-east monsoon blows from May to September and roughens the sea on exposed coasts; the north-west monsoon, from November to March, is warmer and wetter. The turning months, April and October, are the calmest.
Entry and stay
Seychelles requires no visa of any nationality for stays under three months. That is rare and worth stating plainly.
However, a paid travel authorisation is compulsory for everyone, with no exemption by nationality. It is applied for online before departure and requires your flight, accommodation and insurance details. The authorisation arrives by email and must be shown at boarding and again on arrival at Mahé. Without it, the airline will not board you.
Source: France Diplomatie, checked on 22 September 2026. The fee is not quoted here because it was not verified on the official portal.
Getting around
Mahé, Praslin and La Digue form the workable triangle. The fast ferry links Mahé to Praslin in about an hour and Praslin to La Digue in fifteen minutes; it is the structuring transport and should be booked ahead in high season.
The inter-island flight between Mahé and Praslin takes about fifteen minutes and serves as the alternative when the sea is rough.
On La Digue there are almost no cars: you get around by bicycle, and it is the only place in the archipelago where cycling is genuinely the main mode. On Mahé, the public bus covers the island and costs very little.
Money
The Seychellois rupee. Cards work in hotels, restaurants and supermarkets; small shops, markets and taxis prefer cash.
This is an expensive destination, and the gap between a boutique hotel and a guesthouse is considerable. Seychellois-run guesthouses, numerous on Mahé and La Digue, change the budget entirely compared with the private-island resorts.
Health
No vaccination is required for entry from Europe. Malaria is absent from the archipelago.
The real health issue is remoteness: serious hospital facilities are on Mahé, and an evacuation from an outer island means an air ambulance. Insurance covering repatriation is not optional here.
Before you go
The Vallée de Mai on Praslin and Anse Source d'Argent on La Digue are ticketed and capped: go early.
The coco de mer, the archipelago's emblematic nut, may only leave the country with an export permit issued at the point of purchase. Without that permit, customs will seize it.
Chemical sun protection is regulated around the reefs: several sites ask for mineral creams. Bringing one costs less than buying it locally.