Vallee de Mai and Anse Lazio Full-Day Tour on Praslin

Praslin: the island of the coco de mer

Praslin is the second largest island of the Seychelles, a fifteen-minute flight or about an hour by ferry from Mahé, and the only place in the world, together with neighbouring Curieuse, where the coco de mer palm grows naturally. The island is small enough to cross by road in half an hour, which is why a Praslin day tour can comfortably join its forest heart with its most famous beach. Our driver collects you at 08:30 from your accommodation anywhere on Praslin.

The drive itself is part of the pleasure: the road climbs over the granite spine of the island through thick palm forest, with views over Baie Ste Anne and the Côte d'Or coast. A Vallée de Mai and Anse Lazio tour is the most popular way to see Praslin in a day, and the small group means our guide has time for every question about the plants and birds you pass.

Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve: the UNESCO palm forest

The Vallée de Mai is a valley of about twenty hectares in the centre of Praslin that has been protected since 1966 and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. It is the last place where a primeval palm forest survives as it was before people arrived: all six palm species endemic to the Seychelles grow here, under a canopy so dense that the light turns green and the huge coco de mer leaves rattle overhead. The walk follows shaded paths with wooden bridges over a small stream.

Our guide leads the walk at an easy pace, about one and a half to two hours, and explains how the coco de mer is pollinated, why the female trees carry their enormous nuts for seven years and which plants were used in traditional Creole medicine. Vallée de Mai opening hours run from morning to late afternoon every day; the entry ticket is paid at the gate and is not included.

Coco de mer, black parrot and the wildlife of the valley

The coco de mer produces the largest and heaviest seed in the plant world, a double coconut that once washed up on distant shores and was believed to come from a tree growing under the sea. In the valley you see male trees with their long catkins and female trees heavy with nuts, and the guide explains the legends that surround them. Look up and listen: the Seychelles black parrot, the national bird, lives only on Praslin and feeds on the fruit of the palms, and its soft whistle often gives it away before you see it.

Other residents include the Seychelles bulbul, the blue pigeon, bronze geckos that live on the palm trunks, tiger chameleons and tree frogs. The best time to visit Vallée de Mai is early morning, when the birds are most active and the paths are quiet, which is exactly when this tour arrives. Bring insect repellent and wear closed shoes; the paths are easy but can be damp.

Anse Lazio: free time on one of the world's great beaches

After the forest, the vehicle drives to the north-west tip of Praslin and down the steep road to Anse Lazio, the beach that appears in almost every list of the best beaches in the world. A long curve of white sand is closed at both ends by rounded granite boulders, takamaka trees give deep shade along the back of the beach, and the water is clear and usually calm enough for swimming. Around the rocks at either end there is good snorkelling if you bring your own mask.

You have free time here for the afternoon, roughly two and a half to three hours. Lunch is not included, so you can eat at a restaurant close to the beach at your own expense or bring a picnic. Is Anse Lazio worth visiting? For most guests it is the single most beautiful place they see in the Seychelles, and arriving by vehicle saves the long, hilly walk from the bus stop.

The practical visit and the way back

Anse Lazio has no lifeguards, so swim within the calm central part of the bay and respect the warning signs if the sea is rough, especially from June to September when the south-east winds blow. There are no changing cabins, so wear your swimwear under your clothes after the forest walk and bring a towel. Shade is plentiful under the trees, but sunscreen and a hat are still essential in the middle of the day.

At the agreed time our driver collects the group and returns everyone to their accommodation, usually around 16:00. If you are wondering how to get to Anse Lazio from your hotel or from the ferry, this tour solves it: the pickup, the drive across the island and the return are all included, so you can concentrate on the forest and the beach.