Praslin Island is one of our favorite stop around Seychelles. Right from all the coastlines to white powdery beaches, palm trees everything is just perfect and you can feel what we mean by this, once you land. We fell in love with Seychelles from the moment we stepped in, which is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful destinations on the globe. It is also one of the most travelled islands in the archipelago and we would love to share our Praslin Travel Guide in Seychelles with you. Here is our Ultimate Praslin Tour Guide 2021 and a list of things to do in Praslin. Also Praslin is a home to extinct species like Aldabra tortoise and the very rare Coco de Mer palm. Read through our Praslin Guide to know Praslin Hotels to stay at and our perfect Praslin Itinerary 3 days. Our Praslin 3 day itinerary or Praslin Island Itinerary along with tips should help you make your perfect plan. You can find more in depth Praslin Island Guide or Praslin Travel Blog here.
Check out our Top 10 photos from Praslin to inspire you to visit this beautiful island.
Here is our complete Praslin Tour Guide 2021 in Seychelles
How to reach Praslin : Praslin Tour Guide
We boarded our flight from Nairobi, Kenya and reached this beautiful island in couple of hours of flying. We landed in Mahe International Airport, Seychelles and directly made our transfer to Praslin Island through Air Seychelles flight.
You need to pre-book your flights or ferry whichever is convenient. There are direct ferry connections between Mahe to Praslin (The Cat Cocos). You can check their updated schedule on their Facebook page. However, the Praslin Domestic Airport operates flights daily from 5am to 10.30pm. These are small charter flights which can accommodate 15-20 people at a time and which reaches by 15mins. You can definitely check any of these modes depending on your flight schedule. Also ferry transfers might be cheaper in comparison to flights while we opted for the flight.
The charter flight from Mahe to Praslin was an unique experience. Both Mahe and Praslin airport runways look magnificent from top with water surrounding them and the view from the flight is absolutely mesmerizing. So for the best of experience we would suggest you must spend at-least 3 days in Praslin including day trip to Curieuse and St Pierre islands.
Helpful tips about Praslin Island Seychelles
Car rental : Praslin Tour Guide
Praslin as an Island is only 39kms in acre and is very convenient to travel around. The public transportation like buses are easily accessible to tourists which runs from 5am – 9pm daily, but for the current Covid 19 scenario the government has stopped this facility for tourists. Also one of the best ways to get around this Island is to rent a car (costs between 30-45Euro per day). We decided to rent a car and explore this beautiful Island and all its beaches and stopping by wherever we wanted. There are so many gorgeous alleys in and around Praslin and also it’s the best way to see this island.
There are many car rental service which you can book online before reaching Praslin for smooth transfer. We had made our bookings through MC Seychelles(Michel Chetty – Call/WhatsApp: +248 2535389 / 2535336 / 2524039) who gave us very good rental deals and was very helpful for booking other island excursions. We would definitely suggest to book with him not only for car rental but other island trips as well. You can give our reference to him for best rates. You just need to have your country driving license to be able to rent a car.
Tip: Ask for an automatic car if you are comfortable driving one. It is way easier to drive on the steep slopes of Praslin than with a manual one.
Note: Petrol stations: There is only 2 petrol stations available in entire Praslin, so if you are self-driving keep an eye on your fuel tank as well whenever needed.
Interesting Fact: You can collect and deposit your car from anywhere you wish in the island.
Praslin Hotels : Praslin Tour Guide
We stayed at COTE-D’OR LODGE – CLUB VACANZE, which is a budget property right on Cote D’Or Beach. This property also has giant Aldabra tortoises which are really fun watching!!
You can use the this Airbnb link to book your stay in Seychelles and we would get a small credit at no additional cost to you.
Seychelles Currency : Praslin Tour Guide
You can either use Seychellois Rupee (SCR) OR EURO which is easily accepted everywhere. If possible, try to carry some hard cash as most of the local shops don’t accept plastic money apart from few big stores. You would even find many ATMs around all corners so don’t have to worry much if you run short of cash and the best nearby ATMs would be ABSA and MCB.
Tip: ABSA charges greater transaction fee than MCB, hence we always used MCB during our trip.
Flights : Praslin Tour Guide
To reach Praslin from Mahe we booked via Air Seychelles flight. The cost is normally around 100-130 $ one way.
Praslin Island Transfers (Seychelles Ferry/Speed Boat)
Fast Ferries are the mode of island transfers mostly; however you can also opt for luxurious yacht/private speed boats if you wish to. There are direct ferry connections between Mahe – Praslin (The Cat Cocos and CAT ROSE). The cost of Cat Cocos between Mahe to Praslin is around 45 Euro.
Food in Praslin : Praslin Tour Guide
You will find restaurants in all corners of this Island. But the best which worked for us were the take away food joints. If you are not always fussy about food, then this kind of take away food can really be easy on pockets. You can see the take away food boards in every 10mins, which would serve you very good quality food at a minimal rate. Also there are fine dining restaurants which you can check for sure. The take away food chains are very popular in Seychelles if you are on a budget which would cost around (50-80 SCR) per meal per person.
What to pack
We won’t suggest packing dozens of clothes as the domestic transfers also has limit on luggage weights (unless you are making transfers via ferries). The weather is relatively hot and humid throughout so you can basically focus on your beach wears the most. And yeah don’t forget sunscreens and coconut oil (for sand-flies) too!
Snorkeling gears
Be you are a pro or a new water baby don’t forget to carry your water gears. You would definitely need those in almost all beaches where you would find no one around to provide you with those. Also be careful before jumping into any of the beaches which might not be meant for swimming or snorkeling because of the water current or may be for sharp dead corals.
Budget/Cost : Praslin Tour Guide
- One Way Transfer from Mahe to Praslin: Flight – 120$, Ferry – 45 Euro
- Airport/Jetty to Hotel Transfer: 20 – 30 Euro
- Car Rental: 30 – 40 Euro Per Day
- Hotel: 100$ per day for a couple inclusive of breakfast
- Food: 50-80 SCR per meal from takeaway joints
- Vallee De Mai Entry Fee: 350 SCR Per Person
- Fond Ferdinand Entry Fee: 100 SCR Per Person
How to plan Praslin Itinerary 3 days
Day 1 of Praslin Itinerary 3 days : Transfer to Praslin and enjoy the evening at a beach property
After a long flight we reached Praslin by afternoon and kept the evening to rest and recover. We preferred staying at Cote-d’or beach at an ocean facing room villa. We stayed at COTE-D’OR LODGE – CLUB VACANZE, which is budget property. This property also has giant Aldabra tortoises which are really fun watching!! We would highly recommend to keep the first day at leisure relaxing at a good ocean villa. We started our beach hoping from the next sunrise.
You can use the this Airbnb link to book your stay in Seychelles and we would get a small credit at no additional cost to you.
Beaches in Praslin are extra ordinary and insanely gorgeous at the same time. This island has the most impressive beach you’ll find anywhere else in the world. We felt like we are in a ‘living paradise on earth’ throughout out stay.
Praslin is one of the most beautiful island we have ever seen from horizon and from sky. It offers everything one needs for a perfect vacation from lush green jungles to turquoise water.
Day 2 of Praslin Itinerary 3 days: Explore the North & Eastern beaches of Praslin
Finish your breakfast early and leave for some amazing beaches around, so that you can make the most of your time exploring the beaches possible. Here is our top recommendation of beaches which you should not miss in Praslin.
- Anse Lazio Praslin
- Anse Boudin Praslin
- Cote D’Or Praslin
Day 3 of Praslin Itinerary 3 days: Visit Vallée De Mai or Ford Ferdinand to witness the famous Coco Der Mer and later explore the South & West beaches of Praslin
What makes Praslin such a unique place is the Valle De Mai Nature Reserve (entry price 350SCR per person) which is a nature park and UNESCO World Heritage Site on the island of Praslin, Seychelles. It has a climbing hike of 30-40 min(one way). You can only find this endemic Coco de Mer palm, which has the largest double nut seeds, here in Seychelles and not anywhere else in the world. This coco might weigh up to 10- 15 kilograms and interestingly it also takes 8-10 long years to be edible (depending on sizes). Apart all of the incredible beaches in Praslin, this place is a must see. You can even buy a Coco-de- Mer palm if you wish to, but let us tell you it might cost bomb, so be prepared! Please try to buy certified nuts with an export license to avoid unnecessary confusions at the customs. Later explore these beaches!!
- Anse Consolation Praslin
- Anse Georgette Praslin
- Anse Kerlan Praslin
- Castello Beach Praslin
- Grand Anse Praslin
There is a café at COTE-D’OR beach called ‘Café De Arts’ which was one of our favorite and we mostly visited during our stay. Grab some food and drinks while soaking in the views of the gorgeous sunset. You can definitely check it out. Do give it a try!!
Check our detailed Seychelles Itinerary here to plan yours!!
