The Island of Praslin in the Seychelles is an island of discovery. There is something to see around every corner. Today’s discoveries were our first sights of the world class Anse Lazio Beach, and an exploration walk through the Vallée do Mai to see the Coco De Mere nut.

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This post is one chapter on our trip to the Republic of Tanzania and the Islands of the Seychelles. This trip was redeemed through Air Canada’s Aeroplan and enhanced through World of Hyatt and Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.

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Activity: Scratching Tortoises at Anse Lazio and Examining the World’s Largest Nut at Vallé do Mai, Praslin, Seychelles

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We set out in the complimentary car rental from The Château de Feuilles. We were ready to take advantage of tropical winter weather we had experienced on this particular trip.

We ended up taking a drive through the island over to Anse Lazio. It was a tricky and twisty drive through rain and canyons of canopy trees, but we ended up at the beach for most of the day.

The roads on Praslin Island are quite lush and similar to driving through a jungle. It’s a slow moving and tropic experience travelling around on Praslin.

Our First Steps at Anse Lazio Beach:

Anse Lazio is easily one of the best beaches in the world. Although given that it was a cloudy day, it was less exciting as a first impression. It was still interesting to see some of the natural beauty of this place. The beach itself is known for it’s large granite boulders that make up the west end. We ended up making the most of the day and hanging out with some of the hard core wet weather beach goers.

When it was time for lunch, we ended up having a rustic lunch at Le Chevalier. It’s a name that imagines up an old era castle but instead it’s actually a small bed and breakfast just off the beach. Despite this, we had friendly service and a small beach lunch al fresco. There were several sand crabs in the area that were pretty active at scampering across the grounds, making for some entertaining lunch viewing.

Scratching the Aldabra Giant Tortoises:

One of the neat features of Anse Lazio Beach are the fact that they have several Aldabra Gian Tortoises penned in at the beach head. These creatures are absolutely massive and the pictures don’t do them any justice in displaying their size. Don’t ask me why, but they seem to like having the packs of their necks scratched. It’s the thing to do and they seem to respond well to it.

We headed back to the property later that afternoon with dinner up at a roadside restaurant in the Anse Volbert area. Although we had lack lustre weather on day one, we were able to get out and about to get ourselves situated.

We took in a leisurely breakfast, then packed up the car for the day to head to Vallée do Mai.

Visiting Vallée do Mai:

Vallée do Mai is a UNESCO heritage site that offers the opportunity to get close to the Coco Do Mere nut. It is reportedly the largest nut grown in the world. The trees last up to 250 years and the nuts take several dozens of years to germinate. It is a symbol that the Seychellois appear to be exceptionally proud of.

After paying our entrance fee at a steep $21 USD per person, we took a 1 hour walk through the Vallé do Mai forest. It was amazing to see some of the frocks and underbrush. It was really an example of how thick the vegetation was around Praslin.

We were able to get up to the top view point which offered a view of the forest. The forest and landscape surrounding Praslin Island was lush thick.

We left the Vallée do Mere quite satisfied with the eco trail visit. It’s not every day that you get to experience an eco forest and seeing the Coco de Mere nut was certainly something authentic for the Seychelles.

My Thoughts on Vallée do Mai and the Tortoises at Anse Lazio:

The Seychelles is about discovery in some interesting vegetation and a tropical beach island surroundings. Praslin Island is so far off the regular tourist track, many of the sights are completely empty and without many crowds or tourists. Given these circumstances, a visit to Praslin is a unique island visit that allows for a low key experience in idyllic surroundings.

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If you’ve visited Praslin Island, did you find it an enriching experience ?

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