Seychelles islands
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Most of the action takes place on Mahe, which has lots of secluded beaches, while the north, which includes the international airport, is much busier while maintaining a laid-back vibe. Beau Vallon is the most popular beach on Mahe with a long sandy bay and a spectacular mountainous landscape in the background. It's also a great spot for watersports with dive centres and a glass-bottomed boat service on the beach, along with lots of windsurfing, jet skiing and paragliding centres. Glacis Beach, also in the north, has several idyllic pockets and is frequented by fishermen, while Carrana Beach is one of the favourites among the locals. If you're looking for something quieter, the south side of Mahe will suit with many beautiful and secluded beaches such as Anse Aux Pins, Anse Parnel and Anse Marie Louise. Be wary however, that the waters are more dangerous on the south side of the island.
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Mahe also offers the majority of the Seychelles' leading sights and tourist attractions including the National Botanical Gardens and the Seychelles National Museum of History. Victoria is the smallest capital city in the world but the best place to go if you're looking for a livelier atmosphere. It is here that you will do most of your shopping as it is home to a busy market and a number of sights, including a cathedral and clock tower built to reflect Big Ben in London. You can also buy works from artists on the streets. Elsewhere on the island visitors can head to the St Anne Marine National Park, which is an important nesting site for turtles. Mahe is also the best island to experience a decent nightlife scene with several nightclubs, a casino and plenty of restaurants offering traditional cuisine.
Praslin is probably the second most popular seychelles islands, and again there are a host of excellent beaches to choose from. Anse Volbert is one of the leading resort areas on the island and offers plenty of watersports with two diving centres, a watersports centre and a boat charter. Anse Petite Cour is one of the most picturesque areas, while Anse Lazio is considered by many to be the most beautiful beach in the world thanks to its coconut palms, fine sands and large granite rocks.
If you want to see an ecological project in action, head to North Island where scientists aim to turn the area into a haven for many native species, such as the giant tortoise, by effectively turning the clock back 200 years. A lot of the activities on the island revolve around this ecological project including diving, when you might be asked to monitor turtle numbers or pick up underwater litter. Indeed island hopping is very popular with many internal flights throughout the Seychelles, and Bird Island is particularly popular for day trips, just a 30-minute flight from Mahe, and with endless white coral sand beaches, popular diving and of course an incredible variety of birds, tortoises and turtles as part of a conservation campaign.