You have to travel by flight.
Air
The Seychelles International Airport (384400), about 8km south of Victoria, is the only international airport in the Seychelles.
Air Seychelles (381000; www.airseychelles.net) takes care of all interisland flights, whether scheduled or charter. The only scheduled services are between Mahé and Praslin, with around 20 flights per day in each direction. The fare for the 15-minute hop is €61 (€122 return). The luggage limit is only 20kg (€1 per kilo for excess luggage). Air Seychelles also flies to Alphonse, Bird, Denis, Desroches, Frégate and North Islands, but on a charter basis – these flights are handled directly by the hotel on the island.
Note that Mahé is the only hub for flights within the Seychelles.
Helicopter Seychelles (385858; www.helicopterseychelles.com), based at Seychelles International Airport, operates shuttle flights between Mahé and Praslin (€174 per person one way), Mahé and La Digue (€174), and Praslin and La Digue (€87). It also offers transfers to resort islands (bookings should be made through the hotel) and scenic flights.
You’re planning a trip to the Seychelles? Lucky you! Mother Nature was very generous with these 115 islands scattered in the Indian Ocean and has spoiled them rotten. Undeniably, the beaches are the big attraction, and what beaches: exquisite ribbons of white sand lapped by topaz waters and backed by lush hills and big glacis boulders. And nary a crowd in sight.
Click here to find out more!
Advertisement
Which island should you go to? Don’t sweat the decision too much. Be it one of the three main islands of Praslin, La Digue or Mahé - its mountainous interior being home to Morne Seychellois National Park - or any outlying island, you’ll strike gold.
With such a dreamlike setting, the Seychelles is, unsurprisingly, a choice place for a honeymoon. But there’s much more to do than simply cracking open a bottle of champagne with the loved one in a luxurious hotel. Having earned a reputation as a paradigm of ecotourism, the Seychelles is a top spot to watch birds and giant tortoises in their natural habitat. And a vast living world lies just below the turquoise waters, beckoning divers of all levels. When you tire of beaches you can venture inland on jungle trails, indulge in fine dining or enjoy the sublime laid-back tempo.
And time has come to spread the word: yes, this paradise is accessible to us all. On top of ultra-luxurious options, the Seychelles has plenty of quaint, affordable self-catering facilities and guesthouses, often situated on some of the best land. Though it remains an expensive destination, its tourist authorities are now targeting non-millionaires, promoting these economy options. But fear not: mass tourism it will never be.
If you want maps,information,how to travel etc. please visit : http://www.lonelyplanet.com/seychelles
Costs
Visitors to the Seychelles on a tight budget will struggle to get by on less than €70 per person per day (on the basis of two people sharing a room in a guesthouse or self-contained bungalow). A more realistic budget, allowing you to stay at a moderately priced hotel and treat yourself to a few good restaurants, will come in at around €100 to €150 per person per day. Living it up in a top-end resort will usually cost at least €250 per person per day, but will shoot up very quickly with meals and activities. Island hopping and indulging in excursions and other activities also jacks costs up considerably.
Money
The unit of currency is the Seychelles rupee (Rs), which is divided into 100 cents (¢). Bank notes come in denominations of Rs 10, Rs 25, Rs 50, Rs 100 and Rs 500; there are coins of Rs 1, Rs 5, 1¢, 5¢, 10¢and 25¢.
There are some complex rules governing foreign exchange in the Seychelles. By law visitors must pay for all accommodation (including meals and drinks at hotels), excursions, marine park fees, diving, car hire and transport in a major foreign currency (euros are the best currency to carry), either in cash or by credit card. Prices for these services are therefore nearly always quoted in euros (and less frequently in US dollars).
When changing travellers cheques or withdrawing money from an ATM, however, you will receive the money in rupees, not in foreign currency. Even when you pay for something in foreign currency, you will often receive the change in rupees. You can use rupees in shops, cafés and restaurants outside the hotels and for taxi and bus fares, but they can be quite hard to spend otherwise, so only change small amounts at a time.
If you pay cash in euros at guesthouses, small hotels or for car rentals, you’ll be in a position to negotiate a discount (up to 20% if it’s slack). Our tip: bring plenty of cash with you, and use a credit card as a backup.