Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DON'T MISS
BOAT EXCURSIONS TO NEARBY ISLANDS
Praslin is the obvious launching pad for the nearby islets.
Curieuse
Curieuse Island is a granite island 1.5km off Praslin's north coast and was a leper colony from 1833 until 1965.
Today, Curieuse is used as a breeding centre for giant Aldabra tortoises. The wardens at the
giant tortoise farm
show visitors round the pens, after which you're free to explore the rest of the island. Nearby
Baie Laraie
is a
fantastic place for swimming and snorkelling. From Baie Laraie, a path leads to
Anse José
, where you can visit
the
doctor's house
, which contains a small historical museum. If you fancy a dip after your picnic, the
beach
is
lovely: a stretch of pristine pale golden sand fringed with lofty palm trees and framed by massive granite bouldes.
Most visitors to Curieuse Island arrive on an organised tour, usually in combination with Cousin and St Pierre
Islet. Tours are arranged through Praslin's hotels or any tour operator. Day trips cost around €115/55 for an adult/
child including lunch, landing fees and the marine-park entry fee. The alternative is to charter your own boat from
the beach beside the Paradise Sun Hotel, charges €35 for Curieuse, including fees; Curieuse with St Pierre costs
€40. You'll also find taxi boats at Anse Possession.
Cousin
About 2km southwest of Praslin, Cousin Island is run as a nature reserve by
Nature Seychelles
(
www.natureseychelles.org)
. Seven species of sea birds nest here, including fairy terns, white-tailed tropicbirds
and shearwaters. The bird population is estimated to exceed 300,000 on an island measuring just 1km in diameter.
It's an amazing experience to walk through thick forest with birds seemingly nesting on every branch. Cousin is
also home to five species of endemic land birds, including the Seychelles warbler and the magpie robin. The is-
land is also an important nesting ground for hawksbill turtles. Between October and April, as many as 100 indi-
viduals crawl ashore to lay their eggs in the island's fringing circlet of sand. At any time of the year you're bound
to see lizards: Cousin boasts one of the highest densities of lizards in the world. Well over a hundred giant tor-
toises also live on the island, some of which have reached truly enormous sizes, measuring more than a metre
long.
Cousin can only be visited as part of an organised tour from Monday to Friday, usually in combination with
Curieuse and St Pierre Islet. Day trips can be arranged through Praslin's hotels and tour operators for around
€115/55 per adult/child. The adult price includes a €35 landing fee, which goes towards conservation efforts, a
90-minute guided tour led by a conservationist, and a barbecued lunch on Curieuse.
St Pierre Islet
The glassy waters around St Pierre Islet, off Anse Volbert, are excellent for snorkelling and sloshing around. Boat
trips to St Pierre organised by hotels and private operators are usually offered in combination with Curieuse and
Cousin. Or you can charter your own boat from Anse Volbert. Contact Sagittarius Taxi Boat (€30 including fees).
Aride
The most northerly of the granite islands, this nature reserve lies 10km north of Praslin and supports the greatest
concentration of sea birds in the area, including large colonies of noddies, terns and frigate birds, as well as lizar-
ds. From the summit (134m), the views are sensational. It also boasts a fantastic
beach
that's primo for sun, sand
and swimming, though not snorkelling.
Aride can be reached by boat between September and May only, as landing can be difficult at other times. Dur-
ing the season, the island is open to visitors three days a week. Tours can be arranged through travel agencies, ho-
