Ferry Hops and Island Visits From Mahe and Praslin

Whether a day trip works in Seychelles comes down to one thing: the last boat home. This page gives a plain verdict for each trip, starting with the ones that work easily and ending with places that need more than a day.

Easy: Praslin to La Digue

Verdict: yes, comfortably. Cat Cocos and the smaller Cat Rose both cross in about 15 minutes. Cat Rose fares are reported at roughly EUR 15 to 20 one way, but its frequency and times are not confirmed, so ask your hotel. From the La Digue jetty, L’Union Estate is a short ride away by bicycle. It opens 06:00 to 18:00 every day and costs SCR 150, and it leads on to Anse Source d’Argent. On the Cat Cocos timetable for 2025, the final departure back to Praslin was early on some days (13:30 on Tuesday and Thursday, 07:30 on Sunday), so confirm the current time on catcocos.com first.

Possible: Mahe to Praslin

Verdict: workable, but a long day. The Cat Cocos crossing is about 1 hour 15 minutes, and the 2025 timetable had 08:00 departures on Monday, Wednesday and Friday with evening returns at 17:00 or 17:30 on those days. Air Seychelles flies the route in about 15 minutes. After allowing for check-in and the transfer to Vallee de Mai or the beaches, you have only a few hours on the ground.

Not advised: Mahe to La Digue

Verdict: overnight instead. A direct sailing of about 1 hour 10 minutes existed only on some weekend days. Otherwise the route stops at Praslin and takes about 1 hour 45 minutes, and the connection between boats is tight. If you do try it, confirm both legs on the day.

Boat trips from Praslin

  • Curieuse is open daily. Entry is SCR 300 and the trip includes tortoises and a 433 m mangrove boardwalk.
  • Cousin Island is open Monday to Friday from 09:45 to 12:30. Entry is SCR 600, and there are no facilities on the island. Details are on the Nature Seychelles page .
  • Aride Island is 9 km north of Praslin and takes visitors only between October and May. You must book, and you can only land from the reserve’s own boats. A fee of about SCR 650 has been reported. It is home to about half a million seabirds. See the Island Conservation Society page .

From Mahe by road or boat

Ste Anne Marine Park is a short boat ride from Victoria and suits a half day of snorkelling. Port Launay is the one marine park you can drive to, about 30 minutes from the capital. Takamaka Rum, on the east-coast road, offers free guided tours from Monday to Saturday and is a good add-on when you are close to the airport.

Places that need more than a day

Aldabra is more than 1,000 km south-west of Mahe and is visited only by cleared expedition vessels with Seychelles Islands Foundation staff. Resorts on the outer islands are stays, not excursions.

Sea conditions

Plan snorkel and beach stops with the season in mind: the west coast is rough from about December to March and the east coast from about May to September. Wear a life jacket on every tourist boat. Park gates take cards only.

Search for guided boat days on GetYourGuide .

Read more: group activities and animal activities .