Seychelles

The Seychelles is one of the world’s most naturally spectacular destinations — an archipelago of 115 islands straddling the Indian Ocean, remarkable for its combination of granite drama, tropical jungle and waters of an extraordinary clarity and colour. The main island, Mahé, is home to the capital Victoria — one of the world’s smallest capital cities — and the majority of the country’s hotels. Beau Vallon in the north and Anse Intendance in the south are among its finest beaches.

Praslin, the second island, is home to the Valle de Mai — a UNESCO World Heritage forest that shelters the coco de mer palm, which produces the largest seed of any plant on earth. It also holds some of the finest beaches in the Seychelles: Anse Lazio, consistently ranked among the world’s best, is a sweeping bay of blindingly white sand backed by palm trees and sheltered by dramatic granite outcrops. La Digue, reachable by ferry, is the most photographed island — the iconic Anse Source d’Àrgent beach, with its sculpted pink granite boulders rising from turquoise water, is arguably the world’s most recognisable beach.

Beyond the beaches, the Seychelles rewards those who explore: the Morne Seychellois National Park on Mahé offers excellent hiking, the coral atolls of Aldabra and Cosmoledo host enormous tortoise colonies and pristine reefs, and the outer island groups are among the most remote and untouched places on earth.

The Seychelles is a year-round destination with no traditional ‘rainy season’ — simply a drier, windier period from May to September and a calmer, hotter period from October to April. It’s a classic choice for honeymoons, milestone celebrations and those who want the world’s finest beaches paired with genuine luxury.