The Best Resorts to Book in the Seychelles

Switch off from the daily grind of everyday life and lose yourself in this tiny jewel in the heart of the Indian Ocean. You’ll find no signal for your mobile phone when you arrive, no in-room internet, no cable television. What you will find is a sea turtle sanctuary, some of the rarest birds on earth and century-old tortoises roaming one of the most secluded islands in the world. Relax in one of the 22 stand-alone cottages or villages dotted around the private island and shower under the stars in open-air bathrooms.

The deliciously idiosyncratic Bill Bensley-designed villas with shaggy fringes of thatch and shocking pink loungers give a special edge to this resort. Not that it needs one, given the location – a private peninsula on Mahé. One of the loveliest beaches on the island, Anse Louis, is at your feet, while forests, mountains and the Seychelles National Botanical Gardens are close at hand.

Play castaway on your own private island just off Mahé. Barely 1.5km (1mi) long and 1km (0.6mi) wide, Cerf Island is ringed by snow-white beaches, massive granite rocks and magnificent native Takamaka trees coloured with lichen. The villas, like the food, are a relaxed blend of Seychellois and traditional Creole style, with an international flair.

Loll on a hand-hewn wooden swing suspended above the sands, watching for gentle whale sharks that cruise the warm blue waters – part of Port Launay Marine Park – that front this Seychelles resort. Or do yoga in a thatched pavilion beside the pristine pool. Parents can have peace of mind knowing their offspring are in a heaven of their own at the Constance Kids Club.

Even the beds are comfort-engineered at this five-star resort in the Seychelles. The rooms are spread out in tropical gardens around the biggest swimming pool in the country – below it, kilometres of pristine beach. If you can drag yourself from the water, Mahé is also home to mountains, botanical gardens, markets and art studios begging to be explored.

This is the sole resort on the jewel-like Silhouette Island. Hike the emerald rainforests, dive, snorkel and take in a sunset cruise, or just chill in your beachfront or garden villa (book one with a private plunge pool). Later, wander down for a seafood barbecue on the beach, bare feet in the still-warm sand.

Set between the forested peaks of Mahé and the sapphire sea, these contemporary villas celebrate their setting. Elegantly fashioned from local stone and wood, the beds are hung with wafts of white cotton. The back-to-nature theme is echoed in the private dining experiences on offer, including sushi on the beach or a picnic on the top of Mount Kempinski (really a rocky promontory overlooking the jungle to the sea beyond).

Here, you have the run of a private coral island fringed with palm trees, powdery sands and glittering aquamarine shallows. Beyond them, where the sea darkens suddenly to indigo, there’s a steep drop-off, where you can dive caves with vivid marine life, before retreating to a rustic but luxurious villa.

Part of what sets this boutique resort apart is the coral reef 50m (165ft) off the white sands of Beau Vallon Beach – the only beach on Mahé that’s swimmable all year. Snorkel the reef or catch the colourful fish action from a kayak. After a siesta in the cool of your canopied bed, explore the nearby Mahé capital, Victoria, home to hip galleries and shops.