Praslin

Introduction

Praslin is the second largest island of the Seychelles, after the island of Mahé. Together with La Digue it is one of the most popular and beautiful islands of the archipelago. It was named Isle de Palmes by explorer Lazare Picault in 1744. During that time it was used as a hideaway by pirates and Arab merchants. In 1768 it was renamed Praslin in honor of French diplomat César Gabriel de Choiseul, duc de Praslin.
It has substantial tracts of tropical forests with birds such as the endemic Seychelles bulbul and the Seychelles black parrot. The Vallée de Mai Nature Preserve, established in 1979, is known for the unique coco de mer and vanilla orchids. It has been reported that General Charles George Gordon of Khartoum (1833-1885) was convinced that Vallée de Mai was the Biblical "Garden of Eden".

Geography

Surrounding islands include Curieuse Island, La Digue, Cousin Island, Cousine Island and Aride Island. There are a few near offshore islets including Round Island (.193 km2) and Chauve Souris (.007 km2).

Cities

The main settlements are the Baie Ste Anne, Anse Volbert and Grand' Anse.

Sights and Activities

Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve

Valléé de Mai Nature Reserve is on the Unesco World Heritage List on the island of Praslin. It is one of only two places in the world where you can see the coco de mer palm growing in their natural state. The other location is Curieuse Island. This valley's forest is just marvelous and the view of sunlight filtering through is just great! The famous coco de mer, from a palm-tree once believed to grow in the depths of the sea, is the largest seed in the plant kingdom. With some luck you might see the Seychelles black parrot here. As this is a fragile forest area, keep to the tracks and don't take anything away or leave behind.

Weather

Praslin has a warm and humid climate but as the distance to the sea is never more than a few kilometers in most places, there usually is nice and cool breeze during most of the year. Temperatures are around 30 °C during the day and still above 20 °C at night most of the year. The best time to visit Praslin is during the southeast monsoon season which lasts from late May to September when both temperatures and rainfall are lowest. The warmer and wetter season is during the northwest monsoon which lasts from March to half May.

Getting There

By Plane

Air Seychelles flies between Mahé and Praslin at least 20 or 25 times a day.

By Boat

There are several daily round trips between Mahé and Praslin with a high speed catamaran, taking around one hour. Cat Cocos now offers fast and reliable transport between the two islands.
There are also around 5 round trips daily between Praslin and La Digue by ferry, taking around 30 minutes and the schedule is timed to interconnect with the Mahé to Praslin service.

Getting Around

By Car

Renting a car is possible and can be surprisingly cheap. You can get anywhere with a car and with so many beaches and viewpoints to explore, this is probably the best way to get around if you are with at least 2 people. Traffic drives on the left and your national driver's license is sufficient.

By Bus

The SPTC (Seychelles Public Transport Corporation) runs daily bus services on during most of the day except late evening and night times. Most buses usually pass by every 15 minutes or so along the main roads. These buses are an excellent and cheap way of getting around but don't give you the opportunity to go everywhere.

Sleep

External Links