La Digue Island – Seychelles

La Digue Island – Seychelles is an island paradise within the archipelago of Seychelles. Boasting of white, sandy beaches; lush vegetation and a warm and welcoming people; La Digue Island gives its guests the perfect backdrop for an idyllic island getaway.

Location

La Digue Island – Seychelles is located on the eastern side of Praslin, Seychelles’ second biggest island; and on the western coast of Felicite Island.

Getting There

Flying in to Seychelles is via the Seychelles International Airport located in Mahé. From Mahé, you can take an inter-island flight via Air Seychelles which will take you to the island of Praslin.

From Praslin, you can take a catamaran which will then take you to La Digue Island – Seychelles.

If you wish for a faster travel to the island, you have the option to get a direct transfer from the international airport to the helipad in La Digue Island via a helicopter transfer. This could be expensive though.

Another option is to take a private boat hire that will directly take you to the island although again, this could be quite expensive.

What to See and Do

There’s plenty to see and do on the island of La Digue Island – Seychelles. First, it has many wonderful beaches where you can go fishing, swimming, snorkeling, sailing and diving.

There are dive operators that can take you on a dive down the waters surrounding the island. You may also rent your diving gear and equipment from them.

Once you’ve had your fill of the waters of the island, you can go on a nature hike down its many trails. Hiking will take you to old plantations, copra mills and mountain tops where you can get a clear panoramic view of the waters surrounding the island.

There is also the Veuve Reserve where you can see the Paradise Flycatcher, a type of bird that can be found only in Seychelles and only in the island of La Digue. Considered as an endangered species, there are only several hundreds of these birds still in existence today.

Another enjoyable activity that you may want to try out is horseback riding in L’Union Estate.

Brief History

La Digue Island – Seychelles, the fourth biggest island in Seychelles with inhabitants, takes its name from a ship that visited the island some time in the year 1768.

La Digue was one of the ships in a fleet commandeered by Marc-Joseph du Fresne; an explorer of French origins.

The island has a population of only about two thousand inhabitants.

In the early days, copra was one of the main sources of income in the island. Today, tourism plays a huge part in the island’s economy.

Cost

There are several options for lodgings in La Digue Island – Seychelles and the most popular of these is La Digue Island Lodge. Accommodations can be quite expensive but once you’ve had a taste of the island, the price is well worth it.

Rates are generally around USD 292 up to USD 477 per person, per night. Rates are inclusive of breakfast.

Other Information

For a relaxing tour of the island, you may want to try out the ox cart. It can comfortably fit five to six people at a time.