I can’t believe it’s been more than two years since our honeymoon but I’m excited to finally share our experience in the Seychelles! I’m not sure why I chose to write/post our honeymoon in reverse order but we’ve finally reached the grand finale. In case you missed it, make sure you check out, Honeymoon Part II: Tanzania Safari in the Serengeti, Honeymoon Part III: Tanzania Safari in Ngorongoro Crater and Honeymoon Part IV: Zanzibar, Tanzania after you read this post! Also, if you’re interested in reading more about how we came to choose Africa of all places for our honeymoon, make sure to check back for my post on Honeymoon Destination Considerations coming soon where I detail our thought process and honeymoon mandatories.
September 24 – 25, 2018 – Full Travel Days
One thing that was really important to us was honeymooning immediately after the wedding. I know many choose to hold off, and for good reason, but I wanted this to feel like a honeymoon and not a vacation. After the most incredible wedding weekend in Napa, we took the redeye from SFO to ORD with my parents and Gus [our energetic two-year old Boxer dog]. In Chicago, we left them both along with a handful of luggage and continued on our way to the Seychelles.
We flew Ethiopian Air from ORD [Chicago O’Hare] to SEZ [Victoria-Seychelles Airport] with a layover in ADD [Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia]. The first flight of our journey was 14-hours but, luckily, the plane was pretty empty which allowed us room to spread out and relax. The plane interior could definitely use an update and the service and food were just okay but ultimately, we arrived at our destination safely which is all that matters. [Note: I know many honeymooners choose to fly first class. We did not. We instead splurged on our accommodations, experiences and dining throughout our honeymoon. I have zero regrets about this decision and would do the same if I had to do it all over again.] Initially, I was worried about our transfer in ADD but it was super easy and smooth. Much easier than transferring in the EU, IMO. After a brief stop, we hopped on a four hour flight to the Seychelles. Once again, we moved quickly through customs after simply showing proof of Yellow Fever vaccination.
[Make sure to do your research on vaccinations required to visit the Seychelles. We initially were not going to get the Yellow Fever vaccination because we were told by Passport Health that it wasn’t required since we were not traveling from a Yellow Fever country and our layover in Ethiopia – which is a Yellow Fever country – was less than 12 hours and we weren’t leaving the airport. In the end, I was too paranoid about weird travel hiccups to risk anything happening so far away from home and on our honeymoon that we went back to get it and I’m glad we did because we were asked for proof of Yellow Fever vaccination as soon as we disembarked from the plane. I have no idea what would have happened had we not had it – probably nothing – but it was worth getting it to not find out. Now we’re vaccinated for life!]
After we arrived on Mahé Island in the Seychelles, we still had a bit of travel ahead of us to get to Félicité Island. From the airport, we grabbed a taxi to Victoria Jetty [$30 USD and 20 minutes] and caught the 4:30PM Cat Cocos Ferry from Mahé Island to Praslin Island. [The ferry took about one hour and is $68 USD/person. Also, at the time we traveled, we did not need to purchase tickets ahead of time. It looks like that has since changed so be sure to review all rules and regulations ahead of time so you’re not stranded.] Once we arrived at the Baie St. Anne Jetty, we were met by Six Senses and taken via private boat to Félicité Island [the boat ride took about 30 minutes], home exclusively to the Six Senses Zil Pasyon.
As we sped across the water, the sun began to set and we caught out first real glimpse of the Seychelles. It was a welcome sight after more than 24 hours of travel and we couldn’t wait to settle in for the next five days. When we arrived at the resort, we were greeted by a number of the staff including our Guest Experience Maker (GEM), Nhi, who brought us to our villa and showed us around. I was immediately struck by how beautiful and thoughtful every detail was and the incredible ocean view from every window.
After freshening up, we called a buggy [aka golf cart which is how to easily get around the resort since it’s very hilly] to take us down for dinner. It was ‘Thai’ night in the restaurant so we ordered the special which was large prawns to start followed by beef stir fry. Everything was delicious but we were exhausted from our long travel days and made our way back to our villa shortly after finishing dessert.
September 26, 2018 – Félicité Island
That night it poured rain and we hadn’t yet figured out how to regulate the air in our room. That paired with the extreme time change made sleep difficult but we finally nodded off in the early hours and slept until noon. When we woke, we placed a last minute breakfast with Nhi and ate on our private patio overlooking the Indian Ocean.
Even though it had rained over night, the sky was clear blue and the weather was perfect. We lounged all day at the private pool at our villa, never once tiring of the spectacular views beyond the tree line. We ate, we drank, we slept, we swam and we took about a million photos. Which is fun to me but not sure Kevin would agree. Regardless, we had a really good first day in the Seychelles.
That afternoon, we took Nhi up on her offer to give us a tour of the property. Typically this happens when you arrive but since it was dark we ended up pushing it out. For sure one of the highlights of the Six Senses Zil Pasyon is how crazy beautiful the grounds are. There are only 55 villas so max capacity for the resort is just over 100 people which explains why the restaurants and common spaces never felt crowded or busy. The tour included the chef’s garden, main reception, two restaurants, main pool, rum room, library, gift shop, bar, experience center, two sandy beaches and the spa.
After the tour, we were dropped back at our villa to shower and get ready for the manager’s reception where we enjoyed a few cocktails as we watched the sunset and chatted with a few of the other guests. Afterwards, we had another incredible dinner from the a la cart menu before retiring to our room for the night.
September 27, 2018 – Stand-Up Paddle Boarding
We woke early the next morning and grabbed breakfast in the restaurant before returning to our villa and private infinity pool to relax. Around lunchtime, we went back down to the main reception area to grab a drink and bite to eat before heading to the experience center to try stand-up paddle boarding. Since the water around Félicité Island is pretty rough, we stayed in the protected bay but did see a bunch of Eagle Rays in the water.
Back in our villa that afternoon, we cracked open some wine and enjoyed the sunset from our private deck before heading down for sushi night in the restaurant. Once again, everything we tried was so delicious. That night, we finally got a good nights rest and woke up the next morning feeling energized and ready to explore.
September 28, 2018 – La Digue Island
The hotel hosts daily activities and we opted to take the boat to La Digue Island, the third largest island in the Seychelles, and only 15 minutes from Félicité Island. The hotel, thoughtful as ever, packs you a little kit to bring including water and a towel. On the ride over, Kevin and I picked the wrong side of the boat and got soaked by the ocean spray the entire time while everyone else stayed dry and laughed on!
Once we arrived in La Digue, we rented bikes [$15 USD per person] for the day to explore the island. We first went to Union Estate Park to visit the tortoises. I was really excited about this since I love turtles and was a little disappointed to find them all stuck together in a giant, muddy, walled off pen. Regardless, I loved seeing them, they’re huge.
After visiting with the tortoises, we made our way over to the beach within the park but it was super crowded and overrun with people so we immediately left and biked across the island to Grand Anse Beach. It took us about 25 minutes but it was worth it for the incredible views and a huge beach practically to ourselves. It is very iconic of all the pictures you see of the Seychelles with the large rocks, soft white sand and turquoise water. Never in my life have I seen a more beautiful beach. Again, the water is rough around the Seychelles so I didn’t get in however, I enjoyed watching Kevin get pummeled by the waves.
Later that afternoon, we made our way back to the northwest side of the island to catch the boat back to Félicité Island. This time, we made sure to sit on the dry side of the boat! Back at the resort, we decided to hang at the main hotel pool, enjoy a few cocktails and a late lunch. I had the spaghetti which may be the best spaghetti I’ve ever had. No joke. I still think about it to this day.
That evening, Nhi told us to be ready by 5:30PM for a surprise! Turns out, the surprise was a private table set with champagne and canapés on the ocean view terrace as the sun set over the Indian Ocean. It was perfect – quiet, relaxing, romantic and beautiful – watching the sun change colors and the stars come out sitting next to my new husband.
September 29, 2018 – Six Senses Zil Pasyon Spa
On our last full day in the Seychelles, we enjoyed breakfast in our villa by the pool and spent most of the day lounging there. That afternoon, we had spa appointments and made our way there a little early to enjoy the spa infinity pool built over the rocks. We attempted to fly a drone because the pool setting is unreal but on its maiden voyage we crashed it into the Indian Ocean and it was never to be seen again.
Any sadness over losing the drone was quickly eased during our couples massage and my facial that quickly followed. Our services were completed in the Rock Room which is surrounded by rocks on all sides with the ocean in front and close enough to hear the waves crashing on the rocks. Our treatments were followed by dried fruit, an assortment of nuts and warm green tea while we hung out in our robes on the treatment room terrace overlooking the water.
After the spa, we decided to watch the sunset from the beach. Unfortunately, we didn’t decide this until after our buggy had dropped us at our villa so we decided to walk there. We made it just in time to spread out our towels and pour a glass of wine before the sky started to melt. Afterwards, we walked back to our villa which was super steep and made me grateful for all the buggy rides.
That night, I ate my favorite spaghetti again and Kevin got the steak. We dined under the stars and then joined movie night at the hotel. They were projecting ‘Wild’ over the water and passed out headphones, popcorn and blankets to guests watching.
September 30, 2018 – Travel Day [Seychelles > Tanzania]
On Sunday we slept in and enjoyed a relaxing morning with breakfast and some last minute lounging by the pool before we packed our things to catch the boat to Praslin Island. From Praslin, we were flying to Mahé Island [via Air Seychelles] but our flight was delayed and a few stressful hours ensued where we didn’t know if we would make our Kenya Air flight to Nairobi and eventually Mount Kilimanjaro. In the end, everything worked out and I even had time to get Burger King in the Mahé Airport – LOL.
I will say, the Air Seychelles flight was miserable. It was a tiny plane, sweltering hot and filled with sweaty people. It’s a little propeller plane so you can see the pilots and all the controls from where you’re sitting which is cool but I couldn’t wait to get off. Thankfully, it’s only a 15 minute trip up and down. Next, we were off to Tanzania for our Safari with andBeyond!
Accommodations & Country Specific Details
Stay: Six Senses Zil Pasyon
Once we decided on the Seychelles, we had a tough time selecting where we wanted to stay. We were looking for luxury accommodations, top notch service, food, privacy, our own pool, large selection of amenities, waterfront view from our room and some peace and quiet. We immediately fell in love with Six Senses Zil Pasyon, it checked all the boxes, but there was an unfortunate incident that occurred on the resort shortly after opening. After reading what happened and how it was handled, it put a bad taste in my mouth and I wasn’t sure I wanted to support this resort or that I would even be comfortable staying there. After going back and forth for weeks, we finally decided to book it. Further research told me that all personnel involved with the incident had been replaced and there were only other five-star reviews.
To be honest, I barely even thought about it after we arrived because the resort is so beautiful. I was really impressed by how well maintained the property and grounds all were. It’s a giant resort that’s mostly outdoors but everything is impeccably clean and tidy. Literally, no stone is out of place. We also had a great experience with the staff. They were all extremely friendly and accommodating. They greet you by name and take time to say hello and check-in when they see you around the property. Nhi, our Guest Experience Manager, was awesome, she really made our experience feel special.
And of course, we love love loved our villa. It was beautifully designed and appointed with every thoughtful detail – beautiful bathroom, comfortable bed, large picture windows, wine bar, etc . But our favorite, by far, was the private infinity pool on our large deck overlooking the Indian Ocean. We enjoyed breakfast here each morning and spent the majority of our days lounging in or next to the pool. It feels secluded and is quiet and peaceful. In the evenings, we had the best view of the sun setting over the water.
Even though we absolutely loved our stay at Six Senses Zil Pasyon, I do feel like they nickel and dime you on everything. Considering the already high nightly rate, it’s a bit surprising how little is included. You pay for the transport to/from the resort, all the food & drinks, spa services, etc. and none of it is cheap. Plus, there are no alternatives as the resort is the only thing on the island. They do offer packages which, in hindsight, I wish we would have explored a bit more.
Transportation:
To Félicité Island: We flew Ethiopian Air from ORD [Chicago O’Hare] to SEZ [Victoria-Seychelles Airport] with a layover in ADD [Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia]. We then took a ferry from Mahé Island to Praslin Island. From here, we were picked up by Six Senses and taken by boat to Félicité Island.
Around Félicité Island: We walked or took the buggy around the resort. The one time we left the resort, we took the hotel boat to La Digue Island and then rented bikes to explore. When going to/from the airport to the ferry ports on the other islands, we hailed taxis.
Currency: Seychellois Rupee (SCR) but most vendors also accept USD and EUR (which is what we primarily used). Outside of our mini excursion to La Digue and tipping our GEM at the end of our stay, we had no use for cash during our stay. All hotel expenses were paid via credit card at the end of our stay.
Language: Seychellois Creole but we communicated just fine using English.
Outlet Adapter: The standard voltage is 240V. The standard frequency is 50 Hz. The power sockets that are used are of type G. That said, our villa had USB outlets or standard US power sockets type A & B.
Passport/Visa Requirements: U.S. Passport valid for duration of travel. No visa is required to enter upon arrival with return ticket.
Vaccinations/Medicines: List of vaccinations recommended for the Seychelles found here. We both got Yellow Fever to be safe [we had a layover in Ethiopia which is a yellow fever country but since we were only in the airport for less than 8 hours, it technically wasn’t required however they did ask for proof of vaccination upon our arrival], we also received updated Typhoid and DTaP vaccines and Malaria Pills. We’ve both already completed both Hep A & B series vaccines.
Weather: We visited the Seychelles in late September. The Seychelles are warm and tropical year round but June to September is a dry, cooler heat than November to March when it tends to be more muggy and rainy. It did rain the first evening we arrived but otherwise we had clear blue skies and perfect temperatures morning, afternoon and evening. I packed mostly dresses and bathing suits and was very comfortable.
KARA VALLARI 