The Best Resorts to Book in the Seychelles

Escape to one of the most idyllic resorts in the Seychelles like the Anantara Maia
Escape to one of the most idyllic resorts in the Seychelles like the Anantara Maia | Courtesy of Anantara Maia / Booking.com
Glynis Horning

It’s hard to imagine that this archipelago of idyllic islands off the East African coast was formed millennia ago by undersea volcanoes and the separation of India from Africa. Today, the Seychelles is home to world-class resorts in settings of startling natural beauty. Spend your mornings looking for Aldabra tortoises on the beach and walking the mountain rainforests of Morne Seychellois National Park, then get pampered in one of these luxury resorts in the Seychelles in the afternoon – all bookable with Culture Trip.

Denis Private Island, for animal-lovers and digital detoxers

Resort

Aerial view of Denis Private Island Seychelles nestled between greenery and white sands in the Seychelles
Courtesy of Denis Private Island Seychelles / Booking.com

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.

Anantara Maia, for edgy Bill Bensley design

Resort, Spa Hotel, Hotel

The outdoor deck and plunge pool of a palm-roofed villa with ocean views at Anantara Maia in the Seychelles
Courtesy of Anantara Maia / Expedia.com

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.

Cerf Island Resort, for playing castaway

Resort, Spa Hotel, Hotel

A tropical room with high wooden ceilings and four-poster bed opening to an outdoor deck at Cerf Island Resort, Seychelles
Courtesy of Cerf Island Resort / Expedia.com

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.

Constance Ephelia, for family relaxation

Hotel

A lounge area in a wooden pavilion with cushioned seating leading out to a plunge pool at Constance Ephelia, Seychelles
Courtesy of Constance Ephelia / Expedia.com
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.

Savoy Resort and Spa, for five-star comfort

Luxury, Resort, Spa Hotel

Turquoise outdoor pool with the resort and a towering green mountain in the background at Savoy Resort and Spa, Seychelles
Courtesy of Savoy Resort and Spa / Expedia.com

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.

Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort and Spa, for total seclusion

Resort, Chain Hotel, Luxury

The outdoor deck with pool and tiki hut backed by lush mountain views at Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort and Spa, Seychelles
Courtesy of Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort and Spa / Expedia.com

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.

Kempinski Seychelles Resort, for back-to-nature luxury

Resort, Chain Hotel, Luxury

An aerial view of Kempinski Seychelles Resort, with villas interspersed by lush trees and blue ocean beyond
Courtesy of Kempinski Seychelles Resort / Expedia.com

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).

Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island, for next-level diving

Luxury, Chain Hotel, Resort

A tropical living room at Four Seasons Resort at Desroches Island with high ceilings and sliding doors to ocean view deck
Courtesy of Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island / Expedia.com

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.

STORY Seychelles, for the year-round swimmable beach

Resort, Luxury

A lush private beachfront deck at STORY Seychelles with a plunge pool, loungers, dining table and shaded cabana
Courtesy of STORY Seychelles / Expedia.com

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.

Francesca Paul contributed additional reporting to this article.

If you’re after even more tranquility in the Seychelles, check out the best hotels on the island of La Digue, as well as this guide to the best luxury hotels in the Seychelles, bookable with Culture Trip.

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