Seychelles 2026 Report. Part 1. Sailing. How it went. Lessons learned. Plans
My first trip to the Seychelles is over. Was it a success? I’m not sure. We definitely weren’t lucky with the weather. What used to be stable has become less reliable and predictable in recent years. October 2026 turned out very windy and rainy. I never made it to the remote island of Denis, away from the main archipelago. But that’s life — the ocean is unpredictable.
The first two days didn’t give us much reason to celebrate: it rained a lot, so we skipped the famous Vallée de Mai nature reserve on Praslin, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
But as soon as the sun came out, we went ashore on Curieuse and visited the national park with its giant land tortoises. We got up close to these wonderful creatures. They are surprisingly lively. Some seem to enjoy having their necks rubbed. Quite an experience. Large coconut crabs live among the tree roots there too. Interesting fellows.
One day we visited La Digue. Some of the crew rented bicycles and explored the island — a popular local pastime. We visited local cafés and watched a wonderful sunset with a cocktail. I enjoyed the same sunset from the catamaran. We ended the evening with dinner prepared by our local Rasta chef and conversations over a glass of delicious local coconut rum, gently rocking at anchor.
That’s more or less how I’ll remember the Seychelles. When there’s no persistent rain, everything is great and wonderfully laid-back. Beautiful beaches, stunning nature, oddly shaped granite boulders — the islands’ trademark, exotic animals and birds (the flying foxes were a particular delight!), and so much fish!
I’ve learned a lot for future trips. They’ll be much more comfortable. From now on, only catamarans of 46 feet or more — more space, shade, sunbeds and the option of relaxing on the flybridge. A generator, air conditioning and a watermaker are essential. A cook is essential too. Whether local or brought along is up to the crew. (There’s a fantastic professional cook in my circle who makes wonderful, varied food and amazing cocktails too!)
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