Join in a luxury yacht cruise aboard the Crystal Esprit and enjoy an 8-day adventure from the beautiful Victoria Harbor. Explore the palm trees and sandy beaches of St. Anne Island, the tropical paradise of Praslin beaches, and the dense woodland and rocky southern coast of Cousin Island. The unspoiled beauty of La Passe, La Digue Island will also surely captivate your attention. See the giant tortoises and giant hump-head parrotfish swim in the waters of Curieuse Island. Sail on and discover the abundance of seabirds in the Aride Island which is considered one of the most important habitats in the Indian Ocean. Head back to Mahe/Victoria Harbor where you will disembark and get the chance to visit the Botanical Gardens for a glimpse into the lush fauna that cloaks the island.
Highlights
Visit the Botanical Gardens at beautiful Mahe
Explore pleasant Cousin island, the last holdout for the Seychelles warbler
Discover giant tortoises, native to the Seychelles at Curieuse Island
View the Aride Island, one of the most important seabird habitats
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Embark on the Crystal Esprit at Mahe, Victoria Harbor, Seychelles.
This capital city of Seychelles lies on Mahé, the largest of the 115 islands. It is not boastful about its importance to the island’s cultural and administrative center, as its mere two dozen avenues are cozy and inviting, backing up against steep mountains and bustling with cafés and colorful architecture. Visit the Botanical Gardens for a glimpse into the lush fauna that cloaks the island, and venture from Victoria in search of the Seychelles natural splendor.
Today, reach St. Anne Island as well.
Day 2: St. Anne Island | Praslin Beach and Cousin Island | Praslin, Seychelles
Palm trees shade idyllic sandy beaches here, as cinnamon grows wild on verdant hillsides and sea turtles nose around their favorite nesting site. Once a commercial whaling outpost and later a World war II gun battery, St. Anne Island is today a place of peace and tranquility with abundant wildlife protected by the St. Anne Marine National Park.
With lush jungled hillsides rolling into pristine white sands lined with palm trees, the beaches of Praslin are exactly what you imagine when dreaming of a tropical paradise. With Crystal Esprit at anchor, a beach landing by Zodiac means time to swim, snorkel and kayak in gin-clear waters. Bird enthusiasts will thrill to the sounds – and hopefully, the sights – of the Seychelles magpie-robin and brush warbler, both endemic to the islands and highly protected.
Cousin Island is a green ink-dot in the Indian Ocean. Here, birds rule the roost. Declared a special reserve in 1975, the island is the last holdout for the Seychelles warbler, a bird drove nearly to extinction - today they number some 3,000, a tribute to conservation. As you might expect from a haven for winged creatures, Cousin Island also is a paradise for nature-loving humans, with dense woodland, rocky southern coast and sandy beaches encircling almost the entire isle.
Also sail towards Praslin, Seychelles on this day.
Praslin, the second-largest island of Seychelles and arguably tops in attractions, features stunning beaches, azure seas, tangles of the jungle and a trademark relaxed atmosphere. What makes Praslin unique is the Vallée de Mai, a protected forest of rare fauna, and most famously the coco de mer palm, a tree that produces the world’s largest seed and palm flower. The grove is one of Seychelles’ two UNESCO World Heritage Sites and has been aptly called the Garden of Eden.
Day 4: Praslin | La Passe, La Digue Island | Laraie Bay, Curieuse Island
This slice of heaven defines quintessential island life, nestled on the coast of Silhouette Island and beckoning visitors to its shores with turquoise-emerald waters. Days filled with beachside adventures and jungle trails give way to festive evenings along the sand. The tree-lined roads of La Passe are populated with more bicycles than motorized vehicles, accenting the unhurried pace of life here.
Hundreds of giant hump-head parrotfish swim the harbor’s waters while beyond native coco de Mer palms and low-slung branches of giant takamaka trees line sandy beaches. Curieuse Island is known for its giant tortoises, native to the Seychelles and once nearly extinct. Today, thanks to conservation efforts, tortoises roam freely in the lush forests.
Day 6: Laraie Bay, Curieuse Island, Seychelles | Aride Island
As one of the most important seabird habitats in the Indian Ocean, if not the world, Aride is home to more breeding species than on any other island in Seychelles: 18 native birds, including five, found only in the archipelago, reproduce on this tiny, eyelash of an isle. While its bird population is vast, Aride itself is petite, just a mile long and half a mile wide. Its human population is even smaller: only rangers, conservation officers and a few volunteers live here.
This capital city of Seychelles lies on Mahé, the largest of the 115 islands. It is not boastful about its importance to the island’s cultural and administrative center, as its mere two dozen avenues are cozy and inviting, backing up against steep mountains and bustling with cafés and colorful architecture. Visit the Botanical Gardens for a glimpse into the lush fauna that cloaks the island, and venture from Victoria in search of the Seychelles natural splendor.
Day 8: Mahe/Victoria Harbor, Seychelles | Disembark
1 Breakfast
After breakfast aboard the ship, disembark at the beautiful port.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
Notes
Solo Supplement: A select number of cabins are available for single use. The single supplement varies by cabin type, please contact us for details. Child Discount: Children age 11 or under receive 50% off when sharing a cabin with two full paying guests. Children, regardless of age pay full rate in a double occupancy cabin.
Initial deposit is 30%, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 130 days prior to departure by Bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
For full cancellation policy details, please contact us for a quote.
Included
7 Breakfasts, 6 Lunches, 7 Dinners
7 Nights Accommodations
Accommodations as listed
Ground transportation as listed
Activities as listed
Meals as listed
Access to a 24-7 Emergency line while traveling
Complimentary Wi-Fi Access
All-suite, butler-serviced accommodations
All gratuities, shipboard and shoreside
The Pantry: 24-hour self-service venue offering specialty coffees, teas, wines and nonalcoholic beverages
Complimentary airport transfers between the airport and the river ship on days of embarkation and disembarkation
Complimentary marina and water sports equipment including a wide variety of aquatic toys (water skis, wakeboards, kayaks, jet skis, snorkeling equipment) based on destination's local rules and regulations and the discretion of the Captain due to weather and sea conditions
Excluded
Gratuities
Travel Insurance
Personal Expenses
Flight costs (please request a quote)
Additional excursions during free time
Fuel and transportation surcharges (when applicable)
Crystal Esprit's submersible equipment
Massage, spa services or hair styling for which separate charges may be imposed.
Our guide and driver were very good with their knowledge and were very helpful with our questions. It was a very pleasant visit that would have been impossible to do on our own. Hotels and restaurants were fantastic. The special places we got to go to, like the kitchens, were great. Enjoyed the entire trip!
Meyer Smolen
TrustScore 4.8 | 174 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 174 reviews on
1 day ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.