The Vallee de Mai on Praslin Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of only two places on earth where the coco de mer palm — Lodoicea maldivica — grows in its natural state. This ancient endemic palm produces the world's largest seed — up to 25 kg — and its towering prehistoric-looking grove has been described as the original Garden of Eden. The forest is also home to the rare black parrot of Praslin. Hotels on Praslin provide walking access to the Vallee de Mai.
Our Picks — Seychelles
Anse Royale
Perched on a hillside above Petite Anse, the Four Seasons Seychelles is the archipelago's benchmark of understated luxury — 67 villas in the jungle, a private beach accessible only to guests, and a spa built around the natural granite of the hillside.
Mahé
One of the world's most exclusive private island resorts — just 11 villas on a coral-fringed island north of Silhouette. Barack Obama and Nelson Mandela have stayed here; Brangelina honeymooned here. The conservation programme is extraordinary.
La Digue
On the private Félicité Island in the Seychelles inner islands, Six Senses Zil Pasyon offers 30 pool villas of extraordinary natural splendour — perched on granite boulders above the Indian Ocean, with the brand's acclaimed wellness programme.
Praslin
86 villas on Praslin's eastern coast with private pools and direct access to Anse Takamaka — Raffles Seychelles combines the brand's colonial elegance with an extraordinary natural setting, its spa among the finest in the archipelago.
Mahé
An ultra-exclusive adults-only resort of 30 granite-framed villas on Anse Louis on Mahé's west coast, MAIA operates on a unique 'no choice' philosophy — your personal butler takes care of everything, so you need make no decisions.
Mahé
Spread across a 100-acre peninsula in Port Launay National Marine Park, Constance Ephelia is one of the Indian Ocean's largest resort properties — two beaches, five pools, six restaurants, and a spa across two zones for adults and families.
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