Praslin Holidays

Praslin is the second-biggest island in the Seychelles – an archipelago floating in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The island nation is often dubbed Paradise on Earth. Clock eyes on Praslin’s beaches and you’ll understand why. Cue lace-white sands with soda-clear waters and sculpted rocks at each end. Sand aside, Praslin’s interior is blanketed by an ancient palm forest – one of only two World Heritage Sites in the whole archipelago.

The Seychelles has a lot of good-looking beaches, but Praslin Island is home to the crème de la crème. Anse Lazio is the real supermodel. This is the beach you’ll see splashed all over postcards, as well as world’s best lists. It’s got the bright white sand you’d expect from a tropical isle, along with huge boulders – a Seychelles staple. Plus, there are plenty of smaller, more secluded coves where you’ll feel like a total castaway – after all, Robinson Crusoe was filmed on the isle in 1988.

Island officials are keen to preserve the natural wonders they’ve been handed. And it’s no wonder when the UNESCO-protected Vallee de Mai is one of only two places in the world where you’ll stumble upon the towering coco de mer palm. It’s a top bird-watching spot, too – you can see the rare black parrot and blue pigeon perched on its branches. This place is so special, in fact, that when British army officer General Gordon of Khartoum visited in 1881, he claimed he’d found the original Garden of Eden.