Private Island
North Island, Seychelles
9.5
North Island
A rewilded private granite island of just eleven villas, where barefoot 'castaway luxury' meets one of conservation's great success stories.
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Seychelles
Seychelles
The Seychelles scatters one hundred and fifteen islands across the western Indian Ocean, and nature drew them extravagantly: granite boulders sculpted like modern art, beaches ranked among the world's most beautiful, and forests that hold the coco de mer and birds found nowhere else. The archipelago feels primordial in a way few tropical destinations manage.
Luxury here means private-island resorts where villas hide among takamaka trees, hillside estates above beaches reached by buggy, and a pace set by tides rather than timetables. Conservation is woven through the best properties, so indulgence and stewardship arrive as a single experience.
The best hotels in Seychelles
Best areas to stay
Mahé
The main island pairs the capital Victoria and mountain rainforest with a coastline of resort bays, including the famous Beau Vallon.
Praslin
Home to the Vallée de Mai and the beaches of Anse Lazio and Anse Georgette, Praslin is the archipelago's gentle, scenic heart.
La Digue & the Private Islands
Bicycle-paced La Digue holds the iconic granite beaches, while private-island resorts beyond offer the ultimate castaway seclusion.
Dining & nightlife
Creole cooking anchors the islands' table — grilled fish, octopus curry, breadfruit and vanilla-scented desserts — elevated at resort restaurants with lagoon views. Nightlife is intentionally minimal: beach bars, starlit dinners on the sand and the occasional Creole music evening.
Travelling as a family
Families favour Mahé and Praslin's calm bays, giant tortoise encounters and easy rainforest walks. Several resorts run excellent kids' clubs and family villas, and island-hopping by ferry or light aircraft becomes part of the adventure.
Travelling as a couple
The Seychelles is engineered for romance: private pool villas above granite coves, picnics on empty beaches delivered by boat and couples' spa pavilions open to the ocean breeze. A sunset cruise past the granite headlands is the archipelago's signature moment.
Cultural highlights
- The UNESCO-listed Vallée de Mai and its coco de mer palms
- The granite boulders of Anse Source d'Argent on La Digue
- Victoria's Creole market and clock tower
- Giant Aldabra tortoises on Curieuse Island
Stories from Seychelles
Travel News
Beyond the Bamboo Straw: Sustainability Grows Teeth in Luxury Hospitality
The era of gesture environmentalism is closing. Real standards, real audits and real architecture are redefining what a responsible luxury hotel actually is.
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Hotel Openings
Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island: A Private Coral Atoll, Fully Staffed
On a remote coral island south of Mahé, Waldorf Astoria's Seychelles debut pairs castaway seclusion with grand-hotel polish — and a serious conservation mandate.
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Family Travel
The Free-Range Island: Resorts Where Children Can Simply Roam
The rarest amenity in modern family travel is unsupervised freedom. The island resorts that offer it safely have quietly become the most valuable bookings in the sector.
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The Browntravels Edit
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