Small ship cruising in the Seychelles

In an archipelago where nearly half the islands are protected for nature, it makes sense to stick to the water, especially when the inner islands are only a short cruising distance from each other.

You come out of the water fresh from a snorkel and are astonished to find it’s lunchtime. Weren’t you only down there a minute? Then you stop and realise that you’ve already been here five days and there are only three to go.

Time has a habit of vanishing in the Seychelles – but where does it go? There are few places for it to hide on these tiny islands. The secretive shores are lapped by innocuous waves. A trade wind carries away all evidence.

Time gets away from you whilst you’re doing very little. Our small ship cruising holidays in the Seychelles are a lazy exercise in island hopping. These perfect islands aren’t known for a wealth of sights. Instead, it’s experiences you’re chasing – like the experience of seeing a vanishingly rare Seychelles magpie-robin; of swimming above eagle rays, or of bouldering on the glacis, the granite humps that squat on the edge of the beaches, delivering a stern lesson in dependability to all those disconcertingly leant-over palm trees. Along the way, your lazy cruise scrolls past – but cannot ignore – scenery that does wonders for your inner peace. No grand epics have been written about the Seychelles. This is a place for relaxation, not poetic angst.

Take it slow, and appreciate the little things. The wonders here are smaller – the grey parrot, endemic to Praslin, or the fruits of the aptly-named jellyfish tree, endemic to Mahe. On La Digue you can get around by ox cart, or by bike. On Praslin, you can go by foot into the UNESCO-protected Vallee de Mai, in search of the world’s heaviest seed. On Aldabra you won’t get far before a tortoise blocks the road.

By boat you can discover the other wow factor of the islands: what’s around them. Look at a map and you’ll find that most are ringed by diving sites. Snorkellers are rewarded, too. “It was like swimming in an aquarium – unbelievable! And not just fish… turtles, rays and even a 1.5-m long shark,” says Judith Arnstein, who went on one of our trips. There’s a reason fishing is a popular hobby here – and why it’s one of the islands’ main exports, too – tuna fishing has shaped the islands as much as the trade winds have.

You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to unspoilt island-hopping. The inner islands offer plenty of cruising ground.

Cruises tend to sail from Mahe, the largest island. From here it’s a short sail to Praslin, the second largest inhabited island, best known for its UNESCO-listed Vallee de Mai Nature Reserve. Praslin sits in a small island group where you can island hop fairly easily. Cousin (a nature reserve) and Curieuse, where you can also find Coco de Mer, are two smaller islands in its orbit.

It’s another short hop to La Digue. This inhabited island is free of cars – instead, people cycle, and ox carts are still in use. From here it’s easy to reach the tiny Cocos Island Marine National Park, and Grande Soeur and Petite Soeur, sister islands. Grande Soeur is privately owned, has incredible beaches and snorkelling, and is open to visitors outside of weekends. Heading north and west, you’ll finally reach Ile Aride, a private nature reserve of global importance. On your way back to Mahe, you might stop at tiny Booby Island, a great spot for diving. The Sainte Anne Marine National Park has St Anne, Moyenne, Seche and other islands, all of which form an amazing snorkelling area.

You could spend between five and 14 days island-hopping by small ship in the Seychelles; most of our holidays are for a week, seeing an island – or even a couple of smaller islands – a day.

You can go cruising in the Seychelles all year round and expect balmy sailing; the temperature doesn’t fluctuate much through the year. The dry season is April to September, and trade winds blow from the southeast from May to September. Rain comes to the Seychelles from November to March, when the trade winds blow from the northwest. December, January and February see more rain, but showers are short and sharp.

Small ship cruises act to conserve water, protect coral and will brief you on how to snorkel in a way that is low impact. Our cruises follow ‘encounter codes’ for approaching sea turtles and other wildlife in the water. They won’t drop their anchor on coral, and they’ll promote reef-safe suncream. Cruisers pay a conservation fee. This goes directly into projects that protect the islands’ nature.

Our small ship cruises use local crews where possible, which keeps money on the islands, and benefits you, too. “The local ships’ mates were great fun... young and full of enthusiasm,” says our traveller Judith. “It made the stay on the boat feel as though we were really part of the islands’ way of life.” And what a way of life it is.