Seychelles: an archipelago of 115 idyllic islands floating in the azure Indian Ocean. Picture white-sand beaches lined with coconut palms, lush jungles home to giant tortoises, and warm waters teeming with colorful coral, rays, and turtles. It was one of the most set of beautiful islands I have ever set foot on…. and I have lived in Hawaii.

Michael and I, along with 100 other humans, set sail for 8 days to explore all of the beauty, Seychelles had to offer. Exploring via boat instead of by car, was really beneficial for us as we love the water. Michael and I had an opportunity every day to snorkel. It was so lovely to be able to wake up, apply sunscreen, and jump into the water… all within 5 minutes.

We sailed from Mahe to La Digue, Praslin to Coco Island. Each island offers its own flavor for life. La Digue greeted us with a warm welcome and bicycle hire! We had the opportunity to explore more of the island by bike. On our adventure, we found the Aldabra Giant Tortoise! It is one of the largest tortoises in the world and can live up to 200 years! A lot of the tortoises live in the sanctuary but you can also find plenty of them laying on the beach. Such beautiful and gentle creatures!

The beauty of this island doesn’t start and end with the tortoises though. Anse Source D’Argent is the most famous out of all the incredible beaches on the island. Here, you’ll find incredible granite rock formations and a sheltered, turquoise water lagoon that is great for swimming. We kayaked in glass-bottom kayaks and engulfed the entire experience. Watching the sealife dance underneath us as we glide across the top of the ocean. Taking mental photographs of the intimate details of the rock formations. Gaining access to some of the best beaches, including, Anse Pierrot, which is also known as Robinson Crusoe Beach. In order to explore these places, you have to enter the L’Union Estate. This historic estate offers a unique opportunity to learn about the colonial history of Seychelles, complete with some of the oldest examples of French colonial architecture on the island. Inside you’ll find the historic Plantation House, coconut mill, giant granite monolith, tortoise enclosure, and of course, the one and only, Anse Source D’Argent.

A great adventure that was unexpected and not planned was Coco Island. We had the entire island to ourselves. The group that made it there laughed, explored, sang, danced, swam, and snorkeled. The trip couldn’t have ended with anything better.

There was so much adventure that each day brought. We went scuba diving and swam with turtles and stingrays! We danced in the rain to, “Rains Down In Africa.” Themed parties were hosted on land and by boat. We created new memories with people we had never met and we are very thankful to have taken the plunge with this group of wonderful humans.