How to visit the Seychelles on a budget
Explore the paradise islands of the Seychelles without the five-star price tag with tips on how to save money on accommodation, transport, food and activities, showing it is possible to visit the Seychelles on a budget.
* This site contains affiliate links, where I get a small commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.
The Seychelles – just the name conjures up images of golden sand beaches, palm trees, turquoise waters, sunset cocktails and glamorous beachside resorts. The islands are a luxurious enclave for honeymooners, celebrities and the ultra-rich. But what if your travel style is more budget-luxury than five-star – can you visit the Seychelles on a budget?
When I found a flight to South Africa with a stopover in the Seychelles, I couldn’t resist seeing if it was possible to visit these paradise islands without spending big.
And although it’s never going to be an ultra-cheap destination, it turns out that keeping costs down in the Seychelles is possible, even when you’re following in the sandy footprints of A-listers and royalty. So here are my tips for a budget trip to the Seychelles.
Visiting the Seychelles on a budget
Planning a budget trip to the Seychelles
There are 115 different islands in the Seychelles archipelago. But most are uninhabited, and visitors generally stick to the three main islands – Mahé, Praslin and La Digue.
Mahé is the largest island and is home to the Seychelles’ capital Victoria and the international airport. Praslin is smaller and accessible by plane or ferry, and from there you can get the ferry to La Digue, the smallest, quietest and arguably prettiest island.
Mahé is the cheapest island as it’s the easiest to get to and biggest so has more competition for accommodation. As I only had a four-day stopover I stuck to Mahé, but if you have a week you could hop between islands and try a couple of different locations.
But travel time and costs do add up once you start moving around. Accommodation prices tend to be lower the longer you stay too, so you save money by staying in one place.
Money in the Seychelles
The Seychelles’ currency in the rupee (SCR or Seychellois Rupee) – at time of writing there were around 20 rupees to the Pound, 17 to the Euro and 14 to the US Dollar.
Although credit cards are accepted in many palaces, it’s useful to have cash for small purchases. There are ATMs on all three islands, but some charge hefty withdrawal fees.
Since the Seychelles is a remote island nation, most products need to be imported, which makes them more expensive. So bring plenty of sunscreen, mosquito repellent and toiletries with you if you don’t want to pay a premium for imported versions.
Staying connected in the Seychelles
Although it’s tempting to disconnect and embrace the tropical island lifestyle, it’s useful to have internet access in the Seychelles to find your way around, check currency conversions, look up bus times and locations, and keep in touch with friends and family.
Although wifi is available in most hotels and resorts, public wifi is uncommon and is often unreliable. Roaming fees can be expensive, so an easier option is to get an eSIM,* which means you can access mobile data without the need for physical SIM card.
Holafly’s Seychelles eSIM gives you unlimited data, so you don’t have to worry about running out partway through your trip or being stung with any unexpected costs. You can keep your existing SIM so you don’t lose your phone number and contacts, and it switches between carriers to get the best signal, using 4G/5G signals for high-speed internet.
eSIMS are easy to install and can be activated instantly. Just purchase your package and you’ll be sent an email showing how to install it on your phone (manually, using a QR code or with automatic installation for iPhones using iOS 17.4 or higher).
You can customise your package to fit your trip, from 1 to 90 days – a week’s coverage costs €36.90 (£32/$44), If you are travelling to multiple destinations there’s a new monthly subscription product Holafly Plans that keeps you connected in 160+ destinations (including the Seychelles), and with the Always On feature you never stay without data.
You can get 5% OFF on any Holafly eSIMs or 10% off Holafly Plans (for the first 12 months) using the promo code ONTHELUCE.* But eSIMS aren’t compatible with some older phones so do check. Once you arrive in the Seychelles and turn on your eSIM you can use the internet straight away. Holafly has 24/7 customer support if you have any problems.
The best time to visit the Seychelles
There are two things to consider when choosing when to visit the Seychelles – the weather and the crowds. Peak season runs from December to January and June to August, coinciding with school holidays. Prices are high then and you need to book well in advance. So these are the times to avoid if you want to visit the Seychelles on a budget.
Wet season (November to March) is the hottest time of the year, with high humidity and rainfall. But downpours are usually short, so if you don’t mind risking a shower you can save money on flight and accommodation costs outside the Christmas period.
Dry season (May to September) is a few degrees cooler, with winds picking up from June. As there’s little rain, underwater visibility is good for diving or snorkelling. Overall, April/May and September/October have the best mix of affordable prices and good weather.
Where to stay in the Seychelles
Visitors to the Seychelles need a Travel Authorisation to enter the country – you can apply for this within 30 days of your arrival. And as part of the application process, you need to provide proof that you have accommodation booked. So the Seychelles isn’t the sort of place you can wing it and pick up a last-minute bargain hotel room on arrival.
When you’re looking at where to stay in the Seychelles, the luxury options far outweigh the budget gems, so if you want to bag the best places try to book as far ahead as you can.
Seychelles hotels can be expensive, so instead look for family-run guesthouses, preferably ones which include a good breakfast. Or self-catering options like chalets, bungalows and villas mean you can prepare some of your own meals. Expect to pay €92–€126 (£80–£110/$110–$150) per room per night, depending on the location and facilities.
I stayed in the Fler Payanke* studio apartments on the east coast of Mahé, which cost €94/£82/$112 a night for two people. They’re set on a hill overlooking Anse Royale bay, with a balcony and kitchen and are walking distance to a beach, bus stop and shops.
Other options on my shortlist were the Mer Riviere* apartment with pool (€122/£106/$145 a night) and the hilltop Hidden Valley Residence* (€90/£78/$107 a night).
Getting around the Seychelles
Flights to the Seychelles arrive into Mahé, and travel on to other islands is one of the biggest expenses. The ferry to Praslin takes an hour and starts from €112/£98/$133 return, or La Digue (via Praslin) takes 90 minutes and costs €136/£118/$162 return.
La Digue is so small that, other than a few taxis, most people get around the island by bike. Both Mahé and Praslin are bigger, so if you want to see a lot in a short time, it’s easiest to hire a car. Car hire in the Seychelles costs around €45/£39/$54 a day. Cars available are mostly small automatics, which are slow but nimble on Mahé’s windy mountain roads.
Petrol costs fluctuate but are around 205 rupees per 10 litres of fuel on Mahé. We spent 446 rupees (€27/£23/$32) over four days and drove almost every road on the island.
If you don’t want to hire a car or want to keep costs to a minimum, there are also Seychelles Public Transport Corporation (SPTC) buses – Mahé’s mountain roads are hard going for cycling and walking can be dangerous as there aren’t many pavements.
Buses run on over 100 different routes across Mahé and Praslin. Though services are not always very frequent so check timetables – a SPTC app is available for Apple and Android. The driving can be a bit crazy around the hairpin bends so hold tight!
A flat fare single journey costs 10 rupees, however far you travel. But buses are cashless so you will need a bus card (available or online or in some shops). Visitors can get cards with unlimited travel for one, four or seven days, which start from 100 rupees (€6/£5/€7).
Things to do in the Seychelles on a budget
Beaches
The Seychelles is all about the beaches – and they’re the islands’ best bargain. Beaches are free access, so even those with five-star resorts are open to the public. So you can beach hop your way around the islands and join the jet set at the €1700-a-night Anantara Maia Hotel on Anse Louis, Four Seasons on Petite Anse or Cheval Blanc on Anse Intendance.
The one exception to the free beaches rule is the famous Anse Source d’Argent on La Digue – said to be one of the most photographed beaches in the world. It’s in a National Park so there’s a 150 rupee (€9/£8/$11) fee per person for entry through L’Union Estate.
Beaches are usually accessible from the road, so you don’t have to walk through the hotel grounds. There are off-road parking areas by some beaches, otherwise you can park on the side of the road. And local buses stop at all the main beaches.
Strong currents mean some Seychelles beaches aren’t safe for swimming, or are only safe at certain times of the year, so check signs before taking a dip. You can hire snorkels from dive centres, but it’s cheaper and easier to bring your own if you have space.
Hiking
Another of the most popular things to do in the Seychelles on a budget is go hiking, with routes along the coast or through the mountainous centre of Mahé.
Among the most popular walks on Mahé are the coast path from Beau Vallon to the secluded beach at Anse Major (around two hours return) and the short hike to the Port Glaud waterfall (1 hour return). Or the steep climb along the Morne Blanc trail through the jungle has amazing views over Morne Seychellois National Park (1.5 hours return).
If it rains
If the weather isn’t so good, you can visit the Seychelles National Museums in Mahé’s capital Victoria (entry 25 rupees), where there’s also a clock tower which looks like a mini version of the tower at the Houses of Parliament in London, a cathedral and a Hindu temple.
The National Botanical Garden (entry 250 rupees) just outside the city at Mont Fleuri is home to over 280 plant species, including the famous coco de mer palms, as well as giant Aldabra tortoises you can feed. There’s also the Takamaka rum distillery on Mahé, which runs free guided tours from Monday to Friday (with a tasting for 150 rupees).
Seychelles food and drink
Apart from fish and a few varieties of fruit and vegetables, all other food and drink has to be imported into the Seychelles, so it comes at a premium price.
Expect to pay around 300 rupees (€18/£16/$21) for a main course in a standard restaurant, and at high-end resorts it can be more than double. A two-course meal with drinks and service can easily cost €50/£44/$60 per person, so food costs can really add up.
Street food and takeaways are much better value. You can find inexpensive takeaways and food trucks around the islands which cater for locals and serve big portions of Creole food – normally curries with rice and salad – for under 100 rupees (€6/£5/$5).
Self-catering helps keep the costs down – I mixed up dinners out and lunchtime picnics on the beach. Victoria’s covered market is open every day except Sunday and sells local fruit and veg, spices and fresh fish – you’ll also see fish sold at the roadside.
There are also lots of little Indian supermarkets around the islands where you can pick up drinks and basic food items. Or there are a couple of bigger international supermarkets in Mahé – an STC Hypermarket on the outskirts of Victoria and a Co-op on Eden Island. Both sell a lot of imported European products (mainly from France) so aren’t cheap.
If you’ve got space in your bag, it’s worth bringing a few food basics like pasta, cereal bars, tea and coffee to get you started, and stock up on alcohol at duty free before you arrive. You can’t bring any plant or animal products into the Seychelles from overseas, but you can bring in up to two litres of wine and two litres of spirits per person.
Both Seybrew beer and Takamaka rum are produced on the islands, so they cost less than imported drinks. You can also save by buying drinks in local shops – you’ll pay around 50 rupees for a Seybrew there versus 200 rupees for a cocktail at a beach bar.
The verdict
So, can you visit the Seychelles on a budget? Well sort of! If you’re on a very tight budget you might struggle with the costs of accommodation and food, having already had to splash out on flights. But for around €110/£96/$131 a night per person it’s possible to stay in an apartment, rent a car, beach-hop and hike, eat takeaways and have a few local drinks.
It’s very easy to spend more though, so it’s a destination where you need to always keep an eye on the budget – but it’s worth it for a taste of Indian Ocean paradise.
Save for later
