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By Lee Rondganger 
18h ago
Durban – Visitors to the Seychelles looking for a comprehensive island vacation have many options to choose from. With 115 islands that make up the archipelago, choosing the right island to visit can be a daunting task.
But if you had to choose only three islands in the Seychelles to visit, these are IOL’s recommendations.
MAHE
Mahe is the main island of the Seychelles and home to the capital, Victoria. At least 90% of the country’s population of 97,000 lives in Mahe, which has a bustling port, international airport, modern shopping malls and a vibrant city center.
Mahé has more than 60 beaches from where visitors can hire a small charter or yacht to fish, snorkel, swim and dive.
For hikers, Mahe offers the Copolia hiking trail, a two-hour hike up a mountain that, when at the top, gives you a 360-degree view of the island.
Downtown Victoria is rich in history, with its busy market, cathedrals and Esplanade, where you are sure to find that souvenir to take home.
Another must-see is Eden Island, built on reclaimed land, which features a shopping center, casino, bars, and restaurants serving traditional and western cuisine.
PRASLIN
Praslin is the second largest island in the Seychelles and very popular with tourists, many of whom make their base here. The island is a 15 minute flight from Mahe and your base here allows easy access to other islands by ferry.
With some of the best beaches you can find anywhere in the world, perhaps the most famous attraction on the island is the Vallée de Mai, a world heritage site where the Coco de Mer, a two-lobed coconut, grows. It is the only place in the world where this giant palm grows naturally.
So beautiful is the Valle de Mai that when General Gordon of Khartoum visited it in the 18th century, he returned to London claiming it was the original site of the biblical Garden of Eden.
According to the locals, the Anso Lazio beach, in the northwest of the island, is considered the best beach in the world.
DAM
La Digue is the fourth largest island in the Seychelles and is located 43 km from the main island of Mahé and 6.5 km from Praslin.
At just 5km by 3km, La Digue is home to some of the most iconic beaches in the Seychelles and has a population of just 3,000.
Compared to Mahé, life on the small island of La Digue is slow and there are not many cars, the main means of transport being the bicycle.
A bike ride around the island will take about 40 minutes and a walk from one end to the other will take an hour.
A must-see destination is L’Union Estate, where you can glimpse the island’s coconut industry in the form of a coconut oven and rustic mill where coconut pulp is turned into oil.
The Anse Source d’Argent beach on the island, with its giant rocks lining the beaches, is considered the most pristine beach in the world and a must-see for any tourist visiting the island.
MESS
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