Seychelles Holiday Guide

Most people who've been lucky enough to have visited more than one Seychelles island claim the beaches are better on Praslin than Mahe but frankly, they are all as pretty as a picture. Mahe's best-known and biggest beach is Beau Vallon but there are many to choose from.

Try secluded Port Launay and the magical area known as Fairyland around Anse Royale. If you're staying on Praslin don't miss its world-famous 6.5km Anse Lazio beach, part of the island's Gold Coast, or boulder-strewn Anse Source d'Argent. For a more off the beaten track experience, head to Petite Anse Kerlan in the north-west where Hollywood movie Castaway was filmed.

Get a crash course in the local flora and fauna with a trip to the Natural Botanical Gardens in Mahe's capital Victoria, or stick to your favourite pursuits from home with a shopping spree around Selwyn-Clarke Market. Just because stalls are more likely to sell fresh fish than the latest fashions doesn't make it any less fun. A quick whiz around the National Museum of History will give you some information about historical Anglo-French bickering over the islands.

Get your David Attenborough hat on with a hike around one of the islands' many national parks – Morne Seychellois on Mahe, or Praslin's world-heritage site Vallee de Mai, a prehistoric forest full of coco de mer trees and their erotic-shaped nuts.

Curry lovers and fish fans will be in seventh heaven. Tuna, snapper and other varieties are all freshly caught, and the Indian Ocean location means curry spices are popular. Plenty of coconuts mean mild, creamy sauces are on offer for korma lovers.

Creole cuisine - fish, rice, vegetables and exotic fruit - is tasty too. There are plenty of restaurants with international cuisine to choose from though, so if you want to stick to steak and chips, you can.

Kicking back with a rum and coconut cocktail or a bottle of local beer, Seybrew, and watching the sun set over the horizon is probably as lively as it gets outside capital Victoria, but frankly, after a relaxing day in the tropical sunshine you'll probably be feeling pretty chilled anyway.

Depending on which hotel you're staying in, you might enjoy some evening entertainment in the form of local dancing and singing - Moutia and Sega are old favourites - but nothing too strenuous. Those who fancy a flutter can head to one of the hotel casinos.

The Seychelles has long been seen as a romantic beach holiday destination but that's not to say you can't take the kids too. The bigger hotels, which can be found clustered around the main beaches, such as Beau Vallon on Mahe and Anse Lazio on Praslin, have kids clubs and lots of facilities for little ones to make your life easier and their holiday fun.

If you've got the kids in tow, there are plenty of activities that they can enjoy such as paddling in the shallows and spotting bright stripy fish like Nemo nibbling away at the colourful coral. Dolphins can often be seen cavorting in the channels between islands, and you can take a glass-bottomed boat to enjoy the fish and coral without getting wet. Jungle walks can be a real adventure - in Praslin, look out for the rare black parrot.

Take a boat trip to one of the outer islands for a proper Robinson Crusoe experience. From Praslin, a 20-minute boat ride takes you to Curieuse, where you can see a unique colony of giant turtles. From Mahe, the place to visit is St Anne's Island, which sits in the protected St Anne Marine National Park.

Victoria's Selwyn-Clarke Market has the biggest selection of local crafts, such as batik clothing, paintings, pottery, woodwork, sarongs, silks and pre-packed local spices like cinnamon and vanilla which make for nice souvenirs for the family back home.

You can buy the famous coco de mer nut, but don't forget that you need an export licence to take it out of the country.