Praslin

What you gain

• ↑Anse Lazio: the beach that defines the Seychelles in the global imagination — a bay of pure white granite sand framed by boulders the colour of warm honey, backed by takamaka trees, with Indian Ocean water so clear you can read the grain of the sand at 3 metres depth; the beach café serves the finest grilled fish in the Seychelles at the beach's northern end
• ↑Vallée de Mai: a 2–3 hour guided walk through a primeval palm forest where coco de mer palms (some over 25m tall and 800 years old) produce the world's largest seed; the forest also contains the endangered Seychelles Black Parrot (found nowhere else on Earth) and the endemic jellyfish tree; the morning light filtering through the palm canopy at 8am is extraordinary
• ↑Gateway to La Digue: the 15-minute ferry from Praslin's Baie Sainte Anne jetty to La Digue makes Praslin the natural base for exploring both islands without returning to Mahé; a 3-night Praslin + 2-night La Digue combination is the most popular Seychelles island-hop

What you sacrifice

• ↓Anse Lazio has no direct road access from most Praslin hotels — it requires either a taxi, a hire car, or a 45-minute walk; beach days at Anse Lazio cannot be spontaneous and require planning and transport
• ↓Praslin has less nightlife and evening activity than Mahé — the island shuts down relatively early, and those seeking a varied evening programme beyond dinner and a hotel bar will find Praslin's options limited to a handful of restaurants