Bird Island, Seychelles

I love every bit of this island! It's a great privilege to be so close to nature and its creatures. The staff are very friendly and have great knowledge about everything that is related to Bird island. The food is amazing, and Esmeralda is an extremely friendly giant tortoise, the heaviest one and second oldest one of the world ❤️

Bird Island is a truly special location. I stayed for four days enjoying their tropical paradise. It's a place for people who truly love nature and wildlife and want to preserve the natural environment. I swam in the warm waters, watched birds flying overhead and fed papayas to the many tortoises. Everyday I hiked in search of new sea turtle nests (I found 4 new nests during my stay). The owners and employees truly have a passion for keeping this island as natural as possible and will offer much information about the local flora and fauna.

If you're looking to get away from busy resorts and motorised water sports, Bird island is the place. We returned for a magical week over Christmas 2024, our third family trip to Bird Island. Just seeing all the birds flying around us as we stepped off the plane on arrival was wonderful. |Since our last visit the concept has changed slightly to self catering units, which worked really well for us.|The staff and family on Bird Island went out of their way to make sure we were happy, supplying us with fresh bananas, coconuts and papayas in addition to the well stocked shop which catered for our breakfast and lunch needs. In the evenings we enjoyed a few drinks at the bar and Anne-Maries' dinner. |I did take some provisions that I didn't see on the shop list : ground coffee, |our brand of tea, and a few snacks|The holiday was everything we hoped for, sea, sand and sunshine and we had fun getting re-acquainted with the birds, tortoises, turtles (and nesting turtles!) and all the creatures of the sea. Daryll gave us a lesson on coconuts, from how they grow to how to open them, as well as an inside guide to the giant tortoises. |We will be back!

we were provided the opportunity and privilege to experience this unique untouched Island. definitely a must see for all nature lovers!|offering a little of everything...lodge with open kitchen and lounge (camping safari Vibes), long walks through nature and of course the birds all around, the magnificent untouched beaches offering fishing, snorkeling swimming or just to kick back and sunbath! we thoroughly enjoyed our stay!||Big thank you to Alex, his Family and the entire team on the island who really add an extra touch of magic!:)

I returned to Bird Island thirty-two years after my first visit. Yes, it has changed in many ways but it is still a magical place. If you want to get away from it all and just relax in a beautiful, unspoilt environment, then this is the ideal location for you. And you must like birds too!||The chalet I stayed in was very spacious - a nice verandah with deckchairs and beautiful bedroom/lounge with a comfortable bed. A big shower - with a hot shower (solar powered - which is an improvement on my last visit!) and a separate toilet. No unnecessary power-hungry additions. There is no air-con - just a beautifully designed chalet which helps it to stay cool. There is no television - but why anyone would want to sit and watch movies when there is so much beauty to see I don't know. ||There is also a separate open air kitchen/dining/seating area for your personal use where you can cook/eat your breakfast and lunch while enjoying watching the birds. It is well equipped with a fridge, gas cooker and plenty of crockery, cutlery and utensils. It also has a water cooler filled with UV treated rainwater - so there is plenty of water always readily available.||Evening meals are taken in the restaurant - and if you let the lodge know in advance of any dietary needs they can accommodate your needs. As a vegetarian I was well catered for. They do their best to minimise any waste - which is why it is best to tell them in advance of your arrival. It is not as though they can just pop down to the local supermarket to buy extra ingredients! ||There is a store where you can buy food for breakfast/lunch and toiletries - but basics such as oil, tea, sugar, liquid soap, washing up liquid and even fruit are supplied free.||The beaches are amazing - long, white, soft sandy beaches. With so few people on the island you can find yourself a stretch all to yourself. The sea is turquoise and the waves mesmerising. And then there are the birds. The sooty tern colony is a sight to behold. There are common and lesser noddies all over the island (there were far fewer when I visited last time) - and they will be nesting right next to your chalet -and will be chattering away all night. There are amazing frigate birds hanging like menacing squadrons in the sky. Red footed boobies arriving back from the sea in the evening and trying to avoid the frigates. Since I last visited blue pigeons and sunbirds have been introduced and myna birds have arrived (the last of these is a little concerning). There are beautiful fairy terns and white tailed tropic birds - and as they have no predators you have very close views of these and their chicks. There are ruddy turnstones on the lawn outside the chalets, plovers on the shoreline, crab plovers at North Point, whimbrels on the airstrip, crested terns on the beach..... And if you're lucky you might spot a passing migrant too.||Then there are the tortoises. The three I saw in 1992, including Esmerelda the heaviest tortoise in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records, are still there as well as many more roaming the island freely. ||If you love birds, natural beauty and a simple life this is the place for you. The rest of the world ceases to exist!||If you want swimming pools, dancing, a selection of restaurants, cocktail bars and organised activities then maybe not the ideal holiday.||Snorkeling gear is available, Kayaks are available, and you can go on a guided nature walk ( I did - and it was two hours of interesting information) - all included in the price.||I think the cost is excellent considering the beauty of the location and I just hope I don't leave it another thirty two years before I return.

I read the (few) negative comments on Bird Island. I agree with them: the owners should find the way to stop the birds songs at 9pm,the Ocean sound at 10 pm, the equatorial sun strength at 10am! Apart from the jokes: Bird is amazing,the nature is almost unique and to enjoy this Paradise you must adapt a little bit. The lodge is not a luxury hotel but you knew it already before taking off. The owners are few words people but you don t come there for chatting.We ll be back!! PS just a pray to the owners: to prevent genetic problems (due to blood relationship) in your tortoises population you should introduce at least one or two new females.I hope to find them next time.

We have just recently returned from our trip in October of this year. We were amazed by the number of birds we saw, in sheer quantity as well as many different varieties. There are also giant tortoises, who roam around freely.||The chalets were comfortable and well designed for the climate. They are built to ensure air-flow, so that it is always cool inside. My husband, who over-heats very easily, had no problem sleeping. The food in the restaurant was very tasty. My husband and I are vegetarians and this was catered for with no fuss. ||This is a place where you are very much in nature. The kitchen area is separate from the chalet. It is open, so that birds and other creatures can come in. In our case we had ground doves and a Madagascan foddy sitting on the furniture. For us, this was magical. We found some great places for snorkeling and a lovely late afternoon swimming spot just near our chalet. ||If an adventure trip, where you are very close to nature, is your thing then you will love Bird Island. We are looking at planning another trip. If you are looking for perfect 5-star luxury, however, then it is probably not the place for you.

A gem in the Indian Ocean. Nature at its best with Aldabra turtles soaking up the sun and impressive hordes of migration birds. The four of us (2 kids 2 and 3) had a private beaches during our stay... Amazing memories for and with the kids. The opposite of mass tourism. Simplicity with the right balance of hospitality services . Very good bedding and home made dinner. If you need to unwind, this is the place! We hope to be able to go back again.