Fregate Island Private

I recently stayed at Fregate Island Private and was deeply disappointed with my experience. Firstly, the hotel is highly overpriced for what it offers. While the island is certainly beautiful, the amenities are few and far between, leaving me feeling completely ripped off. But the cherry on top of my terrible experience was the large number of millipedes that were present in my room. I understand that the island is home to various creatures, but having them inside my room was both unsettling and unacceptable. Furthermore, the hotel does not have a proper boat to transport people, which made getting to and from the mainland a real hassle. Given the high price tag of staying here, one would expect better transportation options. Overall, my experience at Fregate Island Private was a total letdown. The presence of millipedes in my room, combined with the exorbitant prices and poor transportation options, left me feeling beyond disappointed. I would not recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a luxurious island getaway. Save your money, book elsewhere!

This place deserves 5 stars no matter what, it is simply a nature wonderland which has been preserved excellently. However, there were a couple of dings, which I believe are being remediated. ||||Food quality wasn't up to the level we had expected AND requested. I.e. my wife is very health conscious and had requested avocado and other food to fit her diet... it took the manager to get in a boat to the main island to get this, but that was a couple of days.... this was the low season, so not that many guests, but we had requested this as we always do. However, we did have wonderful meals, especially in the tree-house and also the the owners estate. ||||Diving will be AMAZING if you go during the good diving moths, we didnt however it was still pleasurable and the equipment is good. At the price I would have expected two-tank dives, but due to the shallow dives, they were 50+ minutes both days and quite good. First time I saw a Spanish Dancer (we saw two). ||||The beaches are wonderful and you can have your own beach for the day, the birds are plentiful and so are the tortoises. My wife loved the yoga and she is a yoga instructor herself. ||||We forgot the plush-toy tortoise (and have a grandchild who would love that), so Management agreed to send that to us in NYC as well a Fregate Cap, which is my standard souvenir from these places. Have not received it yet... but there is a long distance to NYC. ||||No matter when you go, this will be memorable.

This private island is full of giant millipedes warms which enter your villa, your underwear, clothes and food! Outrageously expensive : £3000+ a night for a villa and you get to experience this phobia!|||| I and my husband booked our stay for 6 nights via Knightsbridge Circle Luxury concierge company based in London.||||After 3 nights, upon waking up with these millipedes next to my bed and clothes, I had enough and demanded to leave the island immediately. ||We moved to the newly opened Six Senses resort which was free from any of these creatures and had great service.||So we basically had to pay again for our holiday.||I have been several times to Seychelles to different islands. These millipedes are native to Fregate Island only. ||||On top of that, Fregate private island whose management charges outrageous amounts to their guests, does not have any activities! They do not even have a proper boat to begin with. We booked a private day trip to the other islands and they wanted to put us in a transport ferry boat, can you imagine? ||||To give some credit, their beaches are beautiful but warning: you can’t swim in any because of strong currents and waves and also to get to them there are like 200 steep stairs down. My husband slipped and fell on his back. Very dangerous.||||Last but not least, there were like 300 types of birds nesting and pooping everywhere. ||||To sum up: this island is not adequate for tourism. They need to make a lot of changes and lower their unreasonable prices.

This place gets rave reviews, and I’m afraid I just have to agree.||The service is excellent, the food is excellent and the island is interesting. Our villa was large, well appointed, with an excellent infinity pool. You get a golf buggy for your personal transport. It is cleaned and charged overnight. ||When you arrive you’ll be met by Management and your Personal Assistant. I would urge to really make use of your PA, because they will make your stay memorable. For example they will arrange for you to have breakfast in the Tree House, or dinner in the Library or whatever. As for the food itself, if you don’t see it on the menu, just ask: they will probably be able to provide it, they will certainly try to prepare it the way you want.||House wines and local beer are complimentary (you have a wine cooler in your room which is replenished daily). The house wines were very drinkable indeed, but if you want finer wines they are available to buy.||Most reviewers have not mentioned the network of trails on the island. If you have the time, they are certainly worth exploring – there are trail maps in your room directory. The trails are not difficult, but they can be rocky, so do not attempt to do them in flip-flops: you will get hurt. You can ask your Personal Assistant to photocopy the trail map that you want to take with you on the walk.||If you only have time to do one trail, I’d suggest Mont Signal. To do the whole walk, drive your buggy to one end of the trail and let your PA know where it is. The PA will get your buggy and leave at the other end of the trail, so it’ll be there waiting for you. Perfect.

When we arrived to Fregate Island, we had high expectations (as we had seen many incredible photos)! Our expectations were exceeded. ||||From the moment you step foot on the island, you are in complete holiday mode. No request is too small or too large for the staff. One day we asked to have breakfast in the treehouse, another day we asked for lunch on the beach. The food at each of the restaurants is of an incredibly high standard so we spent our three nights / four days trying all the different items on the menu. ||||The rooms are incredible especially the private pool which comes with each of the villas! By far the largest private pool we have ever had in any Hotel. It was beautiful how private each of them were as well, we were not able to see any other villas from our room!||||It is amazing that this slice of paradise exists where tortoises room the island freely. We loved driving around the island in our own golf buggy passing the tortoises on our way!

Frégate is such a magical island and the epitome of a dream place. You’ll get enchantend the moment you set the feet on her. We arrived by helicopter, which is the most convenient way and of course the most stunning as well. After a warm greeting by the lovely Resort Manager Arta, our nice butler Shannon and another staff member we were whisked away to our wonderful residence # 4 Water Lily, one of the 3 villas with direct beach access, great! The outdoor area is sensational with a huge inifinity pool and spectacular view over the ocean. About 400 square metre at least in size, the villa features a separate dining and living room, a romantic bedroom and also a tropical outdoor shower. It’s designed in a warm colonial style which perfectly matches to the environment. ||||Only 16 Residences and the Banyan Hill Estate guarantee a very intimate atmosphere with highest privacy level. No wonder at all that many celebrities choose to holiday on Frégate. The included mini-bar is stocked with a good choice of wines, local beer, and as a welcome gift in addition 2 bottles of the famous Takamaka rum. Every residence has its own buggy so you can easily explore the island by yourself. We settled in our villa and afterwards went on an introduction tour with our butler, showing us some major parts of the island. This beautiful place sizes about 2,2 square kilometre in total. Frégate is now covered again with endemic vegetation after many years of renaturation under initiation of the German owner. Around 3000 giant Aldabra tortoises roam around freely, over 100 species of birds live here, geckos and other creatures are also domestic. Undoubtedly an animal’s sanctuary and a nature lover’s paradise. Around 70% of the food is sustainably produced directly on the island. Local fishermen deliver fresh fish and seafood. ||||Conservation of the endemic flora and fauna is on top priority. The Seychelles Magpie Robin has here been saved from extinction. We went on a nice tour with Charles, the agricultural manager. He was showing us the hydroponic house, in which vegetables and flowers are cultivated. Also in the gardens among other plants corn, lemongrass, papaya, banana, breadfruit trees are growing in large numbers. You are always surrounded by hundreds of chirping birds which is just lovely. Also, for the ones who are afraid of creepy things: We had no special encounter at all, what of course does not mean there is nothing existing. But it’s definitely no need to worry about that.||||There are 7 beautiful beaches, including Anse Victorin. This one has been voted as one of the best beaches worldwide. Also Anse Macquereau is amazing, and it’s the „private beach“ of the island. The first couple entering the entrance put the sign to „beach in use“. Your butler will be delighted to come over with a delicious lunch basket accompanied by a bottle of wine. Every beach is equipped with a cool box containing soft drinks, also towels and of course a telephone are provided. Yet, those both beaches are not easy to reach, it demands a bit of an exercise to get the many steps down – and of course up again! So best you book afterwards a relaxing massage at the idyllic Rock Spa 😉. Unfortunately, during our stay we could not go swimming due to waves/currents on those 2 beaches. Some others are an alternative, e.g. main beach Anse Bambous and Marina beach. Anse Bambous houses also a lovely beach-side restaurant and comfortable beds to chill under the palm trees. Apart from the beaches, there is lots to explore on the island. The visit of the small cemetery from the former times for example. The original plantation house is now a museum with records of the history as a pirate’s nest. About 11km of nature trails surrounded by spectacular scenery are waiting to be explored. The resident conservation team will glady accompany you on an interesting jungle tour or on a night safari (for the more adventurous). Signal Hill is the highest point with 125 metre above sea level. A perfect venue for a celebration of high tea in the afternoon. Mountain biking, yoga, scuba diving, excursions and other activities are also available. Toddlers will have fun in the kids club with some nice things on offer like treasure hunting. ||||The main restaurant is perched on the hill with fabulous view from every point. Also lovely is the rustic Pirate’s Bar, ideal for a sundowner. Food is certainly of a high quality. Own bottled water is is served not only in the villa, but also in the outlets. That’s an important point in terms of sustainability. Many resorts only provide those bottles in the villa and serve in the restaurants imported bottles or even plastic ones. You select either from an à-la-carte menu with nice things like wagyu and lobster or off-menu. All meals can of course be enjoyed everywhere on the island. Choose a romantic candle-light-dinner on the beach, start the day with a breakfast high amidst the branches of an ancient Banyan Tree, or lunch in the privacy of your terrace. Only at breakfast I think the choice of pastry/jam could have been larger and also the service a bit swifter. The omelette selection was excellent! Well, I am famous for being picky on those things 😉. ||||Frégate is definitely a unique island which seems to be out of this world. It’s an ultimate hideaway for those who love to reconnect with nature without compromising on luxury. When we left the island, our pilot said: „Back to reality“. So true. Frégate is a rare jewel and a bit of a fairy tale.

Reaching Fregate Island Private is a bit like making your way to Fantasy Island. The helicopter ride from Mahe takes about 40 minutes and creates a great sense of anticipation. Once you’ve arrived, you are greeted with leis and tropical drinks. Keeping in mind that this Island is an ecological preserve, you’ll appreciate a certain aroma in the air as you make your way from the helicopter landing site to your villa (you're passing through a bird nesting area). The smell may be strong but once you reach the villas, the air is incredibly fresh and the views from the villa over the Indian Ocean are exhilarating. The larger villas have direct beach access, but the single bedroom villas are perched high atop granite boulders and have access nearby. One really neat aspect about Fregate Island Private is the fact that many of the beach areas are typically unoccupied and some have a sign that you can use to indicate it is occupied, thus allowing you to have the beach entirely to yourself. The villas are extremely spacious and have large bedrooms and a separate large living area. Our Villa had two bathrooms and an extensive deck, hot tub, and substantial infinity Pool that offered commanding views over the Ocean. The pool is such an enjoyable place to relax as the changing sky and sun created a panoply of different colors and light. It was especially relaxing to enjoy the pool at night with the lights off, gazing up at the immense Milky Way while silhouettes of fruit bats passed overhead. The villa is quite spacious and airy. There is ample complimentary beer, wine, local rum, nuts, cookies, and fruit for your enjoyment. There was so much food, we rarely ate formal breakfast and simply snacked on the treats available in the villa. The lunches and dinners were extremely delicious. The ingredients were fresh and varied. You can have your meals at your villa or at the restaurant. Meals, beer, and many wines are included. Some of the meals can be taken at a variety of locations around the island. The manager Wayne is very helpful and it is extremely enjoyable and educational to take the island walk with him. I would also recommend the evening nature walk. Our personal helper, Tamil, had occasional communication issues due to linguistic misunderstanding but he tried very hard to maximize the events during our stay. I was quite amazed he trekked our lunch one day down the enormous flight of stairs to Anse Victorin (rated more than once the world’s most beautiful beach). There are many complimentary activities and during our six days, we could not partake in all. There is an air conditioned gym and lovely spa a short walk or buggy (your villa comes with an electric cart) drive from the villas and the Balinese massage we received was incredible. Just below the main lodge, you’ll find a very large infinity pool as well as a gorgeous beach. I only wish we’d had the time to enjoy them both. One thing you’ll appreciate while staying here, you rarely encounter other guests; it’s almost as if you have the entire island to yourself. Next time we visit, we plan to do much less.

The first rule of marketing is “location, location, location” and this place has inherited the Garden of Eden! If you’re tired of the magazine air-brushed Maldives, or if French Polynesia is just too far, if you like a touch of luxury with your adventure, then this is the place for you. |Pros:|-African jungle fauna that will overwhelm you... 5000+ tortoises (some of them 200 yr old), hundreds of thousand birds, large fruit bats, etc. etc. This place seems like a step-back to the Jurassic era|-amazing villas with more-than-amazing views|-some of the world’s most beautiful beaches where you will be the ONLY one on the beach!|-privacy!!! You’ll basically never see other guests or be bothered at all|-delicious and healthy food... freshly caught fish, 80% of fruits and vegetables (so fresh and delicious!) served are grown on the island, etc. you can eat well AND loose weight here|-great mix of relax and activity... they organize and propose things for you to do every day to make sure that you get to know the island, etc. you don’t have to call or organize anything... they think ahead and make it happen|-personalized service... they know your name, learn your preferences and habits, and tailor the service to match|Cons:|-none really but the hotel could use an “update” in some cases (e.g., the gym)... there’s a little wear-and-tear that you might not expect at these prices but the management says they’re aware and will make future investments||We’d love to thank Edson and Angela (our assigned assistants), the management team including Wayne and Arta, all of the waitstaff in the restaurant (David, Ades, etc.) and housekeeping (Mimirose!). Kudos also to Richard who is fighting the “good fight” in terms of ecology and conservation.||We will definitely be back!