Vallée de Mai, Praslin, Seychelles

Vallée de Mai is a magical place - like stepping into a prehistoric forest. We visited during our stay in Praslin and were amazed by the dense palm forest, especially the famous coco de mer trees. The trails are well-marked and easy to follow, and the whole reserve is peaceful and full of wildlife sounds. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site for a reason - definitely worth a visit for nature lovers and anyone wanting to experience the wild heart of Seychelles.

You need to experience this place. There’s a lot to see and learn about the Coco de Mer and just enjoy nature. If you also need some exercise during your vacation, this is it. Try to wear closed shoes to make the walk more comfortable. It was nice visiting another UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It is expensive, but the money goes mainly to the conservation of a Tortoise Park on another island, so it all makes sense in the end. The walk was enjoyable, without so many mosquitoes despite the forest walk. We saw 2/3 of the species marked on the entrance paper, some of them you cannot really see because they are mainly visible at night anyway. Still look everywhere, it is a great game to play ! All is very well maintained, easy to navigate with informations regularly. We didn't take any guide. But expect guides to jump on you at the entrance... Not very agreeable but some people like it this way...

Visiting this place is a lifetime experience. The coco de mer trees are absolutely unreal, there are other rare species of trees as well. The uniquely shaped coco de mer seeds are something that one will never see anything similar anywhere. We were very lucky to spot the black parrots too, also spotted the geckos.

One of the best things I’ve ever seen in my life. Don’t book a tour guide but experience this breathtaking forest with your own senses. You’ll be astonished what you can see and experience.

We only visited Vallee de Mai so I can’t compare it to Fond Ferdinand but it’s definitely worth a visit. Overpriced? Maybe. But at least for a good cause. At the beginning of December even 12 pm on a Saturday is not too crowded. The long trail took us a bit more than 2 hours. We chose not to get a guide and I’m very happy with that choice. After our Curieuse guided trip and some googleing we knew what to look for and the small info stations gave us enough on site. Private guides are very loud and won’t stop talking, you can hear them all around the park and that keeps you from enjoying the sounds of the forest. If you stay quiet and still, animals will appear around you. We saw many black parrots, some other birds, lizards and geckos too. It is an amazing experience.

We visited Vallée de Mai on a rainy day, and it was magical. Despite the rain, we stayed completely dry — the enormous jungle leaves created a natural umbrella over the entire trail. It felt like walking through a prehistoric world, surrounded by lush greenery and the unique beauty of the coco de mer palms. We chose the longest trail, about an hour and a half, and it was a peaceful, easy walk through this stunning UNESCO-listed forest. A beautiful, calming experience — perfect even in the rain. 🌿🌧️✨ After the walk, we had coffee at the on-site bar, but it wasn’t particularly impressive — there are much better spots for coffee elsewhere on the island. Still, the nature experience itself was unforgettable and well worth the visit. 🌴☕🌧️

The reserve is scenic and has a strong conservation role, but beyond the coco de mer nut I didn’t find anything particularly unique during the hike. The main trails can be completed in about 2 hours, so the 30 EUR entry fee feels high for what is essentially a short walk.