Praslin is the second largest island in the Seychelles and the most popular with tourists. It has primeval forest and wonderful scenery, coupled with some good-quality hotels that are less expensive than their exclusive counterparts on the outer islands. But what Praslin is most famous for is soft, white-sand beaches and crystal-clear turquoise waters that surround the small island, many of which have been voted among the best in the world. 

Anse Lazio - This 1km-long beach is situated in Bay Chevalier in the north west corner of Praslin and has been repeatedly voted the best beach in the world. The beach is a perfect crescent, fringed with takamaka and palm trees, with soft powdery white sand. There are quite large waves here and snorkelling is better elsewhere, but the best thing about Anse Lazio are the rainbow coloured sunsets. The Bonbon Plume restaurant sells good Kreol cuisine, cake, and fresh juices, with main courses starting at $25.

Anse la Blague - The coral reef is easy to swim out to here, making it ideal for snorkelling. I was lucky enough to swim with two young hawksbill turtles for about 15 minutes, and there are many reef fish and invertebrates to see. There is a small open air beach side restaurant, part of Hotel La Vanille, which has terribly slow service, but eventually produces excellent coconut milkshakes.

Anse Kerlan - This deserted beach near the tiny airport, with beautiful views of Cousine and Cousin islands in the distance.

Anse Volbert (Cote d’Or) - The most popular stretch of sand and the location of most of the large resorts. This is a long white sanded beach, with shallow, crystal-clear turquoise waters, ideal for swimming, watersports, and sunbathing.

Grande Anse - Praslin’s longest beach and the site of one of the two villages. After Cote d’Or, this is the other tourist centre, but the beach is very seaweed congested, and the waters shallow. The sunsets are beautiful. 

Anse Consolation - This tiny secluded bay by Point Consolation, in the quiet South Eastern part of the island, has a small sandy beach with interesting shells and a few small fishing boats.

Anse Possession - Pretty narrow beach scattered with large granite boulders, with a view of Curieuse Island. This is where the French claimed possession of Praslin in 1768.