While famed for swaying palms and impossibly blue waters, this archipelago is so much more than its postcard-perfect beaches. Think jungle hikes to panoramic viewpoints, turtle conservation projects, paddleboarding with manta rays, diving with kaleidoscopic marine life and some of the best hotels in the world.

Here is a collection of my favourite exclusive luxury hotels and islands, each promising its own unique vision of paradise:

Mahé & Desroches: Four Seasons Seychelles

Four Seasons Luxury Resorts spoils us with two sublime choices in the Seychelles.

On Mahé, a short distance from the airport, Four Seasons Resort Seychelles sits cradled between granite peaks and one of Mahé’s prettiest beaches in a horseshoe-shaped bay. Villas are scattered across verdant hillsides, each with a pool gazing out over the turquoise Indian Ocean. Days might begin with sunrise yoga in the spa’s hilltop pavilion, continue with a private Creole cooking class, and end with a romantic dinner for two on the sand as the sun paints the horizon a vivid burning amber.

For deeper seclusion and bounds of privacy, Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island feels like a world of its own. The island is haloed by nine powdery miles of sublime ocean-licked beaches, with villas tucked into palm groves or just steps from the surf with sea views directly from your private pool. And the largest villa has space enough for 16, ideal for family getaways. Sandy paths invite exploration by foot or bicycle, leading to a tortoise sanctuary and coastlines fringed with colourful reefs. A highlight on Desroches is the magnificent lighthouse, home to a bar and a seafood restaurant, where you can enjoy a romantic dinner for two at the top, served with impeccable sunset views.

While we might suggest you choose the Four Seasons Resort Seychelles for its luxury balanced with convenience or the Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island for its masterclass in paradisiacal immersion, taken together, these two Four Seasons properties offer the perfect Seychelles pairing: a blend of Mahé’s rugged natural beauty and distinct island culture, with the castaway romance of Desroches. And they’re easily connectable via a convenient 35-minute flight.

Six Senses Zil Pasyon, Félicité Island

A Coral-Fringed Private Island Escape

All the hallmarks of a luxury Seychelles holiday are accounted for on the private island Félicité, home to Six Senses Zil Pasyon. Villas, each surrounded by the island’s exotic vegetation, have private infinity pools carved into view-laden terraces overlooking a pristine palette of white sand, green palms, pale blue skies, and gem-blue waters, while rocky outcrops add a touch of drama to the scenery. The spa is excellent, benefitting from a wide range of options that incorporate African-inspired treatments, elevated by the local flora and fine-tuned using smart technology. This ethos is carried into the restaurants too, where guests will find local ingredients from the organic garden turned into colourful cuisine inspired by African, English, Chinese, French, and Indian cooking.

Six Senses Zil Pasyon has a wealth of local wildlife, so you can swim with the turtles on neighbouring Île Cocos Marine Park, listen to exotic birdsong as the sun rises and trek the lush jungles past lichen-woven trees in search of wild vanilla flowers and 360-degree vistas from the top of the island. To meet the local sea life, take a complimentary kayak to spy eagle rays, small reef sharks, needlefish, and dolphins off the coast of Coco Island.

Blue Safari, Alphonse Island Lodge

Remote Adventures at Alphonse Island Lodge

Journey 400km from Mahé to the Outer Seychelles, and you’ll eventually find Alphonse Island, a paradise within a paradise. The island has its own microclimate, guaranteeing year-round sunshine, and a single exceptional resort: The Alphonse Island Lodge. The Alphonse Island Lodge is a divine, sustainable, biodiverse, conservation-focused sanctuary where nature remains unspoiled and undiluted. Your accommodation is one of a chic collection of beach bungalows or villas designed to blend seamlessly with the lush surroundings. Think open-air showers, breezy decks for sunsets with a cocktail in hand and an entirely private slice of white-sanded beach with palms and hammocks at your disposal.

Alphonse Island’s immediate shoreline is a warm-watered, shallow lagoon, with reef sharks and hawksbill turtles, but go a little further and you’ll find yellowfin tuna, spinner dolphins, humpback whales and manta rays, all explorable by catamaran with skilled guides on board. Fly-fishing is legendary on Alphonse Island, drawing big game anglers from around the world, while nature lovers can join marine biologists to monitor turtle hatchings or learn about reef conservation. Romantics need do little more than enjoy the sublime view, but you could also indulge in a ‘flat lunch’, where you’ll be guided to a sand flat for a uniquely private barbecue surrounded by all that wonderful blue.

Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island

A Haven for Turtles and Barefoot Luxury

50 private villas with laidback luxe interiors sit like shells washed ashore on this delightfully secluded island. The immaculate villas here range from romantic one-bedroom to sprawling five-bedroom family-friendly villas, all with a pool, a garden and private dining space, ensconced by a wildlife-rich ecosystem that’s as beguilingly beautiful as it is sustainable. Indeed, one of Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island’s most enticing lures is its commitment to protecting its flora and fauna (ask your Travel Designer for the data if you’re interested!). Walk the sandy beaches and you’ll likely see crab and turtle tracks preceding your own, and you may even meet one of the resident Aldabra giant tortoises or hawksbill turtle hatchlings taking their first steps. Stop to observe the shallows, and you could spot parrotfish nibbling on coral, as well as baby reef sharks and eagle rays patrolling the waters.

Food at the Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island is served from six fabulous restaurants, but a standout is Moulin’s mostly plant-based and locally grown menu (with ingredients plucked fresh from the island garden), while Torti serves bento boxes and sushi at a chic beach bar.

North Island, A Luxury Collection Resort, Seychelles

Exclusivity Meets World-Leading Conservation

North Island, a Luxury Collection Resort, Seychelles, is one of those destinations that needs to be experienced to be understood. It’s a private 500-acre island with just 11 lavish villas, all but ensuring you rarely see another guest. Each villa boasts large open-plan spaces with four-poster beds, plunge pools, and marble bathrooms. Privacy here is absolute, with lashings of space given to each guest. But if you’re looking for even more seclusion and exclusivity, then we suggest you ask your Travel Designer about Villa 11 at North Island, Seychelles… and prepare to be wowed

Pull yourself away from your exquisite villa, and you’ll spend days tracking turtles on velvety white sands, and indulge in evening dinners lit by flickering torchlight, soundtracked by the roll of a wave and the flutter of leaves overhead. Speaking of dinner, a highlight is the restaurant that has no set menu. In place of the menu, guests are invited to share their culinary desires on arrival, resulting in bespoke dishes hand-crafted from North Island’s gardens and abundant waters. You needn’t sit down for dinner in the same spot, either, as you can choose between romantic dining on secluded beaches, in your villa or the hotel’s Piazza. Furthermore, North Island, a Luxury Collection Resort, Seychelles, has myriad conservation efforts, from forest restoration efforts to rewilding critically endangered species such as the Seychelles White-Eye bird.

Mango House Seychelles, LXR Hotels & Resorts

Mahé Seclusion

Perched on the southern shores of The Seychelles’ main island, Mahé, Mango House Seychelles, LXR Hotels & Resorts boasts a delightful collection of rooms, suites and houses. Each house has private swimming pools, while rooms and suites have terraces and balconies overlooking a serene bay. Originally the family retreat of Italian fashion photographer Gian Paolo Barbieri, the resort eschews typical tropes, instead retaining the feel of a private residence with warm, airy and stylish interiors that feel connected to its surroundings. It’s a great option for a convenient Seychelles trip too, as Mahé is easy to reach. But the Anse aux Poules Bleue location gives it a unique sense of isolation.

Five distinct restaurants serve eclectic cuisine from locally caught fresh seafood at Azido to casual beachfront bites and cocktails at Soley. For active travellers, the Anse aux Poules Bleues bay offers glass-clear waters perfect for paddleboarding and snorkelling, while Mahé’s picturesque hills invite inland exploration along lush forest trails. The Anpe Spa offers a chance to restore and draws on local wellness traditions, offering treatments using organic botanicals, delivered in treatment rooms with expansive ocean vistas.

Whether you choose just one island retreat or combine a few into an island-hopping adventure, as your Private Travel Designer I will create a journey shaped entirely around you — from private charters by sea and air, to experiences fine-tuned to your passions.