1. Mahe To La Digue by Bus
There is no direct way to travel from Mahe to La Digue by bus; however, you can access the public buses that run in Mahe and Praslin to access the airports or ferry docks on these islands. From 6 AM to 7-8 PM the buses run in Mahe and Praslin, the bus service runs till 6 PM. Buses are available generally at 30 minutes intervals daily, but on public holidays or weekends, there is scarcity. To get on a bus, you have to signal. Otherwise, buses don’t stop as there is no fixed bus stop. You will find signs on the roads and shelters at each bus stop, but unless you indicate the driver, the bus never stops. If you wish to get off at the next stoppage, signal the driver by uttering “Devan”.
Bus Options AvailableIn Mahe, buses run at the half-hourly basis and that in Praslin is at an hourly basis. In La Digue, buses run without any fixed timetable and only when there is a requirement.Time Taken: Maximum 1 hourCost: The Seychelles Public Transport Corporation or SPTC offers an affordable fare of only 7 SCR (15 SCR for air-conditioned ones) for any distance travelled on bus.
2. Mahe To La Digue By Car
Mahe and Praslin have an excellent number of independently running taxis although La Digue has very few. You can take a car to reach the ferry station or airport –Mahe has a significant amount of car rental services. The legal age of driving is 23 years and carrying a driving license is mandatory. The car rental companies like Creoleplay Cars, Maki Car Rental, Thrifty Car Rental and U-Drive Car Hire are the popular car rental agencies. Taxi service providers in Mahe are Mahe Cab Services, Green Path Transfers and Seychelles Taxi touring while that in Praslin are Donster Services Seychelles and Coconut Services. Make sure you ask the driver to turn on the meter or decide the cost beforehand.
Cost: 500-600 SCR for private cars. Privately owned taxi costs 19 SCR for first one kilometre, and after that, each kilometre journey costs 6 SCR. From Seychelles Airport to Victoria, the taxi fare would be about 70 SCR. It is better to avail car rental from your accommodation as there are always some discounts available.
Road Conditions
The roads of Mahe tend to be steep with tight turns, and rash driving has been a problem, especially on weekends. You should always maintain staying on the left lane and drive slowly. The speed limit in Mahe is 40 kmph in built-up regions, 80 kmph on the dual carriageway between airport and Victoria and 65 kmph on the outskirts.
3. Mahe To La Digue By Train
Currently, there is no direct or indirect train connection between Mahe and La Digue because both the islands are connected only with the water body.4. Mahe To La Digue By Flight
Seychelles International Airport or Victoria-Seychelles Airport (SEZ) is the only airport in Mahe. At the same time, Praslin has its domestic airport in Grand Anse called Praslin Island Airport or Iles des Palmes Airport (PRI). Both of these airports are connected, and on reaching Praslin Airport, you can take a cab to reach the ferry and then a ferry will transport you to La Digue. Scheduled as well as chartered flight services are offered.
Flight Options Available
Those who want to save on time or have sea-sickness tendency and phobia of water should go for flights, especially during July to October as sea tends to be rough at that time. Charter flights cost more than scheduled ones and prices are subject to change according to season and distance.Mahe To Praslin (SEZ to PRI)
Air Seychelles operates over 25 flights daily from Mahe to Praslin. The flight service commences from 6 AM and runs till 10:10 PM. While some flights are available daily, some run on a weekly basis.
Cost: Around 1,096 Seychellois Rupees for Economy class
Duration: 20 minutes
To travel between islands, you can also get a helicopter service by Helicopter Seychelles, 7South, ZilAir etc. where maximum four persons can go on a 15-30 minutes ride to enjoy aerial views of La Digue Island. Helicopter service is costlier than flights and cost around 5,500 to 12,000 Seychellois rupees. A helicopter ride is offered five times a week.
5. Mahe To La Digue By Ferry
Undoubtedly the best option to reach La Digue is to take a direct ferry from Mahe or an indirect one from Mahe to Praslin and from Praslin to La Digue. It is recommended to get the ferry tickets 48 hours prior or take help from the travel agent. Cat Cocos, Cat Rose and Inter-Island Ferry Pty are the two ferry service providers between Mahe, Praslin and La Digue. The high-speed ferries leave Mahe from Victoria Jetty, Praslin from Praslin Quay or Baie Sainte Anne Jetty and La Digue from La Passe Quay.
There is also an airport shuttle bus service (non-refundable) leaving daily at 9 AM and 3 PM and 10 AM on Saturday and 8 AM on Sunday for Mahe airport. La Digue offers 40Kg luggage allowance on Business class while Praslin offers 30 Kg allowance on Economy Class and Mahe allows only 7Kg luggage as carry-on or cabin baggage. There are 7-8 ferries daily from Praslin to La Digue, except on Sunday. Some private companies in Victoria (Mason’s Travel and Secret Seychelles) and Praslin (Sagittarius Taxi Boat Excursions and Ziblo Boat Charter) offer daily boat tour services to La Digue.
Cost: One-way ferry service on the main deck of the catamaran will cost 40-60 Euros for an adult and around half of it for a kid from Mahe to Praslin. Luggage allowance during check-in is 30Kg, and you will also get to carry free hand luggage. The shuttle bus from Mahe airport to the ferry will cost 10 Euros for an adult and 5 Euros for a kid. Besides, surcharge for an upper deck is 5 Euros while that for business class is 20 Euros. The cost is changeable and refundable according to terms and conditions.Ferry Options Available for Mahe To La Digue
Time: 1 Hour from Mahe to Praslin and 30 minutes from Praslin to La Digue
Duration: 1.5 hours with 15-20 minutes of stopover to Praslin
Ferries:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday -10:30 AM and 4:30 PM
Tuesday, Thursday -4:30 PM
Friday -10 AM, 5 PM
Saturday -7:30 AM, 11:30 AM, 4:30 PM
Sunday -9 AM, 4:30 PM
Cost: Around 950 SCRYou need to check-in one hour before departure as the boarding starts half an hour before departure. The ferry service works once or twice daily.
Mahe To Praslin, Praslin to La Digue
Duration: 1 Hour from Mahe to Praslin and 30 minutes from Praslin To La Digue
Ferries:
Inter-Island Ferry runs two timber-made schooners, namely Silhouette and Curieuse. The ferries are powered by diesel or wind. The Cat Cocos catamarans (the Isle of Praslin, Isle of Mahe) from Mahe to Praslin runs three return trips daily and if you include the check-in timing the time is around one hour, for which you have to pay around 760 SCR for one-way journey in standard air-conditioned main cabin while kids get 50% discount.1.From Mahe To Praslin
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday -7:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 4:30 PM
- Friday -7:30 AM, 10 AM, 4:30 PM, 5 PM
- Saturday -7:30 AM, 11:30 AM, 4:30 PM
- Sunday -9 AM, 11 AM, 4:30 PM
2. From Praslin To La Digue
- Monday to Friday (Except Wednesday) -7 AM, 9 AM, 10 AM, 11:45 AM, 2:30 PM, 4 PM, 5:15 PM, 5:45 PM
- Wednesday -7 AM, 9 AM, 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM, 4 PM, 5:15 PM
- Saturday -7 AM, 8:45 AM, 9 AM, 10 AM, 11:45 AM, 12:45 PM, 1 PM, 2:30 PM, 4 PM, 5:45 PM
- Sunday -9AM, 10 AM, 10:15 AM, 12:30 PM, 4 PM, 5:45 PM
Cost: Around 432 SCR for round trip and 240 SCR for the one-way ferry on Inter-Island Ferry. Kids below 11 can get discounts.
The Isle of Mahe has a capacity of 475 passengers while that of Isle of Praslin is 350. You can choose Economy or Business class tickets –both offer Ride control feature to alleviate vibrations and you will enjoy amenities like onboard entertainment and refreshments. In Economy Class, you can select either Coco de Mer cabin or the Island Hopper Upper Deck that offers open-air vistas of the Indian Ocean. Business Class tickets offer you seating in the Lazio Lounge where you can enjoy the view of St Anne's National Marine Park and the endless open water. For Mahe to La Digue transport, the Isle Of La Digue with a capacity of 227 passengers runs with the same accommodation facilities as Isle of Mahe and Isle of Praslin.