In this article, we will provide an overview of accommodation in Seychelles for tourists, detailing the various types, features, and prices. Readers will gain insights into villas, bungalows, apartments, and hotels. Crucially, we will guide you on where to find authorized accommodation to obtain entry permits for Seychelles, along with information on environmental levy. In summary, the article promises a wealth of useful and interesting information.

Accommodation in Seychelles: General Information

Important Note:

Seychelles, with a population of only 95,000, has limited rental accommodation. Each year, the number of tourists visiting the islands surpasses the country’s population by 5-7 times. Those attempting to book a villa or hotel just four days before departure risk finding minimal options, often limited to high-end choices with elevated prices even for budget accommodations. The Seychelles Ministry of Tourism reports an impressive 94% average annual occupancy rate for all rental properties!

Additionally, for those contemplating booking a room for the first two days and then seeking cheaper options locally, as commonly done in Asian countries, this is physically impossible in Seychelles. Below are key points about accommodation in Seychelles:

book apartments seychelles
Most popular accommodation in Seychelles: private apartments with a mini-kitchen and terrace within a large villa. Typically, the owners reside in the villa, supported by staff who clean the apartments and serve breakfasts, among other services. Such villas may have up to 10 apartments, sometimes more.
  • Book all accommodation as early as possible; the closer to the travel date, the fewer good options. This advice is particularly relevant for independent travelers.
  • Even if planning to change locations 3-4 times during your vacation, book all accommodation for the entire stay upfront.
  • Crucial: To enter Seychelles, you must obtain electronic visitor’s permit in advance. To secure this, you need pre-booked accommodation with authorized status in Seychelles. More details on this will be provided in subsequent sections.
    • Detailed information on visitor’s permit, when to apply, the cost, is covered in the article: Visa for Seychelles.

Types of Accommodation in Seychelles: Villas, Bungalows, Hotels, Apartments

It’s worth noting that there is considerable confusion in definitions, with both tourists and accommodation owners in Seychelles often interchanging terms. Here are the main types of accommodation easily rentable today:

  • Hotel room: A standard room with a bedroom and bathroom, self-explanatory.
  • Apartment: Accommodation with a private kitchen. This is the most popular and affordable option in Seychelles.
  • Bungalow: A standalone small house or chalet, similar to a hotel room but separate. Not necessarily located on the beachfront, and kitchens are often absent.
  • Villa: Typically, a large house where rooms are rented separately. You may seem to live in a villa, but in reality, you’re renting an apartment or a room. Larger villas may have private pools.
villas to rent seychelles
On one occasion, we rented an entire villa for a large group (6 adults), where only we stayed. It had 3 bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, a shared living room, and kitchen. Such options are less common, more expensive, but suitable for a limited number of tourists traveling together.

Important to know:

Accommodation in Seychelles doesn’t guarantee a fully equipped private kitchen. If this is crucial, always check for it when choosing accommodation. Sometimes, there may be only a kettle and glasses in the room, constituting the entire kitchen. Even a knife for cutting fruits may be absent. An article about fruits in Seychelles.

Kitchen in Seychelles Apartments

Starting with purchasing tickets to Seychelles, if it’s not an all-inclusive hotel, and you’re uncertain about restaurant prices, here’s a highly useful article: Restaurants in Seychelles for Tourists. It includes menus, prices, recommendations, and insights on budget-friendly dining options.

Many independent tourists in Seychelles prepare their own breakfasts and lunches, and sometimes dinners.

accommodation in seychelles
Accommodations in Seychelles often come with a kitchen, as shown in the photo: a small stove, refrigerator, microwave, and all necessary utensils. Rice cookers are frequently provided as rice is a staple in Seychelles.

Tip:

In the photo above, you can see a standard kitchen in Seychelles apartments. It usually contains all the essentials. Often, within the accommodation complex, whether it’s a villa, bungalow, or apartment, there is a barbecue area. This is sometimes mentioned in the accommodation description. Having a barbecue facility can significantly enhance your vacation experience – catch or buy fish, purchase charcoal from any store, and enjoy barbecue evenings. So, the presence of a barbecue can make your vacation much tastier.
book hotel in seychelles
You can easily catch such fish yourself from the shore or buy it inexpensively from fishermen at the market.

Authorized Accommodation in Seychelles and Where to Book It

An Essential Section: The key takeaway here is that enthusiasts trying to find accommodation bypassing major booking services such as Booking, Hotellook, and others are taking significant risks. Let me explain why:

  • According to Seychelles laws, tourists can only stay in authorized accommodation registered with the local Ministry of Tourism and paying the required taxes.
  • Previously mentioned was information about entry permits. When filling out the application, you must select the specific hotel or accommodation in Seychelles where you have made reservations for your stay. If you change your accommodation three times during your vacation, all three must be listed, and this information will be verified.

Important:

Cases are common where tourists have booked apartments in a villa through unknown websites or directly communicated with owners. However, when filling out the permit documents, this villa does not appear in the list of authorized accommodations. In such cases, urgently searching and booking new accommodation in Seychelles is necessary.
rent apartment in seychelles price
Here is what a standard bedroom looks like in almost any accommodation in Seychelles

All accommodations in Seychelles that you find on major global booking services are authorized, and the likelihood of encountering issues is minimal. Book villas, bungalows, apartments on reputable websites:

  • Hotellook – a reliable service that compare prices among dozens websites (Booking and others) and offers you the best price.
  • Agoda – a main competitor of Booking.

I also recommend a few articles and lists of excellent options, all featuring authorized accommodations:

Environmental Levy (Fee): Who Pays and How

Important:

The environmental levy in Seychelles was introduced in August 2023. All tourists, without exception, pay it upon arrival, and it cannot be avoided.

It’s crucial to understand that this fee is not included in the accommodation cost and is an additional charge to the booking price. Therefore, factor in these expenses in your overall travel budget; they are not substantial but can slightly affect your mood.

The environmental fee for accommodation in Seychelles has three rates depending on the size of the hotel/villa/residential complex where you will stay:

  • Up to 24 rooms – 25 rupees per person per day. If, for example, you have four people in a room, it will be an additional 100 rupees per day.
  • 25-50 rooms – 75 rupees per person per day.
  • 50+ rooms (including yachts and island resorts) – 100 rupees per person per day.

By the way, at the current exchange rate, 100 rupees is approximately 7 euros. So, imagine coming to a large hotel for 10 days as a couple; you will pay an additional 2000 rupees or 140 euros for the entire stay.

Useful to know:

Children under 12 years old are exempt from paying the environmental levy.

At the time of choosing and booking accommodation, it is impossible to know the exact levy rate unless you know the number of rooms in your hotel. However, you can estimate visually. If it’s a large hotel, it’s definitely 100 rupees per day. If it’s apartments in a villa where the owners live, and judging by the photos, they rent out 3-4-5-6 apartments or bungalows, it’s likely to be 25 rupees.

where to stay in seychelles
You can buy both large tuna steaks and small fish for the barbecue.

In conclusion: accommodation in Seychelles caters to every budget, but Seychelles is not cheap Asia. The most economical options will be around 50-80 euros per day, finding something cheaper on the islands is practically impossible. At around 100 euros per day, the choices become quite extensive. And most importantly: book accommodation in Seychelles on major rental services, pay attention to the presence of a kitchen if it is essential. The presence of a barbecue will be a delightful bonus.

IMPORTANT: essential links to organize your dream trip to the Seychelles:

  • FLIGHTS: Aviasales – direct flights and best deals.

  • CAR RENTAL: Mahe and Praslin, no deposit required – DiscoverCars.

  • TOURS and EXCURSIONS:
    • GetYourGuide – 75+ activities on land and water in the Seychelles.

    • Viator – 150 + activities in Seychelles.

  • TRAVEL INSURANCE: EKTA.

  • HOTELS, VILLAS, APARTMENTS:
    • Hotellook compares prices among a dozen other services and platforms and offers to choose the best one.

    • Booking – the most popular service for booking accommodation.

    • Agoda – the main competitor of Booking.

  • PACKAGES: from budget to luxury – Expedia.

  • AIRPORT TRANSFER: Intui.

  • INTERNET: eSIM of local telecom operator – Airalo.