Article for Parents Planning a Trip to Seychelles with Kids. Discover the nuances and specifics of vacationing with children. Learn about potential risks, what to bring, and what to expect. Do you need vaccinations for Seychelles, and what exotic diseases exist here?

Seychelles with Kids: General Points

Firstly, I’d like to reassure everyone: vacationing in Seychelles with kids is wonderful, but there are many nuances and subtleties to consider. It doesn’t make sense to forgo Seychelles in favor of another resort. Your child will be much better off and safer here than in any Southeast Asian country, for instance.

But let’s go through everything step by step. Briefly, some general information about Seychelles with kids:

  • Locals adore children. This isn’t Africa where families have 7-8 kids each. Seychelles is more like Europe, with an average of 1-2 children per family.
  • There are hardly any sidewalks. People walk along the roadside, often with deep drainage ditches on both sides, along with constant bends and changes in elevation. If you have a stroller, walking around might be challenging, especially if you’re not staying at the most infrastructural beach. Essentially, there’s only one beach with a promenade along the sea suitable for strolling with a child, but more on that later.
dangers for children in Seychelles
If you’re not staying close to the beach and don’t rent a car, the roads to the beaches lack sidewalks or shoulders. You won’t be able to stroll around much with a stroller.

If you’re flying to Seychelles with kids and not staying in an all-inclusive resort or planning to spend entire days at a single beach, you’ll need to rent a car, especially on the islands of Mahe and Praslin. Travelling by bus in 30-degree heat with high humidity won’t get you very far. Everything about renting a car in Seychelles: traffic rules, roads, police, deposits.

  • A fantastic island for vacationing in Seychelles with kids is La Digue. There are almost no cars, the ocean is calm, and all tourists get around on bicycles. An overview of La Digue: beaches and getting there.
holidays in Seychelles with kids
On La Digue, everyone gets around on bicycles with kids. But this is only on La Digue; it’s small, and there are no cars here.

Hazards for Kids in Seychelles: Vaccinations, Diseases

Now let’s talk specifically about the hazards that children might encounter in Seychelles. I often talk to parents, and they ask the same questions that trouble them. Here are the questions with immediate answers:

  • No vaccinations are needed for Seychelles. There are no exotic diseases here that exist in mainland Africa. You won’t encounter diseases like Dengue fever, Zika fever, malaria, or sleeping sickness here. Seychelles is completely safe for children.
  • There are sharks, stingrays, stonefish, and sometimes beaches with sea urchins. But the main thing is to choose the right beach and not let children swim after sunset. But this applies to adults as well. Don’t forget – this is the Indian Ocean and a tropical climate; all ocean dangers come to the shore after sunset. There’s no need to fear sharks; read more about this in the article: dangers in Seychelles.
food for children in Seychelles
A typical popular tourist beach at sunset. Vacationing in Seychelles with kids primarily involves understanding the hazards. As for the ocean, it’s better not to swim after sunset; you might step on a buried stingray and end up lying down more.

The biggest danger for kids in Seychelles!

It’s the sun. Briefly, because there’s detailed information in the article about weather and seasons in Seychelles. Seychelles is on the equator, where the most active sun on Earth is found. Since the sun’s rays enter the atmosphere at a right angle, this area receives the most ultraviolet rays. You can get sunburned to blisters in 15 minutes here, especially in the first few days. I personally know dozens of cases where both children and adults required medical attention after the first day at the beach. Hats, sunscreens, shade – all of these are absolutely necessary.

I hope everyone remembers that: 1. Seychelles is an expensive country, and healthcare here is as expensive as a spaceship. 2. Medical insurance is mandatory for entry into the country, just like a passport. Everything about insurance in Seychelles, what types exist, where to get it, and what insurance is needed for passport control.

What to Feed Kids in Seychelles

This is a more serious topic than hazards. For those who have arrived in Seychelles with kids who are picky eaters, there might be certain difficulties. This doesn’t concern those staying in all-inclusive hotels; they have excellent children’s menus, and you don’t need to worry about food. This information is for independent tourists, not package tourists.

  • We all expect abundant tropical fruits from an island where it’s summer all year round. But this isn’t the case in Seychelles; the selection of fruits is small. Most are imported and expensive. Details about fruits in Seychelles, what to expect.
travel to seychelles with kids
If you dream of feasting on fruits, you need to go to Thailand. In the photo, a typical fruit stand in Seychelles. Bananas, papayas, coconuts, apples, oranges – these are available year-round. The rest are either seasonal or imported. Vacationing in Seychelles with kids is more about rice and chicken than exotic fruits.
  • The same goes for dairy products, yogurts, and cheese. The selection is very limited, and often these items might not even be available in stores. There’s only one supermarket in Seychelles with a range of familiar products, and it’s in the capital. Then comes the question again: how to get there. Distances are short on the island; you can reach this store by car in half an hour, but it’s a one-hour bus ride each way. Everything about shopping, markets, and stores in Seychelles: product range, coordinates of shopping malls.

Roughly speaking, you’ll find pasta, juice, ice cream in any store scattered across the island. But, for instance, fresh chicken fillet, dairy milk, sausages for kids – the basics in our stores are not available here. Only in Victoria, at the STC supermarket.

Seychellois Cuisine for Kids:

In this aspect, Seychelles is much better than Asia. Seychellois dishes are not spicy, without any unfamiliar ingredients. There’s a lot of rice, noodles; they really like classic French fries with chicken nuggets, grilled fish.

Beaches for Kids in Seychelles: What to Consider When Choosing

In general, almost all beaches have fine white sand without sharp rocks or corals. When choosing a beach to stay near, flying to Seychelles with kids requires attention to two things:

  • Infrastructure, at least a promenade for walks, a good road to the beach from your hotel or apartments to avoid walking along roadsides and dodging cars. Cafes, restaurants, and beach shelters – shade from palm trees, which might not be available everywhere.
  • But most importantly – it’s the waves! Seychelles is washed by the Indian Ocean, and there are many beaches with strong waves. Even adults find it challenging to swim, let alone children. There are also rip currents, a dangerous phenomenon where waves drag swimmers away from the shore. Read all about this in detail in the article: what’s the sea like in Seychelles?
Seychelles with children worthy or not
An excellent beach for kids on Mahe: no waves, gradual entry into the water, shade from trees, white and fine sand. Specifically, the one in the photo: Port Launay Beach.

Below is information to help you choose a beach. It applies to all islands in Seychelles, focusing on ensuring convenient swimming for kids.

Helpful to know:

From December to March, the western winds blow, resulting in high chances that most beaches on the west coast will have waves. The east coast, however, remains waveless. This flips from May to October.

However, on the islands, there are beaches in bays where waves are almost absent year-round. There’s a gentle entry into the water, no rip currents, making these beaches very suitable for kids. For a comprehensive list of the best Seychelles beaches, maps, descriptions, and photos, read the article through the link. Below, as recommendations, are a few beaches in Seychelles specifically for children:

Seychelles with a child reviews
Come to Seychelles with kids for an excellent and safe vacation. It’s definitely no more dangerous than Thailand, Vietnam, or other tropical resorts.

In conclusion: Vacationing in Seychelles with kids is superb. If you choose the right beach, there will be absolutely no threats to kids except for ultraviolet rays. But adults need to monitor sun exposure too. Nowhere is the sun more dangerous than on the equator. If a child is picky with food, many parents bring along some foods from home (cereals, purees). And don’t forget about good medical insurance, which will solve all issues in case of unforeseen circumstances; the links are at the end of the article.

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 – LocalRent

    • The most famous car rental company – 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.

  • PACKAGES: from budget to luxury – Expedia.

  • AIRPORT TRANSFER: Intui.

  • INTERNET: eSIM of local telecom operator – Airalo.