Seychelles
Larchipel Hotel Praslin
Reviewed

"Hotel L'Archipel Praslin is a luxury beach hotel with bungalows
on the hillside and spectacular panoramic view over the ocean
It's a haven of peace at a secluded beach"

Aerial view Hotel l'Archipel Praslin showing nearby Cote d'Or Beach, longest on Praslin

LArchipel Hotel is a medium-size to smallish hotel with 30 rooms set in mostly 2-storey bungalows dotting the hillside on the northeastern coast of the charming Praslin Island. The property is beachside and extends into the green hills of the area known as Anse Gouvernement.

It is a 4-star luxury hotel made up of deluxe rooms and suites at a secluded beach just a little off the eastern end of the main beach of Cote d'Or. The latter beach is much more beautiful and longer, and it's only 10-minute walk from the hotel on land or you could wade there in shallow water in 5 minutes.

Because of its location close but separate from the main busy beach it means you get the privacy akin to that of a private beach, although it's good to note here: By legislation, there are no private beaches anywhere in Seychelles.

The bungalows are scattered throughout a very exotic, landscaped, tropical, garden on the hillside. The rooms are beautiful and each consists of a terrace with amazing views over the ocean, a large bedroom area and large bathroom. And all are nicely furnished.

LArchipel Hotel's 23 deluxe rooms are all ensuite with great sea view from a private veranda and they come with...

• King-size bed
• Mini-bar fridge
• Air conditioner
• Tea and coffee making facilities
• Satellite TV

There are 7 suites too, and they're larger, some as much as 120 sq metres with separate, comfortable lounge and large veranda. In addition these have a walk-in wardrobe and the large bathroom has separate bath and shower.

Luxury bedroom LArchipel Hotel Praslin - large suite 120 sq metres with big veranda

There are two restaurants at Hotel l'Archipel and one is in fact right on the beach itself together with a beach bar. Dinner is more formal and served in the main restaurant where gentlemen are expected to wear trousers but you can still have breakfast and lunch by the beach in your shorts. :).

Breakfast is very good and is usually served at the beach restaurant on tables literally set on the beach as you look at the sea just metres away. But would you like breakfast on your front porch? Then just call room service and it's yours.

In the evening, all activities revolve around the swimming pool area where you find the main restaurant and bar. There is some evening live entertainment at the hotel with romantic dinners by candlelight and dancing two times a week.

But remember this is the sort of small quiet hotel very well suited for the honeymoon couple or anyone seeking some real peace and quiet on an already very low-key island. This is not the kind of place for a family with teenage kids. Here is a place where you drift off to your room soon after dinner and enjoy the rest of the evening there.

Dinner at LArchipel Hotel is good and you may not wish to try other restaurants. Some might even say that the food at Hotel l'Archipel is by far one of the best features of the hotel, especially if you like fish and Creole cuisine. Anyhow, you should know that there are a number of other good restaurants in the area but you'll have to go by car or taxi as there isn't much light outside the hotels.

Here's a tip: If you're there a couple of days before the moon is full, you will notice that the moon is high up in the sky and it's very bright just after dinner and the sparkling beach is most inviting then. At that time the tide is out too, so you have a firm wide beach to walk on.

If you are on your honeymoon at that time I highly recommend a leisurely stroll on the beach in the moonlight after dinner. Can you think of anything more romantic? Enjoy it. You can thank me later with your own story about your holiday on Praslin and your moonlight serenade. :).

Hotel Larchipel Praslin - Breakfast on your front porch looking out over the sea

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Most of the rooms, being set in the hillside, are accessed by flights of steps and the interesting thing is that the higher you go the more beautiful the view. But some of the cottages are right by the beach. So it's a trade-off: the beach or the view!

Larchipel Hotel also has a very large hilltop villa, Villa Mille Etoiles, which is separate and isolated from the rest of the hotel. This is suitable for a larger family and the vista from there is magnificent, to say the least. But you'll have to drive a car up a steep, narrow road to get there.

All in all if you're looking for peace and quiet you'll get plenty of it at l'Archipel Hotel for a relaxing Seychelles holiday on Praslin. It's a nice and secluded beach hotel with spectacular views, large luxury rooms, great food, good service and friendly staff.

Here's an important note: For transportation on Praslin a rental car is your best option. Although you could catch a public bus on the main road by walking to the end of the driveway some 10 minutes away, I wouldn't recommend it. And save yourself the aggravation if you stay at lArchipel Hotel...

I've been to Praslin a hundred times and more and while I have walked all over the island and hiked the mountain trails I've never personally used the public bus there. Why? Well I'm on holiday and I want to do things in my own schedule, and a car definitely helps.

And to be blunt, luxury hotels in Seychelles don't rhyme with buses and bus stops. You'll be shortchanging yourself. You'll miss out on many adventures island-wide without a car, so the reason why a rental car is your best option for transport on the island. Bicycles are not good enough. Leave that for the much smaller island of La Digue, which you must visit too.

Your best bet to discover Praslin is to hire a car for a couple of days. Then you'll do more, see more and make the most of your time if you choose Hotel l'Archipel Praslin for your luxury stay in Seychelles. Anyway if you can afford l'Archipel Hotel you certainly can afford a small rental car on Praslin to discover its treasures. After all this is the main reason for your visit.

Breakfast and lunch - LArchipel Hotel beach restaurant - Curieuse Island in the distance

The hotel and the food are secondary and only a very small part of the total holiday experience on Praslin. You only have a few days in paradise, so use it well, maximize it... enjoy it! Bottom line - you need a car. No cutting corners here...

LArchipel Hotel is 5 minutes drive to Cote d'Or Beach, 10 minutes from the Baie Sainte Anne ferry jetty and 25 minutes over the hill from Praslin airport. And it is only 15 minutes to both the Vallee de Mai in the hills and the amazing Anse Lazio Beach in the other direction.

 

People visit those amazing places on Praslin in group tours and they often comment that there is nothing special there. They go to Vallee de Mai and see trees; they go to Anse Lazio and see just a beach. They miss it all. They do not hear the forest talking to them! Or breathe in the fresh sea air watching the surf. They do not see the bigger picture.

They do not hear the gentle whisper of the wind in the trees. They do not appreciate the beauty around them. We've been returning to the treasures of Praslin for several decades and they never fail to amaze me. When you go, discover them in your own time, by car - just the two of you. You'll see what I mean.

In conclusion, briefly, l'Archipel is a nice beach hotel on Praslin, a beautiful little island. It's well priced too. But don't expect all that to come cheap though. It comes at the expected higher Seychelles prices.

But if you are looking for a top quality, luxurious experience then this isn't the place for you. There are certainly better hotels on Praslin and elsewhere in Seychelles and with its attendant higher price tag too.

Go enjoy Seychelles and Larchipel Hotel Praslin.

Now I suggest you take the following actions...

1. Search and compare prices of different hotel offers here
   
   
2. Read reviews of Hotel L'Archipel and find more deals here...
   
   
3. Make a reservation or research other areas on Praslin, Mahe, La Digue and the private islands
4. Enjoy your vacation in Seychelles

And after your holiday please go here and leave your own review of Larchipel Hotel Praslin. Thank you.

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