The La Digue Island Guide You Need

La Digue, Seychelles has a piece of my heart! Dramatic? Maybe a bit but La Digue island is home to some of the most beautiful and most photographed beaches in the world. La Digue is an island where time literally stands still and old traditions such as traveling by ox-cart (okay, I only saw one) and bicycle are still the main modes of transportation. If you want to be on ‘island time’ in the Seychelles, La Digue beaches are perfect. I spent time in La Digue, Seychelles on a ‘pinch me am I dreaming’ trip. I’m here to share everything I know about La Digue to help you plan your best real-life stock photo trip!

Fun Facts About La Digue Island

• The most common mode of transportation is by bicycle
• La Digue has a population of about 2,500
• La Digue beaches are just stunning
• It is the third most populated island in the Seychelles
• La Digue is the laid back island of the already laid back Seychelles

Getting to La Digue

Slowing down, the ferry inched closer to the dock; I sprung to my feet and ran out to the deck because I couldn’t sit still. I had to see the shores of La Digue for myself. The turquoise waters, with granite boulders standing in the middle, welcomed us.

There’s only one way to get to La Digue island– by ferry! You can get to La Digue via a fast catamaran (ferry) from Mahe. Otherwise, you can fly into Praslin and take a short 15-minute ferry to La Digue. After spending two nights solo in Mahe, my friend, Lexi, joined me in the Seychelles, and we hopped on the morning fast ferry from Mahe! We made it to Heaven! La Digue island!!

Tip: Read this post for all the information you need to book your ferry from Mahe to La Digue

How Long To Stay in La Digue

We stayed on La Digue for 2 nights but in my opinion, one more night would’ve been perfect. This would’ve given us one more day to relax and do the one activity that we couldn’t fit into our schedule.

Where To Stay – La Digue Hotels

Like Mahe, self-catering apartments or guesthouses are a popular accommodation choice with more budget-friendly prices compared to hotels. However, in general, La Digue is not only more expensive than Mahe but it also has fewer accommodation options. Here’s a bit about where we stayed, and information about another hotel in La Digue

Le Repaire Boutique Hotel

If you’ve been around here long enough you’ll know that I love a good Boutique hotel and Le Repaire delivered! We stayed at Le Repaire Boutique Hotel (ranked second-best hotel in La Digue on Trip Advisor- at the time of my visit) and we enjoyed it. It’s right on the beach, yet it is within walking distance of the jetty, shops, bicycle hire, and ATMs. The hotel offers to pick guests up at the jetty, has free kayaks for guest use, and nightly rates include breakfast.

The hotel helps with bike rentals onsite (yes to convenience), activities, and the Italian restaurant onsite is AMAZING. Gosh, I’m having flashbacks to the pizza I had. It was my favorite meal on the island! At the time, we paid about $200 per night  (breakfast inclusive) and split the cost between the two of us.

Tip: Even if you don’t stay here (but I recommend you do), make it a point to have dinner here at least once during your visit.

Le Domaine de L’Orangeraie Resort & Spa

This is the most luxurious hotel in La Digue island, I almost stayed here, but then my budget talked me out of it. We went past it and did not go in , but I will be back and I’ll be staying here without a doubt. The location is breathtakingly beautiful, right on the beach, beautiful views from the pool area, and tastefully decorated villas.

Airbnbs

There are a few Airbnb options as well, just not as plentiful as Mahe. Looking to book for the first time, feel use to use my code to get $40 off your first Airbnb booking.

Expert Tip: When a hotel appears fully booked online, reach out to the hotel directly. 9 times out of 10, there’s a room available.  You only get what you have the courage to ask for! Le Repaire was full online but I sent an email and we got a room, the very last one!

Getting Around La Digue Island

Back in the days, Oxcarts were the primary way to get around this island but they are a rare sight these days. I hoped we’d see one during our time and guess what we saw on our way from the ferry to our hotel? I was so excited that I only got a blurry video!

Oxcarts are no longer used in consideration of animals. Today, bicycles are the main mode of transportation on the island but if you’re getting fancy, you might see a couple of golf carts. You can rent a bike at the jetty, otherwise, many hotels offer bike rentals at the same rates. After settling in and taking naps (because naps are the best), we decided to waste no time. We rented our bikes ($7 per bike per day) from our hotel and headed off.

If absolutely needed (and we needed this once), there’s one taxi that serves the entire island.

La Digue Beaches

La Digue is home to some of the most stunning beaches that I’ve ever seen. These La Digue beaches are MUST visits:

• Anse Source D’argent
• Grand Anse
• Petit Anse
• Anse Patates
• Anse Cocos

Things To Do In La Digue

I have a list of at ten things to do in La Digue. It got so long, I put it in a separate post. I’ll summarize the list here but for links, costs, and all the details, catch up on the best things to do in La Digue

• Celebrate being there
• Cycle around the island and stop at beautiful beaches
• Visit L’Union Estate
• Watch the sunset on Anse Source D’argent
• Go hiking and see even more beaches as your reward
• Go kayaking
• Plan a spa day
• Go snorkeling or sailing
• Relax, you’re on island time

Where To Eat In La Digue

• The Restaurant at La Repaire Hotel
• Smoothies at Bikini Bottom
• Ray & Josh Takeaway
• Mimi’s Café (halfway to Grande Anse)
• Le Nautique Waterfront Hotel
• Bellevue for the views

Is A Day Trip To La Digue Worth It?

A day trip is an option for those that don’t have enough time to stay overnight on La Digue. I would recommend spending at least two nights here (3 ideally), but if you only have a day, please keep the following in mind:

• Book your roundtrip ferry tickets in advance, especially in high season
• Know that you’ll be on the island during peak hours with other tourists and there’s a good chance that your favorite sites will be crowded
• Book your activities in advance
• Depending on the time of the year, carry motion sickness medication if you need it
• You can go on a full-day tour or DIY your day in La Digue. I’m more of a DIY as I’ve heard reports of tours being rushed
• Arrive on the first ferry and leave on the last ferry to maximize your time on the island

I can’t wait for you to make your own memories on La Digue. If you’re planning a trip to Seychelles, steal my 1 week Seychelles itinerary, catch up on the best memories from Seychelles, and let my Mahe Travel guide help you plan the best time. If your trip is further out in the future, don’t forget to pin all posts to save them for later.

Got questions on La Digue or la digue beaches? Feel free to ask!