The Seychelles – Getting there and around

The Seychelles comprise 115 islands in the Indian Ocean and is located about 1600km east of Kenya and just north-east of the island of Madagascar. The capital, Victoria, is situated on the largest island, Mahé.

Getting there
Getting to the Seychelles generally includes either one or two stops.

From Australia and New Zealand: The most convenient route to the Seychelles is via Dubai. Emirates, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Air India and Air Seychelles fly weekly to Mahé, with connections from all major Australian airports.

From the UK: Emirates, British Airways, Middle East Airlines, Kenya Airlines, Olympic Airlines, Gulf Air and Qatar Airways offer flights to the Seychelles.

From the USA: Qatar Airways, United Airlines, Emirates, Continental, US Airways, Air France and Delta offer flights from Los Angeles. American Airlines, Emirates, Qatar Airways and British Airways offer services from New York. Flights also depart from Atlanta and San Francisco on United Airlines, Qatar Airways, American Airlines, British Airways and Continental Airlines.

Flight time to the Seychelles
From Brisbane to Victoria, Seychelles is 22 hour 20 minutes, with connecting flight
From Sydney to Victoria, Seychelles is 21 hours 55 minutes, with connecting flight
From Melbourne to Victoria is 21 hours 40 minutes, with connecting flight
From Perth to Victoria, Seychelles is 18 hours 35 minutes, with connecting flight

From Auckland to the Seychelles is 26 hours 40 minutes, with connecting flight
From London to Victoria, Seychelles is 12 hours 50 minutes, with connecting flight
From New York to the Seychelles is 23 hours 50 minutes, with connecting flight
From Los Angeles to the Seychelles is 23 hours, with connecting flight

Flying in – Seychelles International Airport is located 8km south of Victoria on the island of Mahé. Hotels and resorts provide pre-arranged transport for guests. Taxis and hire cars are also available.

Entry requirements 
All foreigner nationals must have a passport valid for the duration of their visit, return or onward ticket, sufficient funds to cover their stay (a minimum of US$150 per day), and proof of accommodation. No visa is required, instead a one-month visitor's permit is issued on arrival and may be extended on application for up to 12 months.

Getting around
Land – There are paved roads only on Mahé, Praslin and La Digue (elsewhere the roads are sand tracks). Buses and taxis are cheap and abundant on these islands. Hire car is available. Traffic drives on the left. Bicycles are also available for hire.

Between islands – Air is easiest with an efficient network of scheduled and charter flights from Air Seychelles. The route between Mahé and Praslin sees around 20 scheduled return flights a day, just a 15-minute hop. Helicopter Seychelles offers shuttle flights between Mahé and Praslin and La Digue (eight minutes) as well as resort islands.

A fast catamaran ferry service operates between Mahé and Praslin and private schooners provide frequent inter-island connections between Mahé, Praslin and La Digue. Water taxis link La Digue to Praslin (15 minutes). Or you can travel to Mahe by ferry (three hours).