Guides
Mauritius + Seychelles on Points: 12 Days of Two Island Countries
At a glance
- Length: 12 days: Mauritius 6 days, Seychelles 6 days (Mahé, Praslin, La Digue).
- Style: beach, short hikes, boat days, bikes on La Digue. Low pace, high scenery.
- Entry, Mauritius: no visa for stays of 60 days or less; all foreign nationals complete the Mauritius All-in-One Travel Digital Form within 72 hours before arrival (checked Oct 12, 2026).
- Entry, Seychelles: visa-free, but a Travel Authorization is required before you arrive; the State Department page lists €10.90 ≈ $12, applied online up to 30 days ahead (checked Oct 12, 2026).
- Advisories: Mauritius Level 2 (increased caution, crime), issued Dec 8, 2025; Seychelles Level 1, with Praslin, La Digue and outer islands at Level 2 for health risks, issued Dec 9, 2025 .
- Must book early: the Mahé-to-Praslin and Praslin-to-La Digue ferries in busy weeks, and any stay on La Digue itself.
- Biggest surprise: Seychelles costs far more than Mauritius for food and rooms. Plan to spend your cash savings in Mauritius and your points in Seychelles.
- Points idea: fly over on a partner chart (Emirates, Qatar, Turkish, Air France/KLM) and use hotel points where the chain finder shows a property.
When to go
Both island groups are tropical, with a warmer wetter season and a drier cooler one. As a general pattern, Mauritius has a cyclone season roughly between the southern summer months (typically January to March is the riskiest stretch), and Seychelles has a northwest monsoon period with warmer, rainier weather and a southeast trade-wind period that is breezier and drier. The shoulder months between these seasons tend to be the calmest, but islands vary year to year. Check Mauritius Meteorological Services and the Seychelles Meteorological Authority before booking non-refundable pieces. Mauritius also has a weather and cyclone line at 171 .
Where to stay by area
- Mauritius north (Grand Baie, Trou aux Biches): calm lagoons, shops and restaurants, easiest first base. Downside: busy in the evenings, and some beaches are narrow.
- Mauritius south-west (Le Morne, Black River side): dramatic mountain, quiet beaches, closest to Chamarel and the gorges. Downside: fewer places to eat nearby and you need a car or driver.
- Mahé (Beau Vallon side or near the airport): gateway island with the capital Victoria. Downside: traffic on winding roads.
- Praslin (Anse Volbert, near Vallée de Mai): the easiest granite-beach island. Downside: pricey, and few budget rooms.
- La Digue (La Passe, L'Union area): bikes, boulders, no real traffic. Downside: small supply of rooms, so book early.
Rough cost of the trip, three ways
Fill the blanks from the official pages we name; we do not quote room or award prices.
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Plan your budget
Your trip budget worksheet
Prices change daily, so we don’t quote them. Fill this in from the official fare pages.
Your trip budget worksheet Item Your amount Cash: flights US to Mauritius Mauritius to Seychelles Seychelles to US Mauritius 5 nights Seychelles 6 nights ferries (Mahé-Praslin, Praslin-La Digue, La Digue-Mahé) park fees food ground transport - Points: transfer airline points to a partner program, search the partner's own award search, and list the points plus taxes and fees shown at booking; for hotels check each program's own property finder.
- Mixed: points for the long-haul legs, cash for the short regional flight and the ferries, and points or cash for hotels depending on the finder.
Entry rules
Mauritius: passport valid for your entire stay with at least one blank page; evidence of onward travel and sufficient funds; All-in-One Travel Digital Form within 72 hours before arrival . Seychelles: passport valid for the stay; Travel Authorization before arrival at seychelles.govtas.com; the State Department page notes arrivals should show accommodation confirmation for each location and an onward booking . Yellow fever vaccination is required for both countries only if you arrive from, or spend over 12 hours in transit in, a yellow fever country. The Mauritius page also lists entry restrictions tied to recent presence in certain African countries; read that page again close to your trip.
Three free things
- Le Morne Brabant at sunrise (free to view from the public beach). The basalt mountain rising above the lagoon is one of the great sights of Mauritius; the best light is early.
- Anse Source d'Argent granite boulders on La Digue. Access is through the L'Union Estate area, which charges an entry fee; confirm it locally. The beach itself and the boulders are the free reward once inside.
- Port Louis Central Market people-watching (as a place). Walk the market hall and the covered stalls for free: spices, produce, craft stalls and the street food nearby.
Bonus free beach days: Trou aux Biches, Belle Mare and Beau Vallon are public beaches.
Why this trip works
Mauritius gives you landscapes and food; Seychelles gives you the classic granite-and-palm beaches. Doing both in twelve days is possible only with early decisions: book the hinge flight between them first, then the ferries, then the beds on La Digue. The itinerary below moves from the north coast of Mauritius to the south-west, flies to Mahé, then island-hops to Praslin and La Digue and ferries back to Mahé for the flight home. Expect two hard travel days in Mauritius and two ferry days in Seychelles, with the rest of the days spent on beaches and short walks.
The honest summary
Mauritius is easier and cheaper; Seychelles is more expensive and more dependent on boats. Hotel-points options are likely stronger in Mauritius, but confirm on each chain's own property finder. Cyclone and monsoon seasons can disrupt both halves, so insure the trip and keep a buffer day before your international flight.
What to do next
- Check your passport validity and blank pages.
- Search the Mauritius to Seychelles flight on both airlines' sites.
- Search long-haul award space in the partner programs listed in the full guide.
- Only then book beds and ferries.
This is the free lite guide. The full day-by-day guide, with maps, photo stops, rain plans and the points playbook, is part of PerkJolt All-Access.
Good to know before you go
Entry forms, park fees, ferry and flight schedules, and weather windows move often, and this trip crosses two countries and several islands. Every fact below carries the date we checked it and the official page to confirm on. If a rule here disagrees with the official page on your travel day, the official page wins.