Questions and Answers

Looking at a week long trip to South Africa from the US and wanted to tack on 3-4 nights at either the Le Meridian Seychelles or the Westin / St Regis Mauritius for a trip in May.

I’ve done some research and noticed that the Seychelles seems to have great beaches and snorkeling but it is best if you have more time to island hop, whereas Mauritius doesn’t have amazing beaches, but has some good outdoor activities (waterfalls, hiking) that the Seychelles might not have as much of. Seychelles also seems easier to hit on another trip (Middle East for a few days and then Seychelles or direct to SEZ on one of the ME3) whereas if I don’t go to Mauritius on this trip, I doubt I’ll go anytime in the future.

I’m not too focused on the beach, but would be nice to get some relaxation by the beach and be able to see do great hikes or outdoor or cultural activities. Given that, I’m leaning towards Mauritius, but wanted to know what is typically recommended and if Mauritius what hotel is typically recommended (Westin vs St Regis).

I would absolutely not recommend the Le Meridian Seychelles. Like, 0%.

Mahè itself has nice beaches, and decent hiking, but there are no cultural activities to speak of. You’d want to island hop (which can be very expensive) for the best experience.