You stay at Coco de Mer Hotel on the southwest coast of Praslin, where the building faces the Indian Ocean and backs onto tropical forest. The hotel has two pools — one shaped like the Coco de Mer nut, the other on stilts above the sea — and access to small private beaches in Anse Bois de Rose bay. Seaweed may gather onshore from May to October, but sun loungers and hammocks stay clear on sand terraces.

The twelve junior suites sit on a granite outcrop with ocean views from their balconies. This adults-only wing has its own pool and private bar. Standard and superior rooms take families, with interconnecting options and sofa beds for children. All rooms have air conditioning, tea and coffee facilities, and ocean or garden views.

A shuttle runs several times a week to Anse Lazio beach. You can borrow stand-up paddleboards and canoes, or hire snorkelling gear and bicycles. Guided walks through the forest point out cinnamon trees, vanilla plants, and the rare Coco de Mer palm. The UNESCO-listed Vallée de Mai is nearby.

You reach Praslin by a fifteen-minute flight from Mahé or a seventy-five-minute ferry. The hotel is a fifteen-minute drive from the airport, ten minutes from the jetty.