A full-day trip to La Digue became one of my favourite Seychelles memories—beautiful water, fishing, barbecue and a speedboat ride back after a day around the sea.
There are some places where I remember the itinerary. With La Digue, what I remember first is the water. The colour of it, the waves and the feeling of being out there for the whole day. We had arranged a day trip from Mahe, and from the moment we headed out, it felt different from simply visiting another attraction. This was going to be a day around the sea.
Heading towards La Digue
Travelling between the islands is part of the Seychelles experience. As we moved away from Mahe, the main island gradually disappeared behind us and there was open water around us. Eventually La Digue came into view. It immediately felt smaller and quieter. There wasn't a long list of places I was determined to tick off. I was happy just spending the day there.
The waves were something else
What I remember particularly clearly were the waves. The sea looked beautiful, but it didn't feel completely still or artificial like a resort swimming pool. There was movement and energy in the water. I could have spent a long time simply watching it. Sometimes that's enough. You travel thousands of kilometres, reach an island in the Indian Ocean and realise the best part of the day might just be standing beside the water.
We went fishing
Fishing made the day even better. It wasn't something I was doing every day on the trip, so being out on the water and trying it here made the experience feel more personal. And afterwards came another simple part of the day that I remember very well. Barbecue. We had a barbecue and ate there rather than rushing off somewhere else. There was no complicated restaurant experience or elaborate plan.
Sea, fishing, food and an island. That was basically the day.
A full day without feeling rushed
We spent most of the day around La Digue. That's probably why the memory stayed with me. It wasn't a quick photo stop where you arrive, take ten pictures and leave again. There was time. Time to look at the water, time to fish, time to eat and time to do nothing particularly important.
Speedboat back to Mahe
Eventually it was time to return. We boarded the speedboat and headed back towards the main island. After spending the day outside, the return journey had that familiar end-of-a-trip feeling: tired, a little quieter than in the morning, but very satisfied with the day. La Digue didn't need a complicated itinerary to become one of my strongest Seychelles memories.
Fishing, barbecue, incredible water and a speedboat ride home were enough. Sometimes the simplest travel days are the ones you remember longest.
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