Located 2km west of Praslin Island is Cousin Island, a special reserve featuring stunning wildlife. Originally the island was a coconut plantation before it was transformed into a nature reserve in the 1960’s. Through close monitoring and conservation methods, the island is now home to many indigenous flora and fauna including the well renowned local tortoise George. We would never have known it was a Coconut Plantation if we were not informed.
For any animal and eco-lovers, Cousin Island is a must on your visit to the Seychelles. We were lucky to visit the island for a day trip during our stay at Raffles Resort.
// When to Visit //
We visited the Seychelles during April, however fortunately the weather is pleasant year round. Temperatures rarely drop between 24 degrees and reach a maximum around 32 degrees. In saying that, besides the dense forest across most of the island, it is best to visit Cousin Island during the morning before the afternoon heat increases.
From October to March visitors should expect more rain as the Northwest monsoon sees more rainfall and high humidity levels.
// Getting to Cousin Island //
If you are staying on Praslin Island, the best way to reach the island is by boat. The boat ride itself only takes 10 minutes. You can visit Cousin Island on a Monday to Friday with tours operating between nine thirty and twelve thirty.
The number of visitors to Cousin Island is limited to approximately 10,000 people per year. This is to ensure that the protection of the island is maintained. Visitor fees and donations are obtained in order to support research, conservation and education projects moving forward.
// What do to on Cousin Island //
The island itself is only 0.27 square kilometres, however it is easy to spend time wandering through the dense forest while discovering incredible flora and fauna. Usually a member of the Reserve will explain the special biodiversity of the island. They will also point out a number of bird species from the Seychelles Magpie Robins to the White-tailed Tropic birds and Fregite Birds. Keep an eye out for lizards roaming around, crabs, millipedes and termites. The tour lasts for 75 minutes.
Our favourite part of the day was meeting George, the friendliest Hawksbill Tortoise we have ever met. While there are many Hawksbill Tortoise’s on the island, George tends to spend time close to the shore and loves the company of humans. He does not shy away from the camera either.
After wandering around the island, we would highly recommend to spend some time enjoying the picturesque island by taking a swim. The water is so clear and refreshing.
// An Incredible Dive Opportunity //
We were given a very special opportunity to scuba dive off Cousin Island, which is an opportunity that not many people have. This is thanks to Natalie who we were travelling with as she knew the manager of Nature Seychelles.
The reef that we dived off was a ‘super coral’ reef with approximately 2000 corals growing on the nursery at the moment. These corals are known as ‘super-corals’ which survived the 2016 bleaching event and have heat-resistant genotypes.
If you would like to read more about the reef and see more photos we will be posting an additional blog soon.
// Things to Note //
On the island there is no accommodation or restaurant facilities. While your tour operator may provide drinking water and snacks, it is suggested to bring your own. There are no bins on the island, so it is up to the guests to take their own rubbish.
During most times of the year, the weather is warm with high humidity. It is recommended to bring sunscreen as well as insect repellent seeing as the island is home to many mosquitos. We definitely left the island with a few more insect bites than when we arrived!
Additionally, flush toilets are not used on the island in order to save water. Think of it as a day on an island with only the most basic amenities!
X KoTravellers
To see more: @KoTravellers
It looks like an awesome place to visit! So many things to see and do! How much does it cost? Also what’s the diving situation like as a whole? Is it just Cousin Island that you cant normally dive at? Thanks for sharing your adventures guys, look forward to seeing what’s next 🤙🏽🤙🏽
Cheers Mick (el_libertine)
I made the second account, el_libertine, cos following too many on one you miss family and friends posts.
The Seychelles is so incredible! It is an expensive place to travel in general so you can expect to pay top price for most of the activities. There are some incredible diving opportunities and based on the time of the year that you choose to go, tour operators will advise the best locations. As there are 115 islands in the Seychelles, you can imagine how many unique places there are to dive / snorkel! We were lucky to dive at Cousin Island and while they may allow people here and there it is usually not a dive site tour operators will take guests.
Thank you for the positive feedback! We look forward to sharing more of our journeys with you! XKoTravellers (Kate and Olly)