Seychelles has never tried to be for everyone, and that, perhaps, is precisely its appeal.
In an era where destinations compete on volume, this Indian Ocean archipelago has chosen a different path, deliberately limiting mass tourism. With fewer than 400,000 visitors in 2025, this is not a constraint, but a strategy. The result is a destination that feels carefully managed, intentionally preserved, and distinctly positioned at the higher end of the travel spectrum.
Israeli travelers, it seems, fit naturally into this equation. Seychelles has long identified Israel as a strategic market and not without reason. Israelis tend to travel frequently and often spontaneously, are comfortable spending on boutique luxury, and favor destinations that offer a genuine sense of escape without requiring long, complex journeys. For a small, high-value destination, this profile is ideal.
Still, the journey itself tells a more nuanced story. Ticket prices are comparable to long-haul routes to New York or Bangkok, yet the experience in the air does not always align with that expectation. The six-and-a-half-hour overnight flight from Tel Aviv is operated once a week by a wet-leased Smartwings aircraft on behalf of Air Seychelles, a narrow-body configuration that contrasts with the premium positioning on the ground. On my flight, filled largely with Israeli families, the contrast was noticeable.
Arrival, however, quickly shifts the narrative.
We land on Mahé, the archipelago’s main island, at first light. In Victoria, the capital, the day begins early at the fish market, where the morning’s catch lies on ice in a scene that feels both simple and deeply atmospheric. There is a quiet authenticity here. Unpolished, unhurried, that sets the tone for the island.
A short walk away, the Seychelles National Botanical Gardens offer a different perspective. Towering palms, rare Coco de Mer trees, and the slow, almost meditative movement of giant tortoises create a setting that feels removed from time. It is an introduction to the island’s natural rhythm: steady, calm, and entirely indifferent to urgency.
Out at sea, the Sainte Anne Marine National Park provides one of the more accessible excursions from Mahé. Its cluster of small islands, including Moyenne Island, combines natural beauty with an unexpectedly personal story.
I first visited Moyenne some 30 years ago, during what was then the inaugural press trip from Israel following the launch of Air Seychelles’ route. As head of public relations for Hilton Hotels Israel at the time, I accompanied a group of journalists to the islands. There, we met Brendon Grimshaw, a British journalist who had purchased the island in the 1960s for £8,000 and chose to live there in near isolation.
At the time, it felt almost surreal. Today, standing beside his grave, the story carries a different weight. Moyenne has since been designated a national park, yet the essence of Grimshaw’s vision remains. Simple, self-contained, and quietly extraordinary. It is a visit I would strongly recommend.
Back on Mahé, a very different kind of initiative is taking shape at Vallée de Fruits. Founded by 33-year-old entrepreneur Marco Kastner, the project stands out as one of the island’s more compelling examples of agro-tourism. In a destination known for its lush environment, it is striking how much produce is still imported into hotels. Kastner’s response has been to establish an organic fruit plantation that not only supplies fresh produce, but also invites visitors to engage with it. Kastner, who briefly entered the 2025 presidential race before withdrawing, approaches the project with both ambition and perspective. Whether in agriculture or beyond, it is clear he is thinking long-term.
Nearby, overlooking the gently curved bay of Anse Barbarons, is the Avani+ Barbarons Seychelles Resort, our base during the stay. One of the island’s longstanding hospitality landmarks, the property reopened last summer following an extensive multi-year renovation.
The upgrade goes well beyond aesthetics. A newly added wing introduces a more contemporary, lifestyle-oriented dimension, with an emphasis on open spaces, water features, and a greater sense of flow throughout the resort.
We stayed in one of the newly designed chalets, positioned to take full advantage of the bay. Mornings here are simple and memorable: the ocean directly ahead, the sound of water constant yet never intrusive, and a sense of space that is increasingly rare.
As Naji Esta, country manager of Minor Hotels in Seychelles (Avani is an elevated tier of the group), notes, the resort carries a long history. “This was one of the most iconic properties in Seychelles even before the airport was built,” he says. After serving as a government facility during the COVID period, the resort remained closed for three years while undergoing a redevelopment backed by a $70 million investment. It now operates with 180 rooms, with plans for further expansion.
Yet for all the investment and positioning, what ultimately defines Mahé is something less tangible. Not a single attraction, nor a specific experience, but a consistent sense of balance. Between development and restraint, accessibility and isolation, expectation and surprise.
Expansive and intimately secluded
BUT SEYCHELLES is not just Mahé.
The archipelago is composed of 115 islands, ranging from lush, mountainous granite interiors to remote coral atolls. Together, forming a destination that feels both expansive and intimately secluded.
The following morning, we head to the Labriz jetty lounge with a quiet sense of anticipation. Ahead lies Silhouette Island.
The third largest in the Seychelles, Silhouette holds an almost mythical status among locals. Revered for its untouched nature, dramatic mountain silhouettes, and rare sense of seclusion that few places in the archipelago can rival.
A 45-minute ocean crossing brings us to Labriz, a small historic village rooted in a coconut plantation settlement, where arrival feels like stepping into a forgotten world. Lush, untamed, almost mythical jungle-clad peaks rise protectively above a shoreline of silver sand and granite, creating a landscape that is nothing short of breathtaking.
Once home to the influential Dauban family, Silhouette carries echoes of a colonial past. An old plantation house still stands quietly. A timeless reminder of its storied beginnings, dating back to the 1800s.
Named “Labriz,” from the Seychelles Creole la briz, meaning “the breeze,” we glide by electric buggy into a sanctuary of barefoot luxury and rare seclusion, now reimagined under the newly relaunched Niva brand.
Spacious villas blend natural textures with seamless indoor-outdoor living, just steps from the ocean. Here, the island’s rhythm – slow, untouched, almost sacred – invites a complete disconnection from the outside world.
At Niva Labriz Resort, elegance is not imposed but discovered: in the hush of the beach, the whisper of the breeze, and the quiet realization of having arrived somewhere truly set apart. If paradise exists, this is where it gently reveals itself.
General manager Marc Schumacher meets me in a serene setting overlooking a natural lake, embraced by dense jungle.
“The name Niva is a fusion of ‘nourish’ and ‘viva,’ born from a philosophy that freedom nourishes life,” he explains. “While Labriz honors the island’s heritage as a shelter on Silhouette, Niva marks the first international flagship of this new lifestyle-driven collection.”
As the days unfold, time begins to soften. As if the mind has finally exhaled. Bodies slow. Thoughts are quiet. A gentle, sun-warmed calm settles within, as though the island itself has found a home beneath the skin.
We grow fond of a young family of giant tortoises roaming freely within a protected enclosure. Days are filled with remarkable experiences. Restorative spa rituals tucked into lush hillside pavilions and romantic sunset sails around the island aboard Niva’s yacht. Champagne in hand, granite peaks glowing gold against the horizon, these are moments that linger long after the journey ends.
Silhouette does not try to impress. It simply exceeds expectations, quietly and consistently.
Evenings unfold through a rich tapestry of culinary experiences. From vibrant Asian flavors served by a warm, intuitive team to intimate candlelit dinners beneath the stars.
The journey culminates at Grand Kaz, where Creole heritage is reinterpreted with refined elegance using the island’s freshest ingredients. A fitting and unforgettable farewell.
As the boat departs Labriz the next day, my mind lingers somewhere between sea, silence, and something I cannot quite name. As the flight leaves Mahé, I find myself imagining the Israelis who will follow arriving in the warmth of summer.
I can only hope they will surrender to the island’s gentle rhythm, where time softens and something deeper, within, begins to align. And yet, as conflict with Iran has hushed the skies and rendered this Seychelles momentarily unreachable for Israeli travelers, I carry with me the quiet belief that the winds will shift, the routes will reopen, and the way back to this far-flung Eden will not remain closed for long.
The writer is the Travel Flash Tips publisher.