Dubai and Seychelles

Slipshaney

Hi all, has anyone been to the above places in the 1 holiday? Thinking of going in October this year, spending 2 days in Dubai and then maybe 7 in Seychelles (Mahe island)

Is 2 days enough in Dubai/is 7 days too much in the Seychelles?! Also would appreciate peoples thoughts on the 2 places (what to do/see etc)

Thanks in advance

squidgy10

Ye, did this trip for my wedding in 2010. Didnt stay in Dubai, just transitted through on the way to the Seychelles but i've been to Dubai a number of times seperately.

A lot of people will say they dont like Dubai as its "fake" etc, but i love the place. Great weather for hanging out by the pool or on the beach, lots to do, dune bashing & quad biking in the dessert followed by BBQ, two great waterparks, ski slope, great shopping, tonnes of lovely restaurants plus lots of bars and nightclubs, a trip to the top of the Burj Kalifa. Also head to the old town to get a feel for the original city and the souks (spice & gold). Getting around used to be difficult but with the new metro system the whole city is much more accesable now (used to have to get taxi's everywhere).

The Seycheles is paradise as you can probably imagine. Stayed there for 2 weeks.

One week here http://www.beachcomber-hotels.com/hotel/sainte-anne-resort-spa.html

One week here http://www.hiltonseychelleslabriz.com/

Most hotels there are 5 star so it can get very expensive but there are some cheaper options. We were on half board in both hotels. They are both island resorts so we did not stay on Mahe itself but did rent a car and toured around it for a day. Its not very big but they do drive on the left which makes things handy.

We did the capital, Victoria. Its very small, you'd walk the whole thing in about 15 minutes but it has a great market with lots of exotic fish plus fruit & veg. We also went to the botanical gardens which are great and we got to feed and interact with the giant tortoises which was a great experience. We then took a lovely drive through the mountains to the other side of the Island where we spent ths afternoon on one of countless fabulous beaches. You'll also find a number of restaurants dotted along the coastal roads which are great for sampling the local food.

If you're into scuba diving its a great place for it. My wife is and went about 6 times during our stay plus there is also the option of snorkelling straight from the beach which was also great with plenty of marine life to see close the the shore.

The rest of the time we generally just lounged around on the beach eating and drinking, nothing like some champagne at breakfast to start off the day

Slipshaney

Brilliant thanks a million for that - Im sold anyway!

ToxicPaddy

I spent a week between Mahe, Praslin and La Dige in the Seychelles back in 2007. Amazing place .

La Dige is tiny, about 5kms in length. Cycled around it in about an hour. No cars on the island only golf carts and ox and karts as taxis. They even turn the street lights off at 10pm. :P

Praslin was my fave of the three. Amazing beaches and nice town on the island. Stayed in the Black Parrot suites. Very very nice, excellent food, service and accommodation.

Found Mahe interesting but not my fave. People very friendly and helpful, but the smaller islands much nicer.

Combined the week in the Seychelles with a week in Kenya, Nairobi and Masai Mara, then 4 days in Dubai on the way back.

I have to say I did like Dubai. Always something going on. Superb service in the hotels and restaurants.

Emirates fly direct to the Seychelles from Dubai. Kenya Airways fly from Dubai via Nairobi but it's about 9 hours flying time in total.

Defo go OP if you get the chance.

FURET

Slipshaney wrote: »

Hi all, has anyone been to the above places in the 1 holiday? Thinking of going in October this year, spending 2 days in Dubai and then maybe 7 in Seychelles (Mahe island)

October is a good time to come as the intense heat will have abated a bit by then. My parents came to Dubai to visit me last year. We had plenty to do for their entire stay of 7 days. They came back again this year and did a bunch of other things over 5 days. It's a great place to visit for a week. Highlights:

• Dune bashing package
• Burj Khalifa / Dubai Fountain / Dubai Mall (waterfront restaurants)
• Marina cruise
• Water parks
• Atlantis the Palm Lost Chamber
• OK beaches (Jumeira Open Beach for example)
• I don't like the gold and diamond souks that much, but if you want a taste of Asian markets you could try the Arab and Pakistani stalls at Global Village. They have all sorts of cool things worth a look including frankincense and myrrh, and excellent leather jackets / handbags at fantastic prices. The rest of global village just sells cheap Chinese junk, so be warned.
• Burj al Arab is nice for photos but is very tacky.

If you do decide to buy jewelry, do so at the souks rather than in a mall. And be sure that you bargain VERY VERY HARD. Only offer 50% of the asking price. If you're white, they'll assume you're rich and will try to make you pay through the nose.

ulinbac

ToxicPaddy wrote: »

I spent a week between Mahe, Praslin and La Dige in the Seychelles back in 2007. Amazing place .

La Dige is tiny, about 5kms in length. Cycled around it in about an hour. No cars on the island only golf carts and ox and karts as taxis. They even turn the street lights off at 10pm. :P

Praslin was my fave of the three. Amazing beaches and nice town on the island. Stayed in the Black Parrot suites. Very very nice, excellent food, service and accommodation.

Found Mahe interesting but not my fave. People very friendly and helpful, but the smaller islands much nicer.

Combined the week in the Seychelles with a week in Kenya, Nairobi and Masai Mara, then 4 days in Dubai on the way back.

I have to say I did like Dubai. Always something going on. Superb service in the hotels and restaurants.

Emirates fly direct to the Seychelles from Dubai. Kenya Airways fly from Dubai via Nairobi but it's about 9 hours flying time in total.

Defo go OP if you get the chance.

Hey Toxic,

What was the cost of this? Looking to go away in late September/early October for 2 weeks. Our total budget is probably around €4/5k for the 2 weeks including flights but by the sounds of it, not too sure if it will cover it.


Thanks

Slipshaney

Thanks for your comments - we have booked to stay in lodge on Beau Vallon, Mahe for about 5 days. Im thinking now should we spend 1/2 days at La Dique and Praslin? What would you think?

ToxicPaddy wrote: »

I spent a week between Mahe, Praslin and La Dige in the Seychelles back in 2007. Amazing place .

La Dige is tiny, about 5kms in length. Cycled around it in about an hour. No cars on the island only golf carts and ox and karts as taxis. They even turn the street lights off at 10pm. :P

Praslin was my fave of the three. Amazing beaches and nice town on the island. Stayed in the Black Parrot suites. Very very nice, excellent food, service and accommodation.

Found Mahe interesting but not my fave. People very friendly and helpful, but the smaller islands much nicer.

Combined the week in the Seychelles with a week in Kenya, Nairobi and Masai Mara, then 4 days in Dubai on the way back.

I have to say I did like Dubai. Always something going on. Superb service in the hotels and restaurants.

Emirates fly direct to the Seychelles from Dubai. Kenya Airways fly from Dubai via Nairobi but it's about 9 hours flying time in total.

Defo go OP if you get the chance.