Four things that cost triple on the island
What to pack
Almost everything is imported here, which makes forgetting something expensive rather than impossible. This is the list that actually matters.
Four things cost triple on the island. Bring those.
Seychelles imports nearly everything it sells, including the things a beach holiday consumes fastest. Sunscreen, insect repellent, contact lens fluid and any medication you take regularly all cost noticeably more here than at home, and the choice on the shelf is narrower, particularly once you leave Mahé.
Everything else on this list is about the specific shape of these islands: granite underfoot, an hour's walk to the best beach, an evening that arrives at six, and a temperature that never changes.
The four to bring rather than buy
Sunscreen, in more quantity than you think. Four degrees south of the equator the sun is directly overhead at midday and a cloudy day burns people who assumed it would not. Reef-safe if you can, because you will be swimming in marine parks.
Insect repellent, for the evenings and for the forest walks. Contact lens fluid, which is genuinely hard to find outside Victoria. And any prescription medication, in its box, with enough for the whole trip and a few days over.
Shoes, which matter more here than on most beach holidays
Reef shoes or any sandal you can swim in. The beaches here are granite as much as sand, the rocks at the water's edge are sharp with barnacles, and Anse Source d'Argent is a walk over rock at both ends.
And one pair of proper walking shoes. Anse Major is an hour along a coast path. The Morne Seychellois trails on Mahé are real hiking. The Vallée de Mai is a forest floor. Flip-flops will do none of those.
A car, delivered
Ten cars, no deposit, handed over at the airport, the jetty or your hotel. The small ones do the whole of Mahé and the Jimny does the hill roads.
See the fleetClothes for a country that does not change temperature
Light cotton and linen, and more of it than you would pack for a European fortnight, because you will change more often. One long-sleeved layer for the evenings on the windward coast between May and September, when the trades make it genuinely cool after dark.
A rash guard for the children and for anybody who will be in the water for hours. It solves the sunscreen problem more reliably than sunscreen does.
Modesty, and where it applies
Beachwear on the beach and something over it everywhere else. Seychelles is relaxed and it is also a country where people go to church, to temple and to work, and walking into a shop in Victoria in a swimming costume is noticed.
For the temple on Quincy Street, dress as you would at home. Shoulders and knees covered, shoes off at the threshold.
Electricity, plugs and the things that need charging
Seychelles uses the British three-pin plug, type G, at 240 volts. Indian round-pin plugs do not fit and you will need an adapter. Bring two, because you will be charging a camera, two phones and something else.
The supply is reliable on Mahé and Praslin. On the smaller islands and in some guesthouses it is worth having a power bank, less for outages than because there are fewer sockets than you have devices.
The dry bag, which is the item people thank us for
You will be on small boats. Boat days out of Anse Volbert, the fifteen-minute crossing to La Digue, and any charter involve spray, and a phone in a pocket on the open deck of the Cat Cocos is a phone at risk.
A cheap dry bag solves the whole category, including the walk to Anse Major and the afternoon shower in the wet season.
What not to bother with
Beach towels, which every hotel provides. Snorkel gear, unless you are particular about your own mask, because every boat day includes it. Formal clothes, unless you have a specific dinner booked. A hairdryer.
And do not bring fresh food, meat or dairy through customs. Sealed packaged food is generally fine and plenty of families bring a box of essentials, but declare it rather than risk it.
What to pack, in six frames.
Photographs, under Creative Commons: prilfish, CC BY 2.0 A.Savin, FAL dronepicr, CC BY 2.0 So Seychelles, CC BY 2.0 Radosław Botev, CC0
What people ask.
What should I pack for Seychelles?
Sunscreen in quantity, insect repellent, any medication you take, contact lens fluid, reef shoes, one pair of proper walking shoes, light cotton clothes, a rash guard, a British three-pin adapter and a dry bag.
What plug does Seychelles use?
The British three-pin, type G, at 240 volts. Indian round-pin plugs do not fit, so bring an adapter, and bring two.
Do I need reef shoes?
They help more here than on most beach holidays. The coast is granite as much as sand, the rocks at the waterline are sharp, and Anse Source d'Argent involves walking over rock at both ends.
Is sunscreen expensive in Seychelles?
Yes, noticeably, and the choice is narrower once you leave Mahé. Almost everything here is imported. Bring more than you think you need and make it reef-safe, because you will be swimming in marine parks.
What should we wear away from the beach?
Something over the beachwear. Seychelles is relaxed but it is a working country, and a swimming costume in a shop in Victoria is noticed. For the temple, cover shoulders and knees and leave your shoes at the threshold.
Can we bring food from India?
Sealed packaged food is generally fine and many families bring a box of essentials. Fresh produce, meat and dairy are not. Declare what you are carrying rather than risk it.
The boot of a hire car holds everything you packed
Tell us the dates and the island and Meera will have the car at the airport, which is the difference between carrying the beach kit and having it in the boot.