I visited Alphonse Island Seychelles on a hosted trip to write articles for two national publications. I was not required to write this blog post – I’m doing it because I want to. All opinions are my own, honestly held and have not been written or edited by anyone apart from me (so apologies for any typos!). I don’t accept freebies in exchange for positive reviews. This post may contain some affiliate links.
I’m not a beach babe.
I mean, look at me. I have pasty white skin that can fry on a cloudy day in February (this actually happened, no joke). I have curly hair that frizzes at the merest hint of humidity. And I can last, ooh, about 10 minutes on a sun lounger before I get bored and need to find something to do.
So I wasn’t sure Alphonse Island in the Seychelles would be for me. Sure, it’s a stunning tropical island surrounded by pristine coral reefs, but even top-tier natural beauty can get samey after a few days, right?
So I downloaded several books and TV shows and packed plenty of suncream, ready for a week of being stranded (and probably a bit bored) on an almost-deserted island.
And then I went.
Was there enough to do? Did I get burnt? Was it worth the long flight?
All this and much, much more, are about to be revealed, so make yourself comfortable, and let’s begin.
Introducing Alphonse Island Seychelles
There are many remote tropical islands that claim to be ‘untouched paradises’ – and I’ve barely been to any of them, so I’m not qualified to rate those claims. But what I can tell you is that Alphonse Island is certainly up there.
Located hundreds of miles from anywhere in the Seychelles Outer Islands (Coralline Seychelles), it ticks all your ‘tropical paradise island’ boxes, with palm-fringed white sandy beaches, clear turquoise waters, and coral reefs exploding with life and colour.
Far from any major human influence, it’s also a haven for wildlife with an abundance of birdlife, nesting sea turtles, giant tortoises, and hundreds of species of fish and the other weird and wonderful creatures that live in the tropical oceans.
Wildlife, they said? For me, a passionate wildlife photographer and bird lover, things were already starting to look up.
Why you can trust this Alphonse Island review
I spent eight days on Alphonse Island, and experienced everything the island has to offer. I stayed in two different types of accommodation, did almost every activity, tried all the facilities, explored every corner of the island (it’s not huge, so that didn’t take too long), and ate and drank alllll the food.
Every photo and drone image you see in this blog post (and loads more on Instagram) was taken by me. No AI was used in the writing of this post.
And best of all, I’m not biased. I’m not a tour operator or affiliated to the island in any way. It’s not my job to persuade you to go there and I won’t make any money if you do – it’s my job to give you an honest assessment. So that’s what I’m going to do!
Where is Alphonse Island?
Alphonse Island is in the Outer Seychelles, slap bang in the middle of nowhere in the Indian Ocean. It’s 250 miles (400 kilometres) southwest of the main Seychelles island, Mahé, and just 7 degrees south of the equator.
As the crow flies, it’s about 5,000 miles (8,000 km) from London and about 800 miles (1,300 km) from the coast of mainland Africa. In other words, it’s pretty damn remote!
Alphonse Island is part of Alphonse atoll, an ancient coral system that consists of a circular reef with a shallow lagoon in the middle, and the island itself (the part of the ancient coral reef that sits above sea level) at its south west end.
Just over a mile away is another atoll, St François, that has more coral reef, a huge expanse of low-lying sand flats, and two small islands called St François and Bijoutier. Both are uninhabited nature reserves.
Together, the three islands make up the Alphonse Group of islands in the Seychelles.
Alphonse Island map
Here’s a map, showing the exact location of Alphonse Island. You have to zoom out pretty far to find any other land – it really is *that* isolated!
Alphonse Island facts at a glance
1/ Country: Alphonse Island is part of the Seychelles, the smallest country in Africa.
2/ Language: The official languages of the Seychelles are Creole, French, and English. At Alphonse Island resort everyone speaks English. However, there are staff members from many different nationalities, so you may well find yours is spoken by someone (but if you’re reading this post then clearly you won’t need them!)
3/ Currency: The official currency of the Seychelles is the Seychellois rupee (SCR). On Alphonse extras are charged in US dollars but you can pay by credit card – you don’t need cash.
4/ Size: Alphonse Island itself is quite small, covering just 0.66 square miles (1.71 square km). Alphonse Atoll, which includes the reef and lagoon, has a total area of 7 square miles (19 square km).
5/ Capital city: The capital city of the Seychelles is Victoria, on Mahé island. There are no towns or cities on Alphonse. The only development is a single luxury resort, Alphonse Island Resort.
6/ Population: The only people who live on Alphonse Island are around 120 resort staff and a small number of workers who maintain the island infrastructure including the runway, desalination plant, sewage treatment plant and solar energy plant. The total population is about 200.
Read more: Alphonse Island Seychelles: 20 Things To Know Before You Go
A brief history of Ile Alphonse
Alphonse Island’s recorded history goes back to 1562, when Portuguese explorers first named it ‘San Francisco’. In 1730, a French ship’s captain, Chevalier Alphonse de Pontevez, visited the island on his birthday and renamed it after himself.
Early activity included French settlers who farmed and exported maize and fish. Ownership changed hands frequently throughout the 19th century, when the island was exploited for resources like coconuts, turtle meat and shells, and guano from seabirds.
The remains of a coconut plantation, which operated for over 100 years, can still be seen as you cycle through dense coconut groves on the west side of the island.
When the Seychelles won independence from the British in 1976, the government took control of Alphonse, under the management of the Island Development Company, which still oversees it today. It was redeveloped for tourism, and the first resort hotel opened in 1999.
The current Alphonse Island Lodge is run by Blue Safari Seychelles, who took over in 2012, with a focus on conservation and eco-tourism.
Alphonse Island Resort
‘Eco-tourism’ is a bit of a nebulous word and can be a front for a lot of greenwashing, but everywhere I went on Alphonse I saw clear evidence that Blue Safari takes caring for their precious environment very seriously. After all, if they wreck it, they’ll have no business left!
The island is pretty much triangular, with the runway splitting it in half down the middle. Only the eastern side is developed, with the lodge, staff quarters, and back of house facilities including a farm, solar plant, desalination and sewage treatment areas, and workshops.
The west side is almost completely undeveloped – it’s mainly a forest and nature reserve with bird colonies and turtle nesting sites.
The resort itself is sensitively designed, with single storey buildings constructed from natural materials and decorated in soothing, earthy colours, in harmony with the surrounding nature.
The main hub of island life is the reception, Bijoutier restaurant and beach bar. Here there’s a gorgeous pool surrounded by soft and comfy sun loungers, day beds and hammocks, a gym, the Azure Spa, a tennis court and a gift shop.
The beach bar has an open-sided seating area fronting onto a neatly groomed expanse of beach where there are more tables and chairs (some under shady thatched roofs) for al-fresco dining. This is where we ate lunch most days (more about the food coming later in this post).
Alphonse Island accommodation
Alphonse has three different types of ‘rooms’ to choose from – though all accommodation is in self-contained units, not a typical hotel block setup.
There are 30 cute little A-frame cabins on stilts, known as ‘beach bungalows’. These have a bedroom, a huge bathroom with a sunken bath and a brilliant outside shower, and beach access. I spent my first 5 nights in one of these and I loved it.
There are also five 1-bedroom ‘beach villas’ which have their own private plunge pool, and two super luxury 4-bedroom ‘beach retreats’ – huge single-storey houses that can sleep up to eight, with private pool, lounge and dining area, a garden leading down to the sea, and a kitchen.
We stayed in one of these for two nights, and on the first night we had a chef cook us an amazing dinner in our private dining area. This sort of setup is great for groups of friends or families celebrating a big occasion.
Everything is air-conditioned – a blessed relief in the tropical humidity.
All the rooms have Wi-Fi, though it is pretty slow. You can use WhatsApp no problem, and send emails, but you’ll struggle with big attachments. I was able to look at social media but sometimes photos didn’t load, and posting videos to Instagram was pretty much impossible.
There are no TVs in the rooms – but why would you want to watch TV when you have paradise all around you?
In total, the island can accommodate around 100 guests at full capacity, so it feels very peaceful and private – a far cry from those huge ‘fly-and-flop’ resorts with thousands of guests and screaming kids you get in other places.
Getting around Alphonse Island Resort Seychelles
All areas of Alphonse are connected by flat, sandy paths. When you check in, you’re given a fixed-gear bicycle with a basket on the front, so that you can pootle around the island at your own pace (this turned out to be one of my favourite things to do).
If you’re not comfortable riding a bicycle you can always walk, or the resort also has a fleet of electric golf buggies to take you where you need to go – you simply use your in-room phone to request a pickup or ask at reception. Nowhere on the island is more than about 5 minutes’ drive or cycle from anywhere else.
The Alphonse Island itinerary
Of course, there is no itinerary on Alphonse Island! You’re free to do as little or as much as you want.
But for me, a typical day usually looked like this:
Get up early, sometimes for sunrise (which on the equator is always at a civilised 6.30 am or thereabouts). If you’re not a super early riser, breakfast is served until 10.30 am. However, morning activities can start quite early (around 8 or 9 am), depending on the tides.
(Note: with many activities being tide-dependent, it’s important to be on time, or you’ll not only make everyone else wait for you, but you’ll end up with less time to enjoy whatever it is you’re doing).
After breakfast we’d do a morning activity, such as a snorkelling excursion or cycle tour, and then have a short break for a shower or chance to refresh before lunch, served in the beach bar at around 12.30 pm.
In the afternoon we’d do another activity, or if you prefer you could spend the afternoon relaxing by the pool or on your private deck, use the gym or have a massage.
Around 5 pm it was time to head back to the room to change, with sunset cocktails or an informative talk at around 6.30 pm and dinner on the beach after that.
Alphonse isn’t a party place, so we tended to go to bed relatively early around 10 or 11 pm, ready for another exciting day of adventures.
Alphonse Island activities
If you’re looking for a place to chill out, relax with a book, and do nothing, Alphonse Island certainly offers that. But it’s a long way to travel if you’re just going to lie on a sun lounger for a week. And frankly, you’d be missing out, because there’s loads to do on Alphonse!
The hub of island life is the Activities Centre, run by a brilliant team of enthusiastic and charming dive guides and fishing experts, who are passionate about the island and their job, and want to share that passion with you too.
One of the main reasons many people come to Alphonse is for saltwater fly fishing. Thanks to its remote, unspoiled location, Alphonse is famed as a world class marine fly-fishing destination, and anglers come from far and wide for the chance to catch deep water trophy species like the giant trevally or milkfish.
All Alphonse fishing is carefully monitored and catch-and-release, meaning that no fish are harmed simply for sport. There’s also a strict limit of only 12 people allowed to fish per day.
But if you’re not a fisher(wo)man, don’t worry, there are tonnes of other things to do on Alphonse Island.
Activities are separated into on-island and off-island, in other words anything you need a boat for and anything you don’t.
Most on-island and non-motorised activities are included in the price of your stay. This includes things like bicycle and buggy tours of the island, yoga classes, beach cleans, tortoise feeding, snorkelling off the beach, kayaking, and evening talks.
The legendary Flats Lunch – where they take you out for a barbecue on the stunning sand flats at low tide, is also included (even though there’s a boat involved).
Rental of masks, snorkels, fins and kayaks is included.
Motorised activities like snorkelling trips out to the reefs, scuba diving, and trips to nearby Bijoutier and St Francois islands cost extra. I loved the nature walk we did on St Francois Island, and the snorkelling was fantastic.
I didn’t get to go scuba diving (even though I’m PADI certified) but I’m ever lucky enough to go back, I’d love to dive here because it looks sensational.
Suffice to say that I was never bored, and never picked up my book once or watched so much as five minutes of any of the TV shows I’d downloaded!
Seychelles wildlife
As a wildlife photographer and lover of nature destinations, one of the things I loved about my stay on Alphonse was the amount of wildlife there is. The island is so remote, and so unspoiled, that it’s a haven for all kinds of birds and animals which you can easily spot as you cycle around.
In the water the reefs are bursting with marine life, including green and hawkswbill turtles (we saw at least five every time we jumped in), as well as manta rays, stingrays and several other ray species, tonnes of tropical fish and corals, and sharks like nurse sharks and lemon sharks (don’t worry, none of them will attack humans).
You may also see dolphins and various species of whales including melon-headed whales and humpbacks, depending on the time of year.
On land the island is home to an estimated 125 giant Aldabra tortoises, one of the last two remaining species of giant tortoise. The most famous one on the island is George, who is thought to be over 100 years old and likes to have his head scratched.
If you’re a bird lover, you’ll be delighted to know that as well as being home to breeding colonies of wedge-tailed shearwaters, red-footed boobies and great frigatebirds, Alphonse and its neighbouring islands are very popular with migratory species who like to spend the winter months in the warm tropics.
Conservation and sustainability at Alphonse Island Lodge
All this fantastic biodiversity is only possible thanks to Alphonse Island’s remote location and the sensitive way in which it is managed by the Blue Safari Seychelles team. They know how unique this island is, and for them, protecting nature comes before profit. Nothing is more important.
The Blue Safari team works with the Island Conservation Society and the Alphonse Foundation to manage a wide range of conservation projects, including:
- Turtle, shark and manta ray monitoring and tagging programmes
- Shark and manta ray adoption schemes
- Tortoise breeding and nursery
- Seabird monitoring and protection of nesting sites
- Turtle patrols and protection of nesting sites
- Coral and fish monitoring
- Beach cleans – guests are encouraged to get involved, helping to pick up trash that washes ashore on ocean currents.
- Conservation talks
- A new programme to eradicate dangerous invasive species like rats and feral cats that endanger the wildlife.
A lot of this work is funded by the $30 a day conservation levy, which is added to the cost of your stay.
Sustainability is also at the heart of everything they do – from using solar panels to generate up to 100% of the island’s electricity, to growing as much fresh produce as possible in their own farm, to collecting rainwater, and using electric buggies and bicycles to save fuel consumption. The bungalows are even lit with red and green outside lights to avoid confusing nesting turtles!
Food at Alphonse Seychelles
Another of the surprise highlights for me during my stay on Alphonse was the food.
The main restaurant and beach bar serve a menu based on Seychellois Creole and French cuisine, with, unsurprisingly, a big emphasis on fresh ingredients and locally sourced fish and seafood.
Since anything they can’t grow or fish has to be imported, they’re very selective about what’s on the menu. The priority is delicious, healthy, sustainable food, rather than offering up a complete menu of international delicacies that must be shipped in from thousands of miles away.
For example, you won’t find Scottish smoked salmon or factory-farmed prawns on the menu, because you can have smoked wahoo or grilled jobfish from 500 metres away instead. The problem is, once you’ve tasted the freshest tuna sashimi plucked straight from the ocean, you can never go back to supermarket sushi again!
Alphonse also has its own farm where 65% of the fruit and vegetables consumed on the island are grown. They can grow enough here to feed all the staff and guests, and the only produce they need to import are key cold-weather staples like potatoes and apples. The home-made coconut ice cream was to die for!
Alphonse Island Resort prices
Now as you might expect, paradise doesn’t come cheap, and a trip to Alphonse Island is not a budget holiday. This may be a once-in-a-lifetime trip, or a special occasion splurge for a honeymoon or anniversary.
- At the time of writing, a seven-night stay in a Beach Bungalow cost from US$8345 per person based on two people sharing.
- Seven nights in a Beach Villa (sleeping a family of four) costs from $11,985 per person.
- The 4-bedroom Beach Retreats cost from $29,370 for a minimum three-night stay (with a minimum 4 guests).
- All package rates include meals (including soft drinks during activities), tea and coffee and non-motorised activities, as well as internal flights from Mahé to Alphonse Island.
- During low season from May – September you can stay for seven nights and only pay for five.
How to get to Alphonse Seychelles resort
To get to Alphonse Island, you need to fly via Mahé, the largest island in the Seychelles. Emirates and Qatar fly here from various destinations around the world via Dubai or Doha.
From Mahé, you then need to change to a small internal flight for the hour-long trip to Alphonse Island Airport (though it isn’t really an airport, just a runaway and a small seating area).
Note that on this small plane there is a very strict weight limit of 15 kg of hold luggage and 5 kg of hand luggage per person. They will weigh you and your hand luggage, and if you are over, you may get asked to leave something behind.
The reason they are so strict is because the runway at Alphonse isn’t very long, and if the plane is too heavy it wouldn’t be able to stop in time and might overshoot into the sea!
So definitely don’t try to sneak extra in, you won’t get away with it!
Read more: Alphonse Island Seychelles: 20 Things To Know Before You Go
5 things I loved about Alphonse Island
There were so many things I loved about my stay on Alphonse that it’s hard to pick just five! But I’ll try…
- The stunning scenery. When I first arrived and walked down onto the beach in front of my cabin. It was low tide, and I was met by a wide expanse of brilliant white sand bordered by turquoise sea. It was so breathtaking I literally said ‘F*** me!’ to myself, out loud.
- The food. Every single thing I ate was fantastic, from the warm pain aux chocolates and banana bread French toast at breakfast, to the incredible seared tuna and freshly hand-rolled sushi, to the amazing barbecues and home-made ice creams. Even with all the activities we did I still gained several kilos.
- The snorkelling. The water was so impossibly clear and blue, it was almost unbelievable. And everywhere you looked there were things to see – colourful fishes, sharks, turtles, you name it.
- The people. The staff were so incredibly knowledgeable, friendly and passionate about their work. They all know how lucky they are to be working in such an amazing place, and it shows!
- The wildlife – especially the tortoises and the crabs. I loved exploring by myself on my bicycle, coming across tortoises by the side of the road or parking by a stretch of beach at sunset and watching cute little crabs running up and down.
5 things I didn’t like about Alphonse Island
I don’t actually think I can find five things I didn’t like, so here are two.
1. The humidity. Unfortunately it’s a fact of life in the tropics, but when we were there the weather was incredibly humid. Like, ‘step out of the air con and you’re immediately drenched in sweat’ humid.
It was impossible to stay dry or neat; I resorted to living in beachwear the entire time, tying my hair up, and putting up with the permanent trickle of sweat down my back.
I’m told if you come at other times of the year (I visited in April) it may not always be quite as humid, but best to be prepared.
2. It’s a schlep to get to. From London it was more than 24 hours of travelling (with a layover in Dubai and an overnight stop in Mahé) to get to Alphonse. I hate airports and flying (great for a travel blogger I know!), so this wasn’t particularly fun.
But it’s a small price to pay for getting to visit somewhere so remote and pristine, and of course if Alphonse Island wasn’t so far away, it wouldn’t be so special!
And that’s it! Thank you for reading my review of Alphonse Island in the Seychelles. I hope you get to visit someday!
Want to see more of my photography or travel writing? Have comments or questions? Come follow me on Instagram, Threads or Bluesky and share your thoughts!
My favourite travel tools and brands
To help you organise your trip, here’s a short list of some of the brands and tools I use over and over again when I’m planning my travels. You can see more on my Travel Resources page.
- Booking.com: A huge range of hotels to choose from, often with free cancellation. If you book hotels regularly you can earn discounts. I’m on Genius Level 3 which gets me 20% off!
- Expedia: Another great place to find hotels and Expedia also sell flights, car hire, and loads more all in one place.
- Skyscanner: The only place I ever go to search for flights and compare prices.
- Flight Centre: Booking a more complicated route? Let Flight Centre organise it for you (and deal with the drama when something goes wrong).
- Priority Pass: I love having access to 1600+ airport lounges when I fly, allowing me to enjoy my time at the airport. Buy through my link and you get up to 20% off!
- Airalo: Say goodbye to ridiculous mobile roaming charges. Did you know you can now buy ane-SIM, install it in your phone before you leave home, and then use data abroad at local prices? Game changer. Get US$3 credit with code BELLA5735.
- TourRadar: If you prefer group travel and organised tours, TourRadar has a huge range of fantastic tours from respected operators. They’re very helpful and have 4.5 stars on TrustPilot.
- Viator: Part of the TripAdvisor brand, Viator is another great place to search for group adventures and day trips.
- GetYourGuide: A great place to find local tours and day trips in your destination.
- Wex Photo Video: The UK’s best camera gear store.
- Ellis Brigham: Looking for good quality backpacks, travel clothes and other gear? Ellis Brigham is where I buy almost all of mine.
- Rentalcars.com: Part of the Booking.com family and the world’s largest online car rental service, with 24/7 customer service.
- World Nomads Travel Insurance: I never ever travel without travel insurance and nor should you!
Where to next?
If you enjoyed this Alphonse Island Resort post, why not try some of my other nature and adventure posts?
- Glamping in the Morocco Desert at Merzouga Luxury Camp
- Chobe Safari Lodge In Botswana: A Complete Review With Photos
- Leroo La Tau In Botswana: See The Incredible Zebra Migration
- A Kenya Safari Holiday: How To Plan The Perfect Trip For You
- A Magical Trip Whale Watching in Mirissa, Sri Lanka
- A Perfect Sri Lanka 2 Week Itinerary (With Stunning Photos)
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