Anse Kerlan Beach Chalets | Review
Anse Kerlan Beach Chalets are available to hire through AirBNB and are a touch of luxury for a reasonable price.
Location
Anse Kerlan Beach Chalets are located on Praslin Island, Seychelles and are about 2km from the airport. It is a really easy place to find; head right out of the airport and follow the road up until you reach the golf course. They are signposted on your left on a wooden sign that takes you on a single track road. Follow to the end and then round to the right which leads around the golf course. A further 500m or so you will find the sign to the chalets.
Cost
We paid £1,840 for 12 nights, so just under £140 a night. This is expensive for an Airbnb but most places on the Seychelles are and it is significantly less than one of the big hotels plus a much more free and personal experience.
Useful Things to Know
- Beach towels provided
- Car parking for two cars
- British style plugs
- Air conditioning in the bedroom
- Fridge and freezer
- Kitchen stocked with everything you need for cooking. Gas oven, hob, microwave, kettle, steamer plus all the pots, pans and utensils you’ll need
- Free wifi. It was slow compared to British standards; enough to browse websites, update Instagram, use WhatsApp etc but not enough to download big documents or watch movies; but to be honest if you want to do that then stay home!
Review
Let me sum this up in one sentence; staying at the Anse Kerlan Beach Chalets was an absolute pleasure, our hosts were fantastic, the chalets are relaxing and homely whilst the feeling of having your own private beach just at the end of the garden is unlike anything we’ve even experienced. There, done!
Arrival
We had landed on Praslin on the 0920 flight so were very early in arriving at the chalet. Check in was 1200 but we thought we’d chance it anyway.
We pulled up and were greeted by the beaming smiling of Pascal who was quickly joined by his wife Tatiana. It was like going to stay at long lost relative’s house, they could not have been more pleased to see us. They were working on the air conditioning in our apartment as it had broken down the day before but were more than happy for us to hang around whilst they did it. We said we were happy just to drop off the bags and then head out to get some breakfast. Pascal insisted he carry our bags from the car despite my protestations.
Who needs an expensive hotel for 5* service!? Oh. and in case you’re wondering the air conditioning was ice-cold the whole time we were there making the bedroom a much-needed retreat from the heat.
The Chalets
There are two chalets, attached in the middle like a semi-detached house. They do not face the beach but out into the pretty little gardens beautifully maintained by Taciana who tends to them as her hobby.
The left hand one was closer to the beach but it doesn’t really matter as there are hammocks, chairs and loungers under the palms by the shore.
Our chalet had everything we needed; a little entrance hall with some comfy chairs, a kitchen with every cooking accessory you could need (and even the essentials such as noodles, condiments, coffee etc), an air-conditioned bedroom with a bed the size of a small state and bathroom with shower.
Most important was a covered veranda with some deck chairs, a little table and a beautiful mural of the sea. This was our spot for most of the time we were there, perched out in the open air, reading or writing listening to the high-pitched songs of our resident Madagascan Fody. This beautiful, sparrow-sized red bird joined us for breakfast every morning and could always be found hopping around the trees or on the washing line. By the end he even plucked up the courage to come and sit on the little wall of the veranda in front of us.
The Beach
The beach itself is about 30 metres away and whilst it isn’t private it felt so. Taciana and Pascal have set up an idyllic little area under the palms before you drop down onto the sand. Here you can find a couple of hammocks, some loungers, wooden benches to sit on and have some breakfast and a thatched seating area.
This is about as close as you can get to paradise.
From here you can sit and watch the waves steal coconuts from the land, see the fishermen make their way out in search of Red Snapper and Dorado or just work your way through a Seybrew and a good book. As an added bonus it faces west, meaning every evening around six o’clock we made our way down to see the sky change colour from waxy blue through every colour of yellow and red you can imagine (and some I never had).
There are two beaches which we had direct access to. In front of the seating area was the smaller of the two which had another two or three private apartments with direct access, though they were well hidden behind the palms and we never saw more than two other people.
To the left of the seating area is a longer, deeper beach which had a few more people on it but most of the time played out like the opening credits to a desert island movie. The only small downside is that the sea was a bit rougher here than the other side of the island. The beaches weren’t sheltered so the current felt pretty strong. We didn’t swim but there are hundreds of other places to do so on the island. To counteract that (and when I say counteract I mean smash into all oblivion) we were lucky enough to see a baby turtle on the beach! We regularly went out after dark with our iPhone torches and a lantern (again provided at the chalet) to see what was on the beach. I’d always wanted to see a turtle in the wild but this was incredible. A tiny creature – barely strong enough to fight off the crabs let alone make its way through the wild of the oceans – it was initially heading up the beach towards the trees but we turned it around and made sure it got safely to its destination. A truly unforgettable experience!
Wildlife
The grounds of Anse Kerlan Beach Chalets do seem to be a great place to see wildlife, though this may just be the Seychelles! There are crabs everywhere, including one who seemed to be dug in under the chalet, geckos which pop out at night to pick off the bugs grouping around the light on the porch, sun birds – which have the profile of hummingbirds – effortlessly making their way from flower to flower, fruit bats fly out from the trees over night, Indian Myna birds clacking, chatting and mimicking (one seemed to have mastered a car alarm noise!) and even Taciana’s pet giant tortoises in a little pen by the front gate.
The place is alive with nature, another reason to feel grateful at choosing this as our home for a couple of weeks.
AirBNB
Anse Kerlan Beach Chalets is everything I love about Airbnb. The freedom to feel like you’re at home, not being surrounded by people or confined to a room but also to be in a luxurious, breathtaking location. Tatiana was certainly more attentive than alot of Airbnb hosts, popping in whilst we were out everyday to change the towels and make the bed even doing the washing up on the day we were too lazy! She even organised us a fantastic trip over to Curieuse Island with ‘Excursion Pitou’ a local tour company who pick up five minutes from the chalet.
Finishing Up
So to sum up; if you love the freedom of Airbnb but want to experience of Seychelles then stop searching now. There are cheaper options and granted I only have the experience of this one but I’m really not sure how it could have been improved. Thankyou to the warm, caring, radiant couple Taciana and Pascal who gave us a blissful base for our unforgettable time on this charming island.
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