Cousine Island

OVERVIEW:

The staff at Cousine Island Resort and Spa create a home-from-home atmosphere with their pleasant and personal style. This is especially evident in the absence of a menu here – instead, guests are invited to express their own food preferences and the chef prepares according to desires. Creole, Asian and Western cuisine are specialities, with everything sourced locally from land and sea. At the spa, skilled therapists use the exclusive Ligne St Barth range to excellent effect – and after their treatments, guests may enjoy tea on the terrace, gazing out to sea. Watersports enthusiasts should note that watersports may be limited between June and September, due to strong south-east trade winds.

ACCESS & LOCATION:

Cousine Island is located 6km west of Praslin and occupies a stretch of the north and east coast of the island. With a surface area of 25ha, it is one of the smallest of the Seychelles inner islands – but it is no less beautiful, with its white-sand beaches and lush tropical foliage.

ACCOMMODATION & FACILITIES AT COUSINE ISLAND:

Communal facilities are housed at The Pavilion, an elegant building overlooking a spacious freshwater swimming pool. There is a lovely open-air dining area and lounge, library and internet access, plus a bar with spectacular ocean views. The spa is positioned farther along the east coast at Beach House, which is constructed from natural materials.

All four French Colonial-style villas are spaced around the island’s northernmost point, among tropical foliage just 30m from the beach. Each has a surface area of 175m2 and is fully air conditioned, with a large bedroom and bathroom featuring twin vanity and Jacuzzi bath. Verandas to the front and rear of each property offer wonderful views of the ocean and gardens, plus a refreshing outdoor shower. And the lounge/diner is very comfortably furnished and includes satellite TV, DVD player, iPod docking station and international-dial telephone.

ACTIVITIES AT COUSINE ISLAND:

• An assortment of watersports is possible on Cousine Island, such as wakeboarding, waterskiing, snorkelling, kayaking and scuba diving.
• Deep-sea fishing and excursions to neighbouring islands are available too.
• Another popular activity is taking a cruise, with snorkelling around St Pierre and Coco followed by a visit to Vallée de Mai on Praslin and a short tour of La Digue.
• Back on Cousine Island, a conservation team leads a full exploration of the reserve, which includes inviting guests to plant a tree and meet marine life such as turtles.
• And with helicopter tours, cooking experiences and just working out in the gym also on offer, there really is a lot to do!