Beautiful Denis Island, Seychelles

Denis Island is picture-postcard perfect. It’s just a short 35 minute flight from Mahe airport.

Denis is a privately owned island. The Mason family who own it have got it spot-on. It’s one of the most beautiful outer islands.

The decor throughout is stunning. Mrs Mason has a fantastic eye for detail, it’s like you have stepped into the Conde Nast Traveller magazine. The furnishings & decor are stylish yet relaxed, chic yet comfortable, luxurious and rustic. It’s a look that is hard to pull off but Mrs M does it with aplomb ! Perfect barefoot luxury.

I was incredibly lucky to stay in the pool villa. WOW. I cannot recommend this room highly enough although I did get to see other room types and they were all very beautiful. My pool was a good size and just steps from the most amazing beach. All of the rooms at Denis have outside bathrooms with large bath, rainfall shower and small enclosed garden. Each room comes complete with a rechargeable torch; when the sun sets it’s dark – very dark. You will see the most incredible stars. My villa was the furthest from the reception and restaurant but I could easily walk it in around 7 minutes. There are golf buggies available if you prefer not to walk.

This is an all-inclusive island with an excellent choice of wines, none of your house wine here ! Evening entertainment is low-key & relaxed. The food was divine and of an incredibly high standard. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all superb.

There is no spa however the spa staff will come out to your cottage or villa for treatments.

Snorkelling was excellent with crystal clear waters. I didn’t see any Turtles but am told they are often around. The island has many tortoises including 1 that is over 150 years old. You can walk around the whole island in under two hours, they even have their own farm – almost all of the food that you eat here is from the farm. The fish are caught just a few miles away.

Bird lovers will be in for a treat, you may spot a Paradise Flycatcher or a Seychelles Warbler.

This has got to be one of the most romantic places to visit. It would be perfect for a honeymoon, wedding or to celebrate an anniversary. Denis is an incredibly special place that will capture your heart – it certainly has mine !

We have some excellent rates at this property. I’d highly recommend combining this island with another or even a stop-over in Abu Dhabi or Dubai.

Just a 30 minute drive from Abu Dhabi airport, this is a real ‘one-of-a-kind’ hotel. It is huge, over 1,000,000 sqm but only has 394 rooms so you get a real sense of space. The hotel is set within 100 hectares of landscaped grounds. The attention to detail is incredible, the gardens, beach & pool area are spotless.

The building is a mix of Arabian opulence and contemporary design. I was welcomed with a cool, refreshing towel along with a fruit juice. Service here is fantastic, I expected it to be rather stuffy but actually the staff got it spot on. Everyone was incredibly friendly.

Each room comes with it’s own butler service – very handy when you are craving chocolate at 1 a.m. The rooms are beautiful and very comfortable, unless you are staying in a suite, the rooms are 55 sqm and come complete with huge bathroom with swimming pool-sized bath (ok not that big but very large). Everything is controlled from a pad (touch screen multi-media system) by your bedside, it took me a while to work out how to turn the t.v on & to pull the curtains. My top tip is to let the butler show you how the room works instead of pretending (like me) that you know everything !

There are 2 pool areas; 1 quiet pool (East Wing) and 1 family pool complete with lazy river and waterslides (West Wing) You can call a golf buggy to take you between pools as they are a 10 minute walk from each other but if it’s not too hot, it’s nice stroll along the beach. The beach is beautiful & private. It’s over 1.2 km’s long with ample loungers and a bar service.

The dining options are superb including the michelin-starred Hakkasan restaurant.

This hotel is really great for families. The kids are well looked after, there is a daily activities programme to keep them entertained as well as the waterpark, camels on the beach, a playground which may have been revamped with a Wetpour Surface, and much more. The hotel thinks of everything – if you are travelling with children, they will even provide child-sized bathrobes and slippers, special children’s shampoo and a nightly bedtime milk drink plus cookies.

Abu Dhabi is more laid back than Dubai although if you fancy a daytrip  – why not try Ferrari World with the world’s fastest roller coaster (I’ll give that one a miss) or Yas Waterworld with over 40 rides and slides. For some culture, visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque – it stands over 107 metres tall and has 82 domes.

I can highly recommend Abu Dhabi & the Emirates Palace as a stand alone holiday or part of a twin-centre combo.

Don’t delay – book today !

I have just returned from this beautiful hotel. The Seychelles is not as far as you think ! We flew via Abu Dhabi (6hrs 40 mins) & then onwards to Mahe (4hrs) with Eithad Airways.

From Mahe airport the transfer to the Kempinski Seychelles took around 3o minutes. It’s a great drive with fab views of stunning coves and rock formations, if a little twisty however you can always upgrade to a helicopter transfer if you prefer.

The Kempinski is set on the famous Baie Lazare. The grounds of the hotel are huge & have an untouched, natural feel. The gardens are full of coconut trees and pretty flowers. The reception area of the hotel has a real wow factor, it is open to the elements – you can hear the waves breaking on the shore & the birds singing. It feels tranquil and tropical.

My room was only a 2 minute walk from the reception area however I was feeling lazy so took the golf buggy instead of walking (would love one of these back in the UK) The rooms are generally all the same except for some slight changes in decor and views. I had a sea view room. I must say, I was very impressed by the hotel rooms – very comfortable and well thought-out. Rooms vary from 42-46 sqm. Each room has a large, incredibly comfortable double bed and a sunken lounge area with sofa, chair & table as well as a spacious, separate dressing room with ample hanging space and drawers. There are plug points next to the mirrors (all the girls out there will know how important this is) as well as a hairdryer. They provide tea & coffee making facilities in the room. The mini-bar upon arrival is free of charge (until you need a refill then you pay as normal), I thought this was a lovely touch, there was a good choice of soft drinks and even a few beers !

The sea views are wonderful, the supplement to upgrade to a seaview is not much so well worth considering expecially if it’s for a special occasion. The balcony area is a decent size with table & chairs – perfect for a sundowner.

Dining was very good, I ate in both restaurants & found the options excellent as well as delicious. I particularly enjoyed the L’Indochine restaurant which offers fusion food from the Indian Ocean rim. Make sure you try a lemongrass martini when you are there – yum ! Prices for food & drink were not as high as I expected, similar to London prices so didn’t once feel ripped-off. There is a lovely beach bar that really comes into its own of an evening – tranquil and romantic.

This hotel has a very relaxed, laid-back, stylish feel but if you do want more action, there is plenty to keep you entertained such as the spa, tennis courts, dive centre, kayaking, bike hire – personally I was happy watching the waves, drinking lemongrass martini’s and chilling……my idea of heaven.

The Kempinski spa is set within the hotel grounds and is a haven for relaxation and indulgence. Try to book at least a few days ahead as it is very popular.

The Seychelles will really capture your heart.

We have negotiated some cracking offers at this resort including some massive honeymoon discounts. Call or email now for prices…..

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