La Residence D'Almee Guesthouse

Host very friendly and helpful.

The sculpted garden, Dorin the host, made our stay cheerfully memorable. She is a kind and big hearted lady , managing everything single handedly. She handled all our transportation needs. The two girls cooking and maintaining the establishment very efficiently with a ready smile,

What not to like ? Nothing at all

Everything was perfect. The guesthouse is conveniently located near the new ferry terminal to both La Digue and Mahé and near the junction that all bus lines on all their routes cross (each bus number has more than one route). You can also go on foot to Vallée de Mai if the bus doesn’t pass (on Saturdays and Sundays the bus service really needs to be improved) as it takes 40 min. uphill and 25 min. downhill (you can also hitchhike as I did). The guesthouse is also very near to the centre of Baie Ste Anne with local supermarkets (it’s safe to walk also after sunset) to prepare your own meals in the room. The room is so smartly organized with its elongated shape and wise use of space: in few squared meters you have an entire apartment. The balcony has become a kitchenette equipped with all that matters: fridge, microwave, kettle, cutlery, dishes, sink. There is also a washing line to dry your swimsuit and swim shirt. The shower has long-lasting hot water, the aircon works well (and it is not pointed at the bed, in case you want to keep it on all night, although not needed), the Wi-Fi is good, the hair dryer is in the drawer, a shelf is bedside to charge your phone, and so on. It shines for functionality. Breakfast was very tasty (the only problem is that it is served since 07:30, while on a couple of days I’d have needed it a bit earlier) and the two ladies that cook and clean are very kind. You can pay by card (the Seychelles positively surprised me as it is possible to pay by card everywhere and without scam fees, no need to change money and bring a lot of cash, for the sake of safety). What deserves a really good note is the behaviour of the hotelier, Dorina (who lives in the adjacent building): she was kind and professional, organizing everything for my stay 7 months before my arrival so that I could come relaxed with everything already fixed well ahead and enjoy my stay without hassles (I was also very busy in the meantime, so advance organization was essential).

Everything was so well thought, but if I have to find a flaw: the light in the toilet is poor and a bulb on the mirror would be much needed to help men to shave. Beware that if your idea of holiday at the Seychelles is to spend the whole day going back and forth from your room to the beach, then this guesthouse is not the place for you (there is no beach in Baie Ste Anne, just for starting). The location is perfect for those who come for an active holiday, visiting several islands and on a budget (walking to the harbour to change island, cooking themselves and moving by public bus around Praslin). The hotel is also in contact with a tour agency for the excursion to Curieuse Island. About that, a hint for the hotelier: send the offer immediately as an automatic message when booking. And a hint to fellow travellers: join the group that makes the bbq at the tortoise beach instead of St. José as that’s the moment when tortoises are more active and I had the time of my life feeding and petting them for more than 2 hours. I did not join the tour with their agency as I found a cheaper one, but I appreciated her behaviour for organization months in advance. As for excursions, beware that Seychellois tour operators are slackers and by 16:00 what was called a “full-day” tour was already over (in the tourist industry it is not like working in an office: it would have been nice for example to snorkel more and see the sunset in a part of the island from where the bus stops running before 18:30).

The staff were very friendly. Lovely breakfasts. They helped me remove curry stains from my clothes

There was no where to cook any food. A small microwave to warm take away onky