Giant tortoises
Up close.
NorbertNagel — CC BY-SA 4.0 · dronepicr — CC BY 2.0 · Bjørn Christian Tørrissen — CC BY-SA 4.0 · KBAs — CC BY 4.0
A small island off the north coast of Praslin, once known as the Red Island for its red soil, and with Praslin the only natural home of the coco de mer palm. In 1979 it and its waters were declared a marine national park. Its best-known residents are Aldabra giant tortoises, brought here between 1978 and 1982, which now live in their hundreds around the rangers' station near the beach, so you can see them up close as they wander between the trees. The island served as a leper colony from 1829 to 1965, and ruins of the hospital still stand, while the old doctor's house at Anse Saint Joseph is now a small museum. A boardwalk crosses the mangrove forest between the two sides of the island, followed by a short path among the rocks. The entry fee is SCR 300 for non-residents over twelve, daily from 8 am to 5 pm, per the parks authority. It is usually visited on a boat trip from Praslin that includes snorkelling and lunch.
Up close.
Across the island.
A small museum.
Off the north coast of Praslin, about fifteen minutes by boat
By boat from Praslin in about fifteen minutes; trips usually include snorkelling and lunch, and the entry fee is SCR 300.