What it is
Curieuse is a national park island 15 minutes by boat from Praslin, with several hundred Aldabra giant tortoises living loose, a mangrove boardwalk and the old leper colony doctor's house. Cousin is a special reserve run as a nature reserve, with dense breeding seabird colonies, nesting hawksbill turtles and a guided walk on fixed landing days. St Pierre, a granite outcrop nearby, is the standard snorkelling stop.
Why go
This is as close as Seychelles gets to a wildlife day, and it is a good one. The tortoises on Curieuse are wild-living rather than penned. Cousin shows what these islands looked like before rats and cats arrived.
When to go
Any month; seas are calmest from November to March. Cousin only takes visitors on set days and through licensed operators, and landings are cancelled in rough water, so build in flexibility. Seabird numbers peak from about May to September. Booked as a half or full day from Praslin.
Most people stay Day trip.