What it is
Praslin is about an hour by ferry from Mahé. Vallée de Mai, in the middle of the island, is a UNESCO-listed remnant palm forest and the main place the coco de mer grows wild, producing the largest seed of any plant. The black parrot lives here and almost nowhere else. Anse Lazio on the north coast and Anse Georgette on the northwest are the two headline beaches; Anse Georgette sits beside a resort and access may need arranging in advance.
Why go
The forest walk takes about an hour on flat boardwalk and is the single most distinctive thing to see in Seychelles. Anse Lazio is the beach the postcards use, and it lives up to it.
When to go
Any month. Go into Vallée de Mai at opening, before the tour groups off the morning ferry and before the heat; the forest is still and humid by mid-morning. Anse Lazio has no reef and can have a strong current; it is calmest in the northwest monsoon.
Most people stay 3-4 nights.