Cap Jean Marie Beach Villa

Three bedrooms sleep up to six. Guests describe the rooms as cute, clean and well equipped, with everything needed for a self-catering stay. Several mention the ocean view from the villa. The aircon draws particular praise, working really well through the warm nights. One couple had the little house right on the beach, quiet enough to hear only the waves and small birds.

The hosts are the reason many guests write home. Ana Rosa and her mum run the place, and reviewers call them incredible and kind, a great host and warm company. Peter Moser wrote that the hosts are what truly set the villa apart. Others simply thank Ana Rosa and her mum by name after six nights that felt perfect.

The location earns its own paragraph. Direct access to the sand and turquoise water, sunsets guests called amazing, and a beach that feels close to private. One honest note belongs here. A guest was glad it rained during their stay, because the ocean was then free of seagrass, so the water can carry seagrass at times, as on many Praslin beaches.

The villa sits right on the sand at Anse Kerlan, on the quieter north-west side of Praslin. The beach is the setting, so the water and sunsets are a few steps from the door. Anse Georgette and the Constance Lemuria grounds lie close by to the north. The ferry port is over at Baie Sainte Anne. A car helps here. Anse Kerlan is a fair drive from the Baie Sainte Anne jetty, right across the island, and a vehicle makes reaching shops, restaurants and other beaches far easier. Once settled, though, much of the appeal is simply staying put on the sand.