Le Chevalier Bay Guesthouse

The rooms are big, clean and comfortable, and guests who came for peace and quiet found exactly that, a calm, relaxing spot that empties out at night once the day visitors leave. The restaurant and bar draw real praise, with good cocktails and curries, prawn and fish especially, and breakfast looking out over the bay.

The setting is the whole story. Anse Lazio and the smaller Petite Anse Lazio are right there, and the owners, a family running the place themselves, are described as kind and genuinely wanting everything to be right for their guests. For those who value being on this beach over a polished resort, it is a rare spot.

Anse Lazio is on the north-west coast of Praslin, regularly ranked among the finest beaches in the world, a long curve of pale sand and clear water framed by granite boulders and takamaka trees. It is a little way from the island's main road, which keeps it quiet, and the day visitors thin out by late afternoon. The resort beach of Côte d'Or, with its shops and restaurants, is a short drive away, and the Vallée de Mai palm forest is inland. Praslin is reached by a quick flight or the fast ferry from Mahé. For a simple guesthouse in an extraordinary beach setting on Praslin, Le Chevalier Bay is worth considering.

Anse Lazio is on the north-west coast of Praslin, regularly ranked among the finest beaches in the world, a long curve of soft, pale sand and clear turquoise water, framed by smooth granite boulders and shady takamaka trees. It lies a little off the island's main road, at the end of a hill, which keeps it quieter than the resort strip, and the day visitors thin out by late afternoon to leave it calm. There are a couple of beach restaurants, and the snorkelling around the rocks at either end is good. The busier Côte d'Or, with its shops and dive centres, is a short drive away, and the Vallée de Mai palm forest is inland. Praslin is reached by a quick flight or the fast ferry from Mahé, and a hire car makes the most of it.