Denis Private Island: Ultimate Seclusion in the Seychelles

Denis Private Island – read our comprehensive and unbiased review of the ultimate barefoot-luxury resort in the Seychelles

Few places in the world match the definition of paradise like the Seychelles. We’ve seen many beautiful places, but if you want the dictionary definition of “Garden of Eden”, look no further.

Deserted beaches, lush forests, friendly giant tortoises, giant boulders sculpted by wind and ocean for thousands of years. And the most romantic retreats you can imagine, perfect for snuggling at sunset waiting for millions of stars to shine onto the Indian Ocean.

It was a no-brainer choosing the Seychelles as our honeymoon, a place we’re desperate to go back to.

The inner islands of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue represent the most natural starting point. Easily combinable, they offer the quintessential Seychelles experience, especially as a first-time visitor or if you are short on time.

But for the curious traveller, not settling for the most common three islands, a whole new world of possibilities unveils.

We arrived at Denis Private Island from Mahé for our three-night stay on a cloudy summer day. Despite the weather conditions being suboptimal, we immediately realized that this was the right place. This is our review of Denis Private Island, the ultimate “get away from it all” destination in the Seychelles.

Only about 100 km north of Mahé, Denis Island feels miles away from anywhere.

Its crescent shape and flat surface is in stark contrast to the main islands of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue, whose mountainous appearance and distinctive granite boulders represent the essence of Seychellois tropical beauty.

Unlike the granite siblings, Denis is instead a coral island, conferring a more typical “Maldivian” look. In our opinion this is a plus. If you are here for island hopping (and you should), combining the typical granite islands with a stunning jungle-carpeted, flat coral cay, will only give you an enriched experience.

But apart from the geological differences, there is a unique “feel” about the island.

Most of the Seychelles islands and beaches are uncrowded, but in Denis Private Island you go ten steps further. Here you are marooned. With the only difference that you wish that nobody is coming to your rescue.

You see other guests at the reception, but venturing slightly out of the main premises you feel far away from everything (obviously if this is not your vibe, you are in the wrong place).

The island is small enough that you can comfortably visit it using the bikes provided by the resort, but yet large enough to give you the opportunity to explore it in complete privacy without getting bored.

There are three colour-marked trails that you can follow.

The blue route starts at the main building and crosses the island from west to east. It is easily walkable (1.5km), giving you a great opportunity for a jungle escape and to do interesting birdwatching. Having said that, once was enough for us, even only for the humongous amount of flies and the oppressing humidity.

Yellow route goes north to south, while red route is a circular one around the island. Both are best suitable for cycling, and to get lost exploring the side paths going inland or towards the coast. The red route also passes through the airstrip, the island farm and an abandoned lighthouse – it all resembles the TV show “Lost” once you are there.

For beaches, you have more than 5km of coastline to pick the little slice of paradise that suits you.

Our favourite spots were:

• SOUTH POINT – secluded piece of heaven where we had our best swimming and snorkelling opportunities
• BELLE ETOILE – sheltered lagoon with calm waters with the best turtle viewing opportunities
• NORTH COAST – Best for endless walks on flour-like sandy beach

Overall, when looking for ultimate seclusion and intimacy in a remote tropical island, it doesn’t get much better than this.

Part of the excitement associated with Denis Private Island involves the transportation.

Being a private island, you must be a guest at the only resort available to come here, which means that “day tripping” on a ferry is not an option. If you booked a stay at the resort, then the you will reach Denis via a 30-min flight from Mahé organized by the hotel (when we went, we had a 15kg baggage allowance, but make sure you check directly with the resort). This can be done either via scheduled domestic flight (most popular option), private chartered flight or private chartered helicopter.

Nowhere like here, the prelude to the actual holiday offers the possibility of timeless memories. From the moment you step into the tiny plane, until the stylish landing on the grassy runway, you know your experience will be pretty memorable. At the arrival, the hotel staff will greet you genuinely, making you feel like a precious guest rather than just a fleeting visitor.

The first thing we noticed is how well the reception building and cottages blend into the environment. The whole resort concept is barefoot luxury, with strong attention to sustainability and ecological conservation. In a world where overabundance is rampant, Denis goes in the opposite direction, promoting a back-to-basics, deep contact with nature as the core value.

But as eco-chic does not equate to sloppiness, you can expect real care for the guests in beautiful island-style. All the 25 cottages are concealed by the surrounding vegetation, ensuring total privacy to the guest.

Inside the rooms, you have super-comfy beds and generous living space, in a colonial-inspired décor. The sea-facing veranda opening onto a patio is ideal for a sundowner. The open-air bath is the real jewel, providing moments of true happiness after a day of exploring.

TV or Internet do not exist in your cottage (you have to go to the reception for wi-fi). You are instead given a bike to encourage exploration, and a light torch to find your way in the evening. This is your opportunity to forget about technology and listen to the sound of the waves and the tweets of rare birds.

The reception area is inevitably more trafficked but not any less charming. Big open spaces opening up to the swimming pool overlooking the sea, give it a sophisticated but unstuffy feel. The library is beautiful and the optimal place for relaxation. Board games and a pool table provide the comfort of stress-free action.

A tortoise sanctuary outside the reception area is the ultimate place to open your heart to these gentle giants.

And then you have the rest of the island, because why settling for a resort when you can have more?

In line with its sustainability mantra, Denis promotes a strong farm-to-table philosophy when it comes to dining.

Expect freshly-caught fish, meat and poultry straight from the farm, and organic fruit and vegetables grown on the island. While the variety is more limited compared to what we had at the Constance Lemuria in Praslin for example, the food is gourmet but unpretentious while being of the highest quality.

Because the resort is the island’s only provider, breakfast, lunch and dinner are included in your rate. Expect a decent-sized buffet for breakfast, and a daily à la carte menu for lunch and dinner. Themed nights are also a common occurrence and we had an Asian-focused dinner once, and a private beach barbecue under the stars another night, which we loved.

A farm visit is also a fun experience, and a great way to embrace the ecotourism promoted by the island. You can easily pop up there on your bike and say hi to the fluffy cows and goats, before jumping into the crystal clear ocean!

While seclusion and independent exploring were at the top of our list, the island offers various “guided activities” too.

Starting from land-based activities, you can join regularly organized nature tours to scout the forest for endemic birds or look for newborn turtles hatching at the end of nesting season.

For sea-based activities, the hotel provides snorkelling equipment and paddle boards that you can use for your own exploration, but they also organize snorkelling tours that bring you further into the ocean. We spent a morning doing guided snorkelling and we saw sharks, turtles, barracuda and multiple colourful fish. We had fun and had the opportunity to see the island from a different perspective, although the snorkelling per se wasn’t dramatically better than what we have seen independently, especially around South Point.

There are also scuba diving and fishing tours available, but they are normally pricey and could be highly seasonal.

When it comes to romantic relaxation, the hotel can bring treatments directly to your cottage. We booked an outdoor treatment by the beach outside of our cottage, and it was an amazing experience to be pampered at sunset amidst the soothing sounds of nature!

Overall, a visit to Denis Private Island is a fantastic thing to do if you are coming to the Seychelles.

If you only have a week and it is your first time we would rather advise you to prioritize the main islands. Not necessarily because they are “better” but simply because they give you that unique Seychelles look that you expect when visiting the archipelago.

But if staying for longer, Denis offers an incredible experience that is hard to find anywhere in the world. Not only its undisputable beauty, but this Indian Ocean slice of paradise is a snapshot of how the world used to be. A place free from distractions where the sand, wind and ocean rule day to day lives. A place where you will feel rejuvenated and that you look forward to returning.