From Praslin: Cousin, Curieuse & St Pierre Islands Day Tour

Cousin Island is the star here: a small protected reserve where mangroves, wetlands, endemic trees, and nesting seabirds all fit into one guided walk. Then you get giant tortoises on Curieuse and a final swim near St Pierre, giving you three very different island experiences in one day.

I like the wildlife focus and the efficient route from Praslin. I also like that snorkeling gear, life vests, hotel transfers, and lunch are included, so you can spend the day outside rather than arranging several separate trips. The main caution is cost: at $153, you still pay two island fees, and weather or poor timing can reduce the time at St Pierre.

Key points to know before booking

• Cousin is the most educational stop: A reserve warden leads you through mangroves, wetlands, and forest where rare Seychelles birds nest.
• Curieuse offers free-ranging giant tortoises: You can see some beside the coastal pond, while others wander across the island.
• The boat ride can be wet: You transfer from the cruiser to a reserve boat for Cousin, so pack belongings in waterproof bags.
• Lunch is a simple beach BBQ: It is convenient and included, but do not expect a restaurant-style meal or elaborate vegetarian menu.
• St Pierre is the swimming stop: Snorkeling equipment and life vests are provided, though the exact gear and stop can depend on conditions.
• The listed small group does not guarantee a tiny Cousin walk: The booking limit is 10, but the reserve tour can combine people into a group of around 40.

Three islands, three very different reasons to go

This eight-hour excursion works because each island has a separate role. Cousin is about conservation and birds. Curieuse is about giant tortoises, a beach lunch, and a walk across the island. St Pierre is about clear-water snorkeling around a tiny granite island.

That variety is useful if you have only a few days on Praslin. You get land, wildlife, and water in one outing. The tradeoff is pace. You are moving from one boat transfer to the next, and every delay takes time from the final swim.

The price is $153 per person before the island fees. Cousin costs SCR 600 per person at any age, cash only. Curieuse costs SCR 300 for people over 12, payable by credit or debit card. Bring both kinds of payment. For two adults, those extra charges are significant, so the real cost is noticeably higher than the advertised tour price.

I would compare this with a simple boat-and-snorkeling trip before booking. If your main goal is to swim, a less expensive water excursion may suit you better. If you want protected wildlife sites and do not want to organize boats, lunch, and transfers yourself, the package makes more sense.

Leaving Praslin from Baie Ste Anne

The day begins with hotel pickup and a transfer to Baie Ste Anne jetty. You should wait in your hotel lobby 10 minutes before the scheduled pickup, but keep your morning flexible. Pickup times can change, and the provider sends the final time by email.

From the jetty, the first crossing to Cousin is about 2 kilometers. The boat arrangement deserves attention. The main cruiser does not land directly on Cousin. Instead, it moors offshore and you transfer to a reserve boat, a system designed to stop pests from reaching the protected island.

That transfer can be wet. The reserve boat comes in toward the beach, and you should remain seated and wear the provided life jacket until the craft is safely beached. Put phones, wallets, cameras, and spare clothes in waterproof bags before leaving the cruiser.

Do not bring luggage or large bags. A small day bag is fine if it can be kept secure and dry. Flip-flops, beachwear, swimwear, and a towel are practical choices.

The boat setup can also affect comfort. One account describes sharing an eight-person boat with people booked on different excursions, and onboard toilet information has not always been reliable. I would use the facilities before departure and ask clearly about the boat arrangements at the jetty.

Cousin Nature Reserve and its rare birds

Cousin is the most distinctive part of the day. A warden leads the walk through several habitats, not just along a single beach. You move from coastal mangroves to wetlands and then toward the forested hill plateau.

The mangroves help protect the coast and form a useful introduction to the island’s ecology. In the wetlands, you might spot dragonflies, moorhens, caecilans, and Seychelles terrapins. The word might matters here. This is a protected habitat, not a wildlife enclosure, so sightings depend on the conditions and the animals.

Higher up, the rejuvenated forest provides nesting places for shearwaters and bridled terns. The endemic trees named for the reserve include mapou, Indian mulberry, and bwa sousouri. A warden can give this walk meaning by showing how plants, nesting areas, and protection measures fit together.

Cousin is also home to endemic Seychelles birds such as the magpie robin, sunbird, fody, blue pigeon, and warbler. Bird lovers should bring binoculars if they have them, though the tour includes no promise of a particular sighting.

There is a practical weakness: the warden-led walk may be larger than the advertised small group. One group grew to roughly 40 people, making it hard to hear and easier for chatter to disturb nesting birds. If you care about the conservation side, stay quiet, keep your distance, and listen for instructions. The reserve is valuable partly because it is protected from the careless habits common at busy beaches.

The transfer process can also be slow. A delayed landing at Cousin may shorten the walk, particularly if the boat leaves Praslin late. Still, if the reserve is the reason you are booking, this is the stop that justifies the effort.

Curieuse: tortoises beside the coastal pond

After Cousin, the boat ride to Curieuse takes about 30 minutes. Curieuse changes the mood from guided reserve walk to open-air island visit, with giant tortoises as the main attraction.

A large population lives on Curieuse. Some can be found beside the natural pond near the coast, while many range freely across the island. You might hear their loud calls before you see them. The chance to walk among free-ranging tortoises is more memorable than simply viewing animals behind a fence.

Do not assume Curieuse will provide a long tortoise talk, though. The schedule gives you access to the animals and the island, but the amount of explanation can vary. One useful detail from the day’s feedback is that some guests received more tortoise information on Cousin than on Curieuse, where they expected it most.

Lunch is served on the beach as a BBQ. It is included with water or a soft drink, and the setting is a clear benefit. You do not need to leave the island in search of food, and eating near the shore keeps the day moving.

Keep expectations modest. A beach BBQ may mean a straightforward, portioned meal rather than food cooked to order. Vegetarian planning has also been uneven. If you do not eat meat or fish, confirm what will be served before the day and bring a small backup snack if permitted. Do not count on a fully separate vegetarian menu.

After lunch, you may walk across the island to meet the boat. The route and meeting point need to be explained clearly, since the boat may not be waiting at the same place where you ate. Ask the captain or guide where to go and what time to return before setting off.

St Pierre snorkeling and the final swim

The final stop is St Pierre, a tiny island used for snorkeling. This is not another land tour. You normally stay in the water, looking around the rocky island and its surrounding marine life.

Snorkeling equipment and life vests are included. Lightweight snorkeling vests are intended to help people who are not confident swimmers take part. That is important because the excursion is not only for experienced snorkelers.

Equipment can vary in practice. One account found oversized life jackets rather than the advertised lightweight vests, which made snorkeling awkward. If you need flotation, ask the crew to help you find a comfortable fit before entering the water. A poorly fitted vest can make a short swim tiring.

Sea conditions control this part of the day. Weather can force a change, and stinging plankton has cancelled snorkeling on at least one outing. Another disrupted day replaced the planned St Pierre stop with about 45 minutes of snorkeling near a reserve and only a brief boat pass close to St Pierre.

That does not mean every departure will be affected. It does mean you should treat St Pierre as a planned possibility, not a guarantee. If snorkeling is your single reason for booking, choose a tour with a strong weather policy and ask how substitutions work.

Bring a towel and dry clothes. Even in good weather, the boat transfers and swim can leave you wet for the ride back to Praslin.

Timing, group size, and service

The tour lasts about eight hours, but the clock can feel tight. The day includes hotel pickup, the jetty transfer, the 2-kilometer crossing, a second boat transfer to Cousin, a guided walk, lunch on Curieuse, a cross-island walk, and snorkeling at St Pierre.

A late start has a knock-on effect. A 45-minute delay before leaving the jetty can push lunch beyond the planned time and shorten the afternoon activities. If you are traveling with a hungry child, carry a small snack and ask for the schedule as soon as you board.

The booking is limited to 10 participants, which sounds intimate. That limit may apply to the main booking rather than every shared boat or the Cousin reserve walk. I would book this expecting a small commercial boat operation, not a private charter.

English is the listed tour language. One guide named David has been described as relaxed, attentive, and able to speak several languages. Guides can make a major difference here, especially on Cousin, where the value comes from understanding what you are seeing rather than simply walking through the trees.

Service has not been perfectly consistent. Some departures have had friendly and helpful crews, while others suffered from unclear instructions, delayed departures, or missing equipment. Ask direct questions early: Where is lunch? Where does the Curieuse walk end? Which boat returns us? Is the snorkeling stop confirmed?

What to bring and what to leave behind

Pack for water, sun, and a wet landing. Your useful kit is short:

• Swimwear and beachwear
• Towel
• Flip-flops
• Waterproof bag
• Cash for the Cousin fee
• Credit or debit card for the Curieuse fee
• A small snack if you need food at set times

Large bags and luggage are not allowed. Keep your camera and phone protected, especially during the transfer from the cruiser to the reserve boat.

The life vest is required during the boat ride, and you should stay seated until the reserve craft reaches the beach. These rules are not fussing for its own sake. Cousin is a protected reserve, and the landing process is part of keeping unwanted pests away.

The tour is not suitable for people with mobility impairments. You need to manage boat transfers, a beach landing, walking on the island, and getting in and out of the water. The provider includes snorkeling gear and life vests, but that does not remove the physical demands of the day.

Is $153 good value?

The value depends on what you would otherwise arrange. The fee covers hotel pickup and drop-off, boat transport, a BBQ lunch with water or a soft drink, snorkeling equipment, and life vests. It also puts Cousin and Curieuse on one day’s schedule, which can save planning time.

The island entrance charges change the calculation. Cousin is SCR 600 for everyone, and Curieuse adds SCR 300 for anyone over 12. Cousin also accepts only cash, while Curieuse accepts only cards. Budget for both before you leave Praslin.

At a final cost above the headline price, I would call this fair value for someone who wants conservation, tortoises, and snorkeling together. I would not call it a bargain. Delays, a crowded reserve walk, a basic lunch, or a cancelled St Pierre stop can make the price feel high.

The cancellation terms are helpful: you can cancel up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund, and you can reserve now and pay later. The tour is weather-dependent, so that flexibility has real value.

Who should book this Praslin island tour?

I would choose it if you have one full day for a broad sample of the northern islands and want the simplest way to combine wildlife and water. It is especially suited to people who care about birds, tortoises, and protected habitats, not only beach time.

Families can enjoy the tortoises and the easy-to-understand island variety, but the late lunch possibility and long day may test younger children. Bring snacks and do not promise that every scheduled stop will happen exactly as printed.

Confident swimmers will probably get the most from St Pierre, while beginners can still try with the provided flotation gear if the crew has a suitable size. Anyone with limited mobility should choose another activity.

I would be cautious if you need a private group, a guaranteed small reserve walk, a detailed vegetarian lunch, or a confirmed snorkeling session. Those needs are not fully protected by the basic tour description.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if Cousin is your priority and you like the idea of adding Curieuse’s giant tortoises and a possible St Pierre swim in one day. The Cousin reserve walk gives the outing its strongest sense of place, while Curieuse adds the most memorable animal encounter.

Skip it if you mainly want a relaxed beach day or if the extra island fees push the budget too far. Before paying, confirm the pickup time, lunch arrangements for dietary needs, boat toilet facilities, and the plan for bad weather. With realistic expectations and waterproof packing, this can be a rewarding, wildlife-heavy day from Praslin. Its 4.1 rating from 152 bookings reflects the basic truth: the islands are special, but the quality of the day depends heavily on timing, communication, crew, and sea conditions.

FAQ

How long does the Cousin, Curieuse, and St Pierre tour last?

The tour lasts about eight hours, including hotel pickup and drop-off, boat crossings, the Cousin walk, lunch on Curieuse, and snorkeling at St Pierre.

What island fees must I pay separately?

Cousin charges SCR 600 per person for all ages, payable in cash only. Curieuse charges SCR 300 for people over 12, payable by credit or debit card only.

Is lunch included?

Yes. A BBQ lunch on Curieuse is included, along with water or a soft drink. The meal is served on the beach.

Is snorkeling equipment provided?

Yes. Snorkeling equipment and life vests are included. Lightweight snorkeling vests are intended for people who are new to snorkeling, but equipment sizes can vary.

Where does the snorkeling take place?

The snorkeling takes place at St Pierre Island. The stop is subject to weather and sea conditions.

What should I bring?

Bring swimwear, beachwear, a towel, flip-flops, cash, a credit or debit card, and a waterproof bag. Luggage and large bags are not allowed.