Curieuse — Attraction in Praslin group

If you have some time to spare, previous visitors recommend spending a few hours roaming Curieuse Island, home to the Curieuse Marine National Park. Sitting just off the northern coast of Praslin, this nearly 2-square-mile island acts as a giant free-range zoo dominated by the national heavyweight — the Seychellois tortoise. As one of the largest types of tortoise on the planet, these giants clock in at 300 to 600 pounds. While visiting Curieuse, you can stroll alongside these mammoth animals as they meander through the park's coco-de-mer trees. Curieuse Marine National Park also features some worthwhile strips of sand, numerous hiking trails and the remains of a former leper colony that now acts as a museum and historic site.

According to one TripAdvisor user, "We loved playing with the giant tortoises and it was definitely an experience of a lifetime!" However, not all visitors were as over-the-moon about their experience, noting that the must-see tortoises can be found on more accessible islands, including Praslin and La Digue.

Many travel experts recommend booking a guided tour to Curieuse Island through your hotel or with a local guide. If you wish to visit on your own, you will need to charter a yacht or rent a boat, as Seychelles' ferry system doesn't service the island. You can visit Curieuse Marine National Park every day; the park's ranger base is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and admission costs 200 SCR (around $17 USD) per person. Note: You cannot stay overnight on Curieuse Island, as there are no hotels, campsites or eateries. To learn more, visit the Seychelles Tourism Board's Curieuse Marine...

Beautiful place to for a day trip when at Seychelles. One can take a cruise from Praslin, cote d'or beach.

One gets to be with large tortoises. One can go very close to them, touch them, feel them, feed them, take pictures with them etc. Watching the feelings in their eyes is a great delight. They are very bold and not at all afraid of coming close to you, if you want to feed them.

They have also demonstrated the life cycle of turtles. They have separately kept turtles what are a few months old, one year old, give years old and of course the very matured ones. Entire life cycle is also explained well.

Beaches on Curieuse islands are excellent. Very good for swimming, very safe, very picturesque. There is a trail to go from one beach to the other and it's just fantastic. Takes 30-40 minutes and one thoroughly enjoys that.

Once can spend 3-4 hours at one of the beaches of Curieuse islands, swimming, strolling and relaxing. Excellent way to refresh oneself.

The stone formations are also quite picturesque. One of the stone is in the shape of a tortoise and that's a beauty to click a photo.

We also got to taste wonderful BBQ lunch by the side of the beach, organised by our cruise organizers. For the vegetarians like us also, the was a very good variety, good quality and excellent taste.

Day at Curieuse islands will be remembered in my mind for...

The trip to Curieuse started with excitement – seeing so many giant tortoises in one place is impressive at first. But the longer you stay, the more heartbreaking it becomes. These animals spend the first 15 years of their lives in captivity – a reality that stands in stark contrast to the image of freedom and conservation that’s initially presented.

What’s especially frustrating is that despite the high entrance fees, there seems to be little investment in improving the conditions. The enclosures are small and far from species-appropriate. It’s hard to understand why proper and more spacious habitats haven’t been established. On top of that, litter is left scattered in the area, showing little regard for the wellbeing of the animals. Protecting them should be a top priority.

What’s also deeply troubling is that visitors seem to come just for photos – often crowding the tortoises, touching them, or disturbing them without any awareness of the stress this causes. There appears to be very little concern for the animals’ wellbeing, which makes the experience even more uncomfortable.

In the end, the tour feels like just another tourist trap. I left feeling deeply uncomfortable – especially for the tortoises, who are forced to live in conditions that don’t reflect the natural environment they deserve. Truly a shame and very...