Dreaming of an exotic tropical vacation? Looking for a new destination beyond the usual options? Then you may want to check out the Seychelles. The Seychelles is an amazing country located off the East African coast, about a 3-hour flight from Kenya or Ethiopia.
It is quite easy to visit the Seychelles on points, and it is a great place to relax after visiting other African destinations like Kenya, Cape Town, or Victoria Falls. You will want to spend a minimum of five nights in the Seychelles, especially to maximize the value of the Seycelles on points.
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Seychelles Airfare
To get to the Seychelles on points, there are only a few options. The Seychelles International Airport is not very large, but it does have a few airlines that fly into it. We opted to fly from Victoria Falls. I went on to Kenya afterward, and my husband flew home.
The following are airlines you can use points to book flights to Seychelles International Airport
- Emirates
- Qatar Airways
- Kenya Airways
- Ethiopian Airlines
- Turkish Airlines
Here is how I did it
We were in Victoria Falls prior to visiting the Seychelles. Therefore, we needed to fly from VFA or Livingstone Airport to get to the Seychelles. We opted to book Victoria Falls to Addis Ababa to Seychelles for 35,000 United points + $68 on Ethiopian economy. I deeply regret not booking business class for this leg, but I could only find one ticket on points. It was also available for 25,000 Areoplan points, but I wanted free cancellation in case I found a better flight.
My husband and I went separate ways after the Seychelles. He flew home to Los Angeles. We booked his airfare on Qatar Airways in economy for 51,000 Qatar points +$198. His route was Seychelles to Doha to LAX. I flew onwards to Nairobi after the Seychelles. My flight was booked via Flying Blue for 13,000 Flying Blue points + $88 on Kenya Airways economy.
Seychelles Hotels
There are a few other hotel options you can use to visit the Seychelles on points. Most of them are Hilton properties, but Marriott also has one property. There is also the Six Senses Zil Pasyon you can book using IHG points, but it requires a ton of points per night (360,000+).
Here is what I ended up booking for our week in the Seychelles.
- Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort: 380,000 Hilton points for 5 nights (used 5th night free perk). We were upgraded to a pool suite with a private infinity pool. Note that now the rate is 100,000 Hilton points/night.
- Hilton Mango House LXR: We used a Hilton FNC for 1 night. We were upgraded to an Ocean View Deluxe room. Rates are 120,000 Hilton points/night.
- L’Escale Resort Marina & Spa: This resort costs 110,000 Hilton points/night. It was sold out, so we did not get an upgrade.
All of them came with free breakfast because of my hotel status and some of them came with extra perks such as a cocktail experience, discounts at the spa, and other fun things at the property.
Other Seychelles Properties
- Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort: 90,000 Hilton points/night
- Canopy by Hilton Seychelles Resort: 90,000 Hilton points/night
- Double Tree by Hilton Seychelles: 70,000 Hilton points/night
- Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island: 150,000 Hilton points/night
- Iaila Seychelles: around 55,000 Marriott points/night
Other Expenses to Keep in Mind
Food in the Seychelles is not the cheapest. Plan on spending at least $20/person per meal. Even groceries can add up quickly. You may also want to go on a snorkel tour or head to Praslin and La Digue for a day, so factor in the price of those tours and transportation. We also rented a car for the week which cost a little over $400. All of the resorts had free parking.
Total Costs for the Seychelles on points
- Hotel: 490,000 Hilton points plus one Free Night Certificate
- Airfare: 134,000 airline points plus $422
- Total: 624,000 points + $422
Total Value of Points Used
- Hotel: $3500 total or $1750/person
- Airfare: $1775/person (average round trip cost during this time)
- Total: $3525/person
Final Thoughts on the Seychelles on Points
Visiting the Seychelles on points is a great way to add on a tropical vacation to any trip to many countries in Africa. It can be very expensive when not using points, so it makes for a great value to those with a lot of Hilton points. You can also pair it with a trip to the Maldives using points.
