Located on the stunning island of La Digue in the Seychelles is Le Domaine de L’Orangeraie Resort & Spa. https://orangeraie.sc/
It is the premier hotel on the island and offers 2 restaurants, a bar, spa, pool and spectacular rooms with views stretching out over the Indian ocean.
In order to get to La Digue, you must first fly to Mahe International airport, transfer to the port and then take an hour-long catamaran ride to the island. Cat Coco's boat service will sort our helping you get the island, http://www.catcocos.com/. Make sure you have your sea legs as it can be rough. There is a helipad if you want to make a statement, but no airport.
More than just a desert island, like some resorts you find in the Maldives for example, La Digue is sizeable enough to offer vegetation-covered peaks of over 300m, a rich Creole culture, varied wildlife and some of the most stunning beaches anywhere in the world.
Hotel Overview
As with the vast majority of visitors, we disembarked the ferry, waited for our bag and then met a waiting hotel representative at the port. There are no motorised vehicles allowed on the island, so the short transfer is made by golf buggy.
The resort offers 63 rooms across 5 room types, so facilities are never crowded.
The resort stretches from the seafront to the top of a rising hill, with rooms scattered along its slopes. The higher the room category you choose, the higher up the hill you will be. On-call golf buggies make the journey whenever you request them.
The pool, restaurants and bar are all located oceanside and have a westerly aspect to ensure the optimum sunset cocktail view! A small private beach is located to the side of the property, however, the world-famous Anse Source d’Argent beach is a 10-minute bike ride away, so this isn’t used much.
The Room
After check-in formalities were completed, alongside a refreshing mocktail and a cooling towel, I was driven to Villa 219, categorised as a ‘Ville de Charme’ room type, which is the resort’s mid-range offering.
A small path led down to 2 large wooden doors and a thatched porch, another set of doors take you inside the villa.
The room itself consists of a very large combined bedroom and living room with a wooden balcony running the length of it.
The half inside half outside bathroom sits at the end of the building and consists of 2 sinks, a deep tub and a shower (the toilet is inside).
Other room amenities included plush bedding with mosquito net ( we didn’t use this during our stay and didn’t notice any bites), a minibar, bottled water, fruit basket and oil burner. The 70 square metre room’s highlight is the wrap-around balcony, complete with 2 sun loungers. At this height on the hill, the room sits within the jungle foliage. It's possible to spot birds and bright green geckos with the shimmering Indian ocean down below.
Facilities
The main draw for visitors is the islands fabulous beaches, but for days when you don’t want powdery soft white sand in between your toes, the resort’s pool is large enough to swim lengths and the ‘Alambic Bar’, located to the side serves up a range of snacks, cocktails, and beers. The local Seybrew beer or Takamaka rum is a top pick for refreshing in between dips.
The bar also serves sundowners and after dinner drinks on the discreet terrace located above the lapping waves.
When booking, you may choose from Room only, B&B, Half or Full board. We were weary to choose anything other than B&B as we didn’t want to be tied to one place for the meals, but in the end, opted for half board. The choice of restaurants on the island is somewhat limited, so if you didn’t eat here, you’d probably end up at another hotels restaurant.
I needn’t have worried though. You may choose between an A La Carte restaurant or a buffet (think Dubai/Singapore 5* Hotel Buffet style) I actually ended up in the Buffet restaurant every night of my trip. There is a revolving theme each night, such as Asian, Creole, Seafood etc.
The service and quality of food on offer was extremely high and you cannot find better on La Digue. Water is included in half board, however, alcoholic drinks are not.
The onsite ‘Eden Rock Spa & Wellness centre’ offers a range of massage and beauty treatments using organic and natural products from Seychellois brands. We didn’t visit during our trip, but the spa’s location on the hill looked very tranquil.
The hotel also offers bicycle and snorkel equipment rental and can organise a range of excursions such as scuba diving and catamaran rental.
If you would like to see our virtual tour of the hotel then you can watch our hotel review on youtube as well.
We have also done a video on the famous beach in La Digue which gives you yet another reason to visit this beautiful part of the world.
Conclusion
A resort that can offer the range of facilities and services that Le Domaine de L’Orangeraie does, on such a remote island is impressive. The choice of food and drink was huge and everything we wanted was always available. The staff were welcoming and friendly without exception, available when you needed them with time for a conversation if you wanted.
If you’re looking for a points redemption, this hotel is run independent of any chain, so you won't be able to redeem here. Booking can be made on the hotel's own website or via any of the usual booking sites. https://orangeraie.sc/ As always, shop around for the best price and package that suits you. Prices change
quite dramatically depending on when you visit, what board basis you choose and your room type. The middle room type I stayed in is around £480 per night, half board for 2 people.
So if you’re in the market for a ‘Post Corona’ beach holiday with more to do than just a beach, then seriously consider the beautiful island of La Digue.
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