Sister, Coco, and Felicite Island: Seychelles Catamaran Tour

Island scenery comes naturally here. This full-day catamaran trip links Sister Island, Coco Island, and Félicité with swimming, snorkeling, a BBQ lunch, and time on or near some of the Seychelles’ finest beaches. I especially like the spacious Oplezir catamaran and the generous mix of activities, since you can swim, snorkel, relax, eat, and enjoy the views without rushing from one stop to the next.

I also like that the price includes more than just the boat ride: island and national park landing fees, snorkeling equipment, lunch, water, and return ferry tickets are covered. The main drawback is time. The trip can last six to eight hours, yet one afternoon may not feel long enough at Sister Island’s beach, particularly if you want both a slow beach visit and plenty of time in the water.

Key details before you book

• Sister Island offers the best beach-and-nature stop, with tropical forest, clear water, and a private island setting.
• Coco National Park is the main snorkeling draw, with granite rocks, palms, shallow sandy areas, and marine life.
• The Oplezir catamaran is large and comfortable, with indoor and outdoor seating, showers, and room to spread out.
• Lunch is cooked and served onboard, with a BBQ meal, dessert, water, and possibly a rum cocktail.
• La Digue pickup is at the jetty, while Praslin pickups include return transfers. La Digue passengers arrange their own land transfer.
• The trip costs $166 per person, which is fair if you value the included food, fees, ferry tickets, equipment, and transport.

Setting out from La Digue or Praslin

The experience begins at sea, not on a bus. If you are staying on La Digue, the catamaran picks you up directly at the La Digue jetty. That keeps the morning simple, though you need to arrange your own transport to the jetty if your accommodation is elsewhere on the island.

Praslin passengers receive return transfers as part of the package. The tour also includes return ferry tickets, which makes the overall cost easier to judge. You are not paying only for a boat and a guide. You are also covering several fees and transport pieces that can otherwise add up quickly in the Seychelles.

If you are coming from Mahé, allow for a ferry journey of about an hour before or after the island portion of your day. Bring something to occupy yourself on the ferry, especially if you are making a long day of it. The boat portion lasts six to eight hours, and ferry time is separate from that.

The guide service is available in English and French. The crew is a major part of the experience, and Jacqueline is one guide specifically praised for being friendly and helpful. Solo visitors can expect a social setting, but the catamaran is spacious enough that you do not have to sit shoulder to shoulder with everyone else.

Why the Oplezir catamaran matters

The Oplezir is described as large, luxurious, and comfortable, and that matters on a full day at sea. A small boat can make a scenic trip feel cramped after a few hours. Here, you have indoor and outdoor areas, plenty of seating, and showers for rinsing off salt water after snorkeling.

The size also helps when conditions are busy. The boat has room for a sizeable group, but it was not always crowded on recent departures. Group size can vary, so do not assume you will have a private cruise. Still, the space gives you options: sit outside for the scenery, move inside for shade, or find a quieter spot while lunch is being prepared.

I would bring a towel even though it is not listed among the required items. That small omission can matter after several swims. Sunscreen, sunglasses, comfortable clothes, swimwear, cash, a card, insect repellent, and a camera are all sensible additions.

Snorkeling equipment is included, but bringing your own gear is allowed and may be worthwhile if you care about a particular mask fit. The sea is the main event, so comfortable equipment can make the difference between a quick look underwater and a longer, more enjoyable swim.

Sister Island: beaches, forest, and clear water

Sister Island is privately owned, and the visit includes the required landing fee. Its appeal is simple: granite rock, tropical forest, clean beaches, and open water with good visibility. This is the stop where you get the strongest sense of a quiet island escape.

The granite formations are classic Seychelles scenery. Smooth, weathered rocks meet pale sand and clear water, creating the kind of view that looks almost too tidy to be natural. The tropical forest adds shade and texture behind the beach, while the lagoon gives you a chance to look for sea turtles and other marine life.

The precise amount of time spent on the beach can be the one frustration. One passenger felt the stop could have been longer, and that is easy to understand. A beach visit can disappear quickly once you have walked ashore, taken photographs, swum, and dried off. If this is your favorite part of the day, get moving early and use every available minute.

Sister Island is also valuable because it breaks up the snorkeling. You are not simply spending the whole excursion in the water. You get a chance to walk, stretch your legs, admire the forest, and enjoy the beach before returning to the catamaran.

A BBQ lunch with the sea as your dining room

Lunch is served onboard, usually after part of the morning’s activity and before or around the snorkeling portion of the trip. The meal is a BBQ, with enough variety to make it feel like a proper lunch rather than a snack between swims. Dessert is also included, and the food has earned especially strong praise.

The setting does much of the work. You eat surrounded by open water, granite islands, and the changing light of the Seychelles. There is no need to search for a restaurant or lose time going ashore.

Water is included, which is important in a hot climate and on a day filled with swimming. A rum cocktail may also be available, but extra services can be purchased onsite and are not necessarily part of the standard package. If you want anything beyond the included food and drinks, bring a card or cash.

The lunch is one of the reasons I see reasonable value in the $166 price. A separate boat trip, park fee, ferry ticket, meal, and snorkeling rental could cost more when purchased piece by piece. You are paying a noticeable amount, but the package removes several small expenses and much of the planning work.

Snorkeling around Coco and Félicité

Coco Island is small and easy to picture: granite boulders, palm trees, a sandy beach, and clear water. It is also part of Coco National Park, so the landing fee is included. The underwater scenery is the reason to bring your mask, even if you are more comfortable staying close to shore.

The water around Coco and Félicité supports fish, sea turtles, and other marine life. Visibility can be excellent, though the experience depends on sea conditions and the exact site selected that day. The crew may take you to one snorkeling location or more than one, depending on the schedule and conditions.

Félicité is larger, with thick natural growth and a more rugged feel. It gives you a different view of the Seychelles from tiny Coco Island. Instead of a compact beach-and-boulders scene, you see a larger island covered in vegetation, with clear water around it.

The tour description allows for snorkeling at Coco, Félicité, or both. That wording matters. You should not book expecting a guaranteed, lengthy snorkeling session at both islands. The crew chooses the stops, and the day may focus on one site if that makes better sense for conditions and timing.

The snorkeling is one of the strongest reasons to choose this trip over a simple sightseeing cruise. You are not only looking at the islands from a boat. You are given time to enter the water and see the reefs at close range. Several visitors had ample time to snorkel, while another wished for more beach time. That suggests the balance favors water activities, which is useful to know before booking.

What the day feels like in practice

This is an active day, but it is not a nonstop workout. You move between boat travel, swimming, snorkeling, island time, and lunch. The catamaran gives you a comfortable base, so you can take a break between water activities.

The crew has received high marks for friendly service and organization. That is especially important when a trip involves ferries, transfers, landing fees, snorkeling gear, lunch, and several island stops. A good crew keeps the day from feeling confusing.

Safety also matters. One solo woman felt comfortable taking the excursion alone, and the crew helped create a reassuring atmosphere. The catamaran’s size, onboard seating, and showers add to that sense of ease.

You should still be realistic about the sea. This is not a sightseeing bus with a fixed arrival time at every stop. Boats, water conditions, and snorkeling sites can influence the pace. If you need a highly predictable schedule, a private charter may suit you better, though it will likely cost more.

Is $166 good value?

At $166 per person, this is not a budget boat ride. It is a full package built around several popular Seychelles experiences: a catamaran cruise, island visits, snorkeling, a national park stop, lunch, transfers for Praslin passengers, return ferry tickets, and landing fees.

The value is strongest if you plan to visit several islands and would otherwise arrange these details separately. You also get a large boat rather than a basic transfer vessel, plus lunch and equipment. For many people, the convenience alone is worth paying for.

The value is weaker if you mainly want a long, quiet beach day. The schedule covers a lot of water and several locations, so no single beach gets unlimited time. If your priority is lying on the sand for hours, choose a dedicated beach outing instead.

A rating of 4.6 out of 5 from 121 bookings reflects strong overall satisfaction, especially for the crew, boat, food, snorkeling, scenery, and organization. The one recurring practical caution is to keep your expectations balanced: it is a well-packed day rather than a slow private cruise.

Who should book this catamaran trip?

I would recommend it to you if you want to see several Seychelles islands in one day without arranging every ferry, fee, meal, and snorkeling stop yourself. It is particularly good for couples, solo visitors, friends, and active families with older children.

It also suits you if you enjoy variety. You can snorkel, swim, walk on an island beach, eat a BBQ lunch, and relax on a roomy catamaran. The boat is large enough to make a long day more comfortable, and the crew speaks English and French.

I would hesitate if you are pregnant, have a mobility impairment, or are traveling with a child under two. The excursion is not suitable for those groups. I would also think twice if you dislike boats, want complete control over the schedule, or care more about one long beach stop than snorkeling and island hopping.

Make sure the names on your booking match the names on your passports. That is a small detail, but ferry and excursion paperwork is not the place for a spelling surprise.

Final verdict: a strong full-day choice

I would book this tour if snorkeling and island scenery are high on your Seychelles list. The best features are clear: a comfortable catamaran, friendly crew, good food, attractive snorkeling sites, and a useful all-in price.

The main tradeoff is the packed schedule. You may wish for more time at Sister Island’s beach, and the exact snorkeling plan can vary between Coco and Félicité. Still, for $166, you receive a well-organized day with enough variety to justify the cost.

Choose it for a broad taste of the islands from the water. Skip it only if you want a slow beach day or a private, flexible itinerary.

FAQ

Where does the catamaran tour depart from?

La Digue passengers are picked up directly at the La Digue jetty. The experience can also depart from Praslin.

How long does the excursion last?

The catamaran experience lasts approximately six to eight hours. Ferry travel from Mahé is separate and can take about one hour.

What islands are visited?

The tour includes Sister Island and a snorkeling visit to Coco Island, Félicité Island, or both. The exact snorkeling stop can vary.

Is lunch included?

Yes. A BBQ lunch is served onboard, and dessert is included. Water is also provided.

Is snorkeling equipment provided?

Yes. Snorkeling equipment is included, though you may bring your own gear if you prefer.

Are the island and park fees included?

Yes. The package includes the landing fee for Sister Island and the landing fee for Coco National Park.

Are ferry tickets included?

Yes. Return ferry tickets are included. Praslin passengers also receive return transfers, while La Digue passengers arrange their own land transfer.

What languages are available?

The tour is available in English and French.

Can children and pregnant women join?

Children under two are not allowed on the excursion. The activity is also not suitable for pregnant women or people with mobility impairments.