After I got over how disgustingly expensive the flight from Kenya to Seychelles was, I eventually booked my flight to the island nation. Seriously, we will talk about this later, and I know there are logical reasons why a 3-hour flight within East Africa should cost as much as it does. Still, I do not want to diminish my experience and probably your excitement about visiting this beautiful East African country.
I spent seven days between three islands in Seychelles and thoroughly enjoyed my trip. While planning for it, I grew increasingly nervous, thinking about whether or not I’d have a good time. This was mainly because of three reasons.
The first is because Nigerians visiting Seychelles have recently been subjected to intense scrutiny and prejudice by immigration officials. Again, we will talk about this later. Another reason was that I was travelling solo. Seychelles is big on couples and family travel, and it’s not difficult to see why.
I would also find out that officials in Seychelles find it weird that anyone would travel there solo. (After visiting La Digue alone, I get the sentiment). They asked me about this multiple times, and I had to keep repeating that “my husband could not make the trip due to other obligations” while stylishly flashing my wedding rings.
The last reason for my worry was that a ‘good time’ in Seychelles costs a pretty penny. Nevertheless, I managed to have a wonderful time on a fairly reasonable budget and will share more about my travels in the next few weeks. For now, let’s get into some pre-trip planning details.
Nairobi, Kenya to Seychelles: Some pre-flight details
Seychelles is an island nation of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Getting there from Nairobi was easy and fast via a direct flight on Kenya Airways. If you plan to visit, it is essential to note that, at the time of this writing, Kenya Airways only operates this route about three times a week. So plan your travel days effectively.
As of May 2022, fully vaccinated travellers (i.e. complete shots of your vaccine type and a booster) do not need to present a PCR to visit Seychelles.
Kenya to Seychelles travel requirements: Travel Insurance
Travellers, however, must present travel insurance coverage for Covid-19 to be allowed to board the flight and get the Health Travel Authorization (HTA) document detailed below. I got my insurance from SafetyWing for only $12. Getting it was swift (less than 15 minutes after payment), and SafetyWing issues a letter stating what is covered.
Kenya to Seychelles travel requirements: Health Travel Authorization
Seychelles now requires all travellers to get an HTA before arrival in the country. Visitors are expected to apply through this site, which costs €10 per person.
To apply, you would need the following:
- Copy of your passport biodata page
- A passport photograph
- Negative PCR test certificate or Vaccination Certificate
- Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate (if travelling from a country where this is prevalent)
- Return flight ticket
- Travel Insurance
- Confirmed accommodation bookings for your entire stay
Though not compulsory, I included several additional documents, such as my Kenyan residence permit, employment letter, work ID card, tax and marriage certificate, etc. I treated this as a visa application process and got my HTA in less than an hour.
The application can be made from 72hours up to 3 hours before departure. If you apply last minute, you must pay €70 to get the authorization processed within an hour.
Nigerian in Seychelles: Visa & entry requirements
Seychelles is visa-free for all nationalities, including Nigerian citizens. This is conditional upon the presentation of a valid passport, return or onward flight ticket, travel insurance (covering expenses related to coronavirus), approved HTA, accommodation booking and sufficient funds ($150 per day) for the entire duration of your holiday.
As a Nigerian (or African passport holder) travelling to Seychelles, you should prepare to go through extra scrutiny at the Seychelles port of entry and have the complete requirements for admission.
Before travelling, I read that several Nigerian travellers are pulled aside to be searched, taken to the ATM to review their account balances or asked to show how much cash they have travelled with.
I have also read that the Seychelles Immigration Officers sometimes withhold the traveller’s passport and only give it back upon departure. I did experience some of these, but for the most part, it wasn’t my worst immigration experience.
Nigerian in Seychelles: My immigration experience
Once I got past the temperature scanner, an official stopped me (literally jumped in front of me) as I made my way to the immigration desk. He asked for my passport and asked me to step aside for a full-body scan. I noticed this was the case for all Black travellers on the flight.
After the scan, I proceeded to the desk, where another official asked to see my booking details before calling each hotel to confirm my stay.
On the upside, the Immigration Officer was not hostile toward me. Once he confirmed my accommodations, he asked about other trip details, stamped my passport and handed it back to me.
While I did not have to show details of my financial status or yellow card certificate, I would advise that every Nigerian traveller have compliant records to avoid being deported.
Kenya to Seychelles: Booking accommodations & activities
For accommodation, I booked all my stays via booking.com. The Seychelles government requires travellers only to book approved hotels that have been certified. I didn’t know this before booking, but luckily all the accommodation options I chose were on the accredited list.
I want to believe that all options displayed on booking.com are certified, but it might be worth your while to confirm this before you travel.
Getting around in Seychelles
Most people advise visitors to rent a car in Seychelles (particularly in Mahe and Praslin). This is excellent advice as taxis are expensive, but it was not an option for me. I didn’t do much in Mahe, so I went around in a cab when I needed to or just walked to places around my lodge.
Public buses in Mahe are also available to visitors (with luggage restrictions), and they’re easy to use to get around.
To travel between Mahe, La Digue and Praslin, I booked ferry tickets via SeyFerry.com. I will include the costs for these in the travel cost breakdown post. Within La Digue, I walked everywhere (although renting a bike is ideal), and in Praslin, I hired a private guide and driver for my time there.
Finally, to wrap up this post, here are some frequently asked questions about travelling from Nigeria or Kenya to Seychelles. If you have any other questions, please leave them in the comment section below, and I will get back to you.
Nigeria & Kenya to Seychelles – FAQ
How long can a Nigerian stay in Seychelles?
It is ultimately up to the Immigration Officer to determine how long a traveller can stay in the country. Ideally, visitors can be stamped in for a maximum of 90 days at no cost. I was stamped in for the exact duration of my trip.
What is the best time to visit Seychelles?
Seychelles is a great year-round destination, though April, May, October and November are considered the best months to visit.
Is Seychelles expensive to visit?
Yes, it is pretty expensive to visit Seychelles. This is not a backpacker’s paradise. However, the country can be seen relatively cheaply if you decide to cut costs here and there.
Can you visit Seychelles on a budget?
A budget trip is relative here as it is usually higher than budget trips in several other locations. But yes, there are ways to cut costs, which I will highlight in a separate article.
How much does it cost to travel from Kenya to Seychelles?
I have a comprehensive travel cost breakdown post about this. You can check it out here.
How many days do I need in Seychelles?
I think one week in Seychelles is an excellent minimum time to spend in the country. This allows you to spend time on different islands, which gives you a better appreciation of the island nation.
What else would you like to know about Seychelles and my trip? Please leave your comments in the comment section below, and I’ll be sure to include details in the coming posts…
i dont know how i found your blog, so glad i did. and I did not know Seychelles existed until just now. how incredibly beautiful. wow. thanks so much for sharing
Thank you for your comment and I am also glad you found my blog! 🙂
Not me pausing at the wedding ring part to come leave a comment! I get the sentiment about traveling to Seychelles alone, thrilled for you that you had a lovely time!
Thanks, Tope. I’m definitely planning to go back with Mark too 🙂
This post gave me all the good feels. Seychelles has been on my bucketlist. I don’t care how long it will take😩 Thank you foe highlighting the downsides too.
It will be there when you’re ready! And hopefully, the immigration conditions would have gotten better before your visit.
These photos are stunning, especially the colour of the ocean but I must say I was alarmed to hear about how Nigerians/Black travelers are treated! Also, a solo visit costs so much! I currently have a trip to Peru planning and I was crying about needing to spend about $1200USD in total.. and that’s with visiting a world wonder included. The cost and treatment of Blacks have deterred me from visiting– at least not for years to come. There are far cheaper, accessible and just as beautiful places to visit in my side of the hemisphere so I’ll live vicariously through your trips for now. Truly appreciate your candor and transparency.
Thanks, Elle!
I totally agree with you regarding expenses. For this reason alone, I kept going back and forth about my decision to visit. Eventually, I decided to go for it after a planned trip fell through due to visa restrictions. I guess this is where accessibility also come in. I have a Nigerian passport and my options are quite limited, plus the experience in Seychelles is often what I face elsewhere – maybe not as blatant as this but it is not entirely strange.
Seychelles is a notoriously expensive destination to visit and combined with the potentially terrible immigration experience for Black travellers, I can understand your stance. I would say though, that the positives from this trip far outweighed the negatives and if it is somewhere you originally planned to visit, don’t let my review put you off. It’s a beautiful country and definitely worth a visit.
I did Seychelles solo as well and I absolutely enjoyed it. Spent about 10 days and I could definitely see myself going back for a completely different type of trip. I got stamped for my exact days but it was pretty easy to extend when my flight was cancelled. The entry process can be a bit of a hassle to be honest.
Sharing your blog to anyone that asks me about Seychelles again. Plus I love your photos.
Thanks, Chrys! I just went back to rewatch your Seychelles stories 😊. I agree with you, regarding going back for a completely different experience, minus the immigration profiling of course! Smh. Good to know they didn’t give you any troubles to extend your stay
Really great article and very informative. Although I’m a bit alarmed by the treatment of Nigerians/black travellers by the immigration officials – a bit off putting for me to be honest. But thanks so much for sharing this!
Love Bidemi
Thanks, Bids. I totally get how that would be off putting. I had read about this treatment online but was shocked to see it happen in person. Seychelles replaced a planned trip to Asia after I couldn’t get my visa on time and with only a handful of visa-free/visa on arrival countries I have access to, I can’t be too picky. As I mentioned, this wasn’t my worst immigration experience and the main officer at the desk who I interacted with was very pleasant. I would still recommend a visit, so this shouldn’t put you off completely 🙂
Your documentation of this trip has definitely made Seychelles a travel destination for me. Comprehensive post and astounding photos. If you haven’t yet, consider doing a blog around budget friendly travel destinations.
Thanks, Angelfortune! Glad you enjoyed the post 🙂 I don’t think I have a compilation post about budget-friendly destinations but that sounds like a good idea to work on. Thanks!
Awesome. I will be waiting for the other posts on Seychelles.
Coming soon 🙂
Photos are absolutely stunning and can’t wait to read/see more of your trip.
The extra scrutiny of Nigerian and other black Travellers is so unfortunate though, wow. 🙁
Thank you, Tiese. I agree that the immigration experience is quite sad. Even after reading about it online, I was quite shocked to see it unfold in front of my eyes. Seychellois are very lovely people and the experience does not truly reflect their character.
The reason for the extra scrutiny by Immigration/Customs here is because we have had a lot of issues with some travellers from mainland Africa in the past.
As a visa-free country and the strongest passport in Africa, we have seen many mainland Africans try to just come through Seychelles to get the Stamp in their passport so that they get to enter European countries easier and that has caused us a lot of issues with EU in the past.
Also sad to say the majority of people caught here carrying drugs or with counterfeit money have been from mainland Africa especially Kenya/Tanzania/Uganda/South Africa and Nigeria and since we have a big problem with heroin in our country the authorities are extra vigilant and may go overboard sometimes. The full-body scan is because most of those drug mules tend to swallow the drug capsule. Also, quite a few scammers from Nigeria have been caught here. This whole situation sadly has given mainland African travellers a bad rep which affects even the non-criminals travellers like you. That said there are some overzealous officers that may be difficult to you just because you are from mainland Africa because of racism/discrimination/lack of training but most of the time it is for those reasons stated above.
You have to understand that very few black African visit Seychelles as tourists/for holidays. Most come for work/business and even that is still a very tiny fraction compared to white tourists coming mainly from Europe and South Africa. So they will always profile black African tourists more especially because of the drug mule issue. So always make sure that your corporate with their demand and that all your docs are in order.
However once you clear immigration you will have a great time in Seychelles but we are quite expensive.
You’ve made some valid points. Thanks for your comment. I agree with you about having a great time in Seychelles once you’re past immigration. The situation with the issues associated with African travellers is quite unfortunate, however, I hope that the immigration officers can find a more respectful way to screen travellers. Singling out and profiling a particular race is not a good look anywhere.