PURE CHRISTMAS ESCAPISM
Flanked by beach, boulders and a bucolic forest backdrop, Mango House Seychelles, LXR Hotels & Resorts, ticks all the natural beauty boxes, making it a sensational place to celebrate the festive season. Make one of its 41 sea-facing villas and suites your home-away-from-home for the holidays, each making the most of the sweeping views over Anse Poules Bleues Bay, with the contemporary interiors creating the perfect canvas for you to dress up for celebrations under the stars.
In the run up to Christmas, event season kicks into high gear with exclusive Oriental, Indian and Arabian-themed dinners, a fire-side BBQ at Soley, open-air movie nights and sultry Sunset Special evenings hosted by Mango House’s mixologists. On Christmas Eve, you’re invited to the Koko Red X-Mas Party at Kokoye, for an evening of curated Christmas cocktails and DJ beats long into the night. On Christmas Day, it’s about festivities, freedom and fun with a laid-back pool party at Soley, fuelled by Moët & Chandon and rum-infused cocktails. A night of shimmer and shine will take you into 2023, with a New Year’s Eve house party, where you can mingle with fellow islanders over cocktails, canapés, caviar stations and a curated dessert corner. A fire show, Creole dancers, a live band and DJ will ensure you end the year with a bang.
When you finally retire from your revelry, the hotel’s pillow menu will gift you a night of sweet dreams, with a healthy breakfast at Muse the next morning the perfect way to start the year. And when you’re ready to blow away the cobwebs, you can do so on a forest hike, waterfall walk, with a day of sailing or a round of golf.
MERRY XMAS EVERYONE
Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa has thought of everyone this holiday season, offering an enchanted getaway on Silhouette Island that is perfect for the whole family.
Little people are put first, with a huge roster of celebratory activities, starting with Baking With Santa and Jingle Train Rides, to Crazy Golf, X-Mas Card Making and a Festive Beach Picnic. There’s also a holiday-themed scavenger hunt, allowing mini globe-trotters to explore and experience Silhouette like true islanders.
Ensuring the adults don’t miss out on too much fun, there’s plenty for grown-up guests, starting on December 17 with a tree lighting ceremony with cocktails and carols. There’s also a ‘sandman’ building competition on December 23, the perfect family-friendly event to kick-off festivities. To swing into Christmas, you can start with pre-cocktails at The Four Degrees and a Christmas Eve gala dinner at Café Dauban, Sakura or Portobello, followed by a kids party on Christmas Day with some festive gift giving. Between Christmas and New Year, there’s everything from a five-kilometre marathon to a Paddle or Table Tennis competition, before restarting festivities on New Year’s with pre-dinner drinks at The Four Degrees, followed by a sophisticated gala dinner at Café Dauban, Sakura or Portobello.
Amidst all the merriment, you can relax into the serenity of this jungle oasis, making sure your batteries are recharged for all the adventures 2023 has in store.
THE PARTY STARTS HERE
There’s so much going on at Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa this holiday season, that you’ll be spoiled for choice. But it’s a happy position to be in. As is the position you’ll find yourself in when staying at this stunning resort in the Northwest of Mahé, with every stay gifting you a private villa experience for the most exclusive and bespoke experiences.
For the holidays, there’s a whole host of events to immerse yourself in across the resort and the wider island, from yoga and snorkelling to local Moutia dance classes and hikes to the beautiful Anse Major beach. But when it’s time for the real festivities to start, you’ll begin with a Christmas Eve gala dinner where you can feast on red prawns, smoked duck breast with Pecorino cheese or red snapper with butternut squash puree, followed by Panettone and Petit Fours. Christmas Day is all about a relaxed festive brunch, with a cold buffet and cold cuts, as well as honey-glazed turkey, roasted grouper and a Grana Padano wheel station for the ultimate cheese-infused indulgence.
You’ll need your glad rags for the New Year’s Eve gala dinner, which focuses on seafood with rock lobster, caviar, oysters, mussels and king crab. And if you’ve still got room to squeeze in a New Year’s Day brunch, you can enjoy oysters, sushi, cold cuts and desserts.
If you fancy some wellness respite after all the indulging, check into the eforea Spa for a Santa Baby massage and scrub, or the Christmas Detox massage, wrap and steam room combo.
FESTIVITIES WITH FEEL-GOOD FACTOR
For somewhere laid-back and lovely to celebrate the festive season, point your feet towards DoubleTree by Hilton Seychelles - Allamanda Resort and Spa. The beautiful resort hotel is near Anse Royale and just 10 minutes from South Mahé’s famous Anse Intendance waterfront, creating an exclusive yet easily-accessible enclave wrapped in 2.5 acres of landscaped gardens. Here it’s all about the soft touches – whispered luxury that is subtle in its intuitiveness.
The same goes for its festive season line-up, which is filled with fabulous ways to celebrate on a more boutique scale. On December 16, you’re invited to join the team for the annual Christmas Tree lighting ceremony with Christmas carols, followed by an evening of Creole celebrations. On Christmas Eve, your gala dinner will also be soundtracked by a live performance of everyone’s favourite Christmas carols.
For the big day, it’s all about a big al fresco BBQ lunch, as you eat, sip and celebrate in the company of the resort’s panoramic ocean views. On Boxing Day, thoughts turn to the island come evening as local artisans are invited to display their artworks and handicrafts while you tuck into an incredible Creole dinner. It’s time to get dressed up when New Year’s Eve rolls around, as a beautiful gala dinner will take place, with music from a local performer. A BBQ on New Year’s Day and January 2 will be the perfect post-party remedy, keeping energy levels high as you celebrate 2023. Start the year as you mean to go on by focusing on your wellbeing with time well spent at eforea Spa, with a bespoke massage and body scrub or refreshing facial.