Best Mahe Island Private Tour: Our Personal Review of Cocotier Tours! 

Even though we only spent five hours together, it felt like we were catching up with an old friend.

Nils grew up in Mahe, and before becoming a tour guide, he worked as a chef. My husband had fun swapping pizza-making tips with him!

He now runs his own tour company, takes beautiful photos, whips up incredible meals, and is writing a guidebook about Mahe in his spare time. Oh, and he’s raising two beautiful daughters with his Italian wife.

Basically, Nils is the guy who does it all! Pretty impressive.

If you’ve driven around Praslin or Mahe, you already know those roads are no joke.

Steep, narrow, and full of blind curves, plus driving on the left? Hard pass.

I drove in Praslin and happily handed the keys over once we got to Mahe. Letting Nils handle the roads meant I could actually relax and enjoy our last few hours in the Seychelles.

But it wasn’t just the driving. Nils knew exactly where to go, how to avoid traffic, and which route had the best views.

If you’re staying on Mahe, a private island tour with Nils is a great way to get your bearings and plan where you want to spend more time during your trip.

Nils offers both half-day and full-day private tours, all customizable!

You just tell him what you’re into like hiking, beaches, food, rum, snorkeling, and he’ll design the perfect itinerary. We’re major planners, so we booked his tour a month in advance.

Since we were working with limited time, we decided to focus on exploring the southern part of the island.

Next time we visit, we’d love to book another tour with Nils and explore the wilder, more rugged northern side of the island, especially the famous Copolia Trail.

We figured showing up for our international flight looking like a sweaty mess might not win us any points with our fellow passengers!

I’d also recommend downloading an eSIM (I purchased 2GB for $15.50 USD from Airalo) and having WhatsApp, so you can easily coordinate with him.

Hubby and I booked the 10:50 am flight from Praslin to Mahe with Air Seychelles. We didn’t want to be late, so we arrived at the airport early (only 10 minutes from our charming Praslin rental!) and they bumped us to an earlier flight.

We texted Nils through WhatsApp, and he adjusted right away.

By the way, flying on one of those Twin Otter planes was a lot of fun!

I always get nervous on those little planes, but the ride was surprisingly smooth (in contrast to our very bumpy ferry ride from Mahe to Praslin at the beginning of our trip!).

By the way, if you are still trying to figure out which transport option is best between the islands, do not miss my post on Ferry vs Plane: Which is Better?.

After we landed, we scooped up our luggage, and Nils was waiting right on time with a big smile, a spotless van with great AC, and plenty of space for our bags.

Our first stop was one I specifically requested … Michael Adams Art Studio.

I’m not a trinket kind of person.

But if there’s something unique in a destination we visit (local artwork, handmade jewelry, beautiful textiles, etc), I’m very interested!

Before our trip, I had read about Michael Adams, a renowned artist who studied in England before moving to the Seychelles in 1972 with his wife.

He still lives in the same charming wooden plantation house with his wife, Heather, and their two children, Alyssa and Tristan, who are both incredibly talented artists as well.

Their home also doubles as a gallery, filled with vibrant pieces that reflect the spirit of the islands.

During our visit, we had the chance to chat with Tristan, who was not only a fantastic artist but also genuinely warm and engaging.

I fell in love with one of his watercolor paintings of La Digue and ended up choosing a smaller piece that could easily fit in my suitcase. He thoughtfully wrapped it between two sturdy cardboard pieces to keep it safe for the journey home.

I also picked up a few postcards featuring some of Michael’s most iconic prints. This special stop was a great way to take home a little piece of the Seychelles

Our next stop was the stunning Baie Lazare, a wide stretch of soft white sand and calm, inviting water.

It was the kind of beach that practically begged you to jump in for a swim. Ah, if only we didn’t have a flight to catch in a few hours!

We noticed a wedding had just wrapped up near the granite boulders at the far end of the beach, which made for some really beautiful and unique photo ops.

If a bride chooses this spot for her big day, you know it’s one of the best beaches on Mahe!

If you’re island hopping and spending time on Praslin and La Digue, make sure these three beautiful beaches are on your list:

→   Anse Georgette (we spotted a stingray there!)

→   Anse Lazio (had an unforgettable turtle encounter)

→   Anse Source D’Argent (we explored it on a crystal kayak tour and loved every second)

Next, we stopped at Anse Intendance, which had a totally different vibe.

The waves were wild and powerful, and the beach was fringed with tall coconut palms that gave us a bit of shade. It had this raw, untamed beauty that made it a perfect spot to just sit and take it all in.

There’s also a laid-back local spot called Summer Bar tucked in the trees, where you can sip a cocktail right on the sand.

I was definitely tempted, but with a rum tasting coming up, I figured I’d save it for next time!

There are three things that make my husband happy … a well made coffee, a delicious pizza, and homemade ice cream!

Nils brought us to Koko Zerm, a local favorite, where we enjoyed a few scoops of coconut ice cream and mango sorbet.

Perfect refresh on a humid day.

We had only eaten a little bowl of cereal for breakfast at our vacation rental in Praslin, so by this point we were getting pretty hungry.

Kafe Kreol was a nice casual beachside lunch stop with friendly service. It offers local favorites like octopus curry (which hubby ordered) and island pizza (which I ordered, not as good as my husband makes it back home, but delicious nonetheless!).

We washed it down with a refreshing local island cider called Slow Turtle.

The restaurant has a great location and sits directly on Anse Royale Beach. If we weren’t flying out later that day, this would be a great place for a swim.

I also heard there’s decent snorkeling all the way to the left of the beach near the rocks (see pic below). Again, another reason to come back!

Hubby and I have had the pleasure of experiencing some of the best cocktail bars in the world from Mexico City and Tokyo to Singapore.

We love learning what ingredients top bartenders use in their cocktails and what spirits are used. If an island is known for a specific spirit, count us in!

Almost every restaurant we visited during our stay offered some version of the famous Takamaka rum, including our amazing boutique hotel in La Digue. So, we knew we had to visit this distillery at its source … which is the island of Mahe.

Nils perfectly timed our tour, so we would arrive right at 3 pm.

Takamaka Rum Distillery offers rum tastings all day, but they only run their tours at specific times. 3 pm was the last tour of the day.

We are not new to rum tours and have enjoyed several during our travels including Mount Gay in Barbados and Domaine Pari Pari Distillery in Taha’a. Our friendly Takamaka guide led us through the distillation and blending & aging process.

Humble backstory on how the distillery came to be.

It all started with a dad and two sons who bought a book on home distillation and used their own swimming pool to cool off the condenser. They have come a long way since officially opening in 2002, but it’s always fun to hear how an idea was born.

The estate is beautiful and has served many purposes over the years including a spice plantation, car garage, and even a boat repair shop.

After the tour, we were led to the porch for our rum tasting.

You had the option to purchase the basic (6 rums) or premium tasting (3 rums). Typically, 3 premium tastings are offered, but they were out of one. We tried the Extra Noir and Zepis Kreol.

We did one tasting each, so we could try “all the rums.” Hey, we weren’t driving. 😉

On Fridays, they have music and food trucks, which makes it the place to be on the island. There’s also a rum shack, where you can order a refreshing rum-based cocktail.

If you don’t have time to visit the distillery, there is a Takamaka Bar Lounge at the airport where you can try their rums and have one last cocktail.

Grankaz was the one rum we wanted to taste at the distillery (but wasn’t available), but luckily we were able to purchase it at the airport.

The reason we were intrigued by this bottle was because it is blended with 8-year old Bajan Foursquare molasses rum.

Foursquare is our favorite rum from Barbados! Our bottle made it back home with us in one piece. Will report back once we crack it open.

Nils got us to the airport with plenty of time to spare, which my always-early husband appreciated.

He made sure we were all set before saying goodbye. We wished we had more time with him!

If you’re flying in or out of Mahe or just want a deeper look at the island beyond your resort, I can’t recommend a private tour with Nils enough.

He’s warm, funny, professional, and incredibly knowledgeable. We packed so much into just a few hours, and it made our layover feel like a bonus vacation day instead of a travel inconvenience.

Book the tour. You won’t regret it.

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Questions about our private Mahe Island tour experience?

Let me know in the comments below!