North Island, a Luxury Collection Resort, Seychelles
Review
Character and identity
A 20-minute helicopter hop from Victoria delivers you to 11 thatched villas strung along Anse d'Est, a private island that effectively rewrote the rulebook for barefoot Seychellois luxury when it opened. Each 5,000-square-foot villa is built from local stone, glass and rescued wood, with marble bathrooms, indoor and outdoor showers, plunge pools, writing nooks and an en-suite kitchen where a chef cooks for you. The spa is built into the island's granite outcrops, the main dining room sits behind a lily pond, and the ecological programme, restoring fauna and flora cleared by copra farming, runs in parallel with the hospitality.
Who's it for
Best for:
Couples and honeymooners chasing total seclusion, design-literate travellers who want architecture that disappears into the landscape, and divers and snorkellers drawn by some of the most intact coralline reefs in the Indian Ocean. Conservation-minded guests will appreciate the tortoise and bird rewilding work happening behind the villas.
Should look elsewhere:
Families wanting a structured kids' programme, sociable travellers who like a bar scene and varied dining outlets, and anyone uncomfortable with a six-figure week. With just 11 villas and no neighbouring options, the island is the experience; if you need variety, this isn't it.
Bottom line
This is one of the most complete private-island propositions anywhere, and the cooking-in-your-villa model, marine access and rewilding story justify the rates if seclusion is genuinely what you want. Book a beachfront villa, plan a minimum of five nights to make the helicopter transfer worthwhile, and aim for the April-to-May or October shoulders for the calmest seas.
Images
Location
Nearby tracked hotels
10 nearest