North Island, Seychelles: Review

Welcome to North Island Seychelles, one of the world’s most expensive barefoot retreats. It’s a magnet for the rich and famous, and the reported honeymoon destination of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Planning a trip to Seychelles? Don’t forget to take a look at 10 Things to do in Seychelles to help you plan better!

White sand, crystal clear turquoise water and the backdrop of the granite rocks make the island’s four private, pristine beaches a perfect setting for an idealized ‘Robinson Crusoe’ existence. Everything on the island is designed around this experience. The personalized exclusivity is the vision behind the concept of the North Island Seychelles.

Guests love this place because they feel it belongs only to them. For example, there are no signs, no mealtimes or even menus. The food is discussed with an executive chef on arrival, and choosing a wine means wandering into a well-stocked cellar and picking one out, at your own pace. Every activity, like diving or fishing expedition, is tailored, and the beautifully set outdoor spa is open whenever the guests wish for a massage. Bikes and buggies are at the guests’ disposal and a hundred discreet members of staff are ready to assist in any way they can.

There are only 11 exclusive villas on the entire island, each designed by Silvio Rech and his wife Lesley Carstens, the award-winning architects from South Africa. Individually handcrafted from local stone, wood, and glass, these retreats are in synch with the most basic of nature’s elements and the distinct flavor of Seychelles.

Refined luxury defines the style of interiors. Framed by Banwas wood, the island’s own granite coves, and a traditional style ylang-ylang roofing. The neutral color tones blend flawlessly with the island’s granite rocks, woods, and ocean sands. An artful illusion of total casualness infuses everything, from the four-postered bedrooms with pillars made out of driftwood to the showers constructed from pieces of bamboo to create the impression of improvised rainwater bathing.

This kind of luxury is the main reason why the well-to-do are prepared to spend thousands per night for the opportunity of staying on the island. There are very few island resorts like North Island anywhere in the world: beautiful, private, and with a fully customizable experience. The resort’s signature style combines natural beauty with sheer luxury. It’s a place of barefoot luxury for those seeking an unspoiled, spectacular dream island, all for themselves. Nothing found here is short of unique and exceptional.

What we love

• This is one of the most amazing places for a honeymoon or an island getaway
• The all-inclusive package of North makes the astronomical price per night more attractive than it would otherwise seem, as everything except the Spa and the helicopter transfer is covered. This means the cost can be amortized, especially if you are a diver
• The island’s natural beauty, big villas, wonderful nature (turtles!), and utmost privacy
• The carefree, bare-foot relaxed atmosphere with no ‘dress code’. The experience is enabled by the discreet and highly trained staff
• Bicycles and own private golf buggy, which give freedom to visit any point of the island, quickly, without having to depend on anybody;
  The customizable experience, including dining—which can be set on any location on the island with a short notice
• The villas are separated sufficiently from each other to minimize contact with other guests.

What you should know

• North takes perfectionism to the next step, so the travelers who don’t care about small details may feel disappointed and perceive the North Island as over-hyped
• Obviously, this is not the kind of place for seekers of nightlife socializing
• Open bathrooms and showers and tubs create interesting places for little critters to hide and then walk over your feet
• The best month weather-wise to visit is April
• Apart from the British royals, the guest list of this gorgeous island include Bono from U2, Julia Roberts, Ben Affleck, Paul Mccartney, Pierce Brosnan, Salma Hayek, Beckhams, Bradd Pitt & Angelina Jolie—to mention the most famous.

North Island Seychelles eco project

In the world so conscious of matters pertaining to the vulnerability of natural habitats people want to feel their travels do as little damage as possible—so much the better if they contribute to doing good.

Staying at North Island Seychelles does exactly that. The resort is an eco-friendly wonder: created as a means of funding a fascinating conservation project aimed at protecting and rebuild the original flora and fauna of the island. It’s an example of a sensitive utilization of a precious natural treasure, an ecological experiment aimed at saving several endangered species from extinction.

The only rules on the island are along the lines of ‘Don’t sit on the turtles’—and to prevent hatching turtles heading in the wrong direction, all lights are banned near beaches.

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