Seychelles

Fregate Island Private

Price per night from$4,876.20

Price information

If you haven’t entered any dates, the rate shown is provided directly by the hotel and represents the cheapest double room (including tax) available in the next 60 days.

Prices have been converted from the hotel’s local currency (EUR4,486.96), via openexchangerates.org, using today’s exchange rate.

Style

Where thatch meets tropicana

Setting

Rocky, remote and relaxing

A mere four degrees south of the equator, this tiny lump of granite seemingly floating in the Indian Ocean is a sensitively developed, verdant paradise, the likes of which you imagine when the theme tune to Desert Island Discs drifts from your radio speakers. Traditional-style villas made from native mahogany and topped with thatched roofs provide your base, while talcum-soft sand will fast become your foot exfoliator of choice. The whole island is taken up by Fregate Island Private, so absolutely everything is taken care of – all you have to do is turn up and flop out.

Smith Extra

Get this when you book through us:

A 30-minute body treatment in the spa, before or after the 60-minute welcome massage offered to all guests

Facilities

Photos Fregate Island Private facilities

Need to know

Rooms

17 villas (including 1 Presidential Villa).

Check–Out

Noon.

Prices

Double rooms from £4542.44 (€5,160), including tax at 15 per cent.

More details

Rates include all meals, soft drinks, beer and wine, a three-hour fishing trip, a massage, a yoga class, an introductory scuba session, use of a buggy, all non-motorised watersports, guided nature walks.

Also

For guests who would like to finally take the plunge and learn how to dive, Fregate Island Private offers a PADI certification scheme.

At the hotel

Seven beaches, private butler service, spa, a wine cellar, boutique and gallery, library, fitness centre, CD and DVD players, Jacuzzi, free WiFi, private gardens.

Our favourite rooms

If you and your partner want to make ‘intimate’ noises without being overheard, then ask for one of the villas furthest away from the main buildings. Villas One and Two are a good option for those with children, as they are set in gardens rather than on a clifftop. All villas come with a personal golf buggy, so you can zip around the resort in style.

Poolside

Two large communal palm-fringed infinity pools. Each villa has its own private infinity pool and Jacuzzi, reached via a wooden staircase.

Packing tips

Bring binoculars so you can catch a glimpse of the acrobatic frégate bird, after which the island is named.

Also

A three-night minimum stay applies.

Children

Junior holidaymakers, who are encouraged to use the Castaway Clubhouse, are welcomed into all areas – bar the bars, of course. There is a charge of €115–€345 per child, per night, if they are staying in their parents’ villa.

Overview

Junior holidaymakers, who are encouraged to use the Castaway Clubhouse, are welcomed into all areas – bar the bars, of course. There is a charge of €115–€345 per child, per night, if they are staying in their parents’ villa.

Best for

Buccaneers of all ages.

Activities

The Castaway Kids’ Club looks after your five- to 12-year-olds, and offers a wide variety of activities, from nature walks, sailing and snorkelling to ‘Banana rides’, volleyball and mountain biking. Toddlers will love the wide, white-sand beaches, while older children can indulge their Pirates of the Caribbean fantasies on rocky outcrops and in lush forests.

Meals

Kids are allowed into the resort’s restaurants at all times, and special children’s menus are provided. Packed lunches for junior explorers can also be supplied.

Babysitting

There is a babysitting service in the Castaway Clubhouse – where games, videos, craft material and books are all available – and carers can also come to your villa.

No need to pack

If you let the resort know of your requirements – buggies, high chairs, sterilisers, changing mats, etc – well in advance, they’ll all be waiting for you.

Sustainability efforts

Fregate Island operates a robust conservation programme to preserve the Seychelles' rich flora and fauna. Where possible, all ingredients used in the restaurants and the Rock Spa are grown on site.The hotel's on track for carbon neutrality too.

Food and Drink

Photos Fregate Island Private food and drink

Top Table

A private table for two, complete with flickering candles, can be set up anywhere in the resort: we recommend dining on Anse Bambous beach or in the hotel's treehouse.

Dress Code

Castaway chic – a floaty kaftan for her; cool linen for him.

Hotel restaurant

There are two restaurants and two bars. Creole and African cuisine is served up in the main Fregate House restaurant, while barbecues are held regularly in the colonial-style Plantation House.

Hotel bar

Work your way through the cocktail menu beneath the thatched roof of the open-air Pirates Bar or whilst idling your toes in the sand at the Anse Bambous Beach Bar.

Location

Photos Fregate Island Private location
Address
Fregate Island Private
PO Box 330
Victoria
Seychelles

Planes

Fly into Seychelles International Airport, served by Air Seychelles, Emirates, Air France, Qatar and Condor. Guests will be greeted at the airport by hotel staff, who will arrange the 20-minute transfer flight to the island.

Other

Helicopter transfers to the hotel are available.

Worth getting out of bed for

Fregate has seven beaches to choose from – all with conveniently placed coolers stocked with refreshments – so you can happily while away days basking on the sands. If you prefer a more active approach to island life, take to the sea solo by sailboat, kayak or surfboard, or arrange waterskiing, windsurfing or Hobie Cat sailing. The island has its own yacht club and and a PADI dive centre offering certified scuba courses, day and night dives and deep-sea fishing expeditions with either its own crew or a bevy of local fisherman. On land, you can take advantage of the resident conservationists to gen up on the hundreds of exotic bird species that make Fregate their home, or get involved in a spot of ecological fieldwork, spotting hawksbill turtle hatchings as they emerge from the sand and scoot down to the sea. Explore the nearby mountain trails by bike or on foot (the trek up Mont Segnal is particularly exhilerating) or, to venture even further afield, ask your butler to arrange a powerboat or helicopter trip to another island for the day. If you’re of a more romantic mien, arrange an afternoon’s high tea at the island’s highest point, or take advantage of a couple’s treatment at the Rock Spa – if you’ve always wanted to be coated head to toe in Belgian chocolate, this is your chance…
 

Local restaurants

Given it’s a private island, you’re limited to Fregate’s ample dining offerings – unless you have a powerboat or helicopter standing by, of course.

Reviews

Photos Fregate Island Private reviews

Anonymous review

Bobbing in the boat as we approach Fregate Island Private in the Seychelles, I give Mr Smith a smile. I feel as though I’m on honeymoon – even though five minutes ago I was cursing my beloved for vetoing the helicopter ride we were offered as a means to reach the luxury tropical island. My forgiving attitude may, in part, be due to the dazzling scene that comes into view – pristine white-sand beaches, lush green forests and sea so blue it would make Frank Sinatra’s eyes green.

A warm smile and cold drink greet us as we step onto the talcum-soft sand. Matthews, a young Kenyan man, introduces himself as our personal assistant. In no time, he’s whisking us off in a buggy through the dense forest, past the plantation house, the agricultural area and the protected sanctuary for juvenile giant tortoises. First stop: reception. This is set high above the beach and has a restaurant with wraparound views of the Indian Ocean. Dining here is definitely on our to-do list. The ever-helpful Matthews leads us to our villa – one of just 16 on the island – leaving us with the buggy, a map and enormous grins on our faces as we spy the private Jacuzzi overlooking the sea.

There will never be more than 40 guests at one time on the intimate island of Fregate, so you won’t have to fight for a sunbed on any of the seven beaches. And if total privacy is what you desire (perhaps you want to imagine how Tom Hanks felt in Castaway?), two of the beaches can be exclusively yours by turning a sign to read ‘beach occupied’. But you won’t have to forage for food or survive on coconut milk as any meal can be served on any beach. Better than talking to a volleyball.

After an amazing afternoon lazing on the beach, listening only to the soft lapping of the water and the odd crab scurrying past, it’s time to explore. Not wanting to burn myself out, my ‘expedition’ takes me only as far as the Rock Spa. Mr Smith is ready for more action, so takes the buggy to see what adventure he can find. Destination: unknown. Walking past grand granite boulders, giant banyan trees and freshwater pools, I arrive at the spa, set high on a clifftop. As dusk approaches and I sit waiting for my massage, I’m mesmerised by the flying foxes criss-crossing, showing off for their one-woman audience. Already completely chilled out, I wonder if a massage could possibly make me any more relaxed. ‘There’s only one way to find out,’ I think as my masseuse enters and starts working her Fregate Paradise Massage magic. Blissed out doesn’t even begin to cover it.

I float back to the villa on a cloud of aaaahh. Sitting on the sun deck, champagne in hand, I am lost in tranquility. Mr Smith bursts into my sanctuary, excited and incoherent. He has found a west-facing beach to watch the sunset and then stumbled across the last few turtle hatchlings of the season. He’s watched them break free from their shells and make the death-defying scramble to the relative safety of the sea. He even heroically saved one from the jaws of death – well, from the claws of a predatory crab. I’m secretly jealous of his adventures.

At dinner, we feast on a delicious spread of fresh job fish and organic, island-grown fruit and vegetables – all the while drinking in the aforementioned stunning view. Tummies full, we turn in at a reasonable hour in preparation for an active day ahead.

Bleary eyed, we meet Fregate’s conservation manager, Steve Hill, at 7am, vowing we’ll walk for no longer than an hour. But, three hours later, hot and sweaty, we are still being taken on a show-and-tell tour of this 300-acre haven. Steve’s passion for the island is infectious – he is, without doubt, the soul of Fregate. He enthuses about its colourful history, showing us ruins of a wall built by pirates and regaling us with tales of buried treasure. At every turn, I expect David Attenborough’s voice to trickle through the trees… ‘And here we have the magpie robin, saved from extinction… Marvel at the Aldabra giant tortoises, wandering ponderously along… This wild plant is famed for its aphrodisiac qualities…’

As if on cue, David – I mean Steve – is interrupted by the most incredible noise, unlike anything I’ve ever heard. With a knowing smile, he leads us in the direction of the racket. We gingerly approach a clearing – and all is revealed. Two giant tortoises had clearly had a chomp of that wild plant because here they are, mating. A reptile romp – there’s something you don’t see every day. After ogling a little, we sense their embarrassment and back away.

The end of the tour comes all too quickly but, alas, an underwater adventure awaits. But not before Matthews greets us with fresh coconuts and water. The spectacular flora and fauna has impressed me more than I could have imagined and, as I approach the marina, I wonder if Fregate’s water world will provide the same wow factor. It does. And then some. I can’t wait to get back to Mr Smith – who opted to relax on the beach – to tell him I fulfilled my dream of swimming with a fully grown manta ray. Now it’s his turn to be jealous of my adventures.

A sunset champagne cruise and Creole buffet is the ideal finale to our idyllic break at Fregate Island Private. We clink glasses and ponder on the paradise that’s been our home for the past two nights, and agree that we have been utterly spoilt. On the cruise, the friendly dolphins even come out to play around our boat, as if to wave us off. I’m sure the tortoises would have come to say goodbye too but they are probably still otherwise engaged. Young love, you see.

Price per night from $4,876.20

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