Seychelles with toddler at Kempinski Baie Lazare Mahe

Fine powdery white sand, lush tropical jungle to be trekked, hundrends of shades of crystal blue beaming with sealife at Baie Lazare Mahe – Seychelles with toddler and kids feels like paradise for all parties. No additional vaccinations required,  no dangerous animals and plants but a sheer variety, as those islands are blessed with some of the rarest species of flora and fauna.

Baie Lazare Mahe Seychelles

Kempinski Seychelles with kids

We rarely go back to the same hotels, but Kempinski Seychelles had so many reasons to be an exception.

Kempinski Baie Lazare Mahe

Seychelles with toddler

i. Baie Lazare Mahe is stunning and blessed with beautiful, calm and shallow turquoise sea. We found once again great to snorkel by the shore with the 6 years old; most of the corrals are dead as it gets shallow at the low tides, but the algae keep happy tones of playful fish. At low tide, one needs to be careful around the corals, but Kempinski Seychelles has protective shoes and snorkel gear for its guests .

Baie Lazare Mahe snorkelling

ii. The kids truly get the VIP treatment. It’s ridiculously good and it starts as soon as you arrive. Kempinski’s ladies in red are gracefully attending families and guests but for young guests there’s a dedicated check-in area where they get their very own VIP passports. In Kempinski rooms, the kids get their little robes, slippers and toiletries.

They get to go on behind the scene tours around the hotel, visiting the kitchen, the tortoises, they get treats and icecreams. All kids younger than 6 get to eat for free, the older ones get charged 50% . The kidsclub needs a separate section, it’s not necessarily the facilities we rave about, but the team is so enthusiastic, chilled and lovely.

Kempinski Seychelles with kids – VIP check in dedicated desk

Kempinski Seychelles with toddler – kidsclub party

iii. The kidsclub is so ridiculously good that we have been spotted chasing our kids rather pathetically and begging them to come out to play with us on the beach or swim. For December & January holidays it also had extended hours until 9pm, I can hardly remember having so much time for ourselves, our friends, cocktails in peace and lush dinners.

There’s giant tortoise feeding, arts and crafts, Sega Dancing, karaoke parties – the kids wouldn’t come out willingly before sundown. From 3 to 12 years old the kidsclub is free of charge; for younger ones, one parent or a dedicated nanny gets to stay. Seychelles with toddler is bliss and so easy at Kempinski Baie Lazare Mahe:  for very hot hours there’s the indoor play area, with padded floors, books, toys, multimedia games and movies. The outdoor play  has a shaded outdoor area, with a playhouse – great space for ball games and painting. There is a toddlers’ pool with a depth of 0.2 m and of course Kempinski’s main pool with the most child friendly design and layering we’ve seen.

Baby shark Mahe Seychelles

School of eagle rays Seychelles

iv. With kids so well looked after, grown ups can dive, kayak, paddle board and snorkel to their leisure. The diving was again superb and we were even luckier than 8 years ago. Napoleon Rock, a mere 10 minutes boat ride from Kempinski Seychelles treated us with amazing sights: huge sea turtles, a school of eagle rays, huge lobster, sharks, sting rays, Napoleon Wrasses.

Diving at Kempinski Seychelles – Napoleaon Rock- sea turtle resting

Diving at Kempinski Seychelles

One Tree Island has been our other diving delight: relatively shallow and sitting on Seychelles signature granitic formations, it beams with life and colour. Huge hump-head parrotfish munch on the coral; there’s lots of nemos and schools of silver fish; lion and parrot fish; eels and more rays.

Marine conservation Seychelles – diving in Mahe

v. Kayaking and snorkelling from Kempinski Baie Lazare is so easy. And barely 15 minutes paddle you’re by a pristine deserted beach – the bay all to yourself and schools of fish, granitic formations, rays and sharks. Just wow. We went with our friends and had a blast – just make sure you put tones of sunscreen, we managed to toast some legs and one bum.

vi. Lunching and dining is easy and we opted consistently for the beachside at Windsong. Barefoot luxury at its best, from healthy fresh salads to the best fresh lobsters we ever had. The go to place after diving or snorkelling to grab cocktails and beers; for lunch and dinners. I loved the salads and the island style fish curries; my vegetarian friend loved their hummus and poke bowls; the boys loved their steaks and Chef prepared risottos.

The children got to run around and play with their friends from the kidsclub; Seycheles with toddler and energetic monkeys gets to be relaxed and fun for all.

Kempinski Seychelles lunch

Kempinski Seychelles with kids

For some other best restaurants in Mahe Seychelles, head to our dedicated article in here. Mahe has it all and it’s so close to Kempinski: Michelin star candidates for sushi at Koi next door; superb Thai at Saffron Banyan Tree; local creole cuisine at Chez Lamar and international cuisine Au Jardin d’Epices (also Banyan Tree) .

vii. Kempinski Baie Lazare has its own mountain, a fabulous granite elevation overlooking the bay. For yoga addicts and early birds there are sunrise sessions at 7am. I felt very tempted but made it just for sunset with the 6 years old and our friends – an easy fun trek totally feasible and spectacular once you’re up. We witnessed the most dramatic moody skies, tones green and stunning views of tranquil Baie Lazare.

Baie Lazare Mahe – trekking with kids Kempinski’s mountain

Baie Lazare Mahe – views from Kempinski’s mountain/ granitic formation

Trekking Kempinski Seychelles with kids

Trekking Seychelles with kids

viii. Kempinski’s extensive grounds, lush mountain range very own private lagoon and wetlands are perfect observation grounds for Seychelles’ natural splendor and wildlife: huge crabs on the shores by sunsets; snails on alleys, flying foxes (or fruit bats ) and of course the tone of fish.

Baie Lazare Mahe glorious fish

Seychelles beaches are public so one can indulge into Baie Lazare Mahe glorious bay even if you’re not a guest of the Kempinski. And it makes our favourite place in Mahe to hang around daytime with cocktails, kids and fish 😊

Baie Lazare Mahe Seychelles

Cocktails Baie Lazare Seychelles

For further Seychelles inspiration, check our article on Best of Island hopping Seychelles and/ or  Four Seasons luxury villas – highly private and gorgeous sustainable luxury and/ or Silhouette island and Hilton Labriz. For more seaturtles retreats round the world, head to our favourite 10 places round the world. We regularly find Kempinski fabulous for luxury holidays with kids; for shorter flights check its sibbling property in Andalucia and for Muscat in Oman, head here.

Disclosure: Many thanks to Kempinski Seychelles for the media rate and wonderful treats. All pics, overexcited kids and ecstatic impressions – ours.