note: this review has been written by my OH.
North Island has beautiful nature, made perfect by careful human touch, and
magic by full privacy and absence of people. Imagine a wide, unspoiled, sandy
beach, with beautiful boulders, all yours, without even the trace of footsteps -
North Island gives you this, and much more. Anse Lazio, often quoted as the
best beach of Seychelles, is nowhere near as beautiful as "Honeymoon beach" at
North. The view from Anse Lazio, apart from the many people, is anchored boats
- compare this to Honeymoon beach at North, where the only person you'll ever
see is your partner, and by looking out offshore you'll see the beautiful
Silhouette, an island not far off North; a view comparable to Bora Bora, when
looking from an atoll in the lagoon. La Digue is quoted having beautiful
scenery with its huge boulders. Admittedly, La Digue's boulders are superior
and unique, though the clean beaches at North, and the absence of people, make
North's scenery much more magic, and perhaps even more beautiful than La
Digue's. Beaches are not the only part of North's scenery. You can climb "Spa
mountain", a rocky plateau, from which you can view all of the island: palm
trees surrounded by beautiful beaches, and thatched roofs of villas hiding under
giant leaves - a view much superior to that of Praslin's renowned national park
viewpoint.
Apart from stunning nature, views, and location, North also offers a stunning
hotel. The villas are well designed, all of natural wood, and blend nicely with
the island's spirit and scenery. We need to admit that we personally prefer the
Sunset villa at Conrad Maldives, though it isn't quite comparable due to the
different concept: a modern overwater bungalow. At North, in addition to
bicycles, all guests get private golf carts which give freedom to visit any
point of the island, quickly, without having to depend upon the staff. Rides to
various places are scenic, which often include sightings of giant turtles.
The service is very good, giving you full privacy, and quickly accommodating for
all of your needs. Some staff members appear somewhat timid, though at all
times positive, very skillful and ready to help. The one caveat with the
service, is that the first question you get after making a request is "what
time?", which could be a painful question for clients wishing to forget about
time and scheduling. The positive side is that scheduling is flexible in
practice, and everything does work out, so an answer of "after we come back from
our dive", usually suffices. Speaking of diving, it is a great experience in
terms of service: you go privately with a boat and everything is accommodated by
experienced staff. Expect to see, among other things, sharks, rays and turtles.
Corals, on the other hand, at least for the spots we went to, were not in
abundance and as majestic as in other places around the world. The other
"activity" we did was the Spa, which is truly exceptional in terms of the touch
and skill of the therapist, and a very mystical experience as the Spa overlooks
the sea from atop a mountain. Dining is good, but not the best we had.
Finally, the "in and out" of North island was very good too. Staff pamper you
from the moment you land, until you leave. Most exciting, is when coming in
with the helicopter, where you see this wonderful beach ahead of you, a rocky
mountain on your right, and a green / palm-covered mountain on your left: it is
as if you are entering paradise by passing through these very scenic pillars on
both sides.
The experience at North is fully customizable - you can do whatever you wish,
and in whatever manner you choose. For example, meals can be set on any
location on the island. These will be prepared professionally, on time, and are
of high quality, despite short notices and difficulty of organizing meals in
remote locations. The customizable experience gives you freedom. For example,
on one boat trip, we went for a dive, and then anchored next to a private beach
on Silhouette island, which is otherwise inaccessible.
North island's rates may appear daunting. The cost is worth it. First of all,
everything (except the Spa), is included. The cost is amortized especially if
you are a diver. When budgeting other hotels, meals could add significantly to
the bill. In other words, the all inclusive package of North makes it cheaper
than what it sounds like. After being at North, even if nothing were included
in the price, we would still go back. At North, you pay for the hard work to
keep the place pristine, and by rarely meeting other guests, it is like renting
out the whole island for yourself! Being time (and to an extent budget)
limited, we stayed at North only two nights, and we'd advise anyone that two
nights at North are likely better than five nights elsewhere in Seychelles. If
in doubt, go.
The verdict: North is beautiful, private, and a fully customizable experience;
thus, priceless. It is recommended for people seeking a dream island, all for
themselves. It is hard not to recommend this place, but if you don't mind
sharing beaches with others, and don't care about perfectly white and clean
"postcard-like" beaches, then perhaps North is not value for money. North takes
perfectionism to the next step, so if you don't really care about small details,
then perhaps you'll be disappointed and feel that North is over-hyped. North is
by far the best resort we've been to.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
