Anse Soleil Beachcomber

Opened in December 1995, Anse Soleil Beachcomber has stayed under the same family's hands ever since, set back from a bay on the southwest tip of Mahé in the district of Baie Lazare. The beach itself, Anse Soleil, is a short walk from every room: pale sand, a shallow cove, and water clear enough for snorkelling without a boat. Rooms run in three grades, standard, superior, and premier, fourteen in total, each with its own veranda facing the sea. The four self-catering chalets sit on a rise above the main building, each with a kitchenette and a view over the bay. Six pool villas, the newest addition, are built into a slope through the garden; five have one bedroom and a private plunge pool reached straight off the deck, and one sleeps four across two bedrooms. Meals are taken on an open-air deck known locally as The Deck, serving Creole and international dishes; dinner runs from 7pm to 9pm. You can hear the waves from most rooms after dark. Snorkelling gear, kayaks, and a paddleboard come free of charge, and staff will arrange day trips further around Mahé. It remains a small operation, fourteen rooms plus chalets and villas, run by people who know most of their guests by name.