Review of Constance Ephelia Resort in Mahé, Seychelles |

For our fourth stay at Constance Ephelia Resort we decided to take an helicopter, reducing the travel time from the airport to the resort from 50 minutes to only 6 minutes! Although it was expensive, we do not regret it as the experience was just fantastic. Overflying Mahé island was breathtaking and obviously a very good start to our holidays in the Seychelles. Constance Ephelia is located in the north west of the island, perfectly hidden in a lush tropical landscape.

Approaching Constance Ephelia Resort

As always at Constance Hotels, the arrival was top notch. As soon as we landed on the helipad, staff members immediately came to offload our bags and escort us via Golf Cart to the welcome area. Here we enjoyed a small breakfast while doing the check in formalities. We arrived very early morning, but despite the normal check in time at 14h, our room was ready. Otherwise, a courtesy lounge is available.

The resort is spread over a huge area, and is basically divided in two parts, the North and the South. In the middle are the main hotel entrance, the reception and the main restaurant. In the north part, you will find the Family villas and the Senior suites. In the south the Junior Suites with several pools. No less than five restaurants are spread over the resort and each side has its own beach. Finally, dominating north beach are the Hillside villas and the Presidential villa.

The Junior Suite at Constance Ephelia Resort

Altough we were kindly upgraded to a Senior suite in the north, we preferred to decline the offer and stay in a Junior Suite as they are located on our preferred side. This choice is very personal and for the reasons we will see later on, some of you might prefer staying in the north. As in any Constance hotel, the architecture is great and in harmony with the nature. The rooms are spacious and well furnished, with a fantastic bed, a lounge area and a large balcony. Our suite on the second floor had a lovely sea view.

The view from the Junior Suite at Constance Ephelia Resort

The surroundings at Constance Ephelia Resort

The resort is spread over a big area with a lot of trees, plants and flowers. You can easily walk from one point to the other, but as the distances can be quite long between two points, golf carts patrol and you can catch them at one of the stops. They run continuously and the wait time is never too long. One circuit covers the south area and the other the north. You’ll have to switch in the middle should you want to go from one extreme to the other. Riding the golf cart was always one of our kids favorite activities. The drivers are genuinely friendly and helpful.

There is a tortoise enclosure where you can come up close with these impressive creatures for the daily feeding at 4pm.

The pools are great, very well arranged with wooden decks, a real piece of paradise.

Welcome to Paradise!

The Beaches

As said previously, the resort has two beaches and each has its benefits and drawbacks. Let’s see a few pictures of each and we’ll give you our thoughts…

South beach at Constance Ephelia Resort – Anse l’Ilet

Pros:

• Very shallow water, ideal for kids

• Water activities available (kayak and sup)

• Typical granit rocks on the east side of the bay

• Quiet and peaceful

Cons:

• Shallow water, so difficult to swim

• Not ideal for snorkelling as no coral reefs

North beach at Constance Ephelia Resort – Port Launay

Pros

• Excellent for snorkelling (Port Launay Marine Park)

• Great choice of water activities (kayak, catamaran, snorkel, scubadiving, standup paddle etc)

You can rent most of the equipment free of charge. Staff at the boat house are really friendly and helpful.

Cons

• As the beaches in the Seychelles are public by law, it can get crowded and loud during the weekends (one of the reasons why we prefer to stay on the south side)

All that said, both beaches, North and South are truly beautiful and trees will provide shade to protect you and your kids from the sun.

No less than 5 restaurants to choose from at Constance Ephelia Resort

Constance Ephelia offers different cuisines ranging from the romantic Asian restaurant to the gastronomic chic. During our various stays at the Ephelia we ate at all of them and we were never disappointed. The food is always fresh, tasty and well presented.

Corossol is the main restaurant with a buffet featuring cuisine from around the world. This is also where breakfast is served every morning.

The Seselwa is located on the North Beach and brings the island taste to your plate. This has always been our favorite restaurant.

Adam & Eve, a taste of Asia. Located at the end of the South beach, the atmosphere is very romantic. You can eat either next to the swimming pool or with the feet in the sand.

Helios is a Mediterranean Buffet Restaurant

Cyann is the gourmet à la Carte restaurant located on North Beach

The Spa

Being the largest Spa in the Indian Ocean, U SPA at Ephelia Resort is an oasis of calm and beauty in the middle of a lush tropical garden. Before or after your treatment you can relax in the dry heat sauna, steam room, thermal pool, Jacuzzi, still pool, use the foot path or book a Yoga session at the Pavilion.

Babys and Kids are welcome at Constance Ephelia

The resort provides baby cots, child sized bathrobes, high chairs and whatever families with children need. A welcome treat awaits in the room. There are special baby and kids menus available to order from. Also, a Kids Club with dedicated staff who ensure children aged 4-11 have as much fun as the adults. Different activities are offered daily and there is also a playground, a trampoline and a kids swimming pool. You’ll also be happy to hear that a babysitting service is available.