First off, don’t get confused by the “Beachcomber” part of the hotel’s name. There is no link at all with the well-known chain of large, slick Mauritius resorts under that brand - in fact, it’s difficult to imagine something more different to those resorts than this charming and casual little hotel!

What the Anse Soleil Beachcomber DOES offer is the chance for people on a limited budget to experience the beauty of these notoriously expensive islands without having to resort to the truly awful large budget resorts that you often see advertised at “bargain” prices. So what then does the Anse Soleil Beachcomber have to offer? First and foremost amongst its attractions must be the hotel’s location on an idyllic secluded, sandy cove. Boasting powder soft white sand fringed with tropical palms, lapped by a crystal clear sea and boasting some stunning rounded granite glacis (large boulders), the beach here is stunningly beautiful - arguably the most beautiful on Mahe in fact! The water is warm enough for swimming year round, shallow enough at its edge for children, and clear enough to offer some good snorkelling especially around the headland to the left of the hotel (and the hotel will lend you masks and snorkels) With such a gorgeous natural playground on the hotel’s doorstep, the absence of a swimming pool is hardly missed.

The 20 rooms here are made up of 4 different types and the oddity here is that the cheaper and least stylish/luxurious rooms are actually the closest to the sea whilst the more premium rooms are actually located further away from the water in a more elevated position on the hill side above the bay - so they still enjoy sea views but are further from the sand which is a real pity. Basically what has happened is that it is the hotel’s older, original rooms (the 5 Standard and 5 Superior Rooms) which enjoy the prime ocean front positions literally within a pebble’s toss of the beach and ocean - they’re roomy and clean and the décor is the typically old fashioned and quite dated fare found in so much of the older hotels and guesthouses in the Seychelles, with tiled floors, white walls, sturdy dark wood furniture and Creole paintings predominating. A more recent addition (built in 2007) are the 4 Premier Rooms and these are a definite upgrade internally compared to the island-style chintz of the cheaper rooms – instead these very spacious rooms boast more contemporary style and fittings with cool stone coloured screeded floors, bold modern artworks and more modern furniture; but it’s the huge walk-in showers with double shower roses that really caught our eye! The newest arrivals (mid-2022) are the 6 new Pool Villas which again are built further up the hill but which boast lovely plunge pools - again though the main negative is that they are actually the furthest from the water's edge. We're really looking forward to the older rooms closest to the beach being modernised and upgraded in the future as these would then be a no brainer first choice.

Since we first visited the hotel, a lovely new introduction has been the construction of a new deck built on stilts out over the rocks and water below - the perfect place to enjoy a tasty lunch or cocktail under the protecting shade of a large overhanging tree whilst enjoying the gorgeous views out over the beach! This lies adjacent to the original small open-sided restaurant and bar where you can relax whilst the friendly staff serve up consistently good food.  Another option is to stroll across the beach to the independent Anse Soleil Café – a casual sand floored restaurant with a well justified reputation for excellent seafood which also enjoys similarly stunning views over the beach.

One of the things that we think is absolutely essential for you to enjoy a stay here is to rent a car (the hotel offers car hire onsite at extremely good rates) – this enables you to explore this south-east corner of Mahe at your leisure. This is the most attractive, unspoiled area of Mahe and a true artist’s haven so you can drop in on a number of studios in the area. Of course, there are also fantastic unspoiled beaches nearby with Anse Intendance and Takamaka beach being just two fantastic examples. The lovely Chez Batista restaurant at Takamaka beach is a great lunch option on your explorations – this is “beach shack chic” at its best with its thatched roof, sandy floors and stunning position literally on one of the most spectacular beaches on Mahe. This is the perfect place to kick back with an ice-cold SeyBrew whilst enjoying some superb seafood before going for a barefoot stroll along the beach – the only problem is that you’ll never want to come back home!