A short 45-minute boat crossing from Mahe brings you to the third largest of the islands that make up the Seychelles – the largely unspoiled and sparsely populated Silhouette. The island’s a seriously impressive sight as you approach from the sea, with an array of imposing mountain peaks towering above lush rainforest which in turn cascades down towards white powder beaches that fringe the dazzlingly blue ocean! Yet despite its size, Silhouette is home to just 2 hotels as well as a small settlement called La Passe, all of them located adjacent to the little harbour on the island’s east coast which is where you’ll arrive by boat (unless you’ve won the lottery and decide to take the much more expensive helicopter transfer over from Mahe of course!)

The Hilton Labriz Resort and Spa, lies on a mile long sweep of white sand beach stretching up from just to the north of the little harbour. The resort consists of 111 spacious villas made up of 9 different room categories (way too many to go into full detail here!) of which most guests will stay in one of the 57 King Beach Villas with their direct beach access (another 6 of these rooms also add a plunge pool to the mix). Or you could choose one of the 24 more affordable King Garden Villas which lie nestled in the lush jungle gardens just back from the beach. Our choice (if you have the budget) would probably be to splurge on one of the 9 King Deluxe Beachfront Pool Villas which with their extra space (they measure 185 sqm!) are also a great choice for families with young kids.

Whichever room type you choose though, you’ll find rooms that combine the best of modern and traditional styling and features, with indoor/outdoor bathrooms including enticing outdoor rain showers and with gorgeous polished hardwood floors featuring in many of the room types. What we particularly like though are the open ceiling spaces of all the rooms, which greatly amplifies the feeling of spaciousness in these already generously proportioned rooms!

As you would probably expect from a reasonably large sized resort, there’s loads of options at the Hilton Labriz when it comes to activities to keep you occupied. The unspoiled nature of most of Silhouette island is exemplified by the fact that 93% of the island is designated as a nature reserve whilst the surrounding waters are a Marine Park. Step out onto the soft, white sand framed with the iconic Seychelles trademark large granite boulders to explore on a relaxing beach walk (the resort is on a long stretch of lovely beach but there is a quieter and more pristine stretch to the north of the resort beyond the Spa, as well as some gorgeous little sandy coves dotted around the island) This island is also a great choice for hikers, with no less than 5 trails allowing you to explore the natural wonders of the island with its stunning rain forest (including examples of the unique Coco de Mer trees found here and more famously on Praslin island) with the mountainous peaks towering above you.

Back at the resort, a wide-variety of activities are on offer including padel and tennis or, if you fancy a more laidback time, then head to the Spa for a blissfully relaxing massage or treatment. A range of eco-friendly watersports are also available including snorkelling and scuba diving through the resort’s  5-star PADI Diving Centre. Ultimately, whether you keep active all day or prefer to just chill on a sun lounger, you’ll end up having happy days at the Hilton Labriz!

Actually, make that “happy evenings” too! At sunset, enjoy a delicious tropical cocktail as the island’s massive fruit bats emerge from the rain forest, flying impressively overhead as they head off to feed on the mango and other fruit trees on the island. Talking of feeding, with a choice of 7 different restaurants at the resort there’s something to keep just about every guest happy! Enjoy breakfast in the main buffet restaurant, Café Dauban - a great way to start the day with its huge range of healthy options such as cooked to order omelettes and fresh smoothies – or mimosas and pastries if you fancy being more indulgent!

But it’s the option to dine around at the different speciality restaurants that ensures that you’ll never get bored. (note that some of these are at extra cost and will also have to be booked whilst at the resort). From the live food theatre that is Teppanyaki, the Italian flavoured fare at Portobello, to the barefoot beachside bar/restaurant Four Degrees, dining is a real highlight here. Perhaps our favourite restaurant of all is Grann Kaz – a Creole themed option located in the gorgeously restored colonial mansion that was the family home of the island’s 19^th century French owners! Afterwards head off for some chilled live music at the funky Lo Brizan bar, where you can wind down over an ice-cold drink having enjoyed yet another fantastic day on Silhouette! And perhaps best of all, the Hilton Labriz is one of only a handful of resorts in the Seychelles which offers an All-Inclusive option where your drinks are also included, thereby avoiding the worst of those nasty surprises upon settling the bill on your departure!