Choosing a meal plan
Meal plans in Seychelles are fairly layered: resorts on Mahé and Praslin mostly default to bed and breakfast (BB) or half board (HB), with plenty of places to eat off-site (Victoria, small beach restaurants); private- and outer-island resorts, with nowhere else to eat, mostly default to full board or all-inclusive. Dining prices are generally high, so the wrong tier means either paying for perks you will not use or eating à la carte every day and wincing at the bill. This page explains the common tiers and gives a way to decide.
BB · Bed & Breakfast
Includes: Breakfast (usually buffet)
Lunch and dinner are on you — the usual default at mid-range resorts and guesthouses on Mahé and Praslin. Good if you like to plan your own meals and are happy to eat at beach restaurants or in town; remember Seychelles restaurant prices are not low.
HB · Half Board
Includes: Breakfast · Dinner
Lunch is extra; dinner is usually à la carte or a set menu at one or two designated restaurants, with drinks mostly separate. Good if you are out on boats, island-hopping or hiking by day and just want a settled dinner.
FB · Full Board
Includes: Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Usually still limited to designated restaurants at set times, with drinks extra. Better value for families and older relatives on regular meal schedules, or on islands with nowhere else to eat.
AI · All Inclusive
Includes: Three meals · Some snacks · Soft drinks and drinks within a set range
The mainstream tier on outer and many private islands, often including some activities or non-motorised water sports; at chain or large resorts on Mahé and Praslin it is usually an optional upgrade rather than the default. A basic AI plan often serves only at the main restaurant at set times, with specialty restaurants, premium drinks, boat trips and diving extra.
- · On an outer or private island (one resort only) → very likely FB or AI by default; the point is to confirm exactly which drinks and activities are covered
- · On Mahé or Praslin → check whether the default is BB or HB; with plenty of places to eat off-site, book BB only if you do not want daily set meals
- · Children or older relatives on regular meal schedules → FB or AI, to cut the effort of ordering each meal
- · Lots of island-hopping or days away from the hotel → BB or HB; AI is likely wasted
- · You do not drink → look for a tier without drinks, and do not pay a drinks premium
- · Price gaps vary widely by resort and season — go by the actual quote, not by differences from another destination
Mixing up the default meal plan of remote islands and big islands
Many assume all of Seychelles is all-inclusive by default like the private islands, then find their Mahé resort covers only breakfast; others book an outer island without realising it is already all-inclusive and add a package on top. Confirm which model the specific resort uses before booking.
“All-inclusive” does not mean everything is free
Drink brands, specialty restaurants, boat trips, diving and spa usually have limits on scope or number; read the inclusions line by line before booking rather than taking the label literally.
Underestimating that a small island has no alternative
Outer and private islands are basically one resort per island; unlike Mahé you cannot drive elsewhere to eat, so think before choosing a meal plan about whether you will be stuck inside the resort’s dining system.
Even on all-inclusive, excursions and diving are essentially never covered — go to Water sports & diving costs to see how much to budget for that.