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COUSIN ISLAND OPENING HOURS, HOW TO GET THERE AND WHAT TO EXPECT.
Cousin Island Special Reserve is open to visitors Monday to Friday excluding Public Holidays. Opening hours are from 0945 until 1230. The island is closed to visitors in the afternoon.

Visits to Cousin are undertaken by local tour operators – Cousin Island does not organise trips to the island. If you are staying on Praslin, arranging a trip to Cousin Island is easily done through whichever hotel or guesthouse you will be staying at. They will help you find a local operator who can bring you across for your excursion.

To arrange a VIP trip in the afternoon, or for Cruise ship enquiries, contact our Mahé office (+248) 2519090 / +248 4 601 100.

Tickets

SCR 600

SCR 300 for Residents

Free for all children (resident and non-resident) below the age of 12 years.

Film crews and commercial photographers pay commercial fees and should contact the Nature Seychelles’ Head Office prior to getting to Cousin. Telephone: (Mahe Office) (+248) 2519090, Email: nature@seychelles.net

Educational and other large groups should contact the Nature Seychelles office prior to making a trip.

What to expect

Approximately 200m before you reach Cousin Island, you will be transferred to one of the Warden boats, skippered by one of the Reserve’s specialist boat handlers. From there, you will make the final journey to the island and be amazed by the landing process of driving the boat right onto the beach. The strict transfer process to the island on board one of the Reserve boats is a measure implemented to prevent the accidental introduction of pests onto the Reserve.

You may have a short wait in one of the dedicated waiting shelters where you can relax after your journey and begin to take in the abundance of wildlife. Use this time to apply mosquito repellent. You will then set off on a guided tour of the island with one of the Reserve’s Wardens who will explain the special biodiversity and highlights of Cousin Island. Tours last approximately 75 minutes and are conducted in English and in French. Depending on group size and ability, tours may take in the hillier section of the island as well as the highlights of the plateau. Please contact the Chief Warden if you have any special mobility requirements.

Please note that there is no overnight accommodation or barbeque facilities on the island and the island has no stores or amenities. It is highly recommended to bring essentials with you such as water, mosquito repellent, and a high factor sun block.

Respecting rules and keeping your visit low impact

A high quality tourism experience depends on the conservation of our environment, and respecting both international and local practices and regulations.

Cousin is a Special Reserve under Seychelles Law. The National Parks and Nature Conservancy Act 1969 states that a Special Reserve is ‘an area, which the characteristic wildlife requires protection and which all other interests and activities are subordinate’. Nature conservation, research and ecotourism are the only human activities.

Cousin is also an IUCN Protected Area Category 1a, which is a strict nature reserve where people’s visits and their impacts are controlled to ensure protection of the conservation values.

We have developed and adopted a Code of Ethics to achieve these objectives.

Please follow the instructions given by the island wardens:

  • Follow all Covid-19 health guidelines and regulations as directed.
  • Follow guidelines for photography. The following should not be used: large equipment which could slow down your group, could get damaged or hurt someone; bright flashes or tripods that disturb the animals
  • Do not smoke or light fires or use hazardous chemicals
  • Do not litter – if you bring it with you, take it with you
  • Do not take any natural materials or products
  • Please ensure that you have personal insurance to cover for any accident, loss or damage
  • Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear and protect yourself with sunscreen and mosquito repellent

Following the above will help you to enjoy our natural heritage and help us to preserve it!

Disclaimer: Nature Seychelles disclaims all responsibility for any losses or material physical damage to visitors whilst in the reserve or on board the reserve shuttle boat

Cousin Island: World’s 1st Carbon Neutral Nature Reserve

Recognising the environmental impact of international tourists, most traveling by air and reaching the island by boat, Nature Seychelles in 2010 made Cousin Island carbon neutral, the first nature reserve in the world to do so.

This involved measuring emissions associated with Cousin, reviewing opportunities for ongoing reductions and continuously investing in high quality carbon credits from accredited projects in the international market. Learn more