Sea Monkey Villa

Sea Monkey Villa on Mahé is perched dramatically on its own rocky outcrop at the lush, northern end of the island, the villa is in a secluded location surrounded by waving palms, sandy coves and the sparkling waters of the Indian Ocean. Sea Monkey is a private villa blending luxurious facilities and services with stylish interiors and a truly stunning location in the Seychelles.

Family-owned, personally decorated and fully staffed, guests love Sea Monkey because it offers all the luxuries and personal service of a boutique hotel, but with a far more homely feel. The emphasis here will always be on the personal touch delivered by a team who truly care about the experience and wellbeing of their guests.

Here’s just a little bit more about the people who make Sea Monkey tick…that’s to say, Marcel and Corinna Frichot, professional hoteliers of many years. They started out at Denis Island in the Seychelles in 1980, before opening Knockinaam Lodge, a small country house hotel in Dumfries and Galloway, south west Scotland. Here they were awarded a Michelin star and won Country House Hotel of the Year in the same year.

In case you are wondering about the villa’s name: Seychelles legend tells of an impish character, often fleetingly glimpsed but never fully seen. Marcel and Corinna have it on good authority that this elusive, magical creature is a monkey, and its curled tail is now the villa’s logo.

Sea Monkey Villa was designed by the renowned Mauritian architect, Jean Marc Eynaud. Stretching out across 400 square metres, inside the villa is all chic, earthy tones, plush wooden floors and grand, wooden beamed ceilings, while high glass doors slide open on to panoramic views of the quiet surrounding coves, and out across the ocean to Praslin and La Digue islands.

The interiors are a striking blend of traditional and contemporary, with aesthetic notes throughout that channel the surroundings and handpicked objets d’art and soft furnishings bringing a real sense of personality and individual style to every corner of the place.

There are four rooms in total, with the villa sleeping up to eight people. All the rooms come with double beds adorned with high thread count Egyptian cotton sheets, air-conditioning, high-speed Wi-Fi, private balconies and jaw-dropping floor to ceiling views over the waves. If all that wasn’t quite indulgent enough, ensuite bathrooms are decked out with soft Italian cotton towels, top of the range, luxury bathroom products and sea views.

Style-wise, each room is individually decorated with carefully handpicked lamps, side tables, mirrors, cushions, throws and headboards made of beautiful, local Takamaka wood. Each room is slightly different from the last: no room overlooks another, even though they all have balconies; two rooms have high wood-beamed ceilings, while another can be fitted out with two single beds; another even comes with its own additional outdoor shower.

Situated less than a five-minute walk from the beach, Sea Monkey looks out over all it surveys from the tip of a small, rocky peninsula. The unobstructed 180-degree views take in two distant islands, a pair of bays situated on either side of the villa, a front landscape of ancient granite boulders descending to the azure waters and a small, secluded cove a short swim away.

In front of the villa and framing the view of the sea is Sea Monkey’s dramatic centrepiece and focal point: a 60 square metre infinity pool. Surrounded by loungers and giving onto multiple levels of wooden decking, it’s one of those rare places where time can stand still as you lie back and listen to the waves lapping on the rocks.

The villa is surrounded by 1600 square metres of lush, well-maintained tropical gardens. The perimeters are fringed with attractive floral margins and, in places, by fruit-bearing tropical trees such as avocado, bananas, chillies, patole, paw paw, red coconuts, citronelle and lime – all of which of course, make their way to the dining table.

From the gardens there’s direct access down to the sea via a gentle flight of steps, where you can swim, go kayaking or snorkelling, or even lazily cast a line out to try to catch a fish or two. If even that sounds too much like hard work, you can just sit and watch the fishermen hauling in the catch of the day on their colourful boats or our resident dolphin pod playing in the waves.

The spacious and well-equipped indoor kitchen, and an in-house chef to whip up anything you should fancy, ensures that all your culinary requirements are catered for in style. To complete the cooking and dining offering there’s a gazebo with a lounge, bar, barbecue and a dining area accessed by a walkway carved through dramatic granite outcrops straight from the Jurassic era. The villa is fully staffed by a manageress, two house boys, laundry person and in-house chef who between them can cater to your every need.

Sea Monkey’s range of amenities extends from fishing rods for casting off the rocks and snorkelling equipment, to kayaks, paddling boards and, back on dry land, a table tennis table. The hosts are also delighted to organise car rentals, fishing and diving trips and other excursions, and can also arrange for in-house yoga sessions and spa treatments on request.