Fond Ferdinand Nature Reserve
Praslin’s quieter coco de mer forest. A guided climb through a nature reserve of towering palms to a ridge with sweeping views over the island and across to La Digue, with far fewer crowds than the Vallée de Mai.
Guided walks through a jungle landscape of native coconut palms, with lookouts over hills & islands.
The other palm forest
Fond Ferdinand is the reserve that rewards visitors who want the coco de mer forest with room to breathe. Opened to the public more recently than the famous Vallee de Mai, it protects a hillside of the same ancient palms on the south-east side of Praslin, and it sees a fraction of the crowds. For many people that trade of a little more effort for a lot more peace makes it the more memorable of the two.
The reserve is usually visited on a guided walk, and a good guide brings the forest alive, explaining the coco de mer and its giant nut, the male and female trees, the endemic plants and the birds. The paths climb steadily rather than staying flat, so it asks a bit more of you than the Vallee de Mai loop.
The view from the top
The climb pays off at the ridge, where the forest opens onto a genuine panorama. From the high points you look out over the palm canopy, the south coast of Praslin, the sea and the islands beyond, with La Digue and its neighbours laid out on the horizon. It is one of the finest viewpoints on Praslin and a completely different reward from the enclosed green world of the Vallee de Mai.
Because it is a guided reserve with set walks, it pays to check times before you go and to allow a couple of hours for the full experience.
Know before you go
| Where | South-east Praslin, near Anse Marie-Louise |
| Type | Guided coco de mer forest reserve with a ridge viewpoint |
| Effort | Moderate. A steady climb, more than the Vallée de Mai loop |
| See | Wild coco de mer palms, endemic plants and birds, big island views |
| Entry | A reserve fee, usually with a guided walk |
| Time to allow | Around two hours for the full walk |
| Best time | Morning, in dry weather, for cooler climbing and clear views |
What visitors say
★ 4.6 · 1,161 Google reviews★★★★★Lovely nature reserve with easy, well-maintained walking paths. The entrance fee is in my opinion a bit steep, but the views from the top are truly beautiful and make it worth the visit.
Bram Wouters · via Google
★★★FF has no guide over the weekend so our experience was a lot less informative than we were hoping for. Definitely no crowds here, we saw maybe 5-6 people the whole time we were there. Not sure if it’s supposed to keep th…
Tricia Teo · via Google
★★★★★No guided tours at 12:30 when visited on Tuesday. Great hike through the jungle to the top with a view of the bay. It took around 1hr 15 mins to go slowly to the top and back in total but made a lot of stops (4,7k steps …
OhbeeOne · via Google
★★★Although it said tour operates daily but when we arrived…only weekday. It is a nice area but could be better if it has been cleaned up the falling tree leaves
Tindy L · via Google
A guided visit often pairs Fond Ferdinand’s forest and viewpoint with the pristine Anse Georgette beach. Stay on Praslin to reach the reserve and the beaches on the same easy day.
Perfect 5.0 ratingFond Ferdinand & Anse Georgette tourfrom €150 per groupBook this tourTours via Viator, stays via Booking.com. We may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Nearby Vallée de Mai · Anse Georgette · Anse Lazio
Choose Fond Ferdinand if you want the coco de mer forest without the crowds and do not mind a climb. The ridge view over Praslin and across to La Digue is something the Vallée de Mai cannot give you.
