I've been to the Seychelles in 1998 and I absolutely loved it. The islands are so tranquil and peaceful - as a European you just can't believe it. Plus, it is so easy to get to SEZ (at least from Europe), only 9 hours of flying time and only 2 or 3 hours time difference.
While Mahé is the largest and most diverse island in the inner Seychelles I prefer Praslin or La Digue. On Praslin you'll find the Vallée de Mai, a beautiful national park, and the wonderful beach of the Cote d'Or. La Digue is a real small island but my absolute favorite. I spent 5 days on Praslin, 6 days on La Digue and 4 days on Mahé and for me it was the perfect length of time on each island.
If you compare Mauritius and Seychelles you'll find significant differences. Mauritius caters more to the european mass market than the Seychelles. There is a saying that Mauritius is a two-star destination with five-star facilities whereas the Seychelles are a five-star destination with two-star facilities. While this has definitely changed (look for example at the new Frégate Island Resort or the Lemuria Resort or Hotel L'Archipel, both on Praslin) the prices in Seychelles are significantly higher than the prices in Mauritius. Instead of booking individually you might be better of when booking through a receptive operator or through one of the specialized european operators. If you have specific questions, drop me an email. [edited for, what else, UBB corrections]

[This message has been edited by curt (edited 03-26-2001).]