What to expect
The Trois Frères Takamaka Rum Distillery was built and developed in 2002 by the brothers Richard and Bernard D'Offay. They wanted to give the Seychelles a high-quality rum made to their grandfather's recipe. That is how "Takamaka Bay Dark Rum" was born.
In 2011 Takamaka rum won two awards at the International Wine and Spirit Competition. The competition is held in London every year and is one of the best known in the field. In 2012 the distillery won four awards at the same event.
The distillery stands on the La Plaine St. André estate in the Au Cap district. The plantation house is usually dated to 1792. It later fell into disrepair and was almost destroyed by fire in 1990. Today it has been restored and houses a restaurant and a small souvenir shop, where you can buy Takamaka clothing, among other things. The grounds also include a small museum, a medicinal plant garden, the remains of historic walls and two Aldabra giant tortoises.
Tour and tasting
The tour follows the path from sugar cane through distillation to the barrel, and takes you through the garden and the museum. It is free and lasts about half an hour to an hour. Afterwards you can choose to do a tasting. If you would rather wander around the grounds on your own, that is perfectly fine too. In the garden there is a rum shack serving cocktails, and a food truck.
The following rum products are on offer
- Takamaka White Rum
- Takamaka Dark Rum
- Takamaka Cocos
- Takamaka Vodka
- Takamaka 69
- Takamaka Extra Dark
- Takamaka Bay St Andre Aged Rum
- Takamaka Bay St Andre Rum Vesou
The distillery keeps adjusting its range. At the moment the tasting covers a standard line (Seychelles Series) and a premium line (St André Series).
Getting there
By car
From Victoria, take the Bois de Rose Avenue south, then the Providence Highway, and carry straight on past the airport onto the East Coast Road. About 7 km after the airport, the sign for Takamaka is on your right. The sign and the Takamaka posters along the roadside are hard to miss. You can park right on the grounds. The drive takes about 25 minutes.
By bus
The buses to Baie Lazare pass the grounds on the East Coast Road: route 5 (Baie Lazare via Takamaka) and route 6 (Baie Lazare via Les Canelles). Karl also names route 2 (Les Canelles) and route 9 (Port Launay via Les Canelles) as further options. The journey from Victoria takes a good half hour to an hour, depending on the route and the traffic. Timetables and routes change from time to time, and you will find the current schedule with the bus operator SPTC. It is best to tell the driver when you board that you want to go to the Takamaka distillery (La Plaine St. André).
Opening times and admission
| Offer | Times and price (as of November 2026) |
|---|---|
| Admission and guided tour | free, no registration required |
| Tours Monday to Friday | 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00 |
| Tours Saturday | 11:00 and 14:00 |
| Distillery, shop and bar Monday to Thursday | 10:30 to 16:30 |
| Distillery, shop and bar Friday | 10:30 to 22:00, evening event with DJ from around 17:30 |
| Saturday | 10:30 to 16:30 |
| Sunday | mostly closed according to most sources |
| Rum tasting (optional) | around 150 to 175 SCR per person |
Duration, best time and tips
If you taste the rum, you should not drive on afterwards. A taxi or the bus is the better choice. Before you buy bottles to take home, compare the shop prices with those in the airport duty-free area. Keep in mind the limits on bringing spirits into your home country.
Nearby you will find the beach at Anse Royale and the craft village Domaine de Val des Prés. For more places to visit on the island, see the page on Mahé.
