Madagascar
Lemurs, chameleons and baobabs found almost nowhere else: a wildlife journey first, with a beach at the end if you want one.
Four very different island nations, from single-resort coral atolls to granite beaches and lemur forests
Indian Ocean travel: Indian Ocean
How to think about Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean islands look alike in photographs and feel very different on the ground. The Maldives is coral atolls, one resort to an island, where the reef and the transfer matter most. The Seychelles has granite boulders, forest and islands you can hop between by ferry. Mauritius is one larger island with golf, mountains, Creole food and hotels that suit families.
Madagascar is the outlier. It is a wildlife trip first, for lemurs, chameleons and baobabs, with long drives and simpler lodges, and a beach at the end if you want one.
Two islands in one trip works well: Mauritius with the Seychelles, or a few nights in the Seychelles before the Maldives. Many people come here after a safari, which is an easy hop from Kenya, Tanzania or South Africa. The seasons vary by island and even by coast, so we match the island to your month rather than the other way round.
Destinations in Indian Ocean
Maldives
Twenty-six coral atolls, one resort to an island: here the reef and the transfer decide the holiday, so we start there.
Mauritius
One island with lagoon beaches, forest gorges and Creole cooking, where the coast you choose matters as much as the hotel.
Seychelles
Granite boulders, forested peaks and islands you can hop between by ferry: the Indian Ocean for people who like to explore.
Journeys in Indian Ocean
Sample routes to start from. Every one can be changed.
Mauritius south and east coasts: nine nights of rest
Five nights on the quiet south coast at Bel Ombre, with spa days and walks in the hills, then four nights on the east coast at Trou d'Eau Douce, where the lagoon is calm and a kids club takes the children for the morning.
Praslin, La Digue and North Island in ten nights
Three islands, three speeds: a hillside pool villa on Praslin near the Vallée de Mai, bicycles and granite boulders on La Digue, and four nights on North Island, reached by helicopter from Mahé.
Sri Lanka and the Maldives: temples, tea and a far atoll
Eight nights in Sri Lanka with a private driver-guide, from the rock fortress at Sigiriya to the tea estates and the old fort at Galle, then a short flight to Malé and five nights on a quiet island in Thaa Atoll.
From the Journal
The Maldives, Mauritius or the Seychelles: which island suits you?
Three sets of Indian Ocean islands, often booked as if they were interchangeable. They are not. Here is how they differ by season, by flight, by style and by the kind of traveller each one suits.
The Maldives month by month
There is no bad month to be in the Maldives, but there are very different ones. Here is how the two monsoons shape the water, the light, the prices and the wildlife, and how we match the month to the trip.
Plan your Indian Ocean trip
No forms to get through first. Tell us roughly what you have in mind and a specialist will take it from there.