Indian Ocean

Where to Go

• Zanzibar: Stone Town's old streets and the reefs of the Mnemba atoll, a short flight from the Serengeti. See our Zanzibar page.
• Mozambique's Bazaruto Archipelago: a marine national park of dunes, seagrass and reef, reached via Vilanculos from Johannesburg.
• The Seychelles: granite islands around Mahé, Praslin and La Digue, and flat coral islands further out.
• Mauritius: a larger island with a reef-protected lagoon, mountains inland, and a wide choice of resorts.
• The Maldives: coral atolls where each resort has its own island, reached by seaplane or boat from Malé.

What to Do

Snorkel and dive from the beach or by boat, sail on a dhow in Zanzibar or Mozambique, and look for whales off Mozambique from about July to October. In the Seychelles, walk the Vallée de Mai on Praslin and see giant tortoises on Curieuse. In Mauritius, hike Black River Gorges and visit the botanical garden at Pamplemousses. In the Maldives, plan around the reef and, in season, the manta rays of Baa Atoll.

Best Time to Go

June to October suits Zanzibar, Mozambique, the Seychelles and Mauritius, and lines up with the dry season on safari. The Maldives is best from December to April. January to March brings heat and cyclone risk to Mozambique and Mauritius, and April and May are the long rains in Zanzibar. The Seychelles has the calmest seas in April, May, October and November.

Getting Around and How Long to Stay

Zanzibar is about an hour and a half by air from Arusha or Nairobi, and has scheduled light-aircraft links from the Serengeti. For Bazaruto, fly from Johannesburg to Vilanculos, then take a helicopter or boat. Mahé and Mauritius have flights from Johannesburg and Nairobi, and the Maldives is usually reached through Dubai or Doha. We suggest four or five nights on Zanzibar or Bazaruto and five to seven on the farther islands.

Where to Stay

Zanzibar: andBeyond Mnemba Island is a barefoot lodge on its own small island off the northeast coast.

Mozambique: Kisawa Sanctuary and andBeyond Benguerra Island are both on Benguerra Island in the Bazaruto Archipelago.

Seychelles: North Island is a private island with 11 villas. Six Senses Zil Pasyon sits among the boulders of Félicité, and Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island is the only resort on a remote coral island.

Mauritius: One&Only Le Saint Géran fills a peninsula on the east coast, and The Oberoi Beach Resort, Mauritius is on the calmer northwest coast.

Maldives: Soneva Fushi in Baa Atoll, Cheval Blanc Randheli in Noonu Atoll and JOALI Maldives in Raa Atoll.

Pairing

Zanzibar pairs naturally with Tanzania and Kenya, Mozambique with South Africa, and Mauritius and the Seychelles with either, or with Botswana via Johannesburg. Our guide to beach after safari covers the routes, and Seychelles, Mauritius or the Maldives helps you choose between the three.