A Drop in the Ocean

Of course you know the Indian Ocean is full of beautiful islands, but what you might not realize is how much there is to do once you get there …

Maldives

Dine in a restaurant under the sea. On the beach, over the water … under the sea – you’ve not seen true luxury’ until you’ve experienced dining options like the ones at the Maldives’ latest resort, Hurawalhi. Opening 1 December, this cool retreat is one where you don’t have to don a wetsuit, or even enter the water at all, to see the remarkable local sea life. Just don’t let that giant ugly fish put you off your grub.

Go on an island hopping adventure. With well over 1,000 islands to explore, it’s a wonder island hopping didn’t catch on sooner in the Maldives. On this brand new tour, you’ll be diving the best sites in the South Male Atoll by day, then kicking back with a different bunch of locals every night – the perfect break if you’re listless with all things luxe.

Nurse turtles back to health. What’s better than staying in a rustic thatched-roof villa on a boardwalk over the Indian Ocean? Loads of turtles, that’s what. The Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu resort has teamed up with marine charity the Olive Ridley Project to help nurture injured sea turtles back to their best – expect tailored snorkel adventures and romantic interiors.

Mauritius

Learn to get some kip. All 36 acres of the supremely elegant Shanti Maurice resort ooze absolute escapism. No, that’s not us – it’s that feeling you get when you finally let yourself relax with this retreat’s brand-new yogic sleep programme, which helps you sit back, get meditative and feel the zzzs…

Take a walk with some ancient giant tortoises. Ok, so with loads of 100-year-old giant tortoises, we can hardly call the Francois Legault Reserve reserve of bat-filled caves and rare plants new (although it certainly makes a change to your normal Mauritius beach break). But if your perfect getaway’s all about living life in the slow lane, well, there’s really now here better to ramble round for an hour or two.

Eat creole cuisine on a food tour. With a rich culture of creole cuisine, Mauritius is pretty much a heaven for foodies. On this week-long tour from Feast of Mauritius you’ll chomp your way through 35 recipes while sampling the best rum, lobster and, er, waterfalls this blissful tropical Island has to offer.

Seychelles

Relax and luxuriate. If lush green palms, perpetual summer and dramatic granite outcrops are your tiling, Six Senses’ new Zil Pasyon resort on the private island of Félicité is probably right up your star-studded alley. Bask like a Bond villain by your own pool or catch a movie beneath the stars at the resort’s cinema.

Raise anchor with a catamaran adventure. Why have one island when you can have them all? On this cool new all-inclusive sailing trip by Moorings you’ll explore secluded coves from the comfort of a skippered five-bed yacht. With a bar stocked with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a personal chef, it’s the perfect place to get some me time (unless you decide to take the in-laws).

Party it up in the capital. When the sun goes down on Victoria, it’s time to unbutton, leave that lounger and try something a little different. Escape the plush in-resort clubs of Mahé and make a big old conga line down the tactfully-named Tequila Boom out in Beau Belle, or dance with the sea lapping your feet at Katiolo. The locals love it, as do we.

Sri Lanka

Ride the waves. The fact that pop-up surf spot pioneer Soul & Surf has decided to set up a permanent base on Sri Lanka’s picturesque south coast means one tiling and one tiling only – those waves are damn good. When you’re not riding big breakers in the deep blue, you’ll be eased back to fine fettle with massages and yoga.

Sip char and watch wildlife. At face value, the Tea Trails bungalows aren’t all that different from the rainy weekend you had in Ilfracombe when you were a kid – they involve cups of tea and bungalows, after all. However, these luxurious lodgings come with the welcome addition of leopards, lizards and roaming wild boar on the resort’s new action-packed night-time trail. We re beginning to wonder why bungalows have such a bad rep.

Cook green grub. If you like your summer break with a chilli kick, book a trip with Ecowave Travels and make your way to Arugam Bay, the east coast’s hottest surf spot. When you’re not sunning on the sand, you can learn to make Sri Lankan delicacies with locally sourced organic ingredients. It’s sustainable and responsible tourism at its tastiest.

Other Islands

Catch some serious air in Tanzania. Don’t be fooled by the white sand and crystal coves: Paje beach in Zanzibar is far wilder than it looks. With year-round sun the sapphire sea is always warm – lucky really, because even with expert instruction at Zanzibar Kite Paradise you’ll probably be falling in the drink pretty often.

Discover new heights in Madagascar. Who needs a private pool when you’re hurtling down the river on a two-man raft? This 15-night expedition with Secret Compass is sure to be full of highs (2,600m ones at Madagascar’s second highest peak, to be precise) and lows (that moment when you wipe out on a steep, slippery forest path). The tilings we do for fun, eh?

Soak up the rays on Koh Lipe, Thailand. On this tiny, peaceful, car-free island, we don’t blame you for not wanting to do much. If you do get sick of sipping cocktails in a sea view villa at Sawan Resort, the sea’s warm and home to a quarter of the world’s species of tropical fish.