Maldives Niyama Private Islands
Two islands joined by a jetty, one for lazing and one for doing. Dinner at Subsix, six metres under the sea, is a genuine one-off.
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the indian ocean
It’s the question we’re asked most, and the answer usually comes down to how you’d like to spend your days.
The Maldives is all about the water. Most islands have just one hotel, so life slows to the rhythm of the reef, the lagoon and long lunches. Few places do switching off better.
The Seychelles is wilder and greener: granite boulders, forested hills, giant tortoises and beaches you can actually walk between. It suits people who like to potter and explore, and it pairs beautifully with a few nights on a private island.
Mauritius has more going on, with mountains to hike, Creole food to try and some of the best family hotels anywhere. Madagascar is the adventurous choice, full of wildlife you won’t see anywhere else, and best rounded off with a few days on a beach.
We’ll usually suggest one or two islands rather than three, and plan flights and transfers so that travel days don’t eat into your holiday.
where to go
Four destinations, four quite different holidays. Hover over each one to see what it’s like and when to go.
Hover over or tap an island to explore
where to stay
A short list of the places we recommend again and again. There are plenty more, and we’ll always match the hotel to you.
Maldives Two islands joined by a jetty, one for lazing and one for doing. Dinner at Subsix, six metres under the sea, is a genuine one-off.
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Maldives Exceptionally private, with a golf academy, a superb spa and some of the most beautiful villas in the Maldives.
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Maldives Relaxed and stylish in the far south, with a lovely COMO Shambhala spa and good surf nearby.
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Seychelles A private island of just sixteen villas, several beaches and far more giant tortoises than guests.
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Seychelles Thirty pool villas on a quiet hillside on Mahé, each with its own butler. Wonderfully peaceful.
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Seychelles Eleven villas on a private island, known as much for its conservation work as its barefoot luxury.
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Mauritius A Mauritius classic on its own peninsula, with a long lagoon beach and a brilliant kids’ club.
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Madagascar A private island off the north-east coast, reached by helicopter. Fourteen villas, empty beaches and lemurs in the forest behind them.
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Madagascar Villas on the north-west coast, tucked into the lodge’s own nature reserve. Sifakas wander past the terrace, and at low tide the coves feel entirely your own.
Ask us about this hotelLooking for something different? We work with many more hotels and villas in this part of the world, and we'll happily suggest the right one for you.
For complete privacy, the Maldives, where a villa over the water and your own host set the pace. Couples who like to explore often prefer the Seychelles, finishing with a few nights on a private island. We know which villas to ask for at each.
The Maldives is at its best from December to April, Mauritius from May to December and Madagascar from April to November. The Seychelles is calmest in April, May, October and November. If your dates are set, we’ll tell you which island will be at its best.
Yes. The Seychelles and the Maldives work well together, as does Mauritius with a safari in southern Africa. We suggest at least four nights in each, and we plan the connections so that travel days feel as calm as the rest of the trip.
In the Maldives, usually by seaplane or private speedboat from Malé. Seaplanes fly only in daylight, so we time your flights around them. The private islands of the Seychelles and Madagascar are reached by helicopter, and elsewhere a private car will be waiting.
Very much so. Mauritius is the easiest, with short transfers and calm lagoons, and a handful of Maldives resorts are exceptional with children. We’ll suggest villas with the space you need and kids’ clubs your children will look forward to.
get in touch
Tell us when you’d like to travel and who’s coming, and we’ll come back with a few ideas to start from.
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