Picture-perfect palm-fringed beaches? Check. Balmy seas and dreamy weather? Check. A fantastic range of accommodation ranging from high-end luxury to great value all-inclusives? Ditto.
When it comes to the elements of a dream holiday or honeymoon, the islands of the Indian Ocean have it pretty much sewn up. Small wonder even recession-hit Brits continue to flock there.
Seychelles
Last year the Seychelles attracted a record 174,000 arrivals, a figure its tourism board hopes to grow by 7% this year, helped by events such as the inaugural three-day Carnaval International de Victoria, which ran from March 4-6, and better-value packages. One resort to recently add an all-inclusive offering is the Allamanda Beach Resort & Spa, while Beachcomber’s Sainte Anne Resort & Spa will do the same on May 1.
New airlift is also playing a part. On March 28, Emirates will increase the frequency of its Dubai-Seychelles route from seven to 10 a week as it launches its Connecting the World to Seychelles campaign, backed with special packages and fam trips.
Kenya Airways, meanwhile, is promoting its onward flights from Nairobi to Indian Ocean destinations, allowing for twin-centre safari and beach breaks. To this end it has joined forces with suppliers including Fairmont Hotels & Resorts to take out a group of UK agents on March 19 on a trip to Seychelles and Kenya.
And when it comes to properties, they don’t get much hotter than the Raffles Praslin, which opened last month. The hotel, the company’s first in the Indian Ocean, features 86 one and two-bedroom villas boasting private plunge pools and generous outdoor sheltered pavilions, plus an opulent spa with 13 treatment pavilions, the Sugar Palm Kids Club and Raffles Butler service.
Elsewhere, Hilton is undertaking a major refurb of the 111-villa former Labriz resort on the island of Silhouette, as part of its rebranding as the Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa.
The Maldives
Sunset Faraway Holidays commercial director Shamira Kaumaya-Hatt says the lure of affordable luxury options such as Velassaru and Baros helped the Maldives become its fastest growing destination last year. One of the latest properties to add an all-inclusive option is the Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa in the South Ari Atoll.
Guests can trade up to the new Gold plan package for about £40 a day, in return receiving goodies such as a daily 60-minute spa treatment.
Meanwhile, to celebrate its first anniversary, the Beach House Maldives is offering guests $100 (per room) of in-resort credit every day until December 23. The Waldorf Astoria-owned resort has also introduced a seaplane (pictured) to transfer guests to and from Malé International airport.
New options include the five-star 36-villa Jumeirah Dhevanafushi resort on Gaafu Alifu Atoll, south of Malé. To celebrate the opening of the property, its first in the Maldives, Jumeirah has this month launched a range of opening offers.
This year also sees the opening of the hotly anticipated Raffles Konottaa, on Gaafu Dhaal in the southern Maldives, while resorts receiving the rebrand and refurb treatment include the 273-villa Herathera Island Resort, on Addu. Onyx hospitality will reopen the property before year-end as the Amari Addu Maldives – the first Amari outside Thailand.
Also new is the 61-villa Viceroy Maldives, opening in September. Operators featuring the resort include W&O, which offers seven nights’ B&B from £2,763, including flights and transfers.
Mauritius
Mauritius’s hotel boom is set to continue this year, thanks to openings like the opulent, 174-room St Regis Mauritius in June, and Sun Resorts’ new design-led offering, Long Beach, set to open this spring. Operators featuring Long Beach include Hayes & Jarvis, which has also added the Paradise Beach Apartments at Pointe d’Esny, on the southeast coast.
Juliet Darlington, Indian Ocean product manager at Hayes & Jarvis, says the property’s luxury serviced apartments, backed by the local restaurant offerings, provide an alternative experience to the island’s traditional half-board hotel offerings. “The experience is akin to that of a villa, making a private residence available to people who would not previously have considered this,” she says.
Another high-profile spring opening is the Angsana Balaclava, a 50-suite boutique resort in Baie aux Tortues (Turtle Bay). A highlight is the Angsana Spa, which has a hammam and hydrotherapy pool.
On the flights front, British Airways is switching its Mauritius service from Heathrow to Gatwick from November 1.
Sri Lanka
The Sri Lankan Tourism Board hopes to attract 700,000 visitors this year, having designated 2011 Visit Sri Lanka Year.
The building blocks are certainly there. Since the end of the bloody civil war in 2009, airlift has increased and the north of the island continues to open up to tourism. Kuoni, for example, added northeastern surfing hotspot Trincomalee to its 2011 brochure.
The country offers incredible value. Kuoni’s lead-in price, for example, is £675 for seven nights’ B&B at Browns Beach.
Hotel investment is also helping to fuel demand. Developments include the reopening of the refurbished Saman Villas (above), while the Taj Exotica in Bentota is to undergo a refurb as part of its rebranding to Vivanta by Taj.
Sheena Paton, Kuoni’s market manager for the Indian Ocean, says: “For customers seeking relaxation and cultural experiences, Sri Lanka is a great destination to combine with the Maldives as a multi-centre.”
Mauritius roadshows
The Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority and Air Mauritius have teamed up to host six agent roadshows in the UK and Ireland. The events will offer sales tips and updates on the latest developments, as well as prizes, including holidays. Here are the roadshow dates:
- London: The Waldorf Hilton – March 29
- Manchester: Radisson Edwardian – March 30
- Edinburgh: Hilton Edinburgh Grosvenor Hotel – March 31
- Leeds: Park Plaza Hotel – April 5
- Birmingham: Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel – April 6
- Dublin: Radisson Blu Royal Hotel – April 7
To reserve a place email mauritius@hillsbalfour.com.
Sample packages
Hayes & Jarvis has cut the price of seven-night, half-board breaks at Long Beach, departing June 17, to £1,459, including Air Mauritius flights from Heathrow and transfers.
Book it: 0871 200 2211, Hayes & Jarvis agent site
Sunset Faraway has seven nights’ B&B at the five-star Velassaru resort from £1,109 for travel between May 1 and July 24, including economy flights with Qatar Airways.
Book it: 020 8774 7100, Sunset Faraway agent site
Premier Holidays has 14 nights’ all-inclusive at the Mermaid Hotel and Club in Kalutara, Sri Lanka, from £899 based on two adults sharing a standard room, including flights with Etihad Airways via Abu Dhabi and private transfers. The price is valid for travel between May 1 and June 30.
Book it: 0844 493 7531, Premier Holidays agent site
Transindus offers seven or 14 nights’ B&B in a Superior Suite at Saman Villas (pictured below), Sri Lanka, travelling between May 1 and July 6, for £1,435 and £2,125 respectively, including flights with SriLankan Airlines from Heathrow and private transfers.
Book it: 020 8901 7320, holidays@industours.co.uk
