An extended trip in the Indian Ocean offers the chance to see more – and get more for your money
The Indian Ocean is vast, with dreamy getaways ranging from the atolls of the Maldives to the mountains of Mauritius. For many clients, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime escape – so why not suggest they make the trip even more memorable by tagging on an extra destination, offering a totally different experience of the region without having to book a separate break.
A stop could help split up the long-haul flight: a 13-hour journey to the Seychelles could be cut almost in half with a stopover in the UAE, Qatar or Oman. Many Middle Eastern carriers also free stopover programmes (some, including Etihad and Qatar Airways, even include hotel stays), making a holiday even better value.
Or perhaps a couple who have always wanted to experience a safari but felt the southern hemisphere was too far could combine the grasslands of east Africa with a Mauritius fly-and-flop. With so many operators offering pre-packaged twin-centre trips, it pays to pair up contrasting or complementary destinations for twice the fun.
1. Sri Lanka and the Maldives
A tropical climate, unspoiled beaches and spicy island cuisine – Sri Lanka and the Maldives have lots in common but they also have different USPs. So why not suggest a trip that takes in both?
Sri Lanka is best known for national parks that are home to hard-to-spot leopards, mountainous tea plantations and historical sites such as Sigiriya, a fifth-century fortress atop a table-shaped rock.
It offers a mix of family-friendly beaches as well as wilder shores better suited to surfers.
However, the island is big – about 270 miles in length – and the main tourist spots require at least a week or two to explore. If clients need some R&R after all that adventure, a 90-minute flight will whisk them to the paradise lagoons and overwater bungalows of the Maldives.
Inspiring Travel’s 14-night private guided itinerary in Sri Lanka and the Maldives immerses guests in Sri Lanka’s capital and countryside for the first 10 days. Clients can get their bearings in buzzing Colombo, before journeying into the heart of the island to visit Buddhist shrines and stay at the Ceylon Tea Trails working plantation.
Then, it’s on to the Maldives for four nights at the five-star Baros resort, where options include a sunset dinner cruise on board the resort’s traditional dhoni, taking a Padi diving course on a kaleidoscopic reef, or just relaxing with an hour-long Ayurvedic massage. It’s all about choice on this twin centre.
Book it: The 14-night Sri Lanka Heritage plus Maldives itinerary costs from £7,599 per person, based on two sharing. The price includes listed excursions, breakfast, luggage and flights departing August 8, 2025.
inspiringtravel.co.uk
2. South Africa and Mauritius
Spotting lions, elephants, wildebeest and more from the back of a 4×4 is a bucket‑list experience – and while clients are looking through their binoculars to spy southern Africa’s rarest wildlife, they can also be looking forward to a spot of all‑inclusive relaxation in Mauritius, which is only a four‑hour hop away.
Indian Ocean specialist Kuoni offers a selection of itineraries that combine the South African bush with the jungles of Mauritius. The 11-day South Africa Safari and Mauritius trip begins with a night in Johannesburg, before moving on to the vast expanse of the Greater Makalali Private Game Reserve for three nights at Garonga Safari Camp.
Aside from twice-daily game drives – including the option to go on a walking safari, if clients feel so inclined – the camp has a heavenly collection of chilled-out activities, a sleep-out deck for those who want to doze under the stars and an outdoor tub for anyone wanting to bathe under them instead.
There’s enough time for city sights in Johannesburg before clients fly to Mauritius for five days at the Zilwa Attitude in Grand Gaube on the island’s northern coast, where there’s more than just a gorgeous beach to explore.
Throughout their stay, clients can immerse themselves in the multifaceted culture of Mauritius.
Music lovers will relish the resort’s weekly sega performers, who demonstrate the island’s colourful, skirt-swishing traditional dance form. Grand Gaube is also just a 15-minute drive from the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Gardens, where clients can see and smell thriving local flora before continuing on to Port Louis for street food – think scrumptiously spicy farata roti wraps stuffed with chickpeas – and souvenir shopping galore.
Book it: Kuoni sells a 10-night South Africa and Mauritius combination from £4,661 per person, based on two sharing, including four nights in South Africa and five in Mauritius. The price includes breakfast, some meals, excursions, transfers and flights departing in June 2025.
kuoni.co.uk
3. Dubai and the Seychelles
Dubai’s prime location and an abundance of flights from across the UK mean it’s a popular stopover – and Emirates’ twicedaily link to Mahé, the main island in the Seychelles, makes it easy to combine Dubai’s imposing skyscrapers with the towering granite formations of the Indian Ocean archipelago.
A Gold Medal itinerary incorporates the best of both worlds, starting with a three-night stay in Dubai. That will give clients enough time to discover the ultramodern city and enjoy the facilities at urban resort Dukes The Palm, which has a private beach on Palm Jumeirah and a blissful lazy river.
When clients aren’t zooming up the world’s highest building, visiting rip-roaring water parks or shopping in Dubai Mall, suggest they spend an afternoon in the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood – the 1787 Al Fahidi fort is the centrepiece of a reconstructed Emirati village, where densely packed coral buildings house spice souks, handicraft shops and an Arabic tea house.
Clients can contrast the city with a week in the Seychelles – and to give the trip a triple-centre twist, suggest a stay split across two islands, so they can soak up the distinct vibes on each.
Gold Medal recommends the plush Kempinski resort in Baie Lazare on Mahé. There are plenty of things to do on the Seychelles’ largest island, from hiking trails in the Morne Seychelles National Park to shopping for seafood in capital Victoria’s main market.
The itinerary concludes with three nights in sleepy Silhouette. The Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa is the only full-scale resort on this secluded island and there is little to do but kick back with a cocktail.
Book it: Gold Medal sells a 13-night holiday that combines three nights in Dubai, four at the Kempinski Seychelles and three at the Hilton Labriz from £2,829 per person, based on two sharing.
The price includes Emirates flights, breakfast, some meals, luggage and transfers, and is valid for departures in June 2025.
goldmedal.co.uk
Insider insight
Zoe Saunders, senior product manager for the Indian Ocean, Inspiring Travel
“The Maldives is a perennial top seller for honeymoons and romantic breaks. We then see these clients returning for anniversaries. We are seeing more people moving around on their honeymoon, whether that’s a twin centre within the Maldives to try out different islands – especially popular with clients wanting a slightly more remote island accessible by seaplane or domestic flight – or two different holidays in one, such as safari and Seychelles or Dubai and the Indian Ocean.
We’ve also seen an increase in bookings for holidays combining Sri Lanka and the Maldives.”
PICTURE: Garonga Safari Camp/Diep Chanel; Sakis Papadopoulos
