Beach Life in the Indian Ocean

The iconic beachscapes of the Maldives feature powder-soft white sand that shelves gently down to meet breathtaking turquoise water teeming with colourful tropical fish that playfully zip amongst incredible house reefs – perfect for snorkelling. A small selection of our featured luxury resorts are blessed to have their own sand spits – deserted slivers of beach – or tiny private atolls that are perfect for romantic picnics, while feet-in-the-sand dining and sports activities can also be enjoyed on the resorts’ beaches. Mauritius boasts a slightly different landscape, where a lush, mountainous interior gives way to glorious, tranquil sandy beaches that are great for families. Royal Palm’s fabulous white-sand beach, on the north west coast, is sheltered from the trade winds, while Anahita The Resort has a secluded beach where guests can enjoy private barbecues. Seychelles, meanwhile, features a collection of luxury eco resorts that aim to protect some of the world’s most endangered species, including the Hawksbill and Green Turtles that can be found nesting at the exclusive Fregate Island Private, which also boasts a glorious beach that is consistently voted as one of the best in the world. Our final Indian Ocean destination, Sri Lanka, is blessed with swathes of golden sand around its southern perimeter, including at our featured Aman resort, which offers an 800-metre-long crescent of private beach fringed with palm trees and a beach club where guests can ensconce themselves for the day. Swimming and snorkelling off the beach is possible during the winter months, but by the summer, the waters off the coast are more suited to surfers.