Your Own Island Paradise
Imagine gentle tropical breezes, extraordinary birdlife, and wildlife, snorkeling, diving and fishing in crystal clear tropical waters, or simply doing nothing under the sway of a dancing palm tree. A visit to an Indian Ocean Island is either the perfect end to a traditional African safari or a unique holiday or honeymoon experience all on its own.
From Goa, we follow the ancient spice routes of the Malabar Coast calling at coastal trading ports and the untouched islands of Lakshadweep before the emerald gem of Sri Lanka, our final visit to the Lakshadweep chain and our return to Goa. The Lakshadweep Islands are scattered like pearls across the vastness of the Arabian Sea. This unique island chain, volcanic in origin, offers uninhabited islands, coral atolls, pristine lagoons and crystal clear seas rich in marine life.
Explore the bustling city of Colombo or travel inland to the tea plantations and world famous lake temple in the Buddhist centre of Kandy. In Tuticorin famous for pearls, Trivandrum, with colourful martial art and dance displays, offers an exciting port of call. Voyaging north we return to our private tropical hideaway, the Lakshadweep islands. Step ashore into soft warm sand. Dive untouched reefs, snorkel or take a glass-bottomed boat through these turquoise-blue waters. Stroll the uninhabited islands, take a massage in the shade of the coconut palms.
Madagascar
Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world and is off the southeast coast of Africa.
Strange rock formations, coral beaches, rainforests, lemurs, gorges, waterfalls, and very friendly locals will make this place unlike any you have seen before.
Mauritius
Mauritius is a small island in the Indian Ocean with pristine beaches, fantastic water wildlife viewing, and relaxation. Mauritius continues to fulfill every visitor’s dream of a tropical island, from swaying palms to the dazzling blue of the ocean, balmy nights and smiling people. The Mauritian Garden of Eden is as much marine and ‘sub-marine’ as it is terrestrial. This jewel of the seas, set within the beautiful Indian Ocean, is surrounded by a precious filigree of coral, created over thousands of years from the bodies of tiny marine creatures. It’s the experience of a lifetime !
Palm trees, crystal clear lagoons, and coral reefs make this island the beautiful tropical paradise it is. One of the loveliest gardens in the world, the island inspires visions of unspoiled natural beauty mellowing in the sun between sea and sky. Its racially diverse people is a part of the natural set up, ever beaming with the typical gentle tropical smile of sensual, carefree and contented happiness. Mark Twain recorded his poetic delight when he wrote: “You gather that Mauritius was made first, and then heaven and that heaven was copied after Mauritius”.
Zanzibar
The Spice Island of Zanzibar lies off the coast of Tanzania in the Indian Ocean. Imagine an exotic paradise with white palm-fringed beaches and turquoise coves, dhows with billowing white sails, and ancient Islamic ruins. The clear waters and coral reefs of Zanzibar offer excellent diving and snorkeling opportunities for those seeking a more active holiday.
Mafia is – in the truest sense – a perfect island retreat for adventure divers, fishing and those seeking simple feet-up relaxation. The few visitors to Pemba see a green and hilly island that smells of cloves (the main crop) and experience some of the best diving in the archipelago. Pemba also has long been renowned for its voodoo and traditional healers.
Mozambique Islands
If you want world-class sailing, kayaking, canoeing, snorkeling, and diving, or just simple relaxation, then these islands are for you.
Almost untouched by tourism – hardly a shop or a road in sight – these islands offer superb underwater wildernesses. Traditional Arab dhows, motor launches, and floatplanes will whisk you off to your lodge or eco -chalet on one of these many islands.