Indian Ocean · 2026
Indian Ocean holidays,
compared without the brochure.
Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Mauritius and the Seychelles, side by side: season, cost per day, who each one actually suits, and which two are worth combining.
Direct from LHR
~10h 45m non-stop
Time difference
GMT + 5h 30m
Visa
ETA online · ~£40
Pricing
Quoted in £ GBP
Plan from your country
The four, in one paragraph each
Sri Lanka — an island the size of Ireland with leopards, tea estates at 1,900m, a UNESCO cultural triangle and 1,340km of coast. The only one of the four that fills two weeks without repetition, and the cheapest at luxury level.
The Maldives — the best water in the world and no country attached. Superb for four to six nights, wearing by day ten, and the drinks bill is a genuine line item.
Mauritius — mature resort infrastructure, golf, families, and a longer season than the rest. Less to explore than Sri Lanka, more to do than the Maldives.
The Seychelles — the most beautiful beaches of the four, granite boulders and turquoise, at the highest price and with the least beyond the beach.
Cost per person per day, luxury level
Sri Lanka £300–£480, including a private car, a licensed chauffeur-guide, hotels and most touring. Mauritius £350–£600. Maldives £550–£1,000. Seychelles £600–£1,100. Only Sri Lanka bundles private ground transport into that figure — elsewhere it is extra or unavailable.
Seasons, so you don't book the wrong month
Dec–Apr: Sri Lanka south and west, Maldives — the region's prime window. May–Sep: Sri Lanka east coast (Trincomalee, Nilaveli, Pasikuda), Mauritius cooler and dry. Oct–Nov: shoulder everywhere; Seychelles at its calmest.
Sri Lanka's two-monsoon system is the reason it is the only Indian Ocean destination with a genuinely year-round beach season — you just move coast.
Who each one suits
Restless travellers and first-time long-haul: Sri Lanka. Honeymooners with ten nights or more: Sri Lanka then the Maldives. Families wanting one base: Mauritius. Couples wanting five nights of nothing: the Maldives. Photographers with a large budget: the Seychelles.
Head-to-heads: Sri Lanka vs Maldives and Sri Lanka vs Mauritius.
Combining two
The pairing that works is a touring country plus an island country, which in practice means Sri Lanka plus the Maldives: 75 minutes by air, one ticket from London, and £6,000–£11,000 per person for ten plus four nights. Detail on the Sri Lanka and Maldives guide, and the mechanics on twin centre holidays.
Luxury island holidays without the resort trap
If what you want is island luxury but not resort confinement, Sri Lanka's south coast is the answer: 30-suite hotels like Amanwella, cliff-top cabanas at Cape Weligama and fully staffed private villas at Tangalle and Dickwella, with a country you can drive into whenever you want. See luxury beach holidays and private island stays.
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Begin your bespoke journeyCompare at a glance
Which Sri Lankan destination is right for you?
The short answer: pair one cultural stop, one hill-country stop and one coast. This table compares what each place is best for, when to go, how long to stay and how far it is from Colombo.
Cultural Triangle
- Best for
- First-timers, history, the iconic rock climb
- Best months
- Jan–Sep (driest Feb–Aug)
- Ideal stay
- 2 nights
- From Colombo
- 4 hrs by car · 30 mins by helicopter
- Pairs with
- Kandy, Habarana safaris
Central Highlands
- Best for
- Culture, temple ritual, a soft landing before the hills
- Best months
- Jan–Apr, Jul–Sep
- Ideal stay
- 1–2 nights
- From Colombo
- 3–3.5 hrs by car · 2.5 hrs by train
- Pairs with
- Sigiriya, Nuwara Eliya
Tea Country
- Best for
- Tea bungalows, cool air, Horton Plains
- Best months
- Jan–Apr
- Ideal stay
- 2–3 nights
- From Colombo
- 5 hrs by car
- Pairs with
- Kandy, Ella
Hill Country
- Best for
- The train ride, walks, relaxed hill romance
- Best months
- Jan–Apr
- Ideal stay
- 2–3 nights
- From Colombo
- 6 hrs by car · 45 mins by helicopter
- Pairs with
- Nuwara Eliya, Yala
South-east
- Best for
- Leopards and private dawn game drives
- Best months
- Feb–Jul
- Ideal stay
- 2 nights (4 drives)
- From Colombo
- 5 hrs by car
- Pairs with
- Ella, Tangalle
South
- Best for
- Guaranteed elephants, families with children
- Best months
- Year-round
- Ideal stay
- 1–2 nights
- From Colombo
- 4 hrs by car
- Pairs with
- Yala, the south coast
South-west Coast
- Best for
- Colonial fort, boutiques, villa living
- Best months
- Dec–Apr
- Ideal stay
- 2–3 nights
- From Colombo
- 1.5 hrs via expressway
- Pairs with
- Mirissa, Ahangama
South Coast
- Best for
- Blue whales, easy beach days
- Best months
- Nov–Apr (whales)
- Ideal stay
- 2–3 nights
- From Colombo
- 2 hrs via expressway
- Pairs with
- Galle, Tangalle
Far South Coast
- Best for
- Privacy, staffed villas, uncrowded sand
- Best months
- Dec–Apr
- Ideal stay
- 3–5 nights
- From Colombo
- 3 hrs via expressway
- Pairs with
- Yala, Galle
East Coast
- Best for
- Summer beaches when the south-west is wet
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Ideal stay
- 3–4 nights
- From Colombo
- 5.5 hrs by car · 1 hr by seaplane
- Pairs with
- Sigiriya, Pasikuda
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Answers
Common questions
Which Indian Ocean destination is best?+
It depends what you want. Sri Lanka for variety, wildlife and value. The Maldives for the best water on earth and nothing else. Mauritius for family resorts and golf. The Seychelles for dramatic granite scenery at the highest price. Sri Lanka is the only one that fills a fortnight on its own.
Which is cheapest — Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius or Seychelles?+
Sri Lanka, decisively. Luxury there runs £300–£480 per person per day including a private car and chauffeur-guide. Mauritius is £350–£600, the Maldives £550–£1,000 and the Seychelles £600–£1,100, none of which include private ground transport.
When is the best time for an Indian Ocean holiday?+
December to April for Sri Lanka's south and west coasts and the Maldives; May to September for Sri Lanka's east coast; May to December for Mauritius; April, May, October and November for the Seychelles. Something in the region is in season every month.
Can I combine two Indian Ocean destinations?+
Sri Lanka and the Maldives is the natural pair — 75 minutes apart, total contrast, one airline ticket from London. Mauritius and the Seychelles is possible but expensive and repetitive. Combining a touring country with an island country is what makes the trip work.
Is the Maldives worth the money?+
For the water and for a short, undiluted rest, yes. For a fortnight, most people tire of resort-island confinement by day eight and resent the drink prices by day four. Four nights at the end of a Sri Lankan trip is the version almost everyone prefers.
Which Indian Ocean island is best for families?+
Sri Lanka and Mauritius. Sri Lanka gives children elephants, trains, turtles and beaches with a private car for the driving; Mauritius gives them a single resort with a kids' club and a short-ish flight. The Maldives works only if you pick a family island deliberately.
Which is best for a honeymoon?+
Sri Lanka then the Maldives, in that order. Ten nights of tea country, leopards and Galle Fort, then four in an overwater villa. It is the most requested honeymoon shape we build and it beats either country alone.
Is Sri Lanka an Indian Ocean island?+
Yes — it sits off the southern tip of India, roughly the size of Ireland, with 1,340km of coastline. Unlike the Maldives or Seychelles it also has mountains at 2,500m, rainforest, national parks and 2,000 years of urban history.