Things to do in the Indian Ocean
La Digue island in the Seychelles
Hire a bike and cycle your way around La Digue Island, home to one of the most idyllic beaches in the world. , Anse Source d'Argent, Famed for being one of the most photographed beaches on the planet, is a sight to behold. Its dazzling white sands are lapped by shallow emerald waters, backed by some of La Digue's most beautiful granite boulders and shaded by craning coconut palms.
Nungwi Beach, Zanzibar
It's tough to choose the best beaches on this laid-back island, but Nungwi, on the north of the Zanzibar, is one of them. What was once a simple fishing village and dhow-building center has become a popular holiday destination, where palms casually amble onto a beach that dissolves gradually into shades of turquoise.
The Seven Colored Earth of Chamarel, Mauritius
A popular tourist destination in Mauritius, Seven Colored Earth of Chamarel is a rare geological quirk of Mother Earth. The area consists of numerous sand dunes made up of sand of seven distinct colors namely red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple, and yellow. Strangely enough, the colors do not mix. The sand does not erode either despite heavy Mauritian rains. All of this makes the place a curious natural phenomenon.
Baobab Avenue, Madagascar
In Western Madagascar there is a collection of magnificent Baobab trees which line the dirt road between Morondava and Belon’i Tsiribihina. It is one of the most amazing landscapes in the world and draws travelers from all over the world. Madagascar also boasts one of the most unique and diverse Eco-systems in the world, with 90% of all plants and animals found there being endemic to the Island.
Tegalalang Rice Terraces, Bali
Beaches, surfing, night-life – Bali has lots of that, but many would tell you that you haven’t seen the real Bali until you have visited the rice terraces. The stunning Tegalalang Rice Terraces just outside of Ubud look like a giant’s stairway carved into the hillside, draped over with greens of every shade possible and then dotted with coconut palms.
Pemba Island, Zanzibar
Pemba Island has been separated from the mainland of Tanzania and Zanzibar for decades, leaving an untouched and pristine island of great beauty and fertility. The mosaic of forests, swamps, mangroves, hidden beaches and lagoons is scattered with the ruins of mosques and tombs mostly reclaimed by the forest – sites that date back to Arab domination when Pemba Island was seized by the Sultan of Muscat (Oman) in the 17th century.
Reethi Rah, Maldives
The sand in the Maldives is as golden as it comes. You really are in paradise. The Maldives boasts some of the best beaches in the world. Some of the best are on the tiny island Reethi Rah. Think golden sand, turquoise clear sea, tall palm trees and hammocks swaying in the breeze. It has to be seen to be believed.
Praslin Island in the Seychelles
The Seychelles is known for its island of Praslin, which is home to Vallee de Mai, nicknamed 'The Garden of Eden'. This is an idyllic sanctuary or unique flora and fauna, including the wild Coco de Mer which is the world's largest coconut - weighing up to 20 kilogrammes!
Mafia Islands, Zanzibar
Mafia Island is the most culturally original and environmentally natural of Tanzania’s Indian Ocean islands, visited by the few who know its charms and desire a special adventure. The key aspect of being a tourist in Mafia is that everything is so accessible and at reasonable cost. It offers the complete island experience from intense activity to complete laid-back, feet-up bliss.
Mahe, Seychelles
Mahé is home to ninety percent of the population in the Seychelles. This area was settled by Arab sailors, British colonialists, French settlers, Tamil and Chinese traders, and African slaves. Of course, this created a dynamic cultural mashup that is unlike what you’ll find anywhere else.
