Indian Ocean Honeymoons
Tropical island sensuality mixed with effortlessly chic luxury resorts.
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Tropical island sensuality mixed with effortlessly chic luxury resorts.
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Warm seas and beautiful beaches may be the common thread, but the Indian Ocean islands offer very different honeymoon experiences.
Mauritius excels at polished resorts and effortless hospitality. The Seychelles has some of the most beautiful beaches and scenery in the Indian Ocean. Mozambique is smaller, more intimate and particularly easy to combine with a South Africa safari. Zanzibar brings history and character as well as beaches, while Madagascar appeals to couples wanting wildlife, diving and adventure alongside their time on the beach.
So rather than asking which is the “best” island, we would start with a different question:
What sort of beach honeymoon do you actually want?
Mauritius – Best for polished luxury resorts, excellent service, spas & wellness, restaurants and plenty of water sports and other activities.
Seychelles – Best for spectacular beaches, natural beauty, privacy and a more exclusive island feel.
Mozambique – Best for barefoot luxury, smaller lodges, diving and an easy safari-and-beach combination with South Africa.
Zanzibar – Best for combining a Tanzania safari with tropical beach time, with the added character of Stone Town and Swahili culture.
Madagascar – Best for adventurous and more active couples wanting unusual wildlife (lemurs, chameleons), fantastic snorkelling and diving and a beach stay all in the same trip
Mauritius is an excellent choice if you want your beach honeymoon to feel easy and indulgent.
Its best hotels are exceptionally good at hospitality, with beautiful pools and beaches, excellent restaurants, spas and a wide range of activities. There is also far more choice – at different price points – than on other Indian Ocean islands from stylish boutique properties to uber-luxe resorts. Useful trying to balance the overall honeymoon budget.
Mauritius also suits couples who don't necessarily want to spend every day doing nothing. You can swim, snorkel, dive, play golf, explore the island or head out for lunch rather than remaining inside the resort.
But it is the people of Mauritius that make this such a great honeymoon destination. Nowhere but Mauritius combines the sensuality of a tropical island with effortless hospitality quite so effortlessly.
And, when they've has gone to such lengths to make your suite such a haven of tranquillity and indulgence, it would be perverse not to spend a considerable amount of time with 'do not disturb' hung on the door handle.
Best for: Couples wanting excellent hotels, polished service and plenty of choice.
Pairs well with: South African safari, Cape Town and the Winelands.
The Seychelles is innately romantic, with its unparalleled natural beauty. Granite boulders, lush vegetation and exceptionally beautiful beaches give the islands a very distinctive look.
It’s more developed for honeymoon couples, (rather than families or the nightlife seekers), than other Indian Ocean islands
There is no aphrodisiac so potent as warm sun on your skin. Plus the pervasive scent of wild-growing vanilla adds to the allure. And with so many islands and so few people it’s incredibly easy to find a little spot of paradise on your honeymoon.
Options range from attractive smaller hotels to some of the Indian Ocean's most exclusive resorts and private islands. (It’s generally a more expensive option than Mauritius, especially at the luxury end, so think carefully about where the extra spend will make a real difference.)
Best for: Couples who place an exceptional beach, scenery and privacy high on the list.
Pairs well with: Kenya safari, or as a stand-alone island honeymoon.
Explore Seychelles
Check out our article on Mauritius versus the Seychelles for more comparison.
Mozambique has a very different feel.
The best beach lodges are generally smaller, more intimate and less resort-like, with warm water, excellent marine life and a relaxed barefoot atmosphere.
The Bazaruto Archipelago – including Benguerra Island – is an idyllic option if you value perfect unbleached coral, flawless white powder beaches and barefoot luxury
Days can be as active or inactive as you like: diving, snorkelling, dhow trips and island excursions, or simply enjoying some down time.
Mozambique is particularly attractive after a safari in the Kruger region because the two can be combined relatively easily with a direct flight to Vilanculos, or a road transfer to Southern Mozambique.
But it isn't Mauritius.
If your idea of heaven is a large five-star resort with several restaurants, extensive water sports, shopping opportunities and organised entertainment, Mozambique will not be the right choice. Its appeal lies much more in seclusion, simplicity and a unique sense of place, with a Swahili, Portuguese and African tempo.
Best for: Couples wanting a smaller, more intimate beach retreat and a strong safari-and-beach combination.
Pairs well with: Kruger and the private reserves of north-eastern South Africa.
Explore Mozambique
Madagascar is the outlier – and that's precisely its appeal.
This isn't the destination we would recommend if you simply wanted to fly to a luxurious resort and stay there for a week. (Though Constance Tsarabanjina offers that!)
Instead, Madagascar works for more active and adventurous couples who want to combine extraordinary, unique wildlife and landscapes with some excellent beach time plus world-class snorkelling and diving.
You could explore rainforests in search of lemurs and chameleons before ending the honeymoon around Nosy Be or its surrounding islands, Île Sainte-Marie or another coastal retreat. It’s ideal for people who enjoy being active as the safaris are all on foot.
The travel will be less slick than in Mauritius or the Seychelles, so a Madagascar honeymoon suits adventurous couple who can cope with some simpler accommodation in some areas, as well as more challenging road conditions.
But for the right couple, that individuality is exactly the attraction.
Best for: Adventurous honeymooners looking for wildlife, character and beach rather than a conventional resort holiday.
Pairs well with: South Africa safari or as mainly as a standalone destination
Explore Madagascar
Zanzibar is one of the most natural beach extensions to an East African safari.
After game viewing in the Serengeti, Ngorongoro or Tarangire, you can fly across to Zanzibar and spend a few days beside the Indian Ocean.
But choosing the right part of Zanzibar – and the right hotel – matters.
The island has everything from small boutique retreats to large resorts, and the beaches vary considerably in character. Tides, location and atmosphere can be more important than a hotel's star rating.
You can also include Stone Town if you want a little culture and history before heading to the beach.
For couples looking for something quieter, we can also consider Pemba or smaller offshore islands.
Best for: Couples wanting a straightforward Tanzania safari-and-beach honeymoon with plenty of accommodation choice.
Pairs well with: Tanzania safari, both in the north and the South (Ruaha and Selous)
The answer often becomes much clearer once we know three things:
Weather patterns differ between the islands, so your honeymoon dates may rule some options in or out.
A private island? A sophisticated resort? Diving and snorkelling? Plenty of restaurants and activities? Or somewhere small and wonderfully quiet?
Routing matters if you are adding on a few days to a safari. Tanzania naturally combines with Zanzibar. Kenya works particularly well with its own beach resorts or the Seychelles, . South Africa combines easily with Mauritius and Mozambique.
The theoretically perfect beach isn't necessarily the best choice if getting there takes a day and a half.
Below you'll find some sample honeymoon ideas featuring the Indian Ocean.
However they aren’t fixed itineraries. Or better yet, contact us and we will tailor-make your honeymoon changing the hotel, length of stay and level of luxury according to your travel dates, interests and budget.
Tell us when you're travelling, what sort of beach experience appeals to you and what else you want to combine it with. We'll help you choose the island – and hotel – that fits your honeymoon rather than simply the one with the prettiest photographs.
30 years of Africa travel planning • Owner-run • Independent, candid advice
They offer quite different experiences. Mauritius generally offers more hotel choice, more facilities and activities, and a wider range of price points.
Seychelles has a stronger sense of natural drama and seclusion, with some exceptionally beautiful beaches and private-island options, with a price point to match.
It depends on where you are going on safari. Tanzania + Zanzibar, Kenya + the Kenyan coast, and South Africa + Mozambique are all combinations we particularly like.
We look carefully at actual flight routes and journey times before recommending a pairing.
Other destinations: Mauritius, Seychelles and Madagascar are fairly seamless but may require an overnight stay prior to your flight.
Madagascar is the most adventurous overall because you can combine wildlife and touring with the beach.
Mauritius offers the broadest range of resort activities and things to do away from the hotel.
Mozambique, Zanzibar and the Seychelles can all work very well for diving, snorkelling and water-based activities.
No, though some islands are considerably more expensive than others. Mauritius generally gives us the widest range of hotel prices. Seychelles and the smaller Mozambique island lodges can become expensive quickly, particularly at the top end.
Your overall honeymoon budget matters too. Sometimes spending slightly less at the beach allows you to choose a much better safari lodge, or vice versa.
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