What is the Best Indian Ocean Destination with Kids?

When we talk about Indian Ocean family holidays, we generally mean the Maldives, Mauritius and the Seychelles.

'The Seychelles stands out for mixing exceptional luxury resorts with epic nature – jaw-dropping marine life, unique land animals including Aldabra giant tortoises, and amazing geology.'

But this is the world's third-largest ocean, with boundaries with Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, India, Malaysia and other parts of Asia, and even Australia. So you might also include other child-friendly islands such as Sri Lanka, Zanzibar, Madagascar and Malaysia's Penang in the list if you're looking for exotic family holidays.

Maldives Versus Mauritius Versus Seychelles

Price-wise, Maldives and Seychelles tend to be more expensive than Mauritius, which is why we often recommend the latter for families looking for a long-haul holiday with great beaches and water sports but at costs that can even rival the Mediterranean.

The Maldives with its seaplane transfers (to many resorts) and its breathtaking diving and snorkelling has more of a feel of a once-in-a-lifetime blow-out holiday; there are a few more 'affordable' resorts, but of course we all understand that affordable is subjective. Maldives does, however, have many unique features, including overwater villas – some even with their own water slide into the Indian Ocean!

The Seychelles stands out for mixing exceptional luxury resorts (including several Seychelles family resorts all inclusive) with epic nature – jaw-dropping marine life like Mauritius and Maldives, for sure, but also unique land animals including Aldabra giant tortoises.

The Seychelles' geology is also unique - many of its spectacular beaches (some of the best beaches in the world) have huge smooth granite boulders (these are the only mid-oceanic granitic islands in the world). The Seychelles are also the best Indian islands for hiking, in our opinion. We have all the information and advice you need if you're looking for including all-inclusive holidays to Seychelles.

On the other hand, Mauritius has the advantage that water sports are included in your holiday package in many resorts, including luxury ones. In the Maldives, resorts tend to be all-inclusive but there are many optional extras, including most water sports. Mauritius also has greater scope for cultural discovery and independent exploring, as you can hire a car or driver and see local attractions including the markets and street food of the colourful, multi-ethnic capital Port Louis. This is why we rate so highly Mauritius for families.

See also our feature on Mauritius versus Maldives for family holidays. 

The Best Indian Ocean Resorts

All three destinations have some world-class resorts with kids' clubs and other childcare, perfect for Indian Ocean all-inclusive holidays. But Mauritius has the best good choice of four-star hotels for those who like luxury holidays but without a huge price tag, and we recommend it as a top choice for the Indian Ocean on a budget.

Browse our recommended Seychelles family resorts, Mauritius family resorts and Seychelles family resorts.

Alternatively, if you're looking for unique family holidays in the Indian Ocean and potentially potentially lower prices, think about Sri Lanka or Zanzibar, both of which combine beaches with wildlife, activities and adventure (Zanzibar is great as a two-centre holiday with Tanzania with its land and sea safaris). For more of an Indian Ocean adventure holiday, consider Madagascar with its iconic wildlife and plants.

Indian Ocean Flights

In terms of getting to Seychelles, Maldives or Mauritius, all had direct flights from the UK at the time of writing, although it can be cheaper or more convenient to make a stop-off, usually in the Middle East, depending on which UK airport is handiest for you.

Seychelles is around 10 hours from London, Maldives around 10 and a half hours, and Mauritius around 12 hours, so you'll need to factor in a bit of jet lag. It's worth it, though!

Best Time to Visit the Indian Ocean 

The best time for Seychelles family holidays is its dry season from May to October, but mid-October to December and late February to April is the best time to see Aldabra giant tortoises in the wild (they are more active in the rainy season because there's more water and food available).

For a Mauritius family holiday, the best times are the cool, dry, sunny months from May to December, while for Maldives family holidays the best time is November to March, with December to February especially good for diving and snorkelling.

Travelling in the peak season is naturally most expensive, however; we can guide you on travelling at cheaper times if that's something you want to consider. And even in peak season, Mauritius can compare favourably with high-summer prices at family resorts in the Mediterranean (see our feature on Mauritius versus the Med), and the cooler, drier weather of June to August is great for family holidays. So the Indian Ocean is not all about winter sun holidays…

For specific animal sightings, June to October are the best time to see whales, including humpbacks and sperm whales, in Mauritius and Maldives (and Sri Lanka). Manta ray season in Maldives is May to November, with Hanifaru Bay in the Baa Atoll the prime location for spotting these captivating creatures.

Ultimately, the best Indian ocean island with kids is subjective and depends on your family, your interests and needs, and of course your budget. Take a look at our Indian Ocean family resorts recommendations or give us a call on 020 3633 0653 or contact us via our enquiry form and we will find you the holiday of your dreams, whether you are looking for the best family adventure holidays, the best Seychelles holiday packages or any other Indian Ocean family holiday.