Indian Ocean vacations
Tours & vacations in 2019 & 2020

Sri Lanka is a beautiful country with beautiful people. We enjoyed the mix of the cultural triangle, hill country and beach which was ideal for a small group of friends with slightly varying preferences. There was something for everyone. (more)Angela Whyte

The most memorable moments were was the beautiful scenery, the exciting wildlife, the friendly people and delicious food. Absolutely fantastic! Everything was perfect from the initial booking with our tour operator, the superb accommodation and the planned activities and safaris. (more)Catherine Huzzey

Whale Watching and Wildlife Safari was the most memorable part of this trip (more)Phil Miller

The vacation was outstanding by its organisation and variety. There were many highlights! The scenery was stunning and people were friendly and helpful. (more)Trevor Storer

This was an excellent vacation that allowed me to see a lot of wildlife. (more)Genevieve Morris

Most memorable was Tsingy de Behamara and getting stuck in the mud when our 4WD became a 2WD due to a fault. Mantadia, Ranomafana and Kirindy are fabulous national parks/reserves. Isalo landscape is stunning. (more)Paul Shepherd

The most memorable parts of the vacation were meeting the Sri Lankan people, seeing a leopard in Yala national park, staying in very interesting unusual accommodation. (more)Pauline Clark

The highlight was staying in Ella and walking in the hill country and snorkelling in the Maldives. Very good, loved the Maldives. (more)Annmarie Woodcraft

The most memorable part of our vacation was snorkelling in the Maldives. It was amazing to see sharks, fish and sea turtles on the reef. It was a surreal experience...Overall, I would rate our vacation 10/10. We had a great time in all the countries we visited, the locals were very friendly and hospitable. (more)Tracy Watson

All the parts of the vacation were good. Excellent trip. (more)Lucy Hadfield

It was all exciting really from the beautiful beachside hotels to the wildlife parks. At Palagama beach the food was amazing especially when I was shown their own vegetable garden and we picked fresh vegetables that were cooked as individual curries for my dinner that evening. I felt as if I had been away for at least a month - I had seen and done so much in that two weeks. (more)Susie Barrett

Excellent trip (more)Melanie Michel

Seeing large herds of Asian Elephants (more)Nicholas Ward

The most memorable moments were seeing a leopard on our safari in Wilpattu National Park, the beauty of the Knuckles, Gal Oya and the elephants in Udawalawe National Park. (more)Lis Turner

The amazing scenery, friendly relaxed people and gorgeous wildlife. (more)Rebecca Sandys

We loved every part of our vacation! Seeing all of the animals in The Naboisho Conservancy was incredible. Learning about Masai culture around the campfire from our guides was very meaningful. Ending our vacation at a small boutique resort on the coast was perfect. (more)Hanna Nedrud

The people were so friendly helpful and could not do enough for you, seeing the animals in their habitat was amazing, the quality of the accommodation was out of this world...A vacation of a lifetime...I want to live twice so I can go again! (more)Gordon Halton

The safari in Selous was wonderful. Every day there was a surprise. The staff and guides are so friendly and the camp is perfect. (more)Mark Thompson

Sri Lanka has it all - history, wonderful food and stunning landscapes. (more)Simon Weatherseed

Having a fully guided tour was new to us as a family and we were fortunate to have a very knowledgeable and experienced guide who was able to make the tours interesting and allowed us the free time which we often asked for to explore places on our own. (more)Carole Hoy

We must say that our guide Kokko was a very good one, very friendly and always very punctual, helpful and knowledgeable. He made our tour worthwhile. If when we booked the tour we had been told that we would be doing it just at the start of the Ramadan period, and that it would affect our visit, we would have chosen other dates. However don't take our comments as complaints, we thought that the fact of having been in the Maldives during Ramadan was an experience which we had not had in any of... (more)Josefa Lullington

Memorable parts? Seeing leopards drinking at the waterside and sloth bears at Wilpattu National Park. Tips? We went on a wildlife tour of Sri Lanka and suggest you give yourselves a few rest days between safaris to recuperate as well as giving you more time to enjoy the resorts where you are staying. Local benefits? Safari guides and drivers were employed from the local community as were hotel staff. The hotels where we stayed were environmentally aware. The National Parks... (more)Kim Plumb

Memorable parts? We were bold over by the quality of the hotels. Tips? The vacation is ideal for those wishing to relax and take things at a leisurely pace. Be aware most of the hotels are located in fairly remote locations so not ideal for sightseeing or activities but our driver was very good at suggesting an itinerary that suited us and fitted plenty of things on our travel days maximising our time. Local benefits? Not directly but we did visit and support some environmental... (more)Stuart McFarlane

So many amazing memories! Seeing see blue whales swimming, a colony of bats on the roadside, wild peacocks and hearing the wonderful bird song was memorable (more)Katherine Patrick

The abundance of wildlife certainly stood out throughout the trip. We saw elephants, turtles, blue whales, leopards, bears and so many beautiful birds (more)Guy Stephens

There were so many memorable experiences on our vacation...but the stand-out one has to be seeing hundreds of elephants, including many babies, at Kaudulla, because we hadn't planned it, but our driver recommended it and the guide knew exactly where the elephants were that day. (more)Mikkel Bates

Memorable parts? So many things were memorable... We were very well looked after by our tour operator who made sure we had all the information before our arrival and until the day of our arrival with the airport transfer, and having someone physically there to greet us at Male airport to make sure we got on out last flight. After arrival Ruth from our tour operator was also on hand if we had any questions. Being driven straight to our room when we arrived very late at night after 27 hours... (more)Katarina Nielsen

Memorable parts? Snorkelling in the reefs, staying on islands that were not touristic and having heaps of fun with my guide Kokko Tips? Be prepared to spend time chilling out in the afternoons as it is hot. Local benefits? yes, staying in local guest houses, eating meals with families and using local boats and crews benefitted the community. The only negative is the reliance on bottle water and the subsequent waste generated. Overall rating? I loved it and will definitely... (more)Vicki Carmichael

Memorable parts? Underwater world. Seeing a multitude of Maldivian islands, hospitable crew, fantastic food and brilliantly knowledgeable guide. Grasping some of the real Maldivian life. Tips? Pack very little. Sun factor clothing for snorkelling trips. Book it! Local benefits? Definitely local crew and captain make the trip. Overall rating? Excellent. (more)Ann Higham

Memorable parts? Seeing all the wonderful wildlife. Meeting the Masai in their village. The Ngorogoro crater was spectacular. The Serengeti was just beautiful We fell in love with Pongwe beach hotel! Too many highlights to pick just one! Tips? Take a good camera with zoom lens, and good quality binoculars. Take Immodium tablets - you are bound to need them at some point! Develop a good relationship with your guide, they are invaluable at spotting wildlife and know where to look. We... (more)Penny Goff

Memorable parts? It was fantastic to spend time with local Maldivians and to get a genuine feel for their country and lifestyle. Another highlight was snorkelling with turtles and manta rays in the crystal clear aquamarine waters off some of the many islands. The Maldivians are incredibly kind people and their country is breathtakingly beautiful! Tips? - Go with an open mind and a sense of humour! - Take an underwater camera or GoPro, if at all possible. - Pack sun lotion and a... (more)Sandra Schuler

Our most memorable moment was being surrounded by a pod of around 300 spinner dolphins and seeing lots of fish while snorkelling. Sitting on a white sandy beach and walking out into the sea to snorkel in warm clear blue waters. (more)Rosemary Chinchen

We experienced the real Maldives, met local people and learnt about their kindness and dignity...We had a blast!! (more)Veronica Vigano

Memorable parts? Snorkelling with a group of feeding manta rays for about 40 minutes. Unforgettable. Tips? Take a few days on either side - go to one of the local islands. Actually - take the days beforehand, as it's hard to imagine anything living up to the boat trip (bearing in mind that we'd never been on a snorkelling trip or anything like this, so we can't compare). Local benefits? All of the above to some extent. Guide was very aware of environmental impact, we also... (more)David O

Memorable parts? The walk around Isalo with our fantastic guide Ronald. The national park has a stark and breathtaking beauty which the guide enhanced with stories about the culture that has developed there and the amazing flora and fauna that thrives there. Tips? Go now! Local benefits? I was happy to find that everywhere we went there were local guides involved in our excursions around the national parks. The parks are generally well maintained with good pathways and ambitious... (more)Magga Dora Ragnarsdóttir

Memorable parts? Watching a young Aye Aye come down from the canopy to eat on a night walk was the most memorable. Tips? Bring plenty of wallets to split your local cash- due to the exchange you will be carrying great wads. Local benefits? Yes. Really enjoyed planting a tree at the Lemur project- a step towards helping with deforestation. Overall rating? Excellent. Everything I’d hoped for. Great food, accommodation and a guide with more wildlife knowledge than you... (more)Sian Richards

Memorable parts? The overall sense of Mauritius we gained through the variety of people, backgrounds, culture, history and wildlife we experienced. The first day encountering the giant tortoises on Ile aux Aigrettes was awesome as was watching the flying foxes soar and glide in the Bambous Virieux valley. Tips? Before booking, say if you are unsure whether a specific activity will suit you. Our trip was to mark our 40th wedding anniversary and one of our activities was adjusted... (more)Ann Nelson

Standing on the viewpoint at Amboseli with the wetlands, plains and Kilimanjaro made us feel that we were in one of the most beautiful places in the world. (more)Ian Halliwell

We loved all of it, but seeing so many wild animals up close was wonderful. (more)Jill Mentch

There were too many wonderful experiences to pick out just one as the most memorable or exciting! Some of the many highlights for me included: seeing so many different kinds of lemurs and chameleons; the extraordinary limestone Tsingy...... (more)Catherine Nursaw

Excellent... witnessing the Indri lemurs calling to each other in the trees in front of us and rafting the river rapids were probably my top two memories (more)Kerry Abbiss

Everything, perhaps taking the freight train at 2am alongside mountains of bananas. From the point of landing to our sad farewells it was an unforgettable adventure...Unforgettable. (more)David Phillips

We were very impressed with all aspects of this vacation and felt that it was faultless throughout. The itinerary suited us and went like clockwork, our guide and driver were excellent, the hotels and food were beyond our expectations. (more)Alan Vaughan

Most memorable were the National parks, lemurs and chameleons.... Great vacation. Stayed in some lovely places. People were very friendly. Food was good and rum cheap!! (more)Janet White Spunner

This was the best vacation I have ever had. I enjoyed every minute. The group size of eight people was ideal. My previous visit to Madagascar (with another company) was like 'a school trip' rigid and over organised. This trip was very well organised, yet had a degree of flexibility. (more)Jean Dance