Indian Ocean vacations
Tours & vacations in 2020 & 2021

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

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

Fantatstic. It was a perfect balance of interest and environments for us. (more)Jerry Lockspeiser

It was a very memorable vacation and we wouldn’t have changed anything. (more)Suzanne Lyons

The lagoon that surrounds the island is spectacular for making for the best sea vacation ever. All the staff and teams throughout our vacation experience have been absolutely exemplar. (more)Melinda Rees

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

The snorkelling was exceptional. Being on board The boat enabled us to weigh anchor at reefs that weren't accessible from the beach. (more)Judith Arnstein

Snorkling in the seychelles in very deep water with divers below us. (more)Janet Baldanza

Being in a different location every day enabled us to see so many beautiful, breathe taking places. (more)Lisa Fogden

Madagascar is a real assault on all the senses from the fabulous landscapes of Tsingy and Ramanofana to the unique fauna and the vibrancy of the people. (more)Len Thomson

A first-rate trip to a fascinating destination. (more)Ian Chowcat

The wildlife was fantastic! Our guide, Danhy, was phenomenal as well. (more)Virginia Agnelli

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

The operator put together a really varied itinerary for us and so we were able to have some wonderful relaxation time with gorgeous sunsets (staying at the top of Chamarel was a highlight for the view!), incredible food at SALT, a lovely kayaking afternoon whilst glamping at Otentic, and a fabulous time swimming with sea turtles off of Grand Baie (more)Helen Dennis

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

Memorable parts? The most memorable (positive) was to see the wildlife - lemurs, birds, chameleons etc etc in the parks and reserves. The tour guides were excellent and very informative, and in most cases were the local guides at each location. The most memorable (negative) was the abject poverty across most of the country, the severe depredation of the environment and the awareness that much of the wildlife that we saw was endangered or on the verge of extinction. Tips? This trip... (more)Richard Coates

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

Memorable parts? The hike up Ella Rock Tips? Don’t waste any time in Colombo. Book hotels based upon recommendations if possible. There is a huge variety of quality at apparently the same standard. Old colonial is no longer necessarily the best. Local benefits? A mixture of all Overall rating? Brilliant! (more)Darren Cartlidge

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

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

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? Finishing a safari evening drive with a drink by the river where a herd of elephants were crossing and playing in the water Tips? Don't just focus on the big stuff. There's so much incredible other wildlife that it's good to look beyond the leopards. Also don't worry about going "out of season". Long grass might make it harder to see the big cats, but the brilliant guides give you a great chance of finding them and there are loads of baby animals around.... (more)Claire Elmes

Memorable parts? Without a doubt the most memorable bit was our stay on Tsarabanjina - it was absolutely paradise and the most wonderful end to a great few weeks. The whole trip was both memorable and exciting, however, with so much variety in terms of activities and accommodation. Tips? Ask the Malagasy guides loads of questions and get them to take you to places off the beaten track. Going into smaller local restaurants were some of the best parts of our trip! Local benefits? Yes!... (more)Will Arnold

The vacation arranged with a local tour operator to provides a guide and driver to accompany our family group of five through the bespoke itinerary that we helped to evolve, gave us the chance to experience the best possible combination of activities. (more)Tim Woolman

If forced to select only one distinct memory, then it has to be the people of Sri Lanka. They are so warm, welcoming and happy to help. (more)Andrew Lawson

The vacation was excellent. The country is very beautiful and small enough to see a lot in 2 weeks. People are very friendly and having English spoken and on signage everywhere helps. We enjoyed the balance of wildlife, culture, walking and R&R. (more)Tina Antill

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? The white white sand and the blue blue sea... and the varied marine life. Tips? Enjoy it!!! It’s a quiet place, ideal for getting away from everything. Bring mosquito repellent. There are lots of bitey creatures in the mornings and evenings. Local benefits? Yes. In many ways. I used one plastic bottle for the whole of my trip, once I got to Maldives, which was given to me by the airport on my way there, because the hotel uses glass water bottles. Overall... (more)Anita Howard

Memorable parts? Safari time Tips? 4.45am getting up for game drive! Local benefits? Overall rating? Yes, the trackers, drivers were all local and extremely helpful and friendly especially when you show a particular interest in a certain rare animal. (more)Caroline Steele

The most exciting part of the vacation was seeing 20 different species of lemur, plus a multitude of reptiles & insects. (more)John Nightingale

Watching a young Aye Aye come down from the canopy to eat on a night walk was the most memorable. (more)Sian Richards

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