An article for those who are just starting to plan their dream vacation and cannot choose a destination. But they know for sure that they want summer, palm trees, warm sea or ocean, and white sand. All of this can be found in many places, and I will help you choose the best destination: Maldives, Seychelles, Mauritius, Zanzibar or Bali. Each resort will have its pros and cons, and all you have to do is choose the perfect one for you.
It will be difficult for you to plan your dream trip to Maldives without these websites
Table of Contents
The best destination: general information
I must say, even though this is a guide about the Maldives, and the Maldives are undoubtedly heaven on earth, the answer to the question of where the best place to vacation is, whether it’s in the Maldives, Seychelles, Zanzibar, or Bali, is not so straightforward. Each resort has its advantages.
It so happened that we were fortunate enough to live everywhere, and this article will help you determine which resort is best for you.
Good to know:
All the resorts in this article are super cool and worthy of your attention. I recommend not stopping at one, but gradually visiting each one. There are tourists who go to the Maldives for the 10th time and know nothing about neighboring Seychelles. The world is too big, and life is too short to allow yourself the luxury of going on vacation twice to the same place!
There is a ranking of the best resorts in the Indian Ocean. It includes only the best tropical islands where it’s summer all year round, palm trees, white sand, and where vacation is not even close to comparing to Egypt or Turkey. Here are the best resorts in the Indian Ocean:
- Maldives
- Seychelles
- Mauritius Island
- Zanzibar Island
- In this article, I will also consider Bali, as it is often compared to the Maldives and asked for advice on where the best place to vacation is. But Bali is no longer in the Indian Ocean.
Comparison criteria for resorts
Below is a comparison table for all resorts. Each criterion will be rated on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is poor and 5 is excellent.
Important:
All ratings are subjective, but this is the author’s (my) opinion. I will provide explanations where necessary, as not all aspects may be obvious at first glance.
I recommend reading the article: Pros and cons of vacationing in the Maldives
Comparison table: where to have the best vacation
| Criteria | Maldives | Seychelles | Mauritius | Zanzibar | Bali |
| Climate | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Beaches | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Warm water | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Prices (1 – expensive) | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Transportation within the country (1 – difficult) | 1 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Night life | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| Sightseeing | 1 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
| Activities | 1 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Marine and underwater life | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Safety | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Child friendly | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| Easy getting to | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 |
| Total: | 41 | 45 | 53 | 40 | 43 |
Travel tips
Here are some explanations and tips for certain points:
- If the first 4 points are clear: beaches, climate, and ocean are all very similar. And prices are either high or relatively high everywhere, even Bali today can hardly be called a budget resort. Accommodation is not cheaper than in the Maldives.
- Transportation within the country is important for active tourists:
- The Maldives is thousands of islands, 1 km apart, so you won’t be able to travel around the country easily or cheaply.
- Bali is a very large island with heavy traffic, and public transportation is poorly developed between its different parts.
- Zanzibar and Mauritius can be crossed by car in one day. But if public transportation is scarce in Zanzibar, you can go anywhere on Mauritius by it.
- The Seychelles consists of three relatively large islands, and its transportation is easy but very expensive.
- Nightlife is practically non-existent in the Maldives. After sunset, you can only go to a restaurant for dinner. There’s nothing else.
- Artificial and natural attractions, mountains and waterfalls, trekking, and amusement parks: there’s nothing like this in the Maldives. But Mauritius and Bali will delight you, especially with their natural attractions. The underwater waterfall in Mauritius is worth mentioning.
- The best snorkeling and diverse underwater world can be found in the Maldives. Only here can you encounter sharks, manta rays, turtles, dolphins, and stingrays close to the shore. However, Mauritius tries not to fall behind with its turtles and dolphins along the coast.
- For more details on snorkeling in the Maldives and personal photos of the marine life I encounter just 50 meters from the shore, click the link.
- All four Indian Ocean resorts are in almost the same time zone as Istanbul, with only a small time difference. It is convenient to fly here. Today, there are even daily direct flights to the Maldives. Check the link for tips on finding cheap tickets.
The best destination: in conclusion
In conclusion, I will try to convey the main idea to you. All the resorts in this ranking are beautiful. Even looking at the table, it is evident that all locations, except for Mauritius, received approximately equal scores. Mauritius is probably a universal resort where only advantages are collected. It is not inferior to the Maldives, but little is written about it, and therefore, few people know about it.
The feature of vacationing in the Maldives:
The main feature of your heavenly vacation in the Maldives is that active tourists might get bored. There are few or very few entertainment options, the islands are small, and there are hardly any activities in the evening. The Maldives are ideal for a short vacation of around 7 days for those who can spend a whole day lying on the beach and those who love snorkeling. If you want to discover new locations every day, then Mauritius or Bali are more suitable.
- I also recommend reading the article on whether the Maldives are dangerous, what to fear, and what not to fear. Some points may surprise you.
In conclusion: where is the best place to vacation? It is where it is good for you. It doesn’t matter if it’s the Seychelles, the Maldives, or Bali. Everything written by the author in this article should help you make the right choice rather than discourage you from visiting any resort. I am in favor of you visiting them all and comparing them for yourself. And when you run out of new countries to visit, you can repeat those that you liked the most.
If you enjoyed the article and the content in this guide, you can buy me a coffee ^_^
Resources to help you plan your dream trip to the Maldives
- Flight tickets and the best deals
- Tour packages (from budget to luxury): Expedia
- Hotels and guesthouses on any island:
- 12go is the largest Asian transfer service. It gathers all Maldivian carriers, even the small ones that operate between local islands.
- Tours and excursions: Viator – a limited selection of excursions, but convenient and reliable.
- Comprehensive insurance: EKTA
- eSIM at the same price as in telecom office in Male.