Indian Ocean & Middle East

In Sanskrit, Indian Ocean means ‘the mine of gems’, and indeed, it embodies island gems that are incomparable with anywhere else on our big blue planet. Flanked by Asia to the north, Australia to the east, Africa to the west and Antarctica to the south, this vast body of water is home to around 20% of the world’s water. The islands of the Maldives, Mauritius, the Seychelles and Sri Lanka are all incredibly unique and seriously boast the holiday WOW factor. Access from the UK is easy with a number of direct and in-direct airlines to choose from. We love combining these paradise isles, Sri Lanka and the Maldives and Mauritius and Réunion being two of our favourite twins. The proximity of the islands to both Africa and the Middle East means they are the perfect accoutrement to a safari or city stopover.

With its Arabian allure and direct flight connections with much of the Indian Ocean, there are few places better to combine with these dreamy islands than the Middle East. There’s the glamour and glitz of Dubai with its futuristic skyscrapers and gorgeous beaches, or if you’re after a more traditional side of Arabia then Oman and its capital Muscat delivers, with a rich heritage and culture that has barely changed over the past few centuries.