Seychelles vs Maldives • Which Vacation spot is Proper For You?
Overwater bungalows. Luxurious resorts. All-inclusive holidays. Few locations world wide are well-known as actually luxurious journey locations. Two of them, nonetheless, are within the Indian Ocean: The Maldives and Seychelles.
Celebrities like Prince William and Kate Middleton honeymoon in Seychelles, together with Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt, and David and Victoria Beckham. Whereas Joe Jonas, Sophie Turner, and Gwyneth Paltrow are among the many celebrities, who’ve loved honeymoons within the Maldives.
That’s to not say that these islands are solely for the wealthy and well-known. Whereas these islands have a fame for luxurious, they’re accessible to the typical traveler too. However how do you select which Indian Ocean island group to go to? The Maldives vs Seychelles. Let’s break down the variations between the islands so you’ll be able to determine which vacation spot is one of the best one for you.
Seychelles VS Maldives: Geography
Seychelles
So where are the Seychelles? The islands of Seychelles are situated off the east coast of Africa, simply south of the equator. The primary island, Mahé, has the capital of Victoria and the worldwide airport. There are 115 Seychellois islands product of granite or coral, and most are uninhabited.
Maldives
The Maldives, against this, is round 1200 islands stretched south of India. They straddle the equator and are product of sand and coral. Many of the islands within the Maldives are uninhibited.
The capital is Malé, situated near the center of the island chain. The worldwide airport is subsequent door to Hulhulé.
Transportation in Seychelles VS the Maldives
Seychelles
A number of worldwide airports join on to Seychelles, similar to Istanbul, Gatwick, Doha, and Frankfurt. The airport is situated within the middle of Mahé, and the island has lots to see and do. You can get to both finish of Mahé island inside an hour, and taxis are broadly out there.
Touring inside Seychelles is straightforward too. A ferry runs between Mahé, Praslin, and La Digue, the opposite two generally visited islands. The ferry between Praslin and Mahé takes one hour, and from Praslin to La Digue is fifteen minutes. There may be additionally a small airport on Praslin, and the flight time from Mahé to Praslin is fifteen minutes. Automotive leases or employed drivers can be found on each Mahé and Praslin.
The Maldives
There are extra worldwide flights to the Maldives. Nevertheless, the airport is situated in Hulhulé, the place you’ll most definitely not need to keep for a vacation. Most guests keep in resorts or guesthouses situated alongside one of many atolls. Your lodging will assist prepare your transportation.
In case your transportation is by way of speedboat, it’s going to decide you up from the airport and whisk you away to the island. Boats are a fairly straightforward choice, however the nearer islands really feel much less distant resulting from their proximity to the ugly capital metropolis, Male.
Going from island to island or attending to distant islands up north may be very tough except you guide a seaplane, which might get costly rapidly. The common return seaplane switch is round $500 USD. The planes are very cramped, sizzling, and uncomfortable. So it’s at all times one thing to think about when reserving a visit to the Maldives. Flight instances range from half-hour to at least one hour plus.
Islands are very small within the Maldives, and nearly all might be simply walked or biked round.
Mountaineering In Seychelles VS the Maldives
Seychelles
The islands of Seychelles are largely granite and have some beautiful views and hikes. Topography in Seychelles is way extra fascinating as the very best level in Seychelles is almost 3,000 ft excessive on a really small island.
Whereas many hikes are scattered all through the Seychelles islands, there are two extremely popular and rewarding hikes on Mahé. One is named Morne Blanc, which provides you a shocking view west out over the ocean. Alternatively, there may be Copolia, which supplies a view over the japanese shore with the airport, Eden Island, Victoria, and on a transparent day, off within the distance, Praslin, twenty miles away.
Maldives
The very best elevation within the Maldives is about eight ft above sea degree. The islands are normally slim, and trails are restricted or nonexistent. If you wish to stretch your legs, take into account going for a seaside stroll reasonably than a “hike.” Or you’ll be able to go to the resort fitness center to run on a treadmill. In the case of land actions, there isn’t a lot within the Maldives.
Wildlife in Seychelles vs. the Maldives
Seychelles
Whereas visiting Seychelles, you should have the chance to find out about many endemic species within the space. Whereas mountain climbing, it’s possible you’ll encounter a tiger chameleon, a Seychelles Bulbul flying within the underbrush, or the coco de mer, a big palm tree native to the islands of Praslin and Curieuse.
One other endemic species from Seychelles is the Aldabra large tortoise. Most individuals are accustomed to the Galapagos tortoise, however large tortoises have been rather more widespread worldwide than they’re at the moment.
Most species have been hunted to extinction by European sailors because the tortoises are a wonderful meals supply. However the Aldabra large tortoise is now a protected species and there’s a conservation facility on Curieuse Island the place you’ll be able to go to and feed the tortoises.
Maldives
It’s possible you’ll encounter uncommon wildlife in your journey to the Maldives, but it surely’s tougher to know for positive. Whereas there are endemic species, little effort has been put into land conservation or schooling for tourism. Guests to the Maldives are rather more centered elsewhere…
Marine Life In Seychelles Vs. The Maldives
Seychelles
The best time to visit Seychelles for water actions is in April, October, or November. These are the months between monsoon seasons when the situations relax. With flat seas, it’s simpler to journey to a number of the smaller islands and benefit from the waters.
In Might by means of September, the water visibility is low due to the inflow of plankton, however that brings in whale sharks and different giant marine fauna to come across. Sadly, Seychelles skilled huge coral bleaching in 2019. Whereas there are conservation efforts in place, similar to coral nurseries and guarded marine parks, the underwater sights in Seychelles are lackluster in comparison with different areas of the world.
Maldives
January by means of April is the best time to visit the Maldives for underwater actions. The ocean state is calm, and visibility is healthier. The Maldives additionally skilled huge coral bleaching in 2016. Whereas the Maldives doesn’t have many protected land-based parks, it has many marine parks to guard the wildlife and encourage secure tourism.
The Baa Atoll is a delegated UNESCO biosphere reserve for varied marine life supported in calm, protected waters. For giant marine fauna, Ari Atoll is likely one of the finest locations on the earth to see whale sharks. They’re current all yr spherical on this marine park, and there are restrictions for the tour operators to make it a secure expertise for the animal and also you.
There are lots of giant liveaboard dive boats within the Maldives, which transfer day by day between dive websites. It is a nice alternative to see a wide range of islands and underwater life. Diving and snorkeling are phenomenal within the Maldives.
Seychelles VS Maldives: The Climate
Seychelles
Seychelles has two monsoon seasons: the northwest monsoon season from November by means of March and the southeast monsoon season from April to November. The northwest monsoon season brings heat, dry air from Africa, whereas the southeast monsoon season brings cooler winds from the arctic. Each seasons are windy and may carry scattered showers.
The months in transition – April, Might, October and November – are one of the best to go to. The winds relax and journey between the islands, particularly if you’re touring by way of boat, is rather a lot nicer. Underwater actions are higher as a result of the water visibility is healthier too.
Maldives
The Maldives has two seasons: the dry and wet seasons. The dry season is from December to April. Might to November is the wet season, so in the event you go to throughout that point, you’ll should make sure you benefit from any solar you get. No matter which season it’s, the Maldives’ temperature might be sizzling! Round 30 levels celsius.
Tradition And Historical past In The Maldives vs. Seychelles
Seychelles
The islands of Seychelles have been uninhabited till the sixteenth century, when European explorers found the islands. Since then, the inhabitants has primarily been a mixture of French, British and African heritage – together with slaves.
It was a British colony for practically two centuries, but it surely declared its independence within the Seventies. There are three official languages: English, French, and Seychellois. The nation is likely one of the richest in Africa, and the first faith is Christianity.
Maldives
It’s estimated that the primary settlers within the Maldives have been south Asians from as early as 500 BC. The Maldives have been additionally a part of the British Empire for a few century, gaining independence within the Nineteen Sixties.
Dhivehi and English are the official languages. Islam got here to the islands within the twelfth century and remains to be the first faith at the moment. Within the Maldives, there isn’t any freedom of faith, and there are controversial stances on punishment, freedom of speech, and girls’s rights, amongst different issues.
Essentially the most affect on vacationers is the conservative costume coverage. Personal island resorts are exempt from costume insurance policies, however when visiting populated islands with villages, there are designated “bikini seashores” the place foreigners can costume as they want.
In any other case, clothes is anticipated to be coated from knees to shoulders. In case you are touring across the Maldives, that is one in every of my high Maldives travel tips. Moreover, alcohol isn’t served outdoors of the resorts. You come for the seashores and water, not for historical past or tradition.
Lodging In The Maldives vs Seychelles
Seychelles
There are all kinds of lodging out there in Seychelles. For funds vacationers, there are self-catering flats out there on the primary islands. These are normally small locations that embrace a kitchen. There are lots of accommodations and resorts, together with personal island resorts and over-water bungalows.
Maldives
There’s a distinctive historical past of tourism within the Maldives. For a really very long time, the one vacationers allowed to go to stayed on personal islands. Every island held a resort and dwelling quarters for workers. There was not quite a lot of interplay between locals and vacationers.
Just lately, these guidelines have been modified to permit villages and non-private islands to open guesthouses. These guesthouses supply a spot to remain within the Maldives that’s inexpensive and extra concerned in the neighborhood.
That being stated, the Maldives nonetheless excel on the luxurious overwater bungalows and resorts. There are lots of islands the place you’ll be able to keep in an opulent cabin with all of the facilities you could possibly probably need. It’s not shocking that a number of the finest resorts on the earth are within the Maldives, however they arrive with a unprecedented price ticket. A number of of our favourite overwater resorts within the Maldives are Velassaru and Kuramathi.
Crusing In The Maldives vs Seychelles
Seychelles
For those who intend to take a crusing trip, Seychelles has a number of constitution bases, similar to Dream Yacht Charters and Sunsail. They’re based mostly in Eden Island, between the airport and the capital of Victoria. It’s straightforward to get from the primary island of Mahe to the opposite well-liked islands of Praslin and La Digue in just a few hours of crusing.
You’ll be able to learn my expertise – over 100 days sailing the islands of Seychelles – and the prompt itinerary.
Maldives
By boat could be an effective way to see the islands since it might be a lot simpler to really island hop. Nevertheless, there are only a few constitution boats within the Maldives, and those which can be there are all close to the capital, Male. That limits the locations you’ll be able to go to solely a small space round Male.
I spent 56 days in the Maldives on my sailboat, and here are my recommendations and experiences.
Seychelles Vs. The Maldives
Hopefully, this helped you select between Seychelles vs the Maldives in your journey. It’s a troublesome alternative as each island nations have quite a lot of variations and excel at various things.
In case you are interested by nature and the outside, Seychelles is the apparent alternative with beautiful mountain climbing, a extra fascinating shoreline, and endemic wildlife. It’s straightforward to journey to and from Seychelles and inside the islands. It additionally feels rather more like touring by means of Africa than the Maldives, the place most issues appear to cater to high-end tourism.
Nevertheless, if you’re extra interested by a luxurious trip and staying in a dreamy overwater bungalow with crystal clear blue water beneath you, the Maldives is the head of the business.
A personal island resort could also be your good trip. For those who benefit from the underwater expertise, a liveaboard dive boat within the Maldives could be a tremendous expertise. You don’t even should be a diver to see superb issues within the Maldives. A number of instances we noticed whale sharks and manta rays simply snorkeling!
Each islands have beautiful pure magnificence – it’s truthfully laborious to go fallacious with both.
READ MORE SEYCHELLES AND MALDIVES TRAVEL TIPS
I hope you loved this information on visiting Seychelles or the Maldives. Listed here are just a few related articles for extra journey across the island nations.
Concerning the Writer
Amy Alton has spent many of the previous seven years dwelling aboard her sailboat. In 2020, she completed her world circumnavigation along with her husband. Now, they’re spending the season cruising the Bahamas and dwelling a bit extra of the gradual life. You’ll be able to observe her adventures at Out Chasing Stars or on Instagram.
