Group tours to the Indian Ocean Islands

The Maldives shine from January to March, when the northeast monsoon keeps the skies dry and sunny. Rain arrives from mid-May to November, with December and April as in-between months. The other islands follow their own calendar. Mauritius is hot and humid from November to April and cooler and drier from June to September, with October one of its driest months. Réunion is driest from May to November, and its east side is much rainier than the west. In the Seychelles, May is the sunniest month, while Zanzibar has two rainy seasons, from March to May and from October to December.

November to April is also cyclone season for Mauritius and Réunion, one more reason to favor the drier months.

For a single archipelago like the Maldives or the Seychelles, 7-10 days is plenty. If you want to combine several islands on a multi-country itinerary, plan at least 2 weeks. The islands are roughly 7 to 10 hours ahead of Eastern time (3 more from the Pacific time zone), and the flight is long, so a Thanksgiving break is not enough for this trip.

The Maldives are a scatter of tiny islands across 26 atolls, about 200 of them inhabited, which is perfect for slowing down. Réunion asks for more time: its UNESCO-listed interior covers about 40% of the island and easily takes several days.

Rules depend on the country and change often, so before you book check the country page on travel.state.gov and the destination's official portal. Your passport needs enough validity: requirements vary by country, and the US State Department asks for six months and a blank page for the Maldives, so six months is the safe rule for most of these trips. A passport card is not valid for international flights.

The Maldives issue a tourist visa on arrival, and you fill out a free online Traveller Declaration up to 96 hours before landing (imuga.immigration.gov.mv). The Seychelles need no visa but ask for an online form (seychelles.govtas.com). Mauritius is visa-free only for some nationalities, so check the country list at passport.govmu.org. For Zanzibar, one Tanzanian visa covers the mainland and the islands, requested online at visa.immigration.go.tz. Keep your return ticket and booking details handy at every border.

Every island has its own mood.

• Maldives: the beaches and island stays, whether you pick a resort, a guesthouse, or a liveaboard.
• Seychelles: Anse Source d'Argent on La Digue, a beach lined with granite boulders. Aldabra, home to about 152,000 giant tortoises, and Praslin's Vallée de Mai, where the coco de mer grows, the largest seed in the plant kingdom, are both UNESCO sites.
• Mauritius: Le Morne, a UNESCO landscape that sheltered escaped slaves, and Aapravasi Ghat in Port Louis, where Indian laborers once arrived.
• Réunion: the Pitons, Cirques and Remparts, a UNESCO site of two volcanic peaks, three cirques, and forests and heathland.
• Zanzibar: Stone Town, a UNESCO-listed Swahili trading city, and its spice tours.

Each island has its own currency, so it helps to know what to expect.

• Maldives: the rufiyaa. Resorts can take foreign currency for tourist services, and major credit cards are accepted.
• Seychelles: the Seychelles rupee.
• Mauritius: the Mauritian rupee.
• Zanzibar: the Tanzanian shilling.
• Réunion: the euro, as in France.

The Seychelles and Mauritius rupees are two separate currencies, and neither is the Indian rupee. Check your card's foreign transaction fees before you go.

Expect a higher budget, especially for resorts in the Maldives and the Seychelles, while Zanzibar offers more affordable options. The flight from the US is a major part of the cost, and your type of stay matters too: in the Maldives you can choose a resort, hotel, guesthouse, or liveaboard. Good to know for the Maldives: a tax on tourism services and a green tax per guest apply, and entry to Hanifaru Bay is paid and supports local conservation.

In the Maldives, you reach the islands by speedboat near the airport and by seaplane or domestic flight for the farther atolls, and scheduled ferries link Malé to many of them. In the Seychelles, Air Seychelles flights and Cat Cocos catamarans connect Mahé, Praslin, and La Digue. Around Zanzibar, ferries run every day between Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Pemba, and Tanga, and Air Tanzania serves the country. Schedules vary, so always check with the operators.

The Maldives, the Seychelles, and Zanzibar are tropical all year, warm and humid, with temperatures in the Maldives staying roughly between 77 and 90°F. Mauritius has a hot, humid summer and a cooler winter, and rain follows its own calendar on each archipelago.

Réunion is the one that changes with altitude. The coast stays warm, while up in the highlands winter nights turn properly cool, with lows dropping to the high 30s °F. The east side of the island is also much rainier than the west.

Snorkeling and diving among coral reefs are the highlights across the region. The Maldives are home to about a thousand fish species, manta rays, and whale sharks, and Baa Atoll is a UNESCO biosphere reserve. At Hanifaru Bay, manta rays and whale sharks feed from May to December, during the southwest monsoon. Visits are guided and limited, and the rules can change, so ask when you book.

A few good habits: in the Maldives, admire the coral without touching it and take your waste away with you. In the Seychelles sea turtles are protected, so hotels and operators keep encounters gentle: look, but don't handle or use flash.

Fish and coconut sit at the heart of Maldivian cooking, while elsewhere in the Indian Ocean Creole, Indian, and French flavors take over.

• Maldives: mas huni, tuna with coconut, onion, chili, and lime, eaten with roshi flatbread at breakfast; garudhiya, a tuna broth served with rice; and the riha curries, with chicken and coconut or with fish balls. In the evening come hedhikaa, small snacks served with jasmine tea.
• Seychelles: Creole cooking, with octopus curry in coconut milk, cassava cakes, and grilled fish with local herbs.
• Mauritius: dholl puri and roti, served with alouda or tamarind juice, and briani, spiced rice with meat and potatoes.
• Zanzibar: pilau, biryani, and Zanzibar mix (urojo) at the Forodhani night market.
• Réunion: cari, the Creole curry, rougail saucisses, and bonbons piment.